Thursday, April 25, 2013

A Gathering of Pots: Celebrating the Life of M.C. Richards - May 16, 2013



Join us on May 16 at The Conference Center at Penn State Great Valley for this event to celebrate the life and the great artistic spirit of poet, painter and potter M. C. Richards. The free event, A Gathering of Pots, will start at 6 p.m. at The Conference Center at Penn State Great Valley, Malvern, Pa.

The Henry Gallery at the Conference Center will feature a small exhibit of her work on loan from Kimberton Hills, curated by Grace Ann Peysson. If you own a piece of M.C.'s art, you are also invited to share at the "Instant Gallery" that will be created and displayed only for that evening.

Penn State Great Valley Chancellor Dr. Craig Edelbrock will start the evening with an overview of M.C. Richards' life, then show the film, M. C. Richards: The Fire Within, "an adventure into discovering the source of our creativity told through the life of poet, potter, teacher and mystical philosopher Mary Caroline Richards (1916-1999)."  Following the film, Edelbrock will lead a discussion focusing on the artist's local connections to our area from the last years of her life.

6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Instant Gallery
7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Film: M.C. Richards: The Fire Within
8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Discussion/Gallery Talk

M.C. Richards came to live at Camphill Kimberton in 1984, as an artist-in-residence.

"Agriculture weaves through the fabric of my life as vividly as the threads of pottery, art, education and inner development," said M.C. Richards, "Soil care and soul care are the heartbeat of the community in which I have chosen to live: Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. I was drawn to its practice of biodynamic agriculture and social therapy - part of a world-wide involvement of life-sharing with mentally handicapped adults in need of special soul care."

As Camphill Kimberton continues to celebrate our 40th Anniversary, we are pleased to join with Penn State Great Valley and honor M.C. Richards, who impacted village life in so many positive ways.







Richards was a pivotal figure at the famously experimental Black Mountain College serving as head of faculty (1949-51) with those soon-to-be avant garde luminaries in the New York art scene — Robert Rauschenberg, Elaine and Willem deKooning, Jacob Lawrence, Arthur Penn, Robert Motherwell, Merce Cunningham and John Cage - and where she worked with ceramic artists Karen Karnes and Robert Turner.





During her time at Black Mountain College, Richards wrote her first volume of poetry, Poems, which was published at the school’s Black Mountain Press in 1948. Author of the enduring classic Centering: In Pottery, Poetry and the Person, first published in 1964, Richards published other books with poetry and essays with a connection to creative arts and spirituality.



In the early 1960s she began teaching artistic classes that brought pottery and other forms of creativity together. Richards was awarded the Holy Names Medal from Fort Wright College in 1974, and was made a fellow of the Collegium of American Craftspersons of the American Crafts Council in 1976. In 1984 she moved to Camphill Village Kimberton Hills in Kimberton, Pa. where she took up painting and continued to teach until her death in 1999 at age 83.

The event is free, but registration is required, starting May 1 at http://gatheringofpots.eventbrite.com.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Camphill Kimberton to host free environmental education tours






Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, Kimberton, Pa., is pleased to invite students of all ages in the region to tour its sustainably-managed forestry trails, learn about watershed protection and the importance of trees, and help plant some native species seedling trees. 

This special program is supported by the PA Department of Environment and is free to students and teachers. Tours will be 1.5 hours in May during a weekday morning at 9:30 a.m. or after school at 4 p.m.  Teachers may use this opportunity to address some of their classroom’s Pennsylvania Environmental and Ecology Standards. This hands-on learning experience provides students with a deeper appreciation of the material and more tools to apply and share later in life. 

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills is dedicated to care for its 100 acres of forest to protect the air and water.  As the depletion of American native woodlands is ever increasing, along with the destruction of riparian buffers that protect the rivers and streams, it is more important than ever to educate others about why and how to preserve woodlands.  The area of the highest stream ecological quality of the “Exceptional Value” French Creek was found along Camphill Kimberton’s boundary.

Interested groups can contact lyla@camphillkimberton.org or 610-935-0300, ext. 12 for more information and to schedule a tour.  Please schedule soon, dates are limited.


Camphill Village Kimberton Hills is an agricultural and handcrafting community of over 100 residents of all ages and varied abilities who live and work side by side.  Founded 40 years ago on 432 acres of donated farm, gardens and woodlands outside of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Camphill Kimberton is part of the international Camphill Movement that has over 100 communities worldwide.  Camphill Kimberton demonstrates sustainable stewardship of the land while promoting the dignity of each person, allowing all people who come and visit to more deeply develop a sense of their own potential to have a positive impact on each other and the land that sustains them.

