About Appleton Farms Field Day: Willows as Fodder and Fence

Come to Appleton Farms for a walking tour with our Trustees Agroecology team and Willows project consultants Meaghan Giroux and Eric Toensmeier, discussing the successes and challenges of establishing and maintaining our living willow fences over the last three years.

We will meet at the Farmhouse and hike out to view and discuss the project with local experts. Be sure to wear weather appropriate clothing and dress in layers and close toed boots or shoes that are good for hiking in potentially muddy spots or over uneven hilly terrain. We suggest a water bottle, sunscreen and bug repellent. This event is weather permitting and will last approximately 2 hours, walking in moderately hilly and uneven terrain for approximately 1 mile. The remainder of the event will be spent in the pasture standing alongside the willows.

Time to socialize alongside a light lunch will be served after the event. If you are interested in joining for this please mark the appropriate box on your registration form.

About the Project:

In 2023, The Trustees of Reservations received a Conservation Innovation Grant to explore the use of native shrub willows as a ‘living fence’ along sections of the extensive ditching system at Appleton Farms

Agricultural ditches have been used to drain seasonally wet pastureland for hundreds of years. Although effective, they present challenges to pasture management–requiring livestock crossings, supplemental fencing, and renovation following extended livestock access.

Our willow planting sites act as physical barriers, and we continue to explore their role in bank stabilization, runoff filtration, habitat enhancement, and perhaps most interestingly, supplemental livestock fodder.

Register