Farrm Wines in Calverton has become Long Island's only 100% certified organic vineyard and one of the few East Coast vineyards to earn Demeter Biodynamic certification, a distinction that recognizes farming practices treating the entire farm as an interconnected living system rather than isolated crops. The certification, presented in May 2026, caps four decades of work by Rex and Connie Farr, who converted a former potato field into a regenerative agricultural operation without synthetic chemicals since 1985.

What Makes Biodynamic Certification Different From Organic?

While organic farming prohibits synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, biodynamic certification goes further by requiring farms to meet whole-farm standards that address soil health, biodiversity, animal welfare, and human stewardship as interconnected elements. Demeter USA, the nonprofit organization that certifies biodynamic farms in the United States, founded in Germany in 1928, treats the farm as a single living organism rather than evaluating individual fields or crops separately.

Biodynamic agriculture began in Europe in 1924 when Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner delivered lectures to farmers concerned about declining soil and livestock health. The practice has since influenced modern organic and regenerative farming movements, though some agricultural scientists consider certain aspects pseudoscientific, particularly claims involving cosmic forces and specialized preparations.

"Biodynamic agriculture is the original organic and the original regenerative," explained Evrett Lunquist, executive director of Demeter USA, during the certification presentation at Farrm Wines. "We're not looking at just one piece. The farm as a whole ecosystem, we call it an organism."

Evrett Lunquist, Executive Director, Demeter USA

How Does Biodynamic Farming Differ in Practice?

Demeter certification requires farms to maintain specific practices that blend conventional agricultural science with traditional biodynamic methods. These requirements include:

• Biodiversity Areas: Farms must preserve natural habitats and encourage beneficial insects, earthworms, and soil microorganisms that support plant health and nutrient cycling.
• Biodynamic Preparations: Specialized compost amendments and plant-based treatments are applied according to lunar phases and seasonal timing to enhance soil fertility and plant vigor.
• Farm-Generated Fertility: Farms build soil health through composting, cover cropping, and reducing off-farm inputs rather than relying on external fertilizers.
• Annual Inspection and Renewal: Unlike one-time organic certification, Demeter certification requires ongoing compliance verification and must be renewed annually.

Some biodynamic practices align with conventional agricultural understanding. Cover cropping, composting, and encouraging beneficial insects are scientifically recognized methods for building soil biology and reducing pest pressure. However, other practices are more esoteric and have drawn skepticism from some agricultural scientists.

The most well-known biodynamic preparation, called BD 500 or horn manure, involves placing cow manure in a cow horn and burying it in soil over winter. When dug up, the material transforms into a compost-like substance that is diluted in water and sprayed over fields to stimulate soil life and humus formation. Another preparation, BD 501 or horn silica, uses finely ground quartz crystal packed in a cow horn and buried during warmer months, then sprayed as a mist to enhance photosynthesis and crop ripening.

Why Is Wine a Natural Fit for Biodynamic Certification?

Wine production has become one of the most recognized applications of biodynamic farming, partly because winemakers and wine enthusiasts already understand the concept of terroir, the way soil, climate, and place shape a wine's character. Biodynamic practitioners emphasize that the vineyard makes the wine, meaning that starting with high-quality grapes grown in healthy soil allows the wine's natural qualities to shine through.

At Farrm Wines, vineyard work is guided by a biodynamic calendar that considers lunar phases and traditional categories of root, leaf, flower, and fruit days. Rex Farr times approximately 25 vineyard jobs, including spraying and pruning, according to this calendar. He acknowledged that some practices sound unconventional, but he emphasized their effectiveness: "The damn thing works".

The vineyard's grapes reflect soils shaped by glacial deposits thousands of years ago. Farr noted that the terroir represents "20,000 years in the making," underscoring how biodynamic practices honor the deep agricultural history of the land.

Farr

How Did Farrm Wines Achieve This Milestone?

Rex and Connie Farr purchased the 60-acre property in 1984 when it was still a potato field. Neither came to farming through conventional agricultural paths; Rex had worked in the music industry representing musicians, while Connie built a career in Manhattan in the designer textile trade. They began converting the property to organic farming in 1985, and by 1990, Farrm Wines became what the vineyard describes as the first certified organic farm on Long Island.

Initially, the Farrs grew herbs, fruits, and vegetables, eventually producing dozens of varieties sold to green grocers and vendors in Manhattan. The vineyard came later. In 2005, they planted 8.5 acres of Bordeaux grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. For years, they sold their certified organic grapes to other North Fork winemakers before producing their first estate wines from the 2012 harvest in collaboration with North Fork winemaker Greg Gove.

Beyond farming practices, the Farrs have taken steps to ensure the land remains farmland in perpetuity. They sold the development rights on the 60-acre property to Peconic Bay Trust, permanently preserving it from development. Their environmental commitment earned them recognition as Environmentalists of the Year by the Sierra Club Long Island Group in 2025.

Demeter certification is not a one-time designation. It requires an application, inspection, and annual renewal, with the certification process taking several months. Certified farms must continue to meet whole-farm standards to maintain their status, ensuring ongoing commitment to biodynamic principles.

For the Farrs, the Demeter certification formalizes a philosophy they have followed for decades. Rex Farr expressed his vision for visitors to the vineyard: "I want them to walk into the vineyard and feel the place where it is grown. Wine epitomizes the relationship between soil" and the care invested in the land.

Rex Farr