When the founders started Hawthorne Valley 50 years ago, they did so with a hope—a hope that this new project would turn into a place that would allow people, young and old, to reconnect with the natural world.
Henry and Christy Barnes, Fentress and Hede Gardner, Karl and Arvia Ege, Jeanne and Brownell Bergen, Harry and Almuth Kretz, and Thorn Zay were amongst a group of educators, gardeners, and artisans with various backgrounds who had been brought together by a shared appreciation for and dedication to the work of Rudolf Steiner through Waldorf Education and Biodynamic Agriculture. They had a vision which grew as they watched over half of American small farms close their doors from the 1940s to the 70s. Equally as concerning to them in their work as educators was seeing more and more children lose touch with the natural world as technology became a mainstay in people’s homes.
Their solution was to found what is now known as Hawthorne Valley, an association of initiatives that are both commercial and educational in nature. It was on February 11, 1971 that the founders first incorporated the nonprofit originally known as the Rudolf Steiner Educational and Farming Association and began raising funds to purchase land. Eighteen months later, after Fentress and Thorn visited over 70 farms, they closed on the purchase of the Curtis Vincent Farm in Harlemville. Just a few short months later, they welcomed the 12th grade class from the Rudolf Steiner School (RSS) in Manhattan to the valley for the very first Visiting Students Program. More ...
Henry and Christy Barnes, Fentress and Hede Gardner, Karl and Arvia Ege, Jeanne and Brownell Bergen, Harry and Almuth Kretz, and Thorn Zay were amongst a group of educators, gardeners, and artisans with various backgrounds who had been brought together by a shared appreciation for and dedication to the work of Rudolf Steiner through Waldorf Education and Biodynamic Agriculture. They had a vision which grew as they watched over half of American small farms close their doors from the 1940s to the 70s. Equally as concerning to them in their work as educators was seeing more and more children lose touch with the natural world as technology became a mainstay in people’s homes.
Their solution was to found what is now known as Hawthorne Valley, an association of initiatives that are both commercial and educational in nature. It was on February 11, 1971 that the founders first incorporated the nonprofit originally known as the Rudolf Steiner Educational and Farming Association and began raising funds to purchase land. Eighteen months later, after Fentress and Thorn visited over 70 farms, they closed on the purchase of the Curtis Vincent Farm in Harlemville. Just a few short months later, they welcomed the 12th grade class from the Rudolf Steiner School (RSS) in Manhattan to the valley for the very first Visiting Students Program. More ...
