Goat Silvopasture at Adaptive Life Farm, in Madison County, VA

Small Ruminant Land Management as a Path to Native Forest Restoration

Kathryn and Neil Hughes own and operate a 10-acre forest farm in Madison County, VA (between Charlottesville and Culpeper), where they have been reforesting traditional farmland in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains since 2019. Kathryn teaches writing and studies disability rhetoric at James Madison University, and Neil is a neuro-educator and founder of N-SCP, an assessment and training company based on Narrative Medicine.

Their farming system centers on using animals to balance land management needs with small-scale farming imperatives. They grow and sell native plants, and also breed award-winning dairy goats – both of which they sell through their website. Tour topics will cover native plant production, NRCS cost-share projects, management of conservation areas, and lessons learned in management of pastured poultry and small ruminants.

This event will include a walking tour of their high tunnel, native plant nursery (both woody and herbaceous species), their conserved riparian buffer and wetland, an American Chestnut planting, an overview of their grazing paddocks, and an optional hands-on activity after lunch.

This tour is supported in partnership with the Friends of the Rappahannock, and will include a free lunch!

This event is Free, but registration is required. (This tour has a limited capacity, so please be considerate; only register if you definitely intend to attend.)