Where will new farmers farm? The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is working to develop our regional economy and strengthen local food production through its Greater Philadelphia Food System Plan and Food System Grants. Since January 2011, Fred de Long, the Trust’s Community Farm Program director, has been acting as a consultant to the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), a grantee of the plan, with its Land Leasing program.

As the number of farms in the Philadelphia “foodshed” has decreased and land costs have escalated, aspiring young farmers cannot find affordable land to farm. One solution for would-be farmers is to lease rather than purchase land. The PASA Land Leasing program seeks to establish a process that assists hopeful new farmers by matching them with preserved or available land and the people who own it.

Together with PASA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania regional director, Marilyn Anthony, Fred has assisted with reviewing applications and selecting farmers as well as visiting and

assessing potential farm sites. After they match the farmers and farms, Fred will provide guidance to the selected farmers.

The first farmers to benefit from this program were TJ and Chris Costa, who were paired with Lundale Farm in South Coventry Township. The historic Lundale Farm is permanently protected from future development by a conservation easement held by French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, and like the Trust’s Rushton Farm, is a wonderful example of preserved lands being used for small scale sustainable agriculture.

TJ and Chris are committed to organic and biodynamic growing practices, and have just finished their first season at Lundale Farm with great success, operating a CSA, a farm stand and selling at a local farmer’s market. They specialize in heirloom variety vegetables, eggs from their own flock of hens and honey from their carefully tended hives.

We look forward to continuing our work with PASA and nurturing new farmers and sustainable agriculture in the Philadelphia area.

Trust Nurtures Farmers and the Local Food Network

ELEA

NO

R M

OR

RiS

iLLO

WA

y

FALL 2011

Newsbrief ofW i L L i S T O W N C O N S E R V A T i O N T R u S T

T h e L e a f l e t

The Leaflet is an interim publication to supplement our annual newsletter, THE SyCAMORE. Through The Leaflet, the Trust brings you interesting and timely information about

Willistown Conservation Trust activities, news and upcoming events.

W i L L i S T O W N C O N S E R V A T i O N T R u S T925 Providence Road · Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073(610) 353-2562 ~ Fax: (610) 325-0869 ~ www.wctrust.org

Jeanne B. Van AlenPresident/Executive Director

Board of TrusTeesDouglas C. Walker

Chairman

Peter S. StrawbridgeActing Chairman

Alice E. HausmannVice Chairman

Elizabeth C. Hucker Treasurer

Langhorne B. SmithSecretary

James L. Van Alen iiAssistant Secretary

Timothy B. Barnard, Esq.Bryan D. ColketV. Richard Eales

W. Anthony HitschlerWilliam T. Howard

Mark T. LedgerF. Arthur McMorris, Ph.D.

Jennifer MollerJanice Murdoch

Arthur E. NewboldChristine S. Seving

Anson W. H. Taylor, iiiTana Wall

sTaff

Ashley BristerRushton Farm Field Manager

Sue R. CostelloGIS Coordinator

Fred de LongDirector of Community Farm Program

Elaine GilmartinDirector of Development and

Community Outreach

Blake GollNature and Education Coordinator

William R. Hartman, Jr.Director of Stewardship

Lisa KiziukDirector of Bird Conservation Program

Susie MacDonnellEvents and PR Coordinator

Nancy K. RosinAssociate Director of Development

Joyce D. SpraginsCommunications and Technology Manager

John G. TurgeonDirector of Land Protection

and Public Grants

Joannah WhitnahRushton Farm Assistant Grower

Lisa WimbleRushton Farm Assistant Farm Manager

Willistown Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)3 of the i.R.S. Code. Donations are tax deduct-

ible. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from

the PA Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

T h e L e a f l e t

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

HORIZONTAL FSC Options- MUST BE PLACED AT 100%(these are all scaled to size - DO NOT ENLARGE OR REDUCE)

Sixteen year old Bronwyn Livezey, a member of the Delaware County 4H Club, has found a home for her growing flock of rare Tunis sheep on Peter and Alice Hausmann’s Plumsock Farm, protected by conservation easement since 1982.

Bronwyn was interested in developing the breed and honing her farming skills, but needed a home for her project. Doug Newbold, committee member of the Trust’s Community Farm Program, introduced Brownyn to Trust board member Alice Hausmann, and a partnership was made.