The DEP grant program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, which mandates setting aside five percent of the pollution fines and penalties DEP collects annually for environmental education in Pennsylvania.

For more information on Camphill Kimberton, visit www.camphillkimberton.org.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

MC Richards on Camphill Kimberton


MC Richards reflects on why she chose Camphill Village Kimberton Hills...

Agriculture weaves through the fabric of my life as vividly as the threads of pottery, art, education, and inner development. Soil care and soul care are the heartbeat of the community in which I have chosen to live: Camphill Village Kimberton Hills in Pennsylvania.  I was drawn to its practice of biodynamic agriculture and social therapy – part of a world-wide involvement of life-sharing with mentally handicapped adults in need of special soul care.

It might be assumed that I would live in a hand-craft based Camphill, like the one in Copake, New York, but I felt I had that element in my life already.  I preferred to commit myself to an active support of healthy land and healthy food.

I felt honored and touched by the farmers’ request to make ceramic containers for their compost preparations: oak bark, nettle, chamomile, yarrow and dandelion. And the community turned to me for clay foundation stones to go into the earth under the altar of their new hall: Rose Hall…

In Kimberton I have taught art in the agriculture course, developing “The Renewal of Art Through Agriculture.” I have weeded the strawberries and gathered the basil, calendula, asparagus, sweet potatoes.

It is a privilege to live in a daily healing relationship to cows, field crops, garden, orchard, vineyard, berry patch, forest, and stream. Since childhood, I have loved the feel of the earth and cherished the non-toxic arts of  agriculture. We cannot save our souls if we do not save the soil. The wholeness I seek resonates in the clay, color, and mystery of the earth’s body. We need more farmers!

- MC Richards, 1916-1999



A Time for Growth: Camphill Kimberton from 1980-1989


The 1980s were a time of growth and expansion in Camphill Kimberton while the pursuit of balance continued.  “The interplay between farming, social life and cultural activities forms the very fabric of our existence… [Village life] is varied and colorful, like the change of seasons,” said Andrew Hoy, one of Camphill Kimberton’s founding members.



At the start of the decade, Camphill Kimberton continued to sell its bread, cheese and milk to Camphill Special School (then called Beaver Run) and to a co-op in Washington, D.C.  To meet the demands of local residents who wanted to enjoy the village’s food, a weekly Market Day was established. The Bakery at Kimberton Hills received a license from the State of Pennsylvania, enabling our bread to be sold.

A newsletter from 1980 announces, “We at Kimberton Hills, like everyone else, have woken up to the need to conserve energy.”  In every home, insulation and storm windows were added, as well as some woodburning stoves. Appliances were upgraded to more efficient models, bicycle paths were constructed and plans to add solar heating were made.

In 1982, the first year of Village Training in Social Therapy was established. “In the course of time it will have an impact upon every aspect of our life,” said Andrew, “for, with training, we accept the willingness to change ourselves and not merely to teach others.” The Agricultural Training Course continued and the publication of the Agricultural Calendar grew and drew people to the village.  Edited by Sherry Wildfeuer, the calendar, eventually named Stella Natura, has become an important reference for the field.


The official opening of the Bakery and Coffee Shop was held during an Open House on July 11, 1982. A small village store was also built next to the Bakery, Coffee Shop and processing room.  There were significant additions made to the interior of Rose Hall, with new lamps, stage curtains and an altar picture by Carlo Pietzner.

Andrew described the changes happening in the Village:
“Both Bakery and Coffee Shop play an important role in our life, socially as well as economically, and both hold a potential for growth. Through its proximity to Rose Hall this building has helped to strengthen the village center. ... [The Rose Hall additions] have given considerable support to our cultural life which is a continuing balance to our work on the land.  Each concert, eurythmy performance and play becomes a little festival. The real achievements of this year have been a stronger emphasis upon the social aspects of our life, the completion of a number of projects and the preparedness to begin a new phase of development.”

1983 brought the possibility to separate the Copake and Kimberton Villages of Camphill Village USA, Inc. into two corporations. Both villages began to write new by-laws and set up ways of integrating the wisdom and advice of Board and Local Management Committee members into social forms appropriate to each place.  By 1984, Camphill Village Kimberton Hills stepped out as its own corporation. 

