the farm in the forest
Our garden has grown!
We are incredibly excited to announce the expansion of our Farm in the Forest garden and learning space! The half-acre Farm in the Forest— four times larger than the previous garden—provides even more opportunities for nature-based programming.
Designed in partnership with Regenerative Design Group, the new garden is a fully-accessible and beautiful space for engaging with nature, learning, building skills, and better understanding food systems and sources.
A large greenhouse allows us to extend our growing season and provide additional workforce development programming for our adult clients with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
Our herd’s manure is composted on site and used throughout the entire garden.
WHAT WE’RE GROWING
We grew 50 types of crops (including heirloom varieties, flowers and herbs) during the 2023 growing season. Flowers were specifically chosen for their efficacy in attracting pollinators: Pony Power’s own honey bees as well as other species of bees, beetles, wasps, moths and hummingbirds.
We use regenerative farming practices, allowing us to explore indigenous farming methods, the importance of native species, and food systems and sources.
In 2023, we donated over 1,600 pounds of fresh food to our community partners: Paterson’s Oasis - A Haven for Women and Children and the Center for Food Action in Mahwah. We expect to harvest more each year as the garden matures.
Thank you to our generous supporters!
A grant from the Columbia Bank Foundation allowed us to build a beautiful, large greenhouse. We can now extend our growing season and provide additional workforce development programming for our adult clients with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
Thanks to a grant from Rockland Electric Company, we can now compost our herd’s manure using an O2 composting system. This technology relies on aerated static pile composting, eliminating the need to turn the compost. The result is a win-win: faster turnaround and reduced labor!
We also thank Rockland Electric Company for generously underwriting the new fencing surrounding the entire garden.
How it all started
In 2019, Pony Power was given the use of 6 acres north of our main entrance. This parcel, made possible by the Stadler family, is an ideal location for turning our ponies’ manure into compost, which eliminates the expense of manure removal. With access to a continuous supply of nutrient-dense material, it made sense to use a portion of the 6 acres for gardening and farm education. We began working with Regenerative Design Group (who also helped us create our accessible campus) to create a master plan for the additional acreage.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we were forced to suspend our programming for over 3 months. In true gardening spirit, we turned lemons into lemonade. Instead of pursuing RDG’s master plan in 2020, our staff spent the spring lockdown building temporary accessible raised beds using donated untreated pallets.
The resulting Farm in the Forest became a centerpiece of our COVID-safe programming where families were able to spend time learning about what we were growing, helping us harvest our crops, and snacking on the bounty—all while staying safe and benefitting from time outdoors.
The garden has proven a wonderful extension of Pony Power’s equine-assisted programs, offering our participants even more opportunities to experience the positive effects of nature.
Be a part of the Farm in the Forest
Volunteer! Volunteers help keep the garden beautiful and functional. We warmly welcome individuals and corporate volunteers.
Donate! Donors are needed to help fund this large investment, as there are major costs associated with its development, particularly equipment.
If you’re interested in supporting the Farm in the Forest or corporate volunteer opportunities, please contact Michelle DeSilva at michelle@ponypowernj.org or 201-934-1001.