Growing Practices
At Oak Hart Farm, we believe in nurturing the land so it can continue to nourish our community for generations to come. Our commitment to regenerative organic agriculture shapes everything we do, ensuring that our farm remains a thriving, sustainable ecosystem.
Building Healthier Soil: We focus on feeding the soil, not just the plants. By using cover crops like buckwheat, clover, cowpeas, millet, oats, rye, sorghum grass, and sunn hemp to prevent erosion and replenish nutrients naturally. Our fields are enriched with compost, mycorrhizal fungi, and organic matter, fostering a vibrant microbial community. We also practice raised bed growing, preserving the soil structure and reducing disturbance to the delicate underground ecosystem.
Encouraging Biodiversity: Diversity is at the heart of Oak Hart Farm. We grow a variety of crops, rotate plantings, and maintain pollinator-friendly habitats with wildflowers, hedgerows, and trees. This creates a balanced environment where beneficial insects thrive, reducing the need for intervention while strengthening the land’s natural defenses.
Protecting Clean Water & Reducing Runoff: Healthy soil means cleaner water. Our use of cover crops, organic amendments, and natural buffer zones helps retain moisture and prevent runoff. We do not use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, keeping our water sources pure for both the farm and the surrounding community.
Building Resilience Against Extreme Weather: By prioritizing soil health and diversity, our farm is better equipped to handle unpredictable weather. Mulching and composting help retain moisture during droughts, while our agroforestry approach provides wind protection and improves microclimates within our fields. Crop diversity ensures that even in a tough season, something will always thrive.
Growing More Nutritious Food: The healthier the soil, the more nutrient-dense our food. We prioritize heirloom and heritage crop varieties, and because our plants grow in rich, microbially active soil, they develop deeper flavors and higher nutritional value.
Strengthening Our Community: Oak Hart Farm is more than just a place to grow food – it’s a space where people connect with the land and each other. Through our on-site market, educational workshops, and farm events, we bring our community together, fostering an appreciation for sustainable food systems. By hiring locally and working with nearby farms, we help build a resilient, regionally focused food network.
Every practice at Oak Hart Farm is rooted in the belief that farming should restore the land, nourish the people, and sustain the future.
This is more than agriculture – it’s a way of life.
Farm Family
Meet The Farmers
Shawna and Woody Hartsook
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The Hartsook Family
Supporting Farm Family
Becky
Amy
Meghan
Farm Volunteers and Friends
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
– Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution
In Memoriam
In Loving Memory of My Parents
I was blessed to grow up on this land, the same land my parents lovingly tended before me. My father taught me the value of hard work—the early mornings, the dirt-stained hands, the satisfaction of a job well done. He showed us—the six of us by his side in the garden—the patience of planting, the joy of harvesting, and the deep respect for the land that sustains us. Together, we learned that farming isn’t just about growing food; it’s about dedication, perseverance, and nurturing life.
In the kitchen with my mother, I discovered the magic of fresh vegetables turned into nourishing meals, the art of canning and preserving, and the warmth that comes from sharing food with loved ones. She taught us that a good meal begins long before it reaches the table—it starts with love, care, and gratitude for the hands that grew it.
This farm is more than just soil and crops; it holds the spirit of my parents in every sunrise over the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in the rich, living earth beneath my feet. Their lessons, their love, and their dedication to this land are woven into every part of my being.