This summer Bronwyn’s flock of eight ewes and one ram joined Alice’s flock of Cheviot and Dorset ewes. With the rich Plumsock Farm pastures to graze on, Bronwyn hopes to grow her flock to 10 to 15 producing ewes.

Tunis is a heritage breed, considered “Threatened” by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and developed from stock imported from Africa in 1799. The breed, known for its reddish coat and gentle nature, was nearly wiped out during the Civil War, but is rapidly regaining popularity and is ideally suited as a meat or wool producer for the small farm.

We look forward to hearing more from Bronwyn now that she and her flock are part of the local farm community. it’s another example of wonderful use for preserved land in Willistown. Thank you, Alice, Peter and Bronwyn.

The Willistown Conservation Trust is dedicated to preserving the open land, rural character, scenic, historic and ecologically significant resources of the Willistown area and nearby

communities, with particular emphasis on the Crum, Ridley and Darby Creek watersheds.

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSOUTHEASTERN, PA

PERMIT NO. 96

Lending a Hand with PASA’s Land Leasing Program

A young Shepherdess Finds a Preserved Willistown Farm

for Her Flock

16 year old Bronwyn is working to develop her flock of rare Tunis sheep.

One of Bronwyn’s Tunis ewes peers through the fence at her new home at Plumsock Farm.

The Hausmann’s Plumsock Farm on Delchester Road in Willistown, preserved from development by conservation easement, is the perfect spot for sheep.

Together with Wayne Art Center we presentNOVEMBER 5 - DECEMBER 3, 2011

A Bounty of FarmsPreview

Reception Saturday

November 5th5:30 - 9:00 pm

featuringcocktails & local foods

Call 610-688-3553 for tickets

Wayne Art Center413 Maplewood Ave

Wayne

Exhibition & Sale of Recent WorksCapturing the Rural Beauty of Willistown Through the Seasons

Proceeds support the Trust and the Wayne Art Center

The Trust’s Director of Community Farm Program, Fred de Long (far right), has been providing guidance to farmers TJ and Chris Costa at their new Turning Roots at Lundale Farm.

T h e L e a f l e t T h e L e a f l e t T h e L e a f l e t

Since the inception of Rushton Farm, we have observed many migratory songbirds in and around the farm benefitting from its sustainable agricultural practices. Spending up to one-third of the year in migration travelling to and from their breeding and wintering grounds, many bird species depend upon a network of stopover sites, where they can rest, refuel, avoid predators, and find shelter from adverse weather.

With its abundant seed and insect population and nearby hedgerow and woodland cover, Rushton Farm provides the perfect rest-stop for our feathered friends. We witnessed this first-hand in September, when our bird banding team placed one of their mist nets in the farm’s compost pile and gently captured a whopping 15 birds in less than half an hour.

The quantity and diversity of birds we are documenting in our banding program, from warblers to sparrows, shows how significantly the farm contributes as a stopover site.

The Trust has partnered with the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center and the Chester County Food Bank to establish a new community garden and educational program. Located in an urban neighborhood without a grocery store and surrounded by seven fast-food establishments, the garden now makes fresh produce available to many of its residents.

The “Growing Examples” initiative promotes health in this underserved West Chester community by incorporating gardening skills, nutrition education, and physical activities into the daily lives of program participants. As well as helping nourish the local community, a portion of the produce grown in the beds is donated to the West Chester Food Cupboard.

in addition to spearheading the construction of ten raised garden beds, the Trust provided planning assistance, containers, potting soil, and seeds and plants from Rushton Farm. During the summer, Rushton Farm staff presented a “Harvest to Table”

workshop at the Center as part of the program’s educational component.

This has been a wonderful outreach opportunity for the Trust and we look forward to deepening our partnership with the Melton Center in the coming years.

Thanks To our run-a-Muck Business sponsors

amos eshStraw & Hay

Catharine & Gary Cox

Weeds, INC

A gently captured Canada Warbler awaits banding and release back into the

rich habitat of Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve.

Helping a Community Grow its Own Produce Where Fresh Vegetables Can be Hard to Find

PHO

TO

CR

EDiT

S: M

ALV

ERN

PAT

CH

.CO

M, C

HR

iST

iNE

SEV

iNG

AN

D A

CT

ST

AFF

What a Day!Heartfelt thanks to our hosts Esther and Paul Gansky and to our friends

at Veritable for sponsoring the Run-a-Muck and Countryside Bash in September. A good time was had by all, and we netted over $80,000

for the Trust’s work to preserve Willistown’s rural beauty.

