The Farm

We are experimenting with woody perennial crops, primarily nut trees and basketry willow. In 2023, we hand dug 25 holes for an experimental planting of hybrid chestnut trees. The stock for these trees came from Canopy Farm Management—an offshoot of the Savanna Institute, a midwestern non-profit laying the groundwork for a widespread transition to agro-forestry in the United States. The chestnuts thrived, and in the middle of a heat wave in August 2025, we enlisted a group of friends (and an auger!!) to plant another 180 nut trees. This second planting includes not only hybrid chestnuts but also hybrid hazels, cold-hardy pecans, and hickories. This work is inspired by co-owner Elspeth Hay’s award-winning book, Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food.

In another field we planted 200 basketry willows in the spring of 2024; in the spring of 2026 we will expand this planting to add another 200 plants. As we plant and observe, we are experimenting with applications of biochar, prescribed fire, and coppice and pollard—and documenting what we learn.