European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paw Keene 75, founder of the Walnut acres organic farm. Sales of chemical free Peanut butter Granola grains and soups top $5 million a year. Organic Oasis in Pennsylvania a by Marcia Dunn associated press the seed of the idea was planted in 1939when Paul Keene a Young missionary to India met Mohandas  eventually grew into Walnut acres farm at Penns creekpa., an Oasis of natural food in a fast food world a place frequented by people such As naturalist Euell Gibbons who lived 10 Miles away until he died in 1975. The organic farm one of the oldest in the United states has blossomed into a $5 million a year business in the four decades since Keene and his wife Betty put Down roots in Central Pennsylvania and began tending the land without pesticides or other Man made chemicals. You Don t see the Birds that Are going to steal your Grain from you Keene says. They need food  the 108-acre farm the Keenes bought in 1946 is now nearly five times that Large and yields about 300 organic products that Are sold worldwide. The top Sellers include preservative free Peanut butter Granola and other sugarless cereals and freshly ground whole Grain flours. The Basic Tenet at Walnut acres according to Keene is that food should be is the most important thing in life and one should be More concerned about it at one eats than anything  All Joys and All outreach can Only be appreciated if you re healthy and Don t have to worry about your insides and your outsides adds Keene 78. George Devault editor and publisher of the new farm a Magazine published by the regenerative agriculture association acknowledges Walnut acres is a Pioneer in organic farming. I think that in the very near future that s going to be the conventional Way of farming Devault says. The present chemical intensive system we have now is not sustainable the economics the environment the health concerns the residue. People like Paul Keene have helped pave the Way for a healthier future for All of  Keene s desire to enrich the Earth and its people was nourished by Gandhi whom he met nearly 50 years ago in British ruled India. Keene the Yale educated son of a minister had gone there the year before As a missionary. I said to him to teaching mathematics in a school in America. I m Here and i m learning a lot about India and i m not satisfied with this work i m doing. What would you suggest he said Well i can t advise you on the details. But the first thing you should do when you get Back is give away everything you have " an inspired Keene returned to the United states in 1940 with his wife a British missionary s daughter and taught one More year at new Jersey s Drew University before quitting. The couple spent the next several years at organic farming schools that stressed the need to go Back to the  in 1946, they borrowed $5,000 to buy their Penns Creek farm 55 Miles North of Harrisburg. They worked the land without electricity tractors or insurance. They also refused to Spray their crops and soil a criterion in the fledgling Field of organic farming. Within a few years Walnut acres the business was born. We immediately said Well it s not right that we own this whole business and get All the profits " Keene says. So we gave the business  the private employee owned business now encompasses 500 acres free of synthetic chemicals and tilled by modern methods and a full time staff of 95. Mail order business has grown 17 percent in the past year alone according to Bob Anderson 43, Keene s son in Law and the company s vice president and general manager. As business flourishes so does Walnut acres philanthropy. About $7,000 to $8,000 in donations from customers and employees will be funnelled this year into a Community Center in tiny Penns Creek built and run by Walnut acres foundation inc., a non profit offshoot. Another $8,000 will go to a Home and school for orphaned and unwanted children in India that was adopted by the foundation 12 years ago. Last year $33,500 was raised for an All purpose building at the school in memory of Betty Keene who died in May 1987. At age 74. The lean robust Keene uses his greetings from the farm essays in Walnut acres bimonthly Catalon to Muse Over farming nature and the oneness of All  fifty nine of his essays written Over the past 30 years were released by the Globe Pequot press in late november in a Book entitled fear not to sow because of the Birds. Anderson says people Are becoming More interested in diet and nutrition in part because of surgeon general c. Everett Koop s warnings about High cholesterol smoking and obesity. Going together with this has been a Little bit More interest in gourmet foods and gourmet Cooks Start looking for purer ingredients he says. Page 16 the stars and stripes saturday january 21,1989