Lacinato Kale and Walnut Pesto

Hawthorne Valley Farm has been dedicated to producing high quality food for more than 35 years. Their biodynamic farming practices reflect their commitment to protecting the health of the earth and all who live on it, and their education and outreach programs strive to raise awareness of the social, ecological, and economic importance of agriculture in their daily lives. Hawthorne Valley Farm, like all farms, is part of the global food system and part of its regional foodshed. Through conscious collaboration, they're working to build a new food paradigm predicated on providing nutritious food to all people in their foodshed, preserving farmland and farmland wildlife habitats, making land accessible for sustainable agriculture, enhancing regional economic vitality, and fostering connections between people and the living land.

HVF aims to establish a true Biodynamic Farm; to connect children and adults with the land and the food that nourishes them; and to provide agricultural products of the highest quality. Through the farm’s products, they hope to open an educational dialogue about the environment, the economy, and ourselves. Adding value to their farm products through their Dairy, Farm Store, Bakery, and Sauerkraut Cellar allows them to grow their farm in a balanced way–with less stress on the land, plants and animals. The income from these "value-added" activities coupled with the greater profit margin from direct marketing permits the farm to maintain a reasonable and "human" scale. Thus they are able to avoid the monoculturally-based, industrial-scale, factory-farming methods which are prevalent in the country today.