OUR STORY · HAMBURG, PA
About Rahndell Farm
A sanctuary of soil, native hedgerows, and restoring the land
Family-run regenerative farm, botanical sanctuary, and a place where healing the land and healing people go hand in hand.
Our Story
Tim and Deirdre married in 1990. By 1994, they found the 34 acres that would eventually be known as Rahndell Farm.
In their youth, Tim and Deirdre bred and showed dogs and cared for horses. The majority of their time was spent away from the land. They leased most of it to farmers that utilized industrial farming techniques, including heavy herbicide and pesticide use.
It was only at mid-life, after the loss of their only child, that their own farming endeavors came into being. Deirdre watched an interview with Mark Shepard, and read his book Restoration Agriculture. It was as if a world, that she always knew existed, laid exposed to her. She saw what we, as humans, were doing to the land, the animals, our bodies and minds. She shared the material with Tim and they both began to understand the impact of what they had participated in as landowners.
And so, a slow progression began. Deirdre expanded her knowledge by reading more books and exploring the latest research. She planted a garden here, raised an odd chicken there, and she began delving deeper into herbalism, which she studied in her teens as a way to connect with her Celtic ancestry. None of it was easy with both she and Tim working more than full time off the farm.
As a Psychotherapist, Deirdre saw the effects our modern way of living had on people: the disconnection from nature, community, and the lack of meaning in people's lives. She also saw the effects our food system and lack of physical activity had on her patient's health, both physical and mental, especially the children she treated.
When the pandemic hit everything changed. Deirdre began working from home via telehealth. Without the commute, there was more time for research, more chickens, then pigs came, and sitting dogs for neighbors because all the kennels had closed due to the pandemic. The farm grew and a dream began to emerge. Deirdre realized there was a different pathway to helping people find healing, instead of being a cog in the current medical model of treating human struggles, Nature herself was there to help. When the call came to return to the office, it was as if the decision had already been made for her. Deirdre left a secure career and income, to become a kennel manager and farmer. She returned to school for formal training in Clinical Herbalism and a Certification in Biodynamic Herb Farming.
The path has been clear ever since, even if daily life isn't always easy. It is a process of chasing joy. Each season brings more growth, more healing, and new connection to this land who was always here, like an old, discarded friend, who was just waiting for us to have the time to be as loyal to her as she had been to us.
About the Land
The Land we call Rahndell Farm tells a much deeper story than a typical farmstead. An ecological study conducted in the early 1970s, described this Land and the surrounding area as supporting an extraordinary range of plant and animal life, representing nearly the full spectrum of species native to eastern Pennsylvania. Today, that kind of richness is increasingly understood not simply as "untouched wilderness," but as the result of a dynamic relationship between Native Peoples and the Land over thousands of years.
Archaeological evidence found on and around the property, including scattered stone artifacts, suggests repeated Indigenous presence long before modern settlement. Rather than passively occupying the land, Native communities actively shaped it, using practices like controlled burning, selective harvesting, and the intentional tending or planting of useful species. Some researchers describe areas like this as "medicine lands." These were places where culturally important plants, including medicinal species, were encouraged or established for future use. The result was a resilient, abundant landscape that sustained both human and ecological communities over generations.
In the lesser disturbed areas of the Hedgerows and Wooded Wetlands, that history can still be found. A wide range of medicinal plant species survived, and we are actively preserving that legacy as a Botanical Sanctuary. We are actively pursuing official designation with United Plant Savers.
Rahndell Farm and the surrounding area is featured in the upcoming book (Release summer 2026): Berne Area History, Tilden Township PA. By Karl Stoudt
What We Do
Sanctuary Herb Co
Crafting therapeutic teas, herbal topicals, extracts, and supplements using sustainably grown and wildcrafted plants.
Sanctuary Therapeutics
Providing holistic pet wellness products with specialized herbal formulations for our four-legged family members.
Canine Country Inn
Offering premium boarding and care services where dogs can play, rest, and receive personalized attention in a home-like environment.
Farm Store
Featuring pasture-raised pork and chicken, plant sales, flower fields, and educational workshops for the community.
Our Values
Sustainability
We practice regenerative agriculture, working with nature to restore and enhance the land for future generations.
Quality
Every product we create meets the highest standards of purity, potency, and effectiveness, because you and your pets deserve the best.
Community
We're committed to education, sharing our knowledge through workshops, events, and building meaningful connections with our customers.
Our Permaculture Project
We're building a thriving permaculture ecosystem that demonstrates how farming can work in harmony with nature. From food forests to water conservation systems, our project showcases sustainable practices that benefit both people and planet.
Visit Us
We welcome visitors, shop the farm store, attend a workshop, tour the fields, or simply walk the land. We would love to meet you.