Thank you!

Since 2007, our “Share the Bounty” initiative has been a cornerstone of the Community Farm Program, and hundreds of pounds of fresh produce from Rushton Farm are donated to help feed the hungry each year.

This past summer a 2,000 square-foot garden was prepared at the farm that will serve as the site of “Henry’s Harvest.” it is named after the late Henry Jordan, founder of the Chester County Community Foundation and an advisor for the Chester County Food Bank. He was an advocate for the underserved and believed nutritious food should be accessible to all people. The friends and family of Henry Jordan have made a generous financial gift that will be used to establish and maintain the garden. The farm staff expects Henry’s Harvest to provide over 400 pounds of food each season beginning in 2012.

Trust staff member John Turgeon helps Anne Marie Caracci and Myrtle Paskings harvest greens from the raised beds at the “Growing

Examples” garden in West Chester.

Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie and Seelaus

Lynn & Tony Hitschler

Lacabra Brewing Jim Duffy’s

Kari & Tony Keane

The Trust Creates Henry’s Harvest at Rushton FarmA Dedicated Garden to Help Feed Those in Need

Beginning in 2012, the Henry’s Harvest garden will grow fresh produce specifically for donation to the Chester County Food Bank.

Sustainable Farming at Rushton Farm It’s Good for the Birds!

INdIgo BuNTINg By JusTIN ThompsoN This Indigo Bunting, one of 15 birds captured in the nets near the compost piles at Rushton Farm, shows off its leg band before release.

First Place Photo from our 2011 Contest

T h e L e a f l e t T h e L e a f l e t T h e L e a f l e t

Since the inception of Rushton Farm, we have observed many migratory songbirds in and around the farm benefitting from its sustainable agricultural practices. Spending up to one-third of the year in migration travelling to and from their breeding and wintering grounds, many bird species depend upon a network of stopover sites, where they can rest, refuel, avoid predators, and find shelter from adverse weather.

With its abundant seed and insect population and nearby hedgerow and woodland cover, Rushton Farm provides the perfect rest-stop for our feathered friends. We witnessed this first-hand in September, when our bird banding team placed one of their mist nets in the farm’s compost pile and gently captured a whopping 15 birds in less than half an hour.

The quantity and diversity of birds we are documenting in our banding program, from warblers to sparrows, shows how significantly the farm contributes as a stopover site.

The Trust has partnered with the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center and the Chester County Food Bank to establish a new community garden and educational program. Located in an urban neighborhood without a grocery store and surrounded by seven fast-food establishments, the garden now makes fresh produce available to many of its residents.

The “Growing Examples” initiative promotes health in this underserved West Chester community by incorporating gardening skills, nutrition education, and physical activities into the daily lives of program participants. As well as helping nourish the local community, a portion of the produce grown in the beds is donated to the West Chester Food Cupboard.

in addition to spearheading the construction of ten raised garden beds, the Trust provided planning assistance, containers, potting soil, and seeds and plants from Rushton Farm. During the summer, Rushton Farm staff presented a “Harvest to Table”

workshop at the Center as part of the program’s educational component.

This has been a wonderful outreach opportunity for the Trust and we look forward to deepening our partnership with the Melton Center in the coming years.

Thanks To our run-a-Muck Business sponsors

amos eshStraw & Hay

Catharine & Gary Cox

Weeds, INC

A gently captured Canada Warbler awaits banding and release back into the

rich habitat of Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve.

Helping a Community Grow its Own Produce Where Fresh Vegetables Can be Hard to Find

PHO

TO

CR

EDiT

S: M

ALV

ERN

PAT

CH

.CO

M, C

HR

iST

iNE

SEV

iNG

AN

D A

CT

ST

AFF

What a Day!Heartfelt thanks to our hosts Esther and Paul Gansky and to our friends

at Veritable for sponsoring the Run-a-Muck and Countryside Bash in September. A good time was had by all, and we netted over $80,000

for the Trust’s work to preserve Willistown’s rural beauty.

Thank you!

