Full Circus Farm & CSA – A Horse Powered Farm Raising Organic Vegetables & Fruit Trees In Pine Plains, NY

Full Circus Farm, located in Pine Plains, NY, is a unique certified organic farm that takes pride in its horse-powered operations. They specialize in cultivating diverse vegetables and nursery fruit trees and creating a fun and engaging environment for all. The farm prioritizes using draft horses for various tasks such as plowing, compost spreading, and weed control. While they have a tractor, its use is limited to activities that the horses cannot perform, such as turning the compost.

One of the farm’s remarkable endeavors is grafting numerous apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, Macintosh, Cortland, Jonagold, Rome, Empire, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Pink-A-Boo, Macoun, Keepsake, Baldwin, Ashmead’s Kernel, and many others. They also focus on cultivating hard cider apples such as Esopus Spitzenberg, Ellis Bitter, and Wickson, peaches, pears, Asian pears, cherries, apricots, and plums.

Their unwavering dedication to farming with horses is not just a choice but a commitment to sustainability. It’s driven by various reasons, including environmental concerns and their deep affinity for working with these animals. From the reduction of fossil fuel dependency to the minimized soil compaction and the valuable source of fertility provided by the horses’ manure, their commitment to horse-powered farming reflects their sustainability ethos and admiration for the magical bond formed while working alongside these majestic creatures.

“Our farm is certified organic by NOFA-NY, LLC.  Having never farmed conventionally, organic farming is the only kind of farming we know.  That means that we do not use synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.” Mark Stonehill and Miriam Goler