That year, the Village also completed the purchase of the neighboring 78-acre farm.  Andrew described the event:  
"On the first Sunday after the purchase our entire community issued out of the drive onto Pughtown Road to ‘beat the bounds’ of our new land. Naturally there were the ‘old hands’ – the farmers – to point out the good and not-so-good fields. We all looked over the fences at our new neighbors and hoped, at the same time, that they were not frightened by our presence. Since then, we, and the land, have gone to sleep and so I doubt if they were disturbed.”

Poet, painter and potter MC Richards came to live in Camphill Kimberton in 1984, as an artist-in-residence.  Since MC’s arrival, work with clay has become an established part of life in Camphill Kimberton, as it has been in Camphill Villages since their inception.  

Construction on Martin’s House began in 1986, with intention of it being home to 13-14 people.  Kepler House was adapted and remodeled in 1987 and 1988, to serve the changing needs of the community while preserving as much of its own integrity as possible.  Joan Allen, of Camphill Architects, was invited to work on this and other projects.  Joan’s impact is felt in many areas of the village, most recently Serena House, The CHC, Erika Asten’s residence, and the Camphill Café renovations in 2008. 

The growth and impact of this decade spread beyond our Village in Kimberton. Coworkers Carrie and George Riley began what would eventually lead Carrie to open the House of Peace in Ipswich, MA, when they welcomed Vietnamese refugee children Nam and Coung into their home in Camphill Kimberton. Hue and Zia were soon to follow. They joined a lively group of other children of the village, spending many happy hours playing kick the can, chasing fireflies, helping out in the gardens and kitchens, and swimming.  Joyce Reilly lived in Kimberton Hills for a year to learn about Camphill life and to be able to initiate the Spirit of Gheel, nearby, a non-profit, residential psychiatric therapeutic community, which 26 years later, is still a resource for people with mental illness. 



With deinstitutionalization of people with disabilities, state governments were faced with some dilemmas.  Adults with disabilities needed both financial support and varying degrees of help in managing their lives. They were variously vulnerable to exploitation and neglect. Many good-willed neighbors opened their homes to one or more people with mental disabilities, in work and in daily living. Should these people be compensated or regulated by the State as “providers of care?” These questions gave rise to huge national and international discussions. The Camphill Kimberton lifestyle was clearly both helpful and challenging in the debate, entering wholeheartedly into the explorations. 

The Board of Directors refused to be licensed as “providers of care,” realizing the concept to be contradictory to Village intentions. Many visits from Harrisburg ensued.  Rose Hall hosted conferences including government officials and nation-wide leaders in the disabilities movement. The PA Developmental Disabilities Planning Council proposed a study on Real Safeguards for Vulnerable People in the Community. Camphill Kimberton applied and received a four-year grant to study these matters, in conjunction with John O’Brien, a wise leader in the field.  The questions raised during these exciting years continue to inspire the interactions of Camphill places worldwide.

This was a decade of growth, and of change. As we look back we may wonder how the Village strived for balance during so many changes.  In 1986 Michael Babitch said, “We follow our hearts and our heart-wise ideals. That’s how it works. And how well we follow is how well it works.”

See the entire Spring 2013 newsletter and 2012 Annual Report, where this article is taken from, by clicking here.  


The "We" Generation



The 1980s are often described as having the “me” generation, with those years defined as a spendthrift time.  Getting rich was the epitome of American success.  Camphill Kimberton at that time was a bright healthy child, brought into the world by generosity and determination. Nourishing social connections, high ideals, commitment, creativity, hope, healthy lives and healthy food were all part of the culture here. No time to be concerned with getting rich! Almost everyone who came to visit or stay saw its potential and in turn we saw the potential of everyone who came.  That was extraordinarily helpful for those who came with so-called disabilities.



Our founders continued what they had begun. Helen Zipperlen was championing tolerance and meaningful lives and was forever challenging us to network and learn. Andrew Hoy was enigmatically poetic and an exemplary baker; he seemed to be able to do everything. Herta Hoy was gracefully modeling what selflessness and hard work can do, managing more than us novices could imagine possible.  Hubert Zipperlen was watching over everything with the eye of an engineer and the heart of a lion.

MC Richards arrived.  As a colleague of avant garde artists and dancers Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Karen Karnes, David Tudor and others, MC already had several books to her credit and pottery that expanded everyone’s idea of space and form.  She charged us with releasing our creativity for the sake of the world and held that biodynamic agriculture is a sacred bearer of authentic culture. We knew that agribusiness and agriculture are two very different things.  MC, Sherry Wildfeuer, and others were actively teaching other young agriculturalists.

