Mission Statement
The Farm Store strives to serve and enhance the surrounding community on several fronts:
- Socially: to be the gateway to Hawthorne Valley Farm, and to be a stimulating and fulfilling place to shop, meet, learn, and work;
- Ecologically: to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of green architecture, and to support farmers, growers, and other initiatives whose work, like ours, strives to protect and further the health of the land;
- Economically: to sustain Hawthorne Valley Farm and other endeavors of Hawthorne Valley Association, and to be a successful participant in the local community by forging direct relationships to our business partners.
Buying Philosophy
Deciding what to sell in the Farm Store is a huge responsibility, one that we do not take lightly. With the Organic Standards and the growth in the organic and biodynamic movements, it’s increasingly difficult to understand the terminology employed, let alone the processes involved in the production of the individual goods and foods.
As part of our mission and our commitment to you, our buyers invest a great deal of time and effort in researching the items they stock in the Farm Store. Using a blend of first-hand knowledge, investigation, and experience, factors our buyers consider when making their decisions include (but are not limited to):
- Biodynamic® and/or organic certification
- where it was grown/produced (locally- and regionally-produced goods are favored)
- “clean” factor (e.g., free of chemicals, sugar, GMO)
- ingredients used
- if we know the grower/producer and if we know s/he prescribes to biodynamic/organic practices, even if not “officially” certified
- the grower/producer including size and ownership model (family-run operation? large corporation? etc.)
- mission of grower/producer (are the company’s values in-line with our values?)
- economic value to the consumer
These are only guidelines, and many times choices are not clear cut. For example, would you prefer we offer potatoes that are grown by a neighbor farmer but are not certified organic? Or, would you prefer certified-organic spuds from Idaho? Whenever possible, we try to stock both options so that you can make the choice.
If there is an item that you would like, but that we do not currently have on our shelves, you can try ordering it through our Buying Club with United Natural Foods. Should that not be a suitable solution, please contact us!
If you have any questions about what we do or do not sell, we invite your inquiries. Your comments, suggestions, and feedback — on this or any topic — are always welcome. We want you to consider the Farm Store as your store, so please let us know how we can better serve you. To send us feedback electronically, please click here.
