The cornerstone of our barn was laid in 1877. The hills of Schuylkill County looked much the same then as they do now — and the belief that good land, well cared for, produces something worth sharing hasn't changed either.
Three Bears Farm is a small-scale, family-run operation where we grow premium hardneck garlic the way we believe it should be grown — by hand, with intention, and in living soil. Standing in the shadow of a barn nearly 150 years old has a way of keeping you honest about what matters.
This land in Schuylkill County has been farmed for generations. We carry that history forward by working with it rather than against it — building soil, protecting water, and leaving room for the wild things that make a farm whole.
Our Stewardship page goes deeper into the values and certifications behind how we farm.
Every piece of equipment here has a story. We rely on older machines not out of nostalgia, but because they still do the job — and because maintaining what you have is its own form of stewardship.
Used for field preparation, cover crop seeding, and moving materials around the farm. [Add restoration story or family connection here.]
[Describe what this machine does, why you use it, and any history or restoration story behind it.]
[Describe what this machine does, why you use it, and any history or restoration story behind it.]
Garlic farming follows the rhythm of the year. Each season brings its own work, its own rewards, and its own way of connecting us to this land.
Short videos capture what words can't. Each clip below is under 60 seconds — a glimpse at the daily rhythms of growing certified organic garlic in Pennsylvania.
A healthy farm is a living farm. The bees, butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects that share this land with us aren't incidental — they're essential. We manage for them as deliberately as we manage for garlic.
Native and honeybees are our primary pollinators. Flowering borders throughout the property keep them fed season-long.
As a certified Monarch Waystation, we maintain milkweed and nectar sources for their annual migration through Pennsylvania.
Woodlots and meadow edges provide nesting habitat. Many species visit year-round, helping with natural pest management.
Ladybugs, lacewings, and ground beetles keep pest populations in check — a natural alternative to chemical intervention.
Larger wildlife move through our woodlots and meadow borders. A sign of healthy habitat and a connected landscape.
Earthworms, fungi, and microorganisms are the foundation of everything we grow. Healthy soil is a living ecosystem.
Healthy food begins with healthy soil. Every step in our garlic's journey — from the soil we build to the bulb you bring home — reflects that belief.
Compost, cover crops, and minimal tillage build the organic matter garlic needs.
Individual cloves are planted by hand each fall, 6 inches deep, in prepared beds.
Mulched beds protect the cloves through frost. Root development continues all winter.
Shoots emerge in March–April. Scapes curl up in late May — harvest time begins.
Bulbs are pulled by hand in early summer when the lower leaves begin to dry.
Garlic hangs in a ventilated barn for 3–6 weeks to develop flavor and shelf life.
A collection of moments from the fields, equipment shed, and wild edges of 3 Bears Farm — organized by theme.