You might say in Camphill Kimberton, instead of the “me” generation, we had decided to be the “we” generation, bringing health instead of wealth. That was exhilarating.

Those of us riding that post-pioneer wave were buoyed by the village’s capacity to take on new ideas, work with them, and sometimes bring them to fruition. There was room for everyone; inclusiveness was a byword.  Board President Morrie Huston and his colleagues, including two David Schwartzes, convinced emissaries from the State of Pennsylvania that we were a more than worthy alternative to institutionalization. Pennhurst, the area’s large institution nearby was closing; deinstitutionalization and more “normalized” lives for people with disabilities was becoming the ideal.  Camphill Kimberton was viewed with the same hopefulness then that it is now fulfilling.


We were learning by experience and our responsibilities were helpfully shouldered by our fellow community members. Eva and Nancy Sue were endlessly willing. Larry became a farmer, Wendell a gardener, Barry a baker. Kate and Martha stretched our souls. Fred played piano. Bill learned by shadowing Gerald, and George arrived and became a benevolent helper on the farm. Sabine kept us in line, somehow the watchful balancing opposite of MC who was teaching us to color outside the lines.  Andrea pioneered our Farm Store, which eventually gave way to Terry and Pat Brett’s vision for Kimberton Whole Foods.  Jim created poems for the spring plowing festival, and Michael and Barbara and others hung bells on the cows’ necks for the first spring foray into new grass.

Many of you who remember those times are still with us, and we thank you for helpfully accompanying us.  For those of you who are newer, we thank you for your attention and support for what continues to be an
evolving and health-giving community.  


- Diedra Heitzman, Executive Director

See the entire Spring 2013 newsletter and 2012 Annual Report, where this article is taken from, by clicking here.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Camphill Kimberton welcomes Astral Artists, Sunday, May 5



Join us in Rose Hall on Sunday, May 5 at 7 p.m. for a performance by Ayane Kozasa, viola, and Michael Djupstrom, piano, of Astral Artists. 

Astral Artists is a non-profit organization whose mission is to discover the most promising classical musicians residing in the United States, assist their early professional career development and present their world-class artistry to the community through concerts and outreach programs. Camphill Kimberton is pleased to once again host these gifted musicians. 

There is no charge for the concert, which is underwritten by the generosity of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation.


AYANE KOZASA, viola

Winner of the prestigious Primrose International Viola Competition in 2011, Ayane Kozasa also captured the Competition’s Mozart Award for the best chamber music performance, as well as its Askim Award for her performance of the Competition’s commissioned work. As the First Prize winner, she is scheduled for upcoming concerts in both Europe and the United States. A winner of Astral Artists’ 2012 National Auditions, Ms. Kozasa has also been a prizewinner at the Irving M. Klein International String Competition. She has been featured in The Strad and Strings magazines, and her performances have been broadcast on “Live from the Mayne Stage” for WFMT in Chicago, and on Philadelphia’s WHYY. Ms. Kozasa’s interest in chamber music has led her to a number of concert appearances across the U.S., including a national concert tour with pianist Ignat Solzhenitsyn, as a part of “Curtis on Tour.” She has been invited to be a part of Ravinia’s “Steans on Tour” for the 2012 and 2013 spring seasons, and is currently a Young Soloist at Germany’s Kronberg Academy. Ms. Kozasa has participated in numerous festivals, including the Music from Angel Fire’s Young Artists Program, the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, Mimir Chamber Music Festival, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and in the summer of 2012 she attended the Marlboro Music festival. Ms. Kozasa is a founding member of the Philadelphia-based chamber group, ensemble39. She currently studies with violists Misha Amory and Roberto Díaz at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she is the George and Marie Hecksher Annual Fellow. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Kirsten Docter.

