Weatherbury Farm’s Story

Weatherbury Farm is a certified organic sustainable family farm located in the rolling hills of southwestern Pennsylvania. It is a quiet place, far from the madding crowd, removed from the cares of the world. Here meadows and gardens, fields and valleys combine to create a perfect setting of tranquil relaxation. The gentle amenities of life are still observed.

Weatherbury Farm grows certified organic grains and mills them into flour. From putting the seed in the ground to putting the flour in the bag, everything is done at the farm. The flours, ground slowly and at a low temperature on a stone mill, retain the grain’s vitamins, minerals, oils and fiber giving the flours their delicious unique flavors.

Raising Grass fed Beef and Organic Free Range Eggs

Weatherbury Farm has sold grass fed/ grass finished beef and lamb directly to the consumer since 2007. No pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, artificial steroids or growth hormones are used. Weatherbury’s cows and sheep are born and live their entire life on the farm.   Weatherbury’s cattle rotationally graze on certified organic grass, eat certified organic hay during non-grazing times.  And the cows’ bedding is “certified organic” straw.

Weatherbury’s chickens free range on the farm and eat certified organic grains raised on the farm. Certified organic eggs are available for sale to consumers on the farm.

Growing Organic Grains which are Milled into Flour on the Farm

Since 2009, certified organic grains (soft & hard wheat, oats, spelt, open-pollinated corn, emmer and einkorn) have also been grown on the farm. (We have farmed without herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers since 1988.) We sold our grains to a regional flour mill, a micro-distillery, a micro-brewery and to other farmers. Then, in April 2014, we began milling flour for sale directly to consumers.

With our flour milling operation, we are doing something that is truly unique. In the news today, you hear about food miles and how the average meal travels 1500 miles to the plate passing many processing plants on the way. This uncertainty of where your food has been and what has been done to it along the way creates the demand that our products fill. From putting the seed into the soil to putting the flour into the bag all of the operations of planting, harvesting, grain cleaning and milling  happen on our farm. Weatherbury Farm is the only small farm producing estate flours, akin to an estate wine. The consumer can rest assured because our products are organically grown and processed. The organic certification means we have a rigorous annual inspection which verifies that our inputs, farming methods and processing are compliant with the USDA National Organic Program.

Selling Directly & Cultivating Relationships

Selling direct to consumers allows us to cultivate relationships with the people whom our food nourishes. Currently all of our products are for pickup on the farm so people have the opportunity to learn where their food comes from. Weatherbury’s milled products  are also available to the greater Pittsburgh region through Penn’s Corner Farmstand  and are also be available for sale on the farm, on scheduled pickup days.

Farming Operations

Weatherbury Farm is constantly growing. From 2007 to 2017, by taking on other farms in the area, our land base has tripled. In 2013 we took on additional  traditionally farmed acreage and transitioned it to organic. Additional organic acreage was taken on in 2015, 2016 and 2017. We are always looking for ways we can leverage our resources to create new marketable products. For example, in 2012 we grew rows of dry beans in our garden to determine which varieties will work the best with our planned system. Then in 2013 we began growing  black turtle dry beans which we harvested, cleaned and sold directly to customers. While we don’t have the textbook machinery for a large dry bean operation, we have found creative ways to adapt the machines we already have to get the job done.

Farmer Nigel is  working with the Organic Growers Research and Information Sharing Network (OGRIN) to determine optimum varieties and cultural practices for heritage and alternative grain production in the northeast. He is also working with the Heritage Wheat Conservancy to bring einkorn, the world’s oldest cultivated grain, back as a commercial crop.

A Final Thought

A local friend who runs a CNC machine recently brought his employee over to show him our forge and machine shop. While they were here, we showed them some of our other projects that will be coming to fruition.  As they were leaving, our friend told us that his employee said to him “this is the way real Americans are supposed to be”.

The creative spirit is alive and well at Weatherbury Farm.