Our agricultural philosophy is based on a valuing the wisdom of natural systems. We seek to carefully observe, learn, and mimic the patterns and relationships of nature in our work with domesticated and native plants and animals. Our gardens are designed to be human-scale, and respectful of natural limits. On the farm we strive to be open, humble, and attentive in our work with the natural world and with other humans. We recognize that our work as gardeners and as teachers is best accomplished when we allow and encourage relationships to form between different species, structures, functions, and people. We seek not to impose growth, but to hold a space in which growth may flourish. Through the food we grow and share, the plants and animals we raise, and the way we live on the land, we hope to enhance the beneficial relationships possible between humans and the earth. Our agriculture centers on creating and sustaining these positive connections.

One example of our attempts to put this type of farming into practice is through Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA. White Oak Farm is a member farm of the Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative which operates a CSA serving the Rogue Valley. CSA allows everyone involved with agriculture, from the field to the kitchen, to consciously take responsibility for the care of the land, animals, and people that produce the food that human beings need. The farm provides CSA members with the best local organic produce possible, and members provide the farm with direct, up-front financial support for its programs. In this way, the farm is able to distribute the by-product of our educational programs, and the purchase of CSA shares in turn supports those educational programs. CSA members receive a weekly source of high-quality produce, a connection to a community farm, and an opportunity to serve and be gifted by the earth.

The CSA program is the lifeline between White Oak Farm and the local community, serving as a way to distribute the harvest and as a tool for cultivating connections.