MICHAEL DJUPSTROM, piano

Pianist Michael Djupstrom has performed throughout the U.S. and abroad in France, China, and Japan. He presented regular concert tours throughout the Northeast in 2005-2008 as a member of the Phoenix Trio. Today, he performs regularly with the Philadelphia-based new music ensemble Relâche and as the accompanist for the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus. In 2011, Mr. Djupstrom presented a series of duo recitals in England with saxophonist Jonathan Wintringham, who recently recorded his work Walimai for release on the Equilibrium label. Mr. Djupstrom began studying piano at the age of eight. He continued his training at the University of Michigan and began formal Composition study with composers Bright Sheng, Susan Botti, William Bolcom, and Karen Tanaka. After receiving a B.M. and M.A. in Composition, he pursued further studies in Paris with Betsy Jolas. He also holds an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he was a Composition student of Jennifer Higdon and Richard Danielpour. As a composer, Mr. Djupstrom has been recognized through awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Composers Forum, Meet the Composer, the ASCAP Foundation, the BMI Foundation, the Chinese Fine Arts Society, the Académie Musicale de Villecroze, and the Sigurd and Jarmila Rislov Foundation, among many others. The Music Teachers National Association named him the 2005 MTNA Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year.



Monday, April 8, 2013

Shares available at Camphill Kimberton's Sankanac CSA


Shares available at Sankanac CSA



Camphill Village Kimberton Hills announces that shares are available for Sankanac CSA’s 2013 season.

Part of Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, the biodynamic 15-acre garden operates as the 200-member Sankanac CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.  Typically a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public which includes a set amount of vegetables or other farm products, based on the harvest.  Participants purchase a share and in return receive seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. 

The gardens of Sankanac CSA, which are organic and biodynamically farmed, are harvested each week, and shareholders can pick up their produce either on Tuesdays or Fridays for 24 weeks.  There are also U-pick crops, including flowers and berries. 

Members can choose to purchase either a full or partial share depending on their personal needs. A full share is designed to feed a family of about four; a partial share to feed a couple, or a veggie-loving individual. The cost for a full share is $755 and a partial is $435.

Sankanac CSA grows a diverse seasonal mix of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and berries and also tends a small herd of mixed livestock (sheep, goats, donkeys).  The head gardener, Todd Newlin, and his wife, Mary, oversee this enterprise with a crew of over 10 gardeners (including individuals with special needs, apprentices, service volunteers, and interns).

The crew is deeply committed to the use of biodynamic methods, which allows them to strengthen the fragile ecosystem as well as provide food of the highest quality to our local community. Activities in the CSA include plant propagation, greenhouse management, pruning, crop cultivation, harvesting, tractor and equipment operation and maintenance, irrigation, livestock management, composting, and making/using the biodynamic preparations.

The group warmly welcomes new members, and does have available shares for the upcoming season. Please email SankanacCSA@gmail.com for more information or to request a share.  

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Camphill Kimberton seeks Dairy Farm Manager







CVKH is looking for a Dairy Farm Manager to join our community and help manage and/or co‐manage the following tasks:

 Training and providing work for a crew of around 10 people, including “villagers”, or residents with developmental disabilities.

 Making sure that a herd of 25 to 35 lactating cows are milked twice every day. Doing the milking of those cows 2-3 mornings per week and 1-3 afternoons per week, and overseeing the rest of the milkings.

 Managing the health, feeding, and well-being of a herd of 35-40 organically certified dairy cows and 45-50 heifers of various ages, as well as 3-4 bulls.

 Managing, breeding, and culling of those animals as needed, and all associated vet calls, record keeping, and supplies purchased.

 Managing a flock of 100-200 laying hens, with a rotating pastured system. Buying and culling hens, feeding, collecting, and selling eggs. Purchasing associated supplies, feed, bedding. Maintaining 2 hen houses and fences.

 Bringing cull cows or steers to the butcher. Marketing meat for beef share purchases.

 Marketing our milk. Managing all associated communications, billing, and record keeping.

 Managing the supply of plastic bottles, lids, and labels for such milk, and overseeing the 
bottling/delivery process, and sanitation procedures.

 Maintaining milk licenses, certifications, and associated reports.

 Maintaining and repairing 5 tractors, assorted trucks and farm equipment. Repairing and replacing equipment as needed.

 Maintenance and repair of two barns and numerous sheds and out buildings.

 Managing approximately 210 acres of pastures and fields for the feeding of the dairy livestock.

 Managing all aspects of the dairy budget.

 Managing the health and safety needs of dairy workers and village residents and visitors in connection with the dairy, and the food safety of our products.

 Keeping the farmstead, dairy barn, and milk house in good order.

 Making and using biodynamic preparations, attending weekly Land Association meetings, and collaborating with other village workshops.

If interested, please contact us at 610‐935‐3963 or email at information@camphillkimberton.org.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Camphill Kimberton's Talkfest at Birchrunville Cafe is Sunday!



