Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm
The Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm is a historic property covering about 39 acres with fields, gardens, and old buildings. It includes a farmhouse built around 1830, greenhouses, a barn, chicken coop, and various test plots where different growing methods are studied.
J.I. Rodale purchased the property in 1940 and began experimenting with natural farming methods, inspired by early proponents like Sir Albert Howard. In the 1970s, the Rodale Institute acquired the current land and launched the Farming Systems Trial in 1981 to compare organic and conventional methods.
The name Rodale comes from the family that shaped the property. Today, visitors experience it as a place where scientific curiosity and practical knowledge work together, with different garden sections showing how people work with the earth naturally.
Access is through the rural landscape of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, near Kutztown. The property has wide paths through different garden areas and is relatively flat, with plenty of space for exploring and resting in leisure areas like the pavilion.
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 and is known for the 1981 Farming Systems Trial, one of the longest-running studies comparing organic and conventional growing methods. This long-term research has demonstrated that organic farming can match or exceed conventional approaches.
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