Since 2007, our “Share the Bounty” initiative has been a cornerstone of the Community Farm Program, and hundreds of pounds of fresh produce from Rushton Farm are donated to help feed the hungry each year.

This past summer a 2,000 square-foot garden was prepared at the farm that will serve as the site of “Henry’s Harvest.” it is named after the late Henry Jordan, founder of the Chester County Community Foundation and an advisor for the Chester County Food Bank. He was an advocate for the underserved and believed nutritious food should be accessible to all people. The friends and family of Henry Jordan have made a generous financial gift that will be used to establish and maintain the garden. The farm staff expects Henry’s Harvest to provide over 400 pounds of food each season beginning in 2012.

Trust staff member John Turgeon helps Anne Marie Caracci and Myrtle Paskings harvest greens from the raised beds at the “Growing

Examples” garden in West Chester.

Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie and Seelaus

Lynn & Tony Hitschler

Lacabra Brewing Jim Duffy’s

Kari & Tony Keane

The Trust Creates Henry’s Harvest at Rushton FarmA Dedicated Garden to Help Feed Those in Need

Beginning in 2012, the Henry’s Harvest garden will grow fresh produce specifically for donation to the Chester County Food Bank.

Sustainable Farming at Rushton Farm It’s Good for the Birds!

INdIgo BuNTINg By JusTIN ThompsoN This Indigo Bunting, one of 15 birds captured in the nets near the compost piles at Rushton Farm, shows off its leg band before release.

First Place Photo from our 2011 Contest

T h e L e a f l e t T h e L e a f l e t T h e L e a f l e t

Since the inception of Rushton Farm, we have observed many migratory songbirds in and around the farm benefitting from its sustainable agricultural practices. Spending up to one-third of the year in migration travelling to and from their breeding and wintering grounds, many bird species depend upon a network of stopover sites, where they can rest, refuel, avoid predators, and find shelter from adverse weather.

With its abundant seed and insect population and nearby hedgerow and woodland cover, Rushton Farm provides the perfect rest-stop for our feathered friends. We witnessed this first-hand in September, when our bird banding team placed one of their mist nets in the farm’s compost pile and gently captured a whopping 15 birds in less than half an hour.

The quantity and diversity of birds we are documenting in our banding program, from warblers to sparrows, shows how significantly the farm contributes as a stopover site.

The Trust has partnered with the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center and the Chester County Food Bank to establish a new community garden and educational program. Located in an urban neighborhood without a grocery store and surrounded by seven fast-food establishments, the garden now makes fresh produce available to many of its residents.

The “Growing Examples” initiative promotes health in this underserved West Chester community by incorporating gardening skills, nutrition education, and physical activities into the daily lives of program participants. As well as helping nourish the local community, a portion of the produce grown in the beds is donated to the West Chester Food Cupboard.

in addition to spearheading the construction of ten raised garden beds, the Trust provided planning assistance, containers, potting soil, and seeds and plants from Rushton Farm. During the summer, Rushton Farm staff presented a “Harvest to Table”

workshop at the Center as part of the program’s educational component.

This has been a wonderful outreach opportunity for the Trust and we look forward to deepening our partnership with the Melton Center in the coming years.

Thanks To our run-a-Muck Business sponsors

amos eshStraw & Hay

Catharine & Gary Cox

Weeds, INC

A gently captured Canada Warbler awaits banding and release back into the

rich habitat of Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve.

Helping a Community Grow its Own Produce Where Fresh Vegetables Can be Hard to Find

PHO

TO

CR

EDiT

S: M

ALV

ERN

PAT

CH

.CO

M, C

HR

iST

iNE

SEV

iNG

AN

D A

CT

ST

AFF

What a Day!Heartfelt thanks to our hosts Esther and Paul Gansky and to our friends

at Veritable for sponsoring the Run-a-Muck and Countryside Bash in September. A good time was had by all, and we netted over $80,000

for the Trust’s work to preserve Willistown’s rural beauty.

Thank you!

Since 2007, our “Share the Bounty” initiative has been a cornerstone of the Community Farm Program, and hundreds of pounds of fresh produce from Rushton Farm are donated to help feed the hungry each year.

