FIELD STATION, KERHONKSON
A developing 6-acre campus of gardens, food forests, and appropriate technology structures.
A mission to learn and demonstrate how to live abundantly and regeneratively with nature.
A goal to build a community center where we can join in creative re-imagining of a world that is supportive and regenerative of life in all its forms.
A mission to learn and demonstrate how to live abundantly and regeneratively with nature.
A goal to build a community center where we can join in creative re-imagining of a world that is supportive and regenerative of life in all its forms.
Field Station masterplan
5-SEASONS GARDEN
Nestled into a sloping old hayfield we have been constructing a series of gardens that tell a story of seasonal health and plant medicine. As the seasons progress our wellness needs change and the gardens are planted as guides to teach us about the plants we need in each season. Plants provide clues in the coloration of blossoms, foliage or fruits. The gardens will provide opportunities to study, sample, and make medicine from the plants we should all have in our medicine cabinet and kitchen.
WATER SYSTEMS
Initial work at the Field Station involved carving an extensive swale to gather and slow the movement of water across the land. Collecting and retaining water greatly increases opportunities to support plants and reinforce a diversity of ecosystems. This masterplan illustrates the potential for nurseries, gardens, orchards, greenhouses, classrooms, and a network of ponds along the swale. Several of these projects are underway.
Water systems rely on gravity to move water from a spring to irrigation tanks and then into nurseries. A winding swale captures, slows and sinks rainwaters that are not absorbed. The swale offers wetter soils to support plants that like more moisture, while also allowing us to drain water from areas that we need to be drier.
Gravity fed irrigation tanks
Swale in dry season
FOOD FOREST
The developing food forest supports nut and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs such as walnut, hickory, pecan, and persimmon, paw-paw and blueberry. Planted in guilds alongside supportive understory species, the food forest becomes a diverse, multi-functional tapestry of plants for food, medicine and wildlife support.
Nursery-ing young, native plants
Overwintering smaller native plants in our nursery
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION and REGENERATIVE DESIGN
The field station offers us an opportunity to practice and observe our small scale restoration efforts and explore ways we can build more resilient landscapes that bring natural systems, people and buildings together in more supportive and regenerative ways. We are fortunate to have a variety of ecotypes and soils with a range of invasive and native plant populations.
A silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus, visiting swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata.
Birdhouse gallery
STRUCTURES
A passive solar classroom and office offer 4-season comfort with a thermal slab/battery and generous South facing windows. Solar electric panels provide enough power for lighting, hot water, refrigeration and computer charging. We are hoping to move forward soon with an earth-sheltered greenhouse and kitchen.
Passive solar classroom/office