 This is going to be the best Talkfest ever! We are close to totally filled up with people desperate to wander around enjoying wonderful camaraderie with exceptional people while pleasing the palate with The World’s Best Oardoors supported by exceptional organic wine and a bit of organic cactus juice. People responded to the First Announcement, the Second Announcement, and the Third Announcement …but we still can squeeze in a few of you.

And the more we squeeze in the more fun it is! After all, who knows who you’ll be forced to rub up against while meandering through the crowd.  So get going and register now by calling Bernadette, 610-935-8660, or emailing her, bernadette@camphillkimberton.org,  Poor Bernadette is forlornly sitting by the phone staring at her computer wondering why you have not registered yet.

Giving a gift of a standing spot at Talkfest is way better than most things people get as presents. Who needs more socks with weird patterns on them? But everyone will enjoy Talkfest. I figure if you bring a business prospect you will go home with a new client…who probably will start with a way bigger contract than they were thinking about before tasting Francis’ Galaxy Famous Oardoors.


Sponsor Interlude: We have two, yes two great sponsors, Tonbo Visual Communications and Phoenixville Federal Bank & Trust. I’m working on getting Phoenixville Federal Bank & Trust to give out some samples of that stuff they have piled up in their vault…so make sure you register just in case.


Speaking of Francis, as always Talkfest rambles on at the World Famous Birchrunville Store Café where Master Chef Francis Trzeciack presides. As you well know, Talkfest is all about Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, the most amazing intentional community including people with developmental disabilities.

Really Important Things To Know:
  1. Show up soon, really soon, after 5:10. Or even a few minutes earlier. Oardoors begin to arrive then and you might miss one that never shows up again.
  2. Many GPS systems can’t find Birchrunville. We like it that way but it can be a bit of a problem for foreigners trying to find us. So go to Birchrunville Store Café Directions to find out where we are.
  3. Come casual. After all, we’re a farm. No, you don’t have to worry about cow patties so you can leave your boots at home.
  4. Park either behind the Café or across the street in the gravel lot. No street parking in Birchrunville…unless you want a honey wagon to decorate your car.

Do register now before you wind up with cold hot dogs, mushy potatoes, and flat beer instead of the scrumptious delights of Talkfest.  Bernadette: 610-935-8660 or bernadette@camphillkimberton.org.
The ridiculously low donation? $159.73 per person. Yikes! Such a tiny amount to support such a great place as Camphill Village Kimberton Hills.

And I am still determined not to be talked into dancing on the bar. But you can. 

-- Steve Smolinsky, Board President

Monday, April 1, 2013

Camphill Kimberton seeks Dairy Farm Manager






CVKH is looking for a Dairy Farm Manager to join our community and help manage and/or co‐manage the following tasks:

 Training and providing work for a crew of around 10 people, including “villagers”, or residents
with developmental disabilities.

 Making sure that a herd of 25 to 35 lactating cows are milked twice every day. Doing the
milking of those cows 2-3 mornings per week and 1-3 afternoons per week, and overseeing
the rest of the milkings.

 Managing the health, feeding, and well-being of a herd of 35-40 organically certified dairy
cows and 45-50 heifers of various ages, as well as 3-4 bulls.

 Managing, breeding, and culling of those animals as needed, and all associated vet calls,
record keeping, and supplies purchased.

 Managing a flock of 100-200 laying hens, with a rotating pastured system. Buying and
culling hens, feeding, collecting, and selling eggs. Purchasing associated supplies, feed,
bedding. Maintaining 2 hen houses and fences.

 Bringing cull cows or steers to the butcher. Marketing meat for beef share purchases.

 Marketing our milk. Managing all associated communications, billing, and record keeping.

 Managing the supply of plastic bottles, lids, and labels for such milk, and overseeing the
bottling/delivery process, and sanitation procedures.

 Maintaining milk licenses, certifications, and associated reports.

 Maintaining and repairing 5 tractors, assorted trucks and farm equipment. Repairing and
replacing equipment as needed.

 Maintenance and repair of two barns and numerous sheds and out buildings.

 Managing approximately 210 acres of pastures and fields for the feeding of the dairy
livestock.

 Managing all aspects of the dairy budget.

 Managing the health and safety needs of dairy workers and village residents and visitors in
connection with the dairy, and the food safety of our products.

 Keeping the farmstead, dairy barn, and milk house in good order.

 Making and using biodynamic preparations, attending weekly Land Association meetings, and
collaborating with other village workshops.

If interested, please contact us at 610‐935‐3963 or email at information@camphillkimberton.org.