This past summer a 2,000 square-foot garden was prepared at the farm that will serve as the site of “Henry’s Harvest.” it is named after the late Henry Jordan, founder of the Chester County Community Foundation and an advisor for the Chester County Food Bank. He was an advocate for the underserved and believed nutritious food should be accessible to all people. The friends and family of Henry Jordan have made a generous financial gift that will be used to establish and maintain the garden. The farm staff expects Henry’s Harvest to provide over 400 pounds of food each season beginning in 2012.

Trust staff member John Turgeon helps Anne Marie Caracci and Myrtle Paskings harvest greens from the raised beds at the “Growing

Examples” garden in West Chester.

Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie and Seelaus

Lynn & Tony Hitschler

Lacabra Brewing Jim Duffy’s

Kari & Tony Keane

The Trust Creates Henry’s Harvest at Rushton FarmA Dedicated Garden to Help Feed Those in Need

Beginning in 2012, the Henry’s Harvest garden will grow fresh produce specifically for donation to the Chester County Food Bank.

Sustainable Farming at Rushton Farm It’s Good for the Birds!

INdIgo BuNTINg By JusTIN ThompsoN This Indigo Bunting, one of 15 birds captured in the nets near the compost piles at Rushton Farm, shows off its leg band before release.

First Place Photo from our 2011 Contest

Where will new farmers farm? The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is working to develop our regional economy and strengthen local food production through its Greater Philadelphia Food System Plan and Food System Grants. Since January 2011, Fred de Long, the Trust’s Community Farm Program director, has been acting as a consultant to the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), a grantee of the plan, with its Land Leasing program.

As the number of farms in the Philadelphia “foodshed” has decreased and land costs have escalated, aspiring young farmers cannot find affordable land to farm. One solution for would-be farmers is to lease rather than purchase land. The PASA Land Leasing program seeks to establish a process that assists hopeful new farmers by matching them with preserved or available land and the people who own it.

Together with PASA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania regional director, Marilyn Anthony, Fred has assisted with reviewing applications and selecting farmers as well as visiting and

assessing potential farm sites. After they match the farmers and farms, Fred will provide guidance to the selected farmers.

The first farmers to benefit from this program were TJ and Chris Costa, who were paired with Lundale Farm in South Coventry Township. The historic Lundale Farm is permanently protected from future development by a conservation easement held by French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, and like the Trust’s Rushton Farm, is a wonderful example of preserved lands being used for small scale sustainable agriculture.

TJ and Chris are committed to organic and biodynamic growing practices, and have just finished their first season at Lundale Farm with great success, operating a CSA, a farm stand and selling at a local farmer’s market. They specialize in heirloom variety vegetables, eggs from their own flock of hens and honey from their carefully tended hives.

We look forward to continuing our work with PASA and nurturing new farmers and sustainable agriculture in the Philadelphia area.

Trust Nurtures Farmers and the Local Food Network

ELEA

NO

R M

OR

RiS

iLLO

WA

y

FALL 2011

Newsbrief ofW i L L i S T O W N C O N S E R V A T i O N T R u S T

T h e L e a f l e t

The Leaflet is an interim publication to supplement our annual newsletter, THE SyCAMORE. Through The Leaflet, the Trust brings you interesting and timely information about

Willistown Conservation Trust activities, news and upcoming events.

W i L L i S T O W N C O N S E R V A T i O N T R u S T925 Providence Road · Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073(610) 353-2562 ~ Fax: (610) 325-0869 ~ www.wctrust.org

Jeanne B. Van AlenPresident/Executive Director

Board of TrusTeesDouglas C. Walker

Chairman

Peter S. StrawbridgeActing Chairman

Alice E. HausmannVice Chairman

Elizabeth C. Hucker Treasurer

Langhorne B. SmithSecretary

James L. Van Alen iiAssistant Secretary

Timothy B. Barnard, Esq.Bryan D. ColketV. Richard Eales

W. Anthony HitschlerWilliam T. Howard

Mark T. LedgerF. Arthur McMorris, Ph.D.

