Tour of The Forage Farm (Hillsborough)
Come see how ecological landscape designer Justin Durango and his wife, Lindsay, (new Reid Chapter members!) are transforming 10 wooded acres that were once overrun with invasive species and poison ivy into a thriving paradise garden that’s that’s rich in native plants, food, wildlife, and natural beauty.
At The Forage Farm, you’ll find:
- Comprehensive stormwater management and retention
- A diverse understory,
including a variety of wild blueberries - A relic hand-dug well lined with white quartz boulders
- More than 250 identified native plant species—most of them naturally occurring
- Forest thinning and native understory restoration as Orange County’s 2025 Conservation Stewardship Program funding recipient
- A landscape that integrates both perennial and annual foods (native and introduced) without row crops, hoop houses, landscape fabric, or long-term irrigation
- Post-and-beam structures crafted from lumber milled directly on site
- Diverse, constructed microclimates, including a one-acre pond and a rocky ridge sculpted from 7,500 cubic yards of locally reclaimed soil and boulders
- Permaculture-inspired site design and management practices
Justin and Lindsay purchased the property near downtown Hillsborough nine years ago and moved into their small farmhouse last fall. While much of the transformation has taken place over the past five years, the pace of progress is set to accelerate now that they are fully settled as live-in gardeners.
Registration is required, cap of 15. NCNPS members have priority through May 11. Address will be provided to registrants.