Windy Knoll Farm is a small organic hilltop farm of about 5.38 acres in northeast Guilford County. We have a 50’ x 100’ raised bed, bio-intensive garden and cut flower plot, an organic vineyard with three 150’ rows of vinifera and rotundifolia grapes, a Southern heritage apple orchard with about fifty varieties, and other small fruits and berries. Our operations have been completely pesticide-free since we bought the farm in 1996. Our intention has been to create a small, sustainable homestead that could produce its organic fruits and vegetables using appropriate regional varieties and small-scale methods of growing.
Our bio-intensive method of organic gardening has been to build up the quality of our garden soil with double-digging and the addition of composted cow manure and leaf mulch. Our garden plot began with hardpan clay subsoil and has been built up gradually with generous annual layers of compost, leaf mulch, and green cover crops until we have over a foot of good topsoil. Now we are able to grow a three-season rotation of vegetables and cut flowers. We also maintain a separate raised kitchen bed for salad greens and herbs.
An important part of our work at Windy Knoll Farm has been environmental education. We have been part of the Triad North Carolina Farm Stewardship Association spring weekend farm tour for the past three years and have had numerous visitors tour our farm. We have hosted student tours from Elon University classes as well as from Guilford College. In addition, for the past five years we have sponsored student internships for Elon University Environmental Studies majors in organic farming methods and sustainable agriculture. Our purpose was to create a small demonstration farm for experiential learning and internship possibilities.
Students have worked with us on various horticulture, conservation and restoration projects, such as restoring our pond embankment vegetation, pruning apple trees, preparing spring planting beds and succession planting, picking and crushing grapes, and pressing apple cider. Former Windy Knoll Farm interns have secured positions in the Peace Corps, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Service, and private outdoor adventure firms.
At Windy Knoll Farm, we try to practice simple and sustainable living. Our future plans include adding a small greenhouse and generating our home electrical power through a combination of solar panels and a small wind turbine. We believe that it is possible to meet many of our basic needs on a small homestead, and generate a small surplus of healthy, locally produced fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers for local markets. We would like to apply Alice Waters' vision of providing healthy, local, organically grown produce from farm to market or restaurant, so that we can gradually educate the public to buy better quality produce and in time create a genuine regional cuisine.