Jennifer MollerJanice Murdoch

Arthur E. NewboldChristine S. Seving

Anson W. H. Taylor, iiiTana Wall

sTaff

Ashley BristerRushton Farm Field Manager

Sue R. CostelloGIS Coordinator

Fred de LongDirector of Community Farm Program

Elaine GilmartinDirector of Development and

Community Outreach

Blake GollNature and Education Coordinator

William R. Hartman, Jr.Director of Stewardship

Lisa KiziukDirector of Bird Conservation Program

Susie MacDonnellEvents and PR Coordinator

Nancy K. RosinAssociate Director of Development

Joyce D. SpraginsCommunications and Technology Manager

John G. TurgeonDirector of Land Protection

and Public Grants

Joannah WhitnahRushton Farm Assistant Grower

Lisa WimbleRushton Farm Assistant Farm Manager

Willistown Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)3 of the i.R.S. Code. Donations are tax deduct-

ible. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from

the PA Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

T h e L e a f l e t

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

HORIZONTAL FSC Options- MUST BE PLACED AT 100%(these are all scaled to size - DO NOT ENLARGE OR REDUCE)

Sixteen year old Bronwyn Livezey, a member of the Delaware County 4H Club, has found a home for her growing flock of rare Tunis sheep on Peter and Alice Hausmann’s Plumsock Farm, protected by conservation easement since 1982.

Bronwyn was interested in developing the breed and honing her farming skills, but needed a home for her project. Doug Newbold, committee member of the Trust’s Community Farm Program, introduced Brownyn to Trust board member Alice Hausmann, and a partnership was made.

This summer Bronwyn’s flock of eight ewes and one ram joined Alice’s flock of Cheviot and Dorset ewes. With the rich Plumsock Farm pastures to graze on, Bronwyn hopes to grow her flock to 10 to 15 producing ewes.

Tunis is a heritage breed, considered “Threatened” by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and developed from stock imported from Africa in 1799. The breed, known for its reddish coat and gentle nature, was nearly wiped out during the Civil War, but is rapidly regaining popularity and is ideally suited as a meat or wool producer for the small farm.

We look forward to hearing more from Bronwyn now that she and her flock are part of the local farm community. it’s another example of wonderful use for preserved land in Willistown. Thank you, Alice, Peter and Bronwyn.

The Willistown Conservation Trust is dedicated to preserving the open land, rural character, scenic, historic and ecologically significant resources of the Willistown area and nearby

communities, with particular emphasis on the Crum, Ridley and Darby Creek watersheds.

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSOUTHEASTERN, PA

PERMIT NO. 96

Lending a Hand with PASA’s Land Leasing Program

A young Shepherdess Finds a Preserved Willistown Farm

for Her Flock

16 year old Bronwyn is working to develop her flock of rare Tunis sheep.

One of Bronwyn’s Tunis ewes peers through the fence at her new home at Plumsock Farm.

The Hausmann’s Plumsock Farm on Delchester Road in Willistown, preserved from development by conservation easement, is the perfect spot for sheep.

Together with Wayne Art Center we presentNOVEMBER 5 - DECEMBER 3, 2011

A Bounty of FarmsPreview

Reception Saturday

November 5th5:30 - 9:00 pm

featuringcocktails & local foods

Call 610-688-3553 for tickets

Wayne Art Center413 Maplewood Ave

Wayne

Exhibition & Sale of Recent WorksCapturing the Rural Beauty of Willistown Through the Seasons

Proceeds support the Trust and the Wayne Art Center

The Trust’s Director of Community Farm Program, Fred de Long (far right), has been providing guidance to farmers TJ and Chris Costa at their new Turning Roots at Lundale Farm.

Where will new farmers farm? The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is working to develop our regional economy and strengthen local food production through its Greater Philadelphia Food System Plan and Food System Grants. Since January 2011, Fred de Long, the Trust’s Community Farm Program director, has been acting as a consultant to the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), a grantee of the plan, with its Land Leasing program.

As the number of farms in the Philadelphia “foodshed” has decreased and land costs have escalated, aspiring young farmers cannot find affordable land to farm. One solution for would-be farmers is to lease rather than purchase land. The PASA Land Leasing program seeks to establish a process that assists hopeful new farmers by matching them with preserved or available land and the people who own it.

Together with PASA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania regional director, Marilyn Anthony, Fred has assisted with reviewing applications and selecting farmers as well as visiting and

assessing potential farm sites. After they match the farmers and farms, Fred will provide guidance to the selected farmers.

The first farmers to benefit from this program were TJ and Chris Costa, who were paired with Lundale Farm in South Coventry Township. The historic Lundale Farm is permanently protected from future development by a conservation easement held by French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, and like the Trust’s Rushton Farm, is a wonderful example of preserved lands being used for small scale sustainable agriculture.

TJ and Chris are committed to organic and biodynamic growing practices, and have just finished their first season at Lundale Farm with great success, operating a CSA, a farm stand and selling at a local farmer’s market. They specialize in heirloom variety vegetables, eggs from their own flock of hens and honey from their carefully tended hives.

We look forward to continuing our work with PASA and nurturing new farmers and sustainable agriculture in the Philadelphia area.

Trust Nurtures Farmers and the Local Food Network

ELEA

NO

R M

OR

RiS

iLLO

WA

y

FALL 2011

Newsbrief ofW i L L i S T O W N C O N S E R V A T i O N T R u S T

T h e L e a f l e t

The Leaflet is an interim publication to supplement our annual newsletter, THE SyCAMORE. Through The Leaflet, the Trust brings you interesting and timely information about

Willistown Conservation Trust activities, news and upcoming events.

W i L L i S T O W N C O N S E R V A T i O N T R u S T925 Providence Road · Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073(610) 353-2562 ~ Fax: (610) 325-0869 ~ www.wctrust.org

Jeanne B. Van AlenPresident/Executive Director

Board of TrusTeesDouglas C. Walker

Chairman

Peter S. StrawbridgeActing Chairman

Alice E. HausmannVice Chairman

Elizabeth C. Hucker Treasurer

Langhorne B. SmithSecretary

James L. Van Alen iiAssistant Secretary

Timothy B. Barnard, Esq.Bryan D. ColketV. Richard Eales

W. Anthony HitschlerWilliam T. Howard

Mark T. LedgerF. Arthur McMorris, Ph.D.

Jennifer MollerJanice Murdoch

Arthur E. NewboldChristine S. Seving

Anson W. H. Taylor, iiiTana Wall

sTaff

Ashley BristerRushton Farm Field Manager

Sue R. CostelloGIS Coordinator

Fred de LongDirector of Community Farm Program

Elaine GilmartinDirector of Development and

Community Outreach

Blake GollNature and Education Coordinator

William R. Hartman, Jr.Director of Stewardship

Lisa KiziukDirector of Bird Conservation Program

Susie MacDonnellEvents and PR Coordinator

Nancy K. RosinAssociate Director of Development

Joyce D. SpraginsCommunications and Technology Manager

John G. TurgeonDirector of Land Protection

and Public Grants

Joannah WhitnahRushton Farm Assistant Grower

Lisa WimbleRushton Farm Assistant Farm Manager

Willistown Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)3 of the i.R.S. Code. Donations are tax deduct-

ible. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from

the PA Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

T h e L e a f l e t

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

SGPSustainable Green Printing Partnership

HORIZONTAL FSC Options- MUST BE PLACED AT 100%(these are all scaled to size - DO NOT ENLARGE OR REDUCE)

Sixteen year old Bronwyn Livezey, a member of the Delaware County 4H Club, has found a home for her growing flock of rare Tunis sheep on Peter and Alice Hausmann’s Plumsock Farm, protected by conservation easement since 1982.

Bronwyn was interested in developing the breed and honing her farming skills, but needed a home for her project. Doug Newbold, committee member of the Trust’s Community Farm Program, introduced Brownyn to Trust board member Alice Hausmann, and a partnership was made.

This summer Bronwyn’s flock of eight ewes and one ram joined Alice’s flock of Cheviot and Dorset ewes. With the rich Plumsock Farm pastures to graze on, Bronwyn hopes to grow her flock to 10 to 15 producing ewes.

Tunis is a heritage breed, considered “Threatened” by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and developed from stock imported from Africa in 1799. The breed, known for its reddish coat and gentle nature, was nearly wiped out during the Civil War, but is rapidly regaining popularity and is ideally suited as a meat or wool producer for the small farm.

We look forward to hearing more from Bronwyn now that she and her flock are part of the local farm community. it’s another example of wonderful use for preserved land in Willistown. Thank you, Alice, Peter and Bronwyn.

The Willistown Conservation Trust is dedicated to preserving the open land, rural character, scenic, historic and ecologically significant resources of the Willistown area and nearby

communities, with particular emphasis on the Crum, Ridley and Darby Creek watersheds.

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSOUTHEASTERN, PA

PERMIT NO. 96

Lending a Hand with PASA’s Land Leasing Program

A young Shepherdess Finds a Preserved Willistown Farm