Stacy Szymaszek

Hawthorne Valley is a place to rediscover one’s connection to nature, to how our food is grown, and to ourselves as participants in a dynamic social and natural ecosystem. Through active food production, educational programs for children and adults, ongoing social and scientific research, and the cultivation of a vibrant artistic community, we pursue a modern way of living embedded deeply in the natural world. Our work emphasizes the social, ecological, and economic importance of agriculture in our daily lives. Our integrated learning campus sits on a 900-acre Demeter-certified Biodynamic® farm in Ghent, NY, centrally located in Hudson Valley’s Columbia County. Organized since 1971 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our initiatives include: pre-K - 12 Waldorf school; on-farm education programs; a full-line organic/natural foods and grocery store; a Biodynamic creamery and organic bakery; and social, ecological, and cultural research groups.