The Rodale Institute is a 386-acre certified organic research farm near Kutztown, about 30 minutes from Allentown. It is not a tourist attraction in the traditional sense. It is the place where American organic agriculture was born, and it continues to lead the way in organic farming research seven decades later.
The Farming Systems Trial
The institute is home to the Farming Systems Trial, the longest running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional farming in North America. The data collected over decades has provided some of the most compelling scientific evidence for organic agriculture, demonstrating that organic methods can match or exceed conventional yields while building healthier soil and reducing chemical inputs.
Open to the Public
The Rodale Institute welcomes visitors for self-guided and guided golf cart tours of the farm. The annual Organic Field Day is a public event where you can learn about compost production, cover cropping, apple orchards, grafted tomatoes, pastured hogs, no-till farming, industrial hemp, and beekeeping. There is also pick-your-own organic fruit and a farm stand. Admission is $25 for the field day, and it is worth every penny.
The Lehigh Valley Connection
The Rodale Institute is part of the broader Rodale legacy that includes Runner's World, Prevention magazine, Organic Gardening, and the Velodrome. J.I. Rodale started the organic farming movement right here in eastern Pennsylvania, and the institute keeps that mission alive through research, education, and a farm that proves organic works. If you care about where your food comes from, this is a pilgrimage worth making.
