North American Biodynamic Apprenticeship Program > Participating Mentor Farms
Name of farmer: Mark Ross and Sandra Moerschfelder
Address: RR #2 (Nichol Twp., 4th line, #7682)
Elora, N0B 1SO, Ontario
Canada
Phone: (519) 843-6822
Email: fourfold@golden.net
Size of farm: We are 57 acres (20 bush/stream/wetlands and 37 workable) with 2 additional 6 acres field; hay, chickens, ducks, cattle and horse pasture; 5-10 acres of vegetables, flowers, herbs and cover-crops. Growing your own grains, intensifying the presence of perennial food crops, working more with horses, and deepening the therapeutic/arts community n and around the farm, all figure into our future unfolding.
We are growing with our skills in greenhouse management, making soil mixes, composting, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, distribution, making and applying the biodynamic preparations, dairy (1 or 2 cows are milked of a small mixed-breed herd), putting food by, seed saving, etc., as well as in our abilities to pass these skills on to interns and farm members.
Skills that can be learned: See Fourfold Farm's skills checklist (coming soon).
What makes this farm unique and gives it character?
Fourfold Farm is a Demeter certified, BioDynamic work in progress, in constant flux towards what we hope is its best becoming. Begun nearly 12 years ago by Sandra Moerschfelder and Mark Ross, they are joined by their children, Christopher and Michaela, both turning 12 and 10 respectively in March '09. A close and progressive community is serviced with seasonal produce and baked goods through the Saturday farmers market in the nearby town of Guelph, as well as through an evolving CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) initiative, since the year 2000.
Growing your own grains, intensifying the presence of perennial food crops, working more with horses, and deepening the therapeutic/arts community in and around the farm, all figure into our future unfolding.
We are growing with our skills in greenhouse management, making soil mixes, composting, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, distribution, making and applying the biodynamic preparations, dairy (1 or 2 cows are milked of a small mixed-breed herd), putting food by, seed saving, etc., as well as in our abilities to pass these skills on to interns and farm members.
A golden thread connecting the past with the future at Fourfold is an active interest in how the renewal of a threefold social organism can be catalyzed through the farm community. Again, this is a work in progress that we take seriously with our many collaborators at the farm. This includes a curious interweaving of friends, family, co-workers and community from the local Waldorf School.
At Fourfold, we acknowledge that sometimes "BD" can be an acronym for Bob Dylan, even though BioDynamics was born first. Fourfold is the home to 3 annual music festivals and is a co-presenter of some "farm features" in an annual local film fest. We are also home to a mid-December Shepherd's play, in conjunction with the Trillium Waldorf School.