Four Wind Farm
Address: 158 Marabac Rd. Gardiner, NY 12525.
Website: http://users.bestweb.net/~fourwind/
Description: Jay and Polly Armour operate a 24 acre diversified organic farm. The farm raises produce, heirloom seedlings, grass-fed beef, pasture raised turkeys, and intermittently pasture-raised pork and eggs. The centerpiece of the operation is passive-solar heated and earth-cooled straw-bale vegetable barn with attached greenhouse. A 14-kw grid-intertied PV electric system is situated on the barn roof, which is being financed by a combination of a NYSERDA grant and a low-interest loan. A permanent raised bed system in the vegetable garden requires very little tractor time and hence very minimal fuel use. The Armours also transport vegetables to market in a diesel van converted to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO).
Photo Essay:
Produce is washed and packed inside this passive-solar heated and earth-cooled straw-bale vegetable barn with attached greenhouse.
A 14-kw grid-intertied PV electric system is situated on the barn roof, which is being financed by a combination of a NYSERDA grant and a low-interest loan.
A permanent raised bed system in the vegetable garden requires very little tractor time and hence very minimal fuel use
Animal manure and crop residues are composted and used for potting medium for Spring vegetable starts
The Four Winds Farm greenhouse
South facing view of the strawbale barn with the attached greenhouse
The Armours transport vegetables to market in a diesel van converted to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO)
