Celebrate Spring at the Conservation Fair & 40th Annual Plant Sale
Feature presentation: Permaculture/Agroforestry Workshop
Purchase plants from a large variety of bareroot fruit trees, native trees and shrubs, ferns, wildflower seedlings from FFA students at NCCC, and local compost. Enjoy family-fun activities: climb down into the earth with a soil scientist and learn about soil health (and grab a free coloring book); visit with Master Gardeners for planting tips; learn about biochar and receive a sample; enjoy a Cabot grilled cheese sandwich made by the Orleans County 4-H club; attend a presentation of permaculture and agroforestry.
Permaculture & Agroforestry: Working Trees on Vermont Landscapes
The Conservation Fair will include a special presentation by two experts in the fields of agroforestry and permaculture: Mark Krawczyk of Keyline Vermont LLC and Juan Alvez of UVM Extension.
Mark will share how holistic management practices like agroforestry and permaculture design can help you to incorporate working trees into your agricultural landscapes to provide shade, wind protection, habitat, fodder and mast, fuelwood, fruit and nuts, carbon sequestration and much more. Juan will explain the five major approved practices recognized by the USDA NRCS: silvopasture, alley cropping, riparian forest buffers, forest farming, and windbreaks. All of these practices can produce commercially viable timber and non-timber forest products among other ecosystem services.
This workshop is geared to a broad range of people from backyard hobby gardeners to large agricultural producers. Learn more about Mark's consulting business here:
Pre-sale of tickets on Eventbrite; suggested donation $20
Our Annual Plant Sale is an opportunity for community members to purchase quality bareroot trees, shrubs, berry bushes, and other plants. One of the goals of the sale is to encourage individual self-sufficiency and land enhancements to private property. Some of the species for sale – such as cedars, willow and basswood – are helpful for stabilizing soils and riverbanks. Planting along streams, rivers and shorelands can help improve the water quality and habitat. Sedimentation to surface water from erosion can lead to the build up of nutrients in our waterways, which negatively impacts water quality.
