Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm - Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 40° 33.341 W 075° 31.213
18T E 455956 N 4489565
Historic farmstead in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania
Waymark Code: WMF899
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/09/2012
Views: 3
"Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm, also known as the Working Tree Center, is a historic home and farm located at Lynn Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The home is farmhouse dated to about 1830, and altered by J. I. Rodale (1898-1971) for his residence and work, 1940 to 1971. Other contributing buildings and structures pre-dating Rodale's purchase in 1940, are the Pennsylvania bank barn, implement shed, clapboard and fieldstone bake oven, corn crib, and chicken coop. Added by Rodale are the farm office and greenhouse (c. 1945), turkey / goose coop, tennis court, cabana and pool, and pavilion. He also added the five garden sites: the cultivated gardens, the stone gardens, the Sir Albert Howard test plots, and the aerobic and anaerobic compost heaps. The farm is important in the history of organic gardening and farming in the 20th century.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999." - Wikipedia
The farm continues to be owned Rodale but no longer serves as their experimental farm, which is now located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The farm is used for conferences and meetings. Gardens are maintained but not experimental.
When I stopped by I checked in with office and was given permission to wander around. I recommend stopping by the office before exploring.
Street address:
2056 Minesite Rd.
Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania
County / Borough / Parish: Lehigh
Year listed: 1999
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person
Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Historic function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic, Landscape
Current function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic, Landscape
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.