Redbud Organic Farm is a family business in Berkeley County, WV.  Named after historic Redbud Hollow, the original log cabin on the premises, we are committed to preserving our local agricultural heritage by practicing and teaching sustainable agriculture.  Our mission is to grow high quality organic food for our local community while promoting sustainable agriculture, building, and energy applications through our internship program and on-farm research.  Our fresh produce and flowers are sold in restaurants, Washington D.C. area farmers markets, and through our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that services local consumers in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.  We believe that fostering a link between farmers and the community is crucial to ensuring the viability of our local farms.

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Haroun Hallack is an agriculturist, having received training in tropical agriculture and sustainable rural development. He served as an extension agent in Sierra Leone, West Africa, working with local farmers promoting sustainable food production systems by disseminating information on agricultural techniques and dry land farming practices. He taught farmers composting, nutrient management, seed production, plant variety selection, crop rotation, dry season irrigation, integrated pest management and value addition.

Among his accomplishments were the dissemination of several appropriate technologies suited for small tropical farms, including animal powered machines and rain water catchment systems.

He has also gained extensive training in sustainable agricultural technologies and renewable energy applications such as solar electric, solar hot water, and green building. .


Clarissa Mathews has a Ph.D. in Entomology and specializes in biological control and sustainable living.  She conducted research on compost and ecological orchard production at the USDA for 6 years and now serves on the faculty of Shepherd University’s Institute for Environmental Studies, teaching Sustainable Agriculture, Soil Science, and Sustainable Energy.  Her research focuses on methods of enhancing agroecosystem stability -- through crop diversification, biological control of insect pests, and use of composted manures -- to reduce energy and inputs required. Specifically, work has examined the role of extrafloral nectaries in enhancing the effectiveness of naturally-occurring arthropod predators and parasitoids in agricultural systems. Interactions between ants and other natural enemies associated with extrafloral resources have also been addressed. Additional research has focused on the effectiveness of compost mulch for weed control, microclimate regulation, and provision of food resources for detritous-based foodwebs.

Current agricultural research is concerned with ecological orchard design for organic production of deciduous fruits and polycropping schemes that use plant volatiles to deter insect pests. She is most interested in understanding multitrophic interactions, such as plant-parasitoid-pest, and the underlying mechanisms, such as plant-insect chemical communication, that can be manipulated to bolster agroecosystem stability.



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Our growing philosophy is ecologically based and is informed by more than 15 years of experience and formal education in the Agricultural Sciences.  We farm in concert with nature, using NO chemical fertilizers or pesticides and maintaining practices that conserve water and soil resources:
  • Hay as mulch conserves our soil moisture
  • Cover crops and composts feed our soil
  • Biological control (natural enemies like lady beetles), crop rotation, floating row covers, and companion planting protect our crops from pests
We focus on crop diversification, with an array of heirloom varieties to enhance genetic diversity, and are committed to incorporating renewable energies like solar and biodiesel in our production system, to reduce fossil fuel dependence and enhance overall sustainability.