Collaboration
Collaboration is the heartbeat of Hawthorne Valley. Internally, it resonates through inter-departmental projects and curriculum enhancements. Externally, Hawthorne Valley has fiscally sponsored and incubated numerous mission aligned initiatives.
Since its inception, Hawthorne Valley has embodied the spirit of collaboration. Picture the early days – farmers, artisans, and educators converging to make Hawthorne Valley into a beacon of sustainable farming. Teachers bringing in the hay and helping in the barn, farmers preparing meals for and repairing desks – a testament to the collective spirit that gave rise to this visionary venture in social renewal.
Fast forward from 1972 to today—collaboration is still the heartbeat of Hawthorne Valley. Internally, it resonates through inter-departmental projects and curriculum enhancements. Externally, Hawthorne Valley has fiscally sponsored and incubated numerous mission aligned initiatives.
Some of the Initiatives Incubated at Hawthorne Valley
Our Collaborative Roots
Visit the Farm's websiteAs an educational farm, Hawthorne Valley Farm invites the spirit of collaboration in daily life through the pedagogy of will-centered activities. Schoolchildren, summer campers, and vocational interns regularly care for the animals and help out in the gardens on the Farm—evidence of a balance that has been cultivated over decades of collaboration between all the initiatives involved.
Within the bustling departments – vegetable and livestock operations, Farm Store, Creamery, and Bakery – a carefully crafted ecosystem thrives. Take the collaboration between the Creamery and the Farm’s dairy herd, where thoughtful dialogues set the stage for a sustainable cycle benefiting both the Farm and the markets. The tradition of collaboration and experience encouraged Hawthorne Valley Farm to co-found the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) and the Hudson Valley Farm Bulk Order Program for farmers.
Hope is a verb with its shirtsleeves rolled up.
Naturally Interconnected
Visit Farmscape Ecology Program's website
The Farmscape Ecology Program’s research is deeply collaborative. Public participation in ecological walks and citizen science projects, like Progress of the Seasons, which tracked phenological observations in the county, create a rich tapestry. Partnerships with Scenic Hudson, Hudsonia, Columbia Land Conservancy, and local farms have resulted in published works, including two books: The Nature of Place (2014) and From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, NY (due out April 2024).
On Farm Education
Visit Farm Camp's website
In 2009, the Place-Based Learning Center (now referred to as the Farm Learning Center) initiated collaborative efforts by establishing Farm & Arts Day Camp in partnership with organizations such as Perfect 10 and Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood in Hudson, NY. Their mission was to provide on-farm education to local children, inspired by the positive experiences of Visiting Students Program participants and residential summer campers. Over the years, the Farm Learning Center developed relationships with social service agencies, the Hudson City School District, and nonprofits, enabling the provision of full scholarships for children from low-income communities to attend the transformative Farm & Arts Day Camp.
Building Resilience
These collaborative ties form a network based in social awareness and mutual respect. Cultivating relationships through shared principles of compassionate reciprocity builds capacities of resilience, breathing life into the local economy. Hawthorne Valley proudly showcases a list of collaborators—the vibrant threads that enrich the tapestry of this extraordinary community!
Some of Our Collaborators
