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Spring Valley EcoFarms is a non-profit organization focusing on education, research, and outreach to promote more ecologically sustainable agriculture. Its seat is Spring Valley Farm, 100 acres in the Georgia Piedmont. The vision is to reduce reliance on external subsidies in agricultural systems through incorporating free services of nature. The goal is to develop a model for conservation of biological diversity and to provide a laboratory where ecological science and theory are put to a real-world test.
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Site Projects
Since 1993 we have been developing a wide variety of projects at Spring Valley EcoFarms. Some of these are listed below. They are all in various stages of development.
- Field laboratory exercises for over 1500
Univ. of
Georgia undergraduates each year.
- Research on sustainable agriculture by
Univ. of
Georgia graduate students.
Examples:
- An organic farm where members of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) earn their share by helping with planting and harvesting.
Internships for those interested in techniques of sustainable farming.
Conservation tillage.
Sustainable Rabbits.
Sustainable chickens (see video below).
Organic vineyards.
Organic, shade-grown blueberries (slow ripening for better taste).
Organic fruit orchards.
Preservation of 2 acres of old-growth forest that are an example of the ecosystem encountered by the first settlers in the area.
Buffer zones of secondary forest along the creek that runs the length of the farm.
An intensive
University of
Georgia course in organic agriculture.
Restoration of native “Piedmont Prairie” that supported bison and elk in pre-colonial days.
Mixed species, uneven-aged forest plantations that mimic diversity in natural forests.
Rotational grazing using both native summer grasses and imported winter grasses to feed livestock.
Silvo-pastoral systems in which livestock graze under forest plantations.
Experiments with fast-growing trees that supply light weight but strong boards.
Introduction of rare/endangered plants from Southeast China, where the climate and soils are similar to those in Georgia. Project in cooperation with the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.
Restoration of original (1878) farmhouse on the site.
Outreach and extension in cooperation with Georgia Organics, the umbrella organization for organic agriculture in Georgia .
  
The irrigation pond, organic vegetables, Spring Valley Forest
Check out Tad Brown as he explains what it takes to grow "organic" chickens.
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