About Our Farm & Philosophy

Sustainable Non-Conventional Farming, Inspired By Nature

The idea behind Schooner Farms was to take our little 20 acre corner of the world and expand our use of it by raising chemical free pick your own raspberries and blackberries in 2009. We already had a natural pond and lake management company, Inspired By Nature, established at the site. The focus of Inspired By Nature is to encourage pond owners to care for the water resources naturally and by using little if no chemistry at all. This notion of land stewardship and conservation was really the incentive of trudging forward into the berries. honey and now a CSA.

In 2010 we also began a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden. The response has been tremendous. We have had the opporunity to meet so many wonderful and like minded people. Naturally, we picked a rough year weather wise to begin but it ought to make the future garden season seem less difficult! In 2010 Schooner Farms CSA grew food for 60 families. In 2012 we had expanded our memebrship to 80. Our goal to keep the "Community" in our CSA program means that we do not wish to be like a subscription produce farm. We want to keep the "Community" in our CSA. We want you to know the farmer growing your food, we want you to feel like you are a part of our farm and to do that we chose to limit our membership to 30 in 2013. Along with our produce we also have 10 beehives that we harvest raw honey from for sale. Our three ponds are managed naturally and a full of healthy fish. The ponds provide the irrigation to our fields.

Our goal is to be able to offer classes on a variety of topics, such as: beekeeping, canning, organic gardening, nature crafts, land ethics and much more. We both enjoy learning and sharing with others - that connection to like minded people is something we cherish.

If you are in Weston, Oh please stop in! We'd love to show you around the farm!

Schooner Farms & Inspired By Nature from above

ibn

News and blog

RISE & SHINE OUTDOOR YOGA AT SCHOONER FARMS

Posted by Don Schooner or Becky White - Schooner :: Monday, July 28 :: 7:33am

TIME: TUESDAYS 9:00-10:15am

DATES: AUGUST 5, 12, 19, 26 (weather permitting continuation throughout September)

FACILITATOR: Caroline Anne Dawson ERYT 200 (18 years of experience trained in India, Nepal, Spain, The Netherlands, USA, & UK)

Place: Schooners Farm 14890 Otsego Pike, Weston, OH 43569

(on the corner of rt.6 and 235)

Price: $7 per class

Confirm your place: 419-261-0908, info@ibnature.com

This Yoga class is a gentle Yoga that everyone can do to greet the new day in a gesture of gratitude. We’ll start the class with breathe-work and warming up postures in the chair transitioning into standing strength and balancing postures and then retreating to the floor to stretch and tone. Finishing the asana part of the class with a body scan relaxation.

We will then mindfully walk the labyrinth (barefoot or shoed) bringing ourselves with every step deeper into our natural essence.

What to bring? A blanket/beach towel/mat, open heart and a smile ;-)

Benefits of Yoga

Improves strength & flexibility improving posture & spinal issues

Hormonal balance working the endocrine system

Stimulates & soothes organs replenishing them with oxygenated blood

Improves joint motion by replenishing cartilage nourishing fluid preventing degenerative arthritis

Strengthens bones by weight bearing postures reducing risks of osteoporosis

Stretching the body & organs stimulates the lymphatic system improving the immune system

Reduces cortisol levels (stress hormone) & blood pressure

Yoga lowers blood sugar & LDL (bad cholesterol) lowering the risk of diabetes & diabetic complications

Improves digestion assisting in weight loss

Increases concentration

Balances mood promoting a state of well being

INTRODUCING CAROLINE ANNE DAWSON

Introduced to Yoga by her mother as a child, Caroline has been practicing a multitude of Yoga & meditation for the past 18 years. Obtaining her 200hr certification in Hatha Yoga in 2006 & completing her Advanced Teacher Training in 2008 in India’s oldest Yoga Institute Kaivalydhama. Her yearly visits to India & Nepal enriched her studies with Buddhist & Yogic meditation, Yoga philosophy, Pranayama, Ayurveda & Yoga therapy. For the past six years Caroline ran her Yoga Center in Spain offering different types of Yoga & meditation, from prenatal, family, child, therapy & corporate Yoga. She has also co-organized International Yoga retreats in Europe & Asia & contributed as a speaker at the Madrid Mental Health & Art Conference in 2011, elaborating on the topic of Yoga & the effects on the mind.

In recent years Caroline has been working with Cancer survivors and is presently facilitating Yoga & Mindfulness at the Cancer Victory Center in Toledo. Teaching from the heart, Caroline offers a global integration, where classical meets the creative.

Caroline has over 10 years experience teaching & coaching in higher education & she is also a certified Mindfulness Meditation Instructor & a Reiki Master. She is currently finishing her Health & Wellness Coach Certification.

HONEY HARVEST

Posted by Don Schooner or Becky White - Schooner :: Monday, July 21 :: 1:03pm

August 16th, 2014 9:00am - 1:00pm

Like honey? We do too! Come be part of the Honey Harvest! Mike will walk you through the extraction process and you will get some hands on experience! There is nothing quite like honey fresh out of the hive!!

RSVP IS REQUIRED! Please call Mike at 419-494-2226

2014 CSA Starts Next Week!!!

Posted by Don Schooner or Becky White - Schooner :: Wednesday, July 2 :: 4:17pm

Hello CSA Members!

I hope all is swell in your neck of the woods! I am so excited that the CSA season is almost here!

Just a quick note to let you know the CSA will start soon. Our first pick up for TUESDAY Members will be Tuesday, July 8th from 3-6 and for our SATURDAY Members, Saturday, July 12th 9am till noon. It was fantastic to see so many of you out to pick berries. Our first wave of strawberries are just about done but our second wave will start around late July. The gardens are looking wonderful, the crew has been hard at work getting the gardens prepped for all the fall plants to go in. This week we will be getting some much needed rain. The huglekultur beds are proving to be amazing! Schooner is hoping to get the Serpent Mound garden started soon. We harvested our first lavender of the season and will be distilling lavender essential oil soon along with lavender hydrosol - which I know many of you LOVE! As always, we are researching, discovering, sharing and loving life - so glad you are part of the experience!

Eggs will be available for sale at pick up - $4.50 for members. We have baby turkeys and a bunch of new laying hens to visit when you come. No, I have NOT gotten over my chicken phobia but I still enjoy admiring them from afar and I am forever grateful for their delicious eggs!

CSA 2014 Handbook is under the CSA tab.

If you have any questions give me a ring - 419-261-0908 and you are always welcome to pop in at the farm! Look for our first weekly newsletter of the season in your inbox Monday, July 7th. If you forgot which pick up day you signed up for just email me and I will let you know.

Thanks and we will see you soon! Can't wait to see you!

Namaste,

Becky

Strawberries are done for now

Posted by Don Schooner or Becky White - Schooner :: Wednesday, June 18 :: 1:54pm

Our first flush of berries has just about some to an end. However, we will have more in late July or early August. Blackberries too a hit this past winter but we hope to have some. Check back in July for a berry update!

2014 Strawberry Season is Upon Us!!

Posted by Don Schooner or Becky White - Schooner :: Monday, June 2 :: 2:13pm

We do not use any synthetic sprays on our fields. Only sunshine and mother nature!

Little red gems of summer sunshine are ripening as we speak. Due to the harsh winter we lost a portion of our field but still have a nice amount for u-pick. This spring we added 2000 more plants to our berry field. Please call us to determine if the field is picked out or if we have any berries available that day. Hours vary depending on availability. General Farm Hours - Mon-Fri 9-3, Sat. 9-12 Closed on Sunday

419-261-0908

SchoonerFarms