Regenerative Rehabilitation Farm Design
A 136ac farm design for a rehabilitation center focused on regenerative agriculture, watershed management and viable businesses for farm participants and owner.
Overview
In 2017 I was contacted by a private philanthropist to develop a 136ac rehabilitation farm for recovering addicts. The site had been severely overgrazed and with a shallow water table compaction from hoofed animals was rapidly degrading the landscape.
In concert with my team we designed not only concept plant that would see the farm fruitful in both water and production for at least 75 years but also evaluated a number of niche businesses to contribute to and finally cover the farm's operating expenses.
LiDAR drone data was used to create a high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and from that data a series of GIS outputs to help analyze the site.
Features of the design included orchards, berry orchards, greenhouses, water impoundments, farm market and store, water harvesting features and a details soil revitalization plan.
Clients
Private Philanthropist
Challenges
- Watershed Damage
- Overgrazing
- Regional Regulations
- Flooding
Opportunities
Water was plentiful on site during the winter months. The opportunity was to store excess water for the routinely 2-6 month drought experience in the area over the summer. Overgrazing provided an opportunity to revitalize the soil through custom biological liquid amendments. The business opportunities uniquely created for this site articulated around the site objectives and the regional market.
Key Elements
- GIS Post Processing
- In depth land design
- Extensive business analysis
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