Building Community, Farmer to Farmer

How did you first get involved in agroforestry?

My parents ran an ornamental perennial plant nursery (The Flower Factory), and I grew up in greenhouses and going along with my parents to a lot of ornamental gardens. I didn’t appreciate the ornamental gardens as much as a child as I do now, but it gave me a background in working with plants, and designing with them as partners. I didn’t think too much about what I would do with the farm in the future, but I have always enjoyed gardening, and I was interested in permaculture. I happened to read Restoration Agriculture by Mark Shepard, and seeing the importance of tree crops in designing permaculture systems ignited my interest in what I could do with the farm. It got me excited about how I could design systems centered on trees to yield products for me to use in my creative pursuits, while also being resilient and beneficial ecosystems in themselves.

The family farm and nursery does a lot of work with native, perennial flowers. Much of their plant life is pollinator and permaculture friendly. 

What is your favorite thing to do at your farm? 

Exist. Just walking around and enjoying the ecosystems: the gardens, orchards, and forests. Being amongst trees and plants, watching the animals, listening to the birds, just being present. With the busyness of the world right now, it can be hard to be present and exist and enjoy just where you are. So I love that our farm is a place that cultivates that feeling. 

How did you first become involved with the Savanna Institute? 

I had just moved back home to Wisconsin in 2019, and went to an event at Savanna Institute’s Silverwood Park in Edgerton. It was really cool to see a demonstration of alley cropping, and to learn more about the environmental and economic benefits of agroforestry, and connect with others with the same interests. From there, I started getting better connected with folks at the Savanna Institute and the broader agroforestry community. 

Derek has worked with Barbara, Savanna Institute’s Assistant Director of Adoption, and Lily, a member of Savanna Institute’s Tree Crop Breeding team, to define a long-term vision for the farm and collaborate on breeding currants for his growing environment. 

What inspired your first gift to Savanna Institute? 

I loved that demo event that I had attended and I figured, if they had charged for it, I would have paid for it. It was so beneficial to me. As someone who farms, it’s important to support others wanting to do agroforestry too, I can’t be the only one doing it. There is still a lot to learn about implementing agroforestry, and I want to support as many people exploring this space as possible.

Why do you continue to support the Savanna Institute? 

You do the research and education to allow folks to implement agroforestry, and the research makes agroforestry better. Savanna Institute’s resource collection, education, and events that create spaces for community to form (like the Perennial Farm Gathering) are really meaningful for me, and I believe in supporting the folks who want to get involved. I was honored to be a speaker at the Perennial Farm Gathering; that I’ve learned enough that I can start giving back to the agroforestry community. I’m still in contact with the fellow panelists and folks I met there.

What do you envision your farm looking like 10 years from now?

A riot of life!

Help Shape the Future of Farming

Hundreds of individuals like Derek support our work with monthly gifts, donor advised fund grants, and annual gifts. Every supporter and every gift makes a difference.

We invite you to join us! Together, we’re moving closer to our vision for widespread agroforestry. Give now and be part of what we’re growing!

For more information about how you can support the Savanna Institute, contact Sarah French, Director of Development, at [email protected].