Matzo

Yiddish Farm Matzo

This matzo? Why do we eat it? The Hagada itself asks this very important question, which is really twofold. First there is the answer given in black in white in the text of the Hagada, namely, we were rushed out of Egypt and there simply wasn't time to let the dough rise. In addition to this, when it comes to our seder we have to ask ourselves, why this matzo.

The matzo market is a very big one. By one estimate, over a million pounds of matzo will be sold in the US alone this Passover. That's a lot of matzo, produced by a lot of brands, coming in shapes from square to round.

So, why this matzo? Why Yiddish Farm matzo? First of all is our commitment to kashrus. I personally inspect the fields together with our kosher certifiers, to make sure not just the fields, but also the machinery we use to cut the wheat meets the highest kashrus standards.

Next is the story. Passover is all about conveying history and faith to the next generation. It's about remembering our exodus from Egypt. The matzo plays a central role on our seder table as we go through the hagada, but when we break in the middle to eat the festive meal, the question remains, why did you choose this matzo over the estimated million other pounds of other matzo prepared for the holiday?

This is matzo with a story of its own. Since 2012 the Yiddish Farm has been cultivating and cutting wheat, and later spelt as well, for the sake of this important edible mitzvah. Throughout the growing season our fields serve as an outdoor classroom to thousands of Jewish children.

Another name for matzo is "bread of faith". This is a reference to the faith that had guided us through the generations. Yiddish Farm matzo is also here thanks to faith. There is a Yiddish proverb that translates to "A farmer has God for a partner".

When I seeded our first real wheat field, there was no plan on how we would actually harvest the wheat. No combine, nothing. That spring I found an antique combine (pictured above) on eBay and later that summer we harvested with the help of over 15 volunteers. We finished that harvest just in time to shower and bring in Shabbos and the rest is history!

Over that winter, I cleaned sorted every cup of grain by hand hoping that someone would appreciate matzo made with extra intention. Over 10 years later we are on to our second combine and we have a line of professional grain cleaning equipment to do the sorting work.

Thank you to our supporters for making this possible.

This matzo is produced through a community effort, bringing together volunteers, donors and yours truly to produce a truly unique product: Farm to seder table shmura matzo produced from grain that we cultivate on our farm in Goshen, NY.

Simply put, there is nothing like it.

Don't delay! Order today!

Image credit James Estrin, The New York Times