BY KACIE SCIBILIA
South Jersey Climate News
Copper Knoll Farms is a family-run, farm-to-table unicorn: they grow their goods via forest farming.
A branch of something called agroforestry, forest farmers utilize the forest’s natural attributes.
“We own a diversified forest farm where we grow lavender, elderberries, [and] log-grown mushrooms. We also follow a forest stewardship plan and harvest firewood and wood for mushroom production through that—we also focus on wildlife conservation,” said Kimberly English, who owns Copper Knoll Farms, located in Elmer, N.J., with her husband, Chester, and kids.
Copper Knoll isn’t just a farm. It’s a living fairytale.
“We always wanted a farm,” she added. “When [she and her husband] started dating, we dreamt of that. When we were looking for a farm, we considered a lot of different things, and the property is mostly wooded…it’s not the conventional farm…forest farming is pretty new in South Jersey. It’s not very well known.”
Kimberly’s husband, has a background in propagation and nursery stock, and she was a biology major turned art teacher, so they weren’t completely new to the concept of growing.
“When we were researching and starting our farm, we wanted to grow things that help people feel well, help with their health, [and] help their soul, so our slogan is ‘For goodness for your mind, body, and soul,’” said English.
Just like any other farm, this farming subspecies must diversify. These particular forest farmers focus their energies on growing lavender, elderberries, and log-grown mushrooms.
“I love elderberries for their immune health, but I think log-grown mushrooms are just so magical,” said English.
They carry lavender peppermint sugar, lavender popcorn, elderberry syrup, seasonal shiitake mushrooms, lavender essential oil, lavender granola, soaps, eye pillows, and aromatherapy scrunchies—the greatest bounty you could ever need to nourish your whole being—along with English’s skillful acrylic paintings.
“Forest farming usually happens in a space that’s an existing forest, and we’re managing that forest for an additional harvest beyond timber,” said Dr. Hannah Hemmelgarn, the associate director of the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, which consistently ranks as a premier interdisciplinary center for their agroforestry program and one of the top 100 in the world.
Unlike traditional farming, this practice doesn’t just happen in the soil. It’s a layered affair.
“It’s all multi-story agroforestry…we’re thinking about the canopy trees, the sub-canopy, the understory, the ground flora, maybe roots…typical permaculture,” said Hemmelgarn.
The customers at Copper Knoll can’t seem to get enough of this wellness utopia.
“I try to get down here at least once a year…this is something I normally see out in like Hudson Valley, so it’s cool to see this in South Jersey, where I grew up,” said Melissa Wehrle, a New York-based technical designer for the fashion industry.
Wehrle’s enthusiasm was palpable, and she wasn’t the only customer who felt that way.
“I love it. This is my first time here,” said Arthalinda Pierce, with her daughter Beverly Charles, a value analysis program coordinator for Inspira Network. “My daughter brought me, and I’m really liking the different scents,”
This cross-section between farming and preservation is the best of both worlds.
“What is so great about agroforestry is that you don’t have to choose,” Hemmelgarn said. “We don’t have to be segmenting land for conservation purposes from land for productivity. These things can and should be happening in the same space.
“If we’re taking care of the land, then there has to be that conservation priority as part of it,” she added. “That’s not to say that conventional farmers aren’t thinking about that—they definitely are, and there are all kinds of things that they can do—but perennial, woody agriculture that mimics the ecosystem where it’s happening…[and] if it works for the ecosystems that we’re in, and their historical communities…then, it’s a great option.”The effects of forest farming extend well beyond the products they grow.
English’s farm wanders outside the products they cultivate. They are also conservationists to the nth degree.
They have places for birds to nest and rest on their journeys, they have restored the squirrel population to their enormous acreage, and they provide firewood through selective cutting—only taking dead, diseased, or overcrowded trees out of the forest.
More than selling products, they also provide refuge. There’s a bluebird trail, and the New Jersey Bluebird Society (NJBS) even installed boxes for the birds.
“[We started] with three boxes…[and] we have since expanded each year,” said English. In addition, they’re a bustling center for Purple Martins, with 98 sites for the birds to call home during the warmer months. “Our whole goal is to work with nature rather than against it,” said English.
Then there are duck boxes, confirmed bald eagles, an osprey, and pigs.
Kimberly isn’t the only one running the farm. Her two children, ages 10 and 12, each help raise pigs, and Chester is fully on board.
“Chester, too, loves raising animals, so we also want to use our forest more…[and] that’s the kind of thing that we’re looking to expand upon,” said English.
Customer education is a top priority for English. Online videos teach customers how to use the products and how to make the elderberry syrup. There are recipe cards to give you ideas for the culinary lavender and mushrooms, and English is always there for any questions, either in the store or by email with a very fast turnaround.
This family partnership embodies what it is to be a verifiable environmentalist. Its true beauty is that beyond altruism lies a greater purpose: love for the process.
“It’s a lot of passion for what we want the farm to do, to help people, and also it’s what we enjoy doing,” said English.
