Sweet Stem Farm,  Lititz, PA (Lancaster County)

A visit by Carly and Dave, Summer 2010

Phillip and Dorcas (Dee) Horst-Landis at Sweet Stem Farm (formerly Meadow Run Farm) are some of the first farmers HLF bought food from.  Mary Ann remembers going to their farm for a visit in the spring of 2006 when the new lambs first went out to pasture.  On a more recent visit, Carly and Dave got to see the pigs being fed and the sheep leaping and frolicking as they were let into a fresh piece of pasture to graze. 

Sweet Stem Farm raises cows, chickens, lambs and pigs.  Their cattle and sheep feast on a 100% grass based diet, grazing in pastures during the warm months and munching on hay during the winter.  Their pigs live in open sided structures filled with straw (which the pigs love to root around in) and are fed a diet of soy and GMO-free corn.  The care that Phillip and Dee take with their animals is obvious, and their commitment to raising animals humanely can be seen in everything that they do to maximize their animals’ comfort and well being.

Landisdale Farm, Elizabethtown, PA  (Lebanon County)

A visit by Mary Ann, Early spring, 2006

Dan and Rachel Landis were some of the first farmers I met while volunteering at the Fair Food Farmstand in Philadelphia, and their farm continues to be one I cite as a model of sustainability.  Dan and Rachel – brother and sister- grew up on a family farm and have been the active farmers of their, now, certified organic farm since 1998.

When I visited Landisdale Farm, it was early in the season yet the farm was buzzing with activity. Workers from Peru, in the US on an internship basis, worked with Dan’s guidance, to create row covers (fabric stretched over portable frames that protect from frost or pests) for seedlings, apply compost, check young greens, and attend to myriad other early spring farm tasks. I marveled at several things: the enormous responsibility and risk that farming is—so much outlay before there’s any payback; the depth of knowledge that it takes to make delicious, nutritious food come out of the ground; the patience required to live, and earn one’s livelihood in tune with the seasons; and the commitment of family farmers to continue the tradition of small-scale, organic farming in spite of national trends toward industrialized, unsustainable farming. When I shared these observations with Dan (Rachel manages the farm from the office) he looked a bit surprised and told me that farming is just what they love to do.

Landisdale Farm flourishes and Dan and Rachel recently returned from a month’s Spanish language intensive in Guatemala. Last year they went to Peru to cultivate relationships with current and prospective farm workers. As I watched Dan with his workers I saw this commitment not just to fair labor practices, but to genuine relationship, in action. 

Sunny Slope Farm,  Christiana, PA (Lancaster County)       

A visit by Mary Ann, Winter, 2011

Ruth and Ben Glick have been Lancaster County farmers all their lives. Even on this gray day, the snow-covered rolling hills where they grew up almost glistened. As I sat in the sparsely furnished living room of this young Amish couple and listened to their stories of dairy farming and mustard-making, I could hear their love for the land.  Ruth showed me the licensed kitchen in the basement where she makes the creamy Amish mustard that HLF sells.

Ben is developing a poultry business that would provide fresh chicken to HLF throughout the winter season.  They also grow produce and wanted to know what crops we would like them to grow! I loved their questions about HLF and their enthusiasm for our “growing” partnership. (Something to look forward to for next winter… frozen fruits and vegetables from Sunny Slope Farm).

Four Worlds Bakery, Philadelphia, PA

A visit by Pam, Winter, 2010

Michael Dolich began baking bread at home in 2006. Now, at his new bakery in West Philadelphia, he’s being discovered by more and more people who know just how delicious and nutritious true artisanal bread can be.

On a recent tour of his new bakery, Michael showed us the small electric mill where he freshly grinds all the whole grains that go into his breads. He’s dedicated to producing bread of the highest nutritional value, and has learned that by freshly milling the grains, he can create a nutritionally superior bread. (The fatty acids in commercially milled flours turn rancid almost immediately.)

We watch as one of the bakers forms loaves at a table covered with flour. These loaves rise using natural fermentation --a sourdough starter « birthed » three years ago. Michael explains that this is another core aspect of creating a healthful loaf. Unlike  commercial yeasts which have only one yeast strain, natural fermentation allows for a diversity of yeast strains to thrive and to make the resulting bread not only more flavorful, but also more digestible.

Michael shows us his two ovens…one for baking the crusty loaves, and one a convection oven ideal for baking croissants and other pastries. Finally we check out his walk-in refrigerator full of milk and eggs from local farms. The freshness and high quality of the ingredients (right down to the salt…only Celtic sea salt is used) combined with the artistry that comes with making all the bread by hand in small batches, results in the beautiful, nutritious bread that adorn the racks at the front of the store.

Check out these links for a current list of the farmers and food artisans we work with.