Fresh, Local, Organic Produce
Grown on our family farm...Brought to you every week
What we do
A small "hands on" farm
We practice farming by hand. All planting, cultivation, and harvesting is done manually, though we use modern tools and techniques that keep us efficient and competitive. We find that farming this way is easier, more productive, and can produce vegetables of a higher quality. We use permanent beds that reduce soil disturbance. We tilth instead of till and broadfork instead of turning. This maintains soil structure and the life it supports, reduces our weed pressure, increases our organic matter, and we believe, produces great produce.
promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.
What is Organic Farming?
Organic farming entails:
- Use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil, maximize biological activity and maintain long-term soil health.
- Use of biological control, crop rotations and other techniques to manage weeds, insects and diseases.
- An emphasis on biodiversity of the agricultural system and the surrounding environment.
- Using rotational grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock operations and alternative health care for animal wellbeing.
- Reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics.
- A focus on renewable resources, soil and water conservation, and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance.
Soil health
Minimal tillage
We practice farming by hand; replacing the tractor with hand tools. All planting, cultivation, and harvesting is done manually, though we use modern tools and techniques that keep us efficient and competitive. We find that farming this way is easier, more productive, and can produce vegetables of a higher quality. We use permanent beds that reduce soil disturbance. Instead of tilling our fields we manually broadfork or tilth our permanent beds and only cultivate the soil surface. This maintains soil structure and the life it supports, reduces our weed pressure, increases our organic matter, and we believe, produces great produce.
crop rotation and cover crops
Everything old is new again
Organic production is not simply the avoidance of conventional chemical inputs, nor is it the substitution of natural inputs for synthetic ones. Organic farmers apply techniques first used thousands of years ago, such as crop rotations and the use of composted animal manures and green manure crops, in ways that are economically sustainable in today’s world. In organic production, overall system health is emphasized, and the interaction of management practices is the primary concern.

meet our team
Echo valley Farm is a family farm owned by siblings Charlotte Hetterick and William Hetterick. We actively farm 2 acres of our 11 acre farmstead. We also have a retirement home for chickens :)
Please note: We are not open to the public. This is a working farm and both our homes.

charlotte
hetterick
partner

william
hetterick
partner
Contact Information

Find us here: 4829 Maple Grove Road
Hampstead
MD
21074
Email: farm@echovalleyfarmmd.com
Phone: