About the Farm
Our History and Farming Methods
National Historic Landmark in New Jersey
Ethos Farm is a National Historic Landmark in Long Valley, New Jersey, operating in partnership with the New Jersey Audubon Society, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Our 342-acre farm in New Jersey has been in operation for over 275 years and boasts forests with deep, clear-running springs that pour into Raritan River – a source of drinking water in New Jersey, for 1.5 million people. Our farm also is a sanctuary for wildlife in New Jersey, including a number of rare and endangered species – like the native wild brook trout, which was thought to be extinct until just a few years ago.
Philip C. Scott bought and consolidated several parcels of land in 1951 to reconstitute the original 18th century Leonard Neighbour farmstead. Prior to our purchase of the farm in 2011, the land was threatened three times, between 1950-2000, with plans for an industrial park, a city subdivision, and an upscale housing development in New Jersey, respectively. After the last attempt to pave over paradise, however, the people of Long Valley said “enough” to the destruction of land in our garden state. In the first land conservation act of its kind in the United States, the local community banded together, to protect the farm – spending $12 million to forbid any future development on it, then entering the farm into the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program, which subsequently required that the land be used for agricultural purposes only. It was the ethos, or guiding principles of the people of Long Valley that saved this beautiful land, preserving it for future generations.
The farm’s previous owner, Philip C. Scott was beloved by the community. He died suddenly of a heart attack on the farm at the age of 63. His grief-stricken wife, Ellen, placed this memorial marker at the entrance to the farm. Ethos Farm to Health honors Mr. Scott and strives to fulfill this blessing by continuing his care for the community and those less fortunate.
To learn more about our plans to restore the farm’s historic structures and build an education and wellness center, click here.
Regenerative Organic Farming Methods
Rather than using a specific chemical to kill a crop disease or pest, Ethos Farm in New Jersey focuses on analyzing the inadequacy or weakness that brought about the problem in the first place, then works to remedy the cause. The local wildlife that lives in our forests, fields, and wetlands – birds, insects, bees, and bats – additionally do the work of eliminating pests and pollinating our crops. As we keep our lands healthy, they keep our farm healthy, in a never-ending loop of wellness. We do our part in cultivating this health, by utilizing the following regenerative methods:
Cover Crops
Talk about multitasking! These plants improve soil fertility and quality, combat weeds and crop diseases, and enhance biodiversity in the field and surrounding areas. You’ll find them all over our farm.
Composting
On a four-acre plot of our land, we combine animal manure with green waste and repeatedly mix it all up. The materials decompose and produce a dark, carbon-rich, organic material with the aroma of fresh earth – which we then use as farm fertilizer that improves soil quality and reduces soil-borne crop diseases.
Meadow Restoration
We have restored the wildflower meadows indigenous to this land – effectively attracting wildlife that pollinates the plants and eliminates the pests.
Warm Season Grasses
We have planted native warm season grasses, which flourished in this valley for centuries. The grasses are quite tall and provide a home to native birds and bees; the roots reach as far as 16 feet into the earth, bringing up the minerals needed to replenish the topsoil; and the grasses capture carbon dioxide from the air and deposit it as carbon in the soil – thereby combatting global warming.
Forest Stewardship
Our forest covers half of our farm's total acreage and plays an important role in the New Jersey ecosystem. Our forest stewardship plan, certified by the state of New Jersey, optimizes the health of our forests by controlling invasive non-native plant species; protecting and enhancing amphibian breeding habitats; and restoring the balance of tree species, which serve as important sources of food and shelter for wildlife.
Make a donation to help preserve the farm
As we are a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, Ethos Farm to Health, your donation may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes.
Stay Informed
If you want to stay informed about the amazing progress happening within the Ethos Farm to Health, please sign up to our Quarterly E-Journal & Newsletter.