Producer
Harmony Grove Farm
Contact: Monty & Akemi Hoffman
Address: 123 Harmony Grove Ln Harrisville, PA, 16038
Phone: 814-385-6492
Website: http://hgfarm.com/
About Us
Harrisville, PA | Member Since 2015
Harmony Grove Farm is a truly unique farm member of Penn's Corner Farm Alliance. The farm is steeped in history; Monty's great great grandfather started farming the land in the mid 1800's and in 1872, a one-room schoolhouse was built there, called Harmony Grove School. Today, Monty and Akemi use innovative hydroponic techniques to grow lettuce, salad greens, and strawberries.
Monty and Akemi greatly value the farming lifestyle and appreciate the peace and quiet that comes with it. Their pristine greenhouses, full of light, are a great place to spend their time--and especially beautiful when the vertical strawberry systems are blossoming: "In a few weeks, this greenhouse will be full of strawberries! It will be one of the most wonderful sights you could ever imagine!"
When not enjoying their own sweet strawberries, their favorite local treat are juicy PA peaches!
Harmony Grove Farm is a truly unique farm member of Penn's Corner Farm Alliance. The farm is steeped in history; Monty's great great grandfather started farming the land in the mid 1800's and in 1872, a one-room schoolhouse was built there, called Harmony Grove School. Today, Monty and Akemi use innovative hydroponic techniques to grow lettuce, salad greens, and strawberries.
Monty and Akemi greatly value the farming lifestyle and appreciate the peace and quiet that comes with it. Their pristine greenhouses, full of light, are a great place to spend their time--and especially beautiful when the vertical strawberry systems are blossoming: "In a few weeks, this greenhouse will be full of strawberries! It will be one of the most wonderful sights you could ever imagine!"
When not enjoying their own sweet strawberries, their favorite local treat are juicy PA peaches!
Practices
Growing hydroponically, Harmony Grove Farm uses a looped water system to control the amount of water for each plant. It's a clean system that uses 100% pure minerals and no harmful chemicals or pesticides. They also practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management), which uses beneficial insects, like ladybugs, to keep populations of harmful insects at a manageable level. Here at Harmony Grove, like so many other greenhouse operations, the biggest threat is aphids, but they are no match for the thousands of ladybugs that are released at a single time!
From seed to fully grown, it can take two months to grow the lettuce. But with 4,100 spots, they can harvest constantly. Demand for all natural produce is high in the market for beautiful, local lettuces. In order to keep operations going year-round, the greenhouse is heated using wood, propane, & coal.
In the dead of winter, Harmony Grove Farm does what they can to control temperatures in the greenhouse, but can't control the amount of sunlight the crops get. Lack of sun slows production significantly. During the winter, they spend a lot of time trying to maintain the best environment for the greens. In spring, all attention moves to maintaining the system and growing.
From seed to fully grown, it can take two months to grow the lettuce. But with 4,100 spots, they can harvest constantly. Demand for all natural produce is high in the market for beautiful, local lettuces. In order to keep operations going year-round, the greenhouse is heated using wood, propane, & coal.
In the dead of winter, Harmony Grove Farm does what they can to control temperatures in the greenhouse, but can't control the amount of sunlight the crops get. Lack of sun slows production significantly. During the winter, they spend a lot of time trying to maintain the best environment for the greens. In spring, all attention moves to maintaining the system and growing.