Delaware Nature Society Program Guide and Newsletter March - July 2018 | Page 4
Coverdale Farm
Master Plan
Phase One – Establishing the System
Your Visit Begins at Coverdale Farm
Marketplace and Welcome Center
Coverdale Farm is a bustling, growing community
of thousands of program participants and visitors each
year. With demands that will only increase, an obvious
need is to build a welcoming space for programs and
tours, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pick up,
Coverdale-generated product sales, and a place for local
farms and purveyors to offer their products. Plans for
this building may include a café for light fare and snacks,
and a large wrap-around porch where adults and kids
can appreciate the views while enjoying a healthy bite. In
partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Green Building
Council and Living Building Challenge, Phase One will
fund conceptual drawings for construction of the Coverdale
Farm Marketplace & Welcome Center with an emphasis
on a sustainable, and low-carbon footprint.
Seed to Field to Table: Coverdale Farm
Greenhouse, High Tunnels, and Hoop Houses
All gardeners understand that growing popular crops like
tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in an open field often
exposes the vegetables to droughts, storms, voracious bugs,
and even early frosts. A heated and irrigated greenhouse
will provide three to four season growing for higher quality
and a bigger yield. These cash-crops can then be sold
to restaurants and retailers to rapidly bring a return on
investment. Additionally, these methods are used to teach
emerging farmers how high tunnels and hoop houses can
help extend the growing season.
Growing the Next Generation of Farmers
Coverdale Farm Regenerative Agricultural Program
Healthy Eating from the Ground Up
Delaware Nature Society has long recognized that how we grow food can have a
profound impact on the environment. Now, we are taking the first steps to implement an
ambitious plan to turn Coverdale’s stunning 377 acres into a model for land conservation,
preservation, and wildlife habitat while growing food in a healthy, sustainable way.
Honoring many years of conservation land-management strategies in the natural areas
of Coverdale, the regenerative agricultural practices will mimic natural processes that
attribute to healthy soil, animals, and ecosystems. The Coverdale Farm Regenerative
Agriculture Program will be accomplished in phases, beginning with the three-year
Phase One, focused on investments to establish the system.
Outlined here are our plans for this first phase, which will begin this year.
We hope you’ll join in our excitement and support!
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NATURE EXPLORER March – July 2017
2018
Through our preliminary work with the USDA Beginning
Farmer and Rancher Program and our organization’s long-
term commitment to education, Coverdale Farm is well-
positioned to incorporate a formalized training program
for new farmers in methods that are both sustainable and
economically viable. Phase One will support the hiring of
three seasonal interns for on-farm apprenticeship programs.
This program provides young people and agricultural
graduate students the opportunity to specialize in aspects
of farming that can further their professional development
and experiences including animal husbandry, vegetable
production, and the rotational grazing program.
The Farmers Guild
Fortunately, Coverdale Farm property has several buildings
which can be re-purposed to best serve the transition to
regenerative farming. Phase one funding will encompass
essential restorations to establish The Farmers Guild.
The historic Dilworth House, off Old Kennett Pike will be
repurposed to become The Farmers Guild: a meeting space
and community housing for farmer apprentices. With seven
bedrooms and large meeting and kitchen spaces, the building
will be retrofitted to provide communal living for seasonal
interns as part of their stipend. Having the farmer apprentices
living on-site is essential to demonstrating the demands of
time and commitment to operating a farm.
Rotational Grazing – It’s All About the Soil
During Phase One, our perennial pastures leader-follower
system will begin implementation. We will start with 30 acres of
pasture fields in southeast quadrant of the farm. This system
is the foundation of regenerative agriculture. It’s scientifically
designed to contribute to the health of the soil and increase
biodiversity simply by letting “animals act like animals” – eating
pasture grasses and depositing manure. The animals pass
through a pasture in succession – cows followed by sheep
who are then followed by poultry – in a continual 40 to 60
day rotation, using the land more efficiently. The regenerative
system requires pasture infrastructure for animal
safety and to optimize the process.
The first phase will also include the foundation of the
‘leaders’ of the system, Red Devon cows. An initial small
herd of Red Devons (8-10 cattle) will be integrated, followed
by a flock of sheep, then, heritage turkeys and chickens.
Building on the success of the current mobile units for
pasture-raised poultry, additional flocks and movable
houses will be integrated into the grazing system.
The farmers will need flexible fencing to keep the
animals in their assigned pastures with water and shade to
keep them protected and healthy. Livestock barns placed
in several grazing areas, as well as the implementation of
forested riparian buffers using a variety of deciduous trees.
Eating Experiences – Sharing the Fruits of our Labor
Our farm plans would not be complete w ithout a
mention of the important role of Coverdale in feeding our
community. From seasonal pop-up dinners, to diversification
and scale-up of farm-generated products for sale in our
marketplace, to food access programs through collaborations
with partnerships in community centers and food banks
serving Wilmington, a focus of our phase one plans will be
expanded food production to increase access and enjoyment
of the nutrient rich, high quality food produced through
our regenerative agriculture systems.
Delaware Nature Society extends our sincere gratitude to
the following foundations, organizations, and individuals
who have contributed to Coverdale Farm Preserve Master
Plan and Phase One implementation: Crystal Trust;
Patagonia; Harvest Market (Bob Kleszics and Karen Ashley);
Peter Kjellerup and Mandy Cabot; Hank and Mary Davis;
and Margaretta Frederick and Michael Martin. We also
thank our Coverdale Master Plan Committee and co-chairs
Eric Brinsfield and Margaretta Frederick.
Want to Learn More?
Join us for a Coverdale Farm Tour and Open House on Saturday, May 12 from 10 am – 1 pm.
RSVP to Melinda Hardie, [email protected]
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