ABOUT
At Ironwood Farm
We Grow Organic VegetablesIn Partnership with Other Living Organisms
We are active participants in the stewardship and care of our larger community and ecosystem
Our Mission
Ironwood Farmers see ourselves as active participants in the stewardship and care of our larger ecosystem; we grow food through partnership with other living organisms.
We are interested in learning about effective and healthy ecosystem processes through farming.
We want to care for people through food.
We want to create a workspace that is loving, respectful and fun, where people can be full humans and grow in capacity.
We want to contribute and support to the community of small agriculture based businesses in the Hudson Valley and see it thrive. We want to support connection to land and farming/food access for young people and folks from all backgrounds.
About Us
Ironwood Farm grows certified organic vegetables, herbs and fruits on seven acres of leased land in Ghent, NY. We sell our produce in farmer's markets, CSA shares (community supported agriculture), and wholesale to restaurants, shops and resellers in the Hudson Valley.
Ironwood farm is growing food, growing people, and expanding the roots of the Hudson Valley farming community.
Quality of Life Statement
These are the principles that underpin our business
Families
Our Families are integrated into our workspace and work lives.
Sustenance
We feed ourselves and our employees in abundance.
Land
We are connected to land for self discovery.
Openness
We have an open, accepting and safe workspace.
Holistic Management and Regenerative Farming
We follow Allan Savory's structure of Holistic Management
planning. This strategy helps us learn about each of our choices in land and business management as we go forward, seeing what is effective to get us where we want to go.
We are attempting to learn from other experimental farmers about reducing tillage in traditional farming - to reduce soil degredation and capture carbon.
OUR STORY
Of How Ironwood Came To Be
THREE YOUNG FARMERS
Ironwood was founded in 2013 by three young female farmers, Jenny Parker, Lauren Jones and Aliyah Brandt. Bright, full of energy and a real drive to create a thriving farm business, we formed our LLC and strove towards a shared vision.
LEARNING AND MENTORESHIP | LITTLE SEED GARDENS
Lauren, Jenny and Aliyah worked together on Little Seed Gardens
organic farm for over 4 years. This is where we 'learned' farming and made lifelong friends with mentors and role models Willy and Claudia, who continue to show us the endless possibilities of the farming life. We you Little Seed!
FINDING LAND | COLUMBIA LAND CONSERVANCY
Finding suitable and affordable land to lease is challenging as land prices rise. The Columbia Land Conservancy
was crucial in connecting us with land owners wanting farmers to work their land. After a year of searching & interviewing, we found our match.
STARTING A BUSINESS | THE CARROT PROJECT
How do three young women start up a business without funding? The answer is in The Carrot Project. This progressive organization helped us write a viable business plan, apply for a loan, seek legal and business council, and basically form our biz entity. This organization is an incredible resource for new small farms in the Hudson Valley.
LAND PARTNERSHIP | THE TIPPLE FAMILY
Thanks to the forward thinking Tipple Family we arranged to rent seven acres of their land to put into vegetable production. Their generosity and support ensured we had available and fertile soil to grow in.
GOING ALL IN
Putting your debt where your heart is. With the help of The Carrot Project we received a $30k loan and $10k operating credit to get us started. We're happy to report that as of 2019, these loans have been paid off, with not a payment missed!
Oh and yeah, Lauren and her husband Jonney got pregnant in the first season, which was super great as it meant a farm baby was on way to join the crew!
GROWING, LEARNING, SWEATING, FARMING
And we were off! Growing Ironwood to a 9 acre highly productive certified organic vegetable farm, and all the chaos that includes. We got into Holistic Management, Conflict Management, Financial Management... all the managements! We've fed thousands of families and ourselves. We've had our food shipped to over a million people by a meal kit company. We've also been in the press. But mostly we've been sweating and hauling ass to build a profitable, responsible and welcoming farm that produces the best veggies you've ever tasted.
FOSTERING COMMUNITY AND PARTERNSHIPS
A business and farm is nothing without the communities, customers and partners that support it. We've built lasting friendships with our restaurant and wholesale partners - with some of them even building greenhouses with us! Our customers are our best friends, we couldn't have done this without you all! We love each and every one of you!
THE INCREDIBLE JENNY PARKER MOVES ONWARDS
At the end of our 2019 season, as our first 5-year vision came to a successful close, farmer and co-owner Jenny Parker packed a U-Haul and made a cross country trip to Idaho, ready for new adventures and love. It was super sad to see her go, she's been an integral part of Ironwood from the start. Her energy, vivaciousness and skills will be felt for years to come on this land. Aliyah and Lauren now share the daunting task dreaming up and then realizing the next 5-year Ironwood vision!
AND THE FARMING GOES ON AS BABIES ARRIVE
We're entering our 9th season at Ironwood. This is a big deal. Our systems are more mature and fine tuned. We're turning a profit while supporting our families and those of our employees. We're actually still enjoying farming which is a big deal! The climate is changing. Our attitudes and what's important to us is changing. And we're having babies - Lauren's had her second child Hazel, and Aliyah welcomed Poppy! Lots to do and we're keen to do it. We'll see you out there in the fields or at the markets.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND OUR FOOD?
Hungry yet? Here are some ways you can eat our vegetables.
CSAs
