Jean-Paul started Roxbury Farm in 1990 in Claverack after starting the vegetable garden at Hawthorne Valley Farm.  Jean-Paul attended a 4-year training school for Biodynamic Agriculture in the Netherlands before he emigrated to the United States.  In 2000, Roxbury Farm moved to new land in Kinderhook, gaining secure land tenure in perpetuity.  Jean-Paul works constantly to maintain and build soil fertlity on the farm.  He hopes to change our outlook on soil by calling it "earth" instead of soil or dirt as this implies something unpleasant (you soil your clothes or you get your hands dirty).     

Jody joined the farm in 2000.  She studied biology and botany and the University of Iowa before returning to her agricultural roots.  She follows in the foot steps of her farming grandparents and uncles along with her sister, Keri, who farms in Vermont.  Together Jean-Paul and Jody are committed to furthering the practices of sustainable agriculture by educating customers and future farmers.  They also work closely with many other organizations such as Northeast Organic Farming and Gardening Association, the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Assocation, Columbia Land Conservancy, Cornell University, Just Food, Cornell Coopertive Extension, Equity Trust, the Open Space Institute, and the National Park Service at the Martin Van Buren National Historic site to expand the circle of organizations promoting and supporting sustainable agriculture. 

Mike and Michele are east coasters returning after working on farms in California for a number of years.  They are comitted to working on Roxbury Farm for a number of years. In addition to the work of harvesting, weeding, planting, etc.  Mike cares for the crops grown in plastic mulch and helps with field work and equipment maintenance.    Michelle takes on the greenhouse production and transplanting.  They are also incubating their own business of raising pastured broilers.  They raise about 400 meat chickens each year on pasture.  This gives Roxbury Farm members the opportunity to purchase pastured poultry straight from the farm.

Justin is returning for his fifth season.  He and his wife Sarah and their son, Dylan, and daughter, Suzie, live on the farm.  Justin helps out with all aspects of the farm. learning the skills he will need to start his own farm on family land in Minnesota.  In addition to the farm work, Justin is also a caricature artist.

Linda and Dave are Jody's parents who joined the farm staff in 2004 after retiring from teaching in public school in Iowa.  Linda works in the office two days a week taking care of the CSA members enrollments, payments, and questions.  She puts the newsletter together each week and overall helps us do a better job of communicating with the CSA members.  You can reach her during the season in the office on Mondays and Fridays.

Dave is the farm handyman and web guru.  When we need something built or we need something repaired we call on Dave.  We break it and he puts it back together.  Dave also updates and takes care of the farm website. 

William joins us from Detroit, where he plans to return to start his own farm.  He is part of the North American Biodynamic Apprentice Training Program.  It is a two year commitment to learning about Biodynamic agriculture while working on a farm.  William has taken a special interest in rotational grazing and helps care for the cow/calf herd.  Unfortunately William's first season on the farm was cut short by a broken foot in a farm accident.  We miss having him on the farm and look forward to his return for the 2012 season.