Erda Weed Gardens is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the principles of bio-dynamics in a community-supported farm. Bio-dynamics is an internationally recognized approach to organic agriculture in which farmers work with the spiritual dimension of the Earth’s environment, enabling ecological interconnections of plants and animals to function at their best. At erda Gardens, the farmers and consumers support each other. Our farmer and three interns tend the land and produce food for the consumers. The consumers support the farm financially by buying shares and through their own labor, which also serves to teach them about sustainable agricultural methods. Our members are interested in more than just great vegetables. They like knowing their participation is helping to preserve small-scale farming and support environmentally-sound farming practices.
Erda Weed Gardens was founded in 1996 by Marie Nord, who was our head farmer. Nord initially worked on a small plot of land near our current site. As community interest in Erda Gardens grew, more land was needed. In 1998, Armin and Penny Rembe graciously offered several acres of their land along the Rio Grande River as our new home. The land allowed us to increase our plots and gave us a place to hold seminars for adults, educational classes for children, and community-building gatherings for our members.
In 2001, Marie Nord was killed in a car accident. It was a terrible loss but our volunteers pulled together, making 2001 one of the most abundant years ever at the garden. The community and garden that Marie formed have continued to flourish. In 2002, Erda Weed Gardens expanded its educational mission to include a lecture series on sustainable agriculture for the community. Last year, we added a summer workshop series for school children.