Mission & Vision

The farm seeks to evoke the nostalgia of the traditional family farm while incorporating  sustainable practices and giving consideration to different food philosophies.  The intent is to offer the community a small farm experience, reacquainting children with where our food comes from and reminding us all of the balance required to meet our needs while being good stewards of our natural resources and wildlife.

The mission of the Patti Johnson Farm is to explore and celebrate agricultural education, sustainable growing practices, and recreation in a rural setting.   It promotes environmental stewardship of the land and natural resources through responsible farming practices.     

Patti Johnson Farm Vision

• Education: Offer year-round opportunities that teach agricultural literacy, nutrition, sustainability, and conservation.
• Conservation: Adopt sustainable practices that demonstrate good stewardship of the land and water resources and that respect the food and shelter needs of local wildlife as well.
• Community-Building: Provide opportunities for volunteerism and community building through shared experiences and working together to realize the common goals of the farm. Community events and common spaces will allow people to gather and celebrate together on the farm.

•  Community Health: Encourage physical activity, healthy eating habits and better food choices by offering opportunities to physically work the farm and to participate in vegetable growing and harvesting, cooking classes, and other food workshops that educate the community about how to take better advantage of garden produce.

Patti Johnson Farm Activities

• Animal Management: Animals on the farm are meant to familiarize visitors with farm stock that have traditionally been raised for food and other animal products. With the exception of naturally occurring egg-production and honeybee activity, animals on our farm are not being raised for consumption, breeding, or sale.  Animals in our care will always be treated humanely and will receive proper veterinary care.  Animals will be housed with adequate space and will not be forced to interact with people in a petting zoo environment.  New animal pens which can safely house and protect the animals from storms and potential predators are currently under construction.  Efforts to incorporate organic animal feed will be adopted as much as can be practically sustained with local vendors.
• Horticulture: Approximately one quarter of the farm property will be used for a variety of gardens. The primary purpose of the gardens is to educate the community about different growing techniques and to offer opportunities for hands-on learning.  Areas for native plants, vegetable and herb gardens, fruiting perennial shrubs and trees, ornamental plants, and even some alternative edibles will co-exist on the farm. The farm aims to gradually adopt organically regenerative measures in its planting areas so that the farm will actually improve soil conditions as well as habitat and wildlife activity in the immediate area.

• Community Gatherings: The farm will support bringing people together for agricultural exhibits, educational workshops, and community celebrations built around agricultural themes. Opportunities for private functions will be explored to the extent that they are not in conflict with the vision of the farm and that they offer financial support to help the farm meet its goals and further its mission.