Join us in Harrisonburg, VA at The Farm at Willow Run, where Cornelius Deppe, manager of the farm's Agroforestry projects, will lead us in discussing Silvopasture systems, the importance of genetic repositories, and cooperative land management. We'll begin with a short discussion followed by a walking tour and conversation about this unique system. The Farm at Willow Run is a 40 acre parcel owned by, and adjacent to, Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. The goal of the farm is to produce healthy, sustainably grown food to feed and nourish our local community and provide equitable community access to learn and experience food and farming systems. The silvopasture at Willow Run was installed over the last several years as a part of the Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program and is a great opportunity to learn about silvopasture establishment and see a young project. They’ve got lots of lessons to share from the fledgling phase of this system. We’ll also discuss the atypical land access model at the farm and the opportunity this has created for community-based agroforestry to thrive. This visit will be especially useful to those interested in intentional design, passive water harvesting, and alternative land access models.

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.)

For any questions, accessibility requirements or other inquiries, please reach out to Emilie Tweardy at Etweardy@adevelop.org

Deppe with Goat — Cornelius snuggles one of the goat kids in the silvopasture at Willow Run Farm

The original planting schematics for the Farm at Willow Run

Young trees in the newly-established silvopasture