To help people of all ages reconnect to the soil and to teach them how to be better stewards of our planet through our farm-based outdoor classroom.
To serve our local community by producing the healthiest, most delicious produce possible, using regenerative farming methods that give back to the land.
OUR FARMING PRACTICES
At Hamilton Pool Farms, we’re building and restoring the land by increasing soil fertility and the interconnection of all life on the farm, from people to animals to insects to plants to soil microbes. We don’t farm in a vacuum: everything we do to it affects everything else, so our goal to maintain ecological balance as much as possible. This is a new concept and only a tiny percentage of farms practice it, though it’s essential that more farms move in this direction. Because we are a new farm, we are not yet certified organic though we strictly adhere to organic best practices.
We practice REGENERATIVE FARMING, which means that we focus on protecting and restoring our precious soil. Some of our practices include:
Minimal / No Tilling - to keep from disturbing the structure of the microbiome (the living part of soil made up of fungus, bacteria and invertebrates.)
Composting - nutrient-rich compost is added continuously to to help build organic soil matter – long term fertilizing effect
Cover Cropping – by allowing continual plant and root growth in the soil, we help sequester carbon as organic matter in the soil, feed the plant root exudates, add nutrients to the soil, and reduce soil erosion
Flail Mowing – this machine pulverizes cover crops, so they can be worked into the top 2-3 inches of soil
Mulching – helps to moderate soil temperatures (insulates), breaks down and adds to organic matter, helps control weeds
Integrative Pest Management - rather than applying insecticides, we work to attract beneficial insects such as lady bugs and praying mantises.
Non-GMO / Open-Pollinated Seeds - allows us to save seeds year after year and produces plants that are adapted to our particular microclimate
We also follow BIODYNAMIC FARMING principles, including:
Biodynamic compost preparations added to our compost piles
Biodynamic field sprays applied regularly (horn manure and silica)
