Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to growing the regenerative organic agriculture movement through rigorous research, farmer training, and education. Our groundbreaking science and direct farmer-support programs serve as a catalyst for change in farming and food production worldwide. Over our nearly 80-year history we have proven that organic farming is not only viable, but essential to humanity’s survival.
Our founder, J.I. Rodale, was an entrepreneur from New York City who struggled with health problems all his life. One day, he wrote these words on a chalkboard: “Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People.”
In 1940, he bought a rundown farm in Pennsylvania and began to experiment with a way of growing food without chemicals that he coined “organic.” There, he founded the Soil and Health Foundation in 1947—what is known as Rodale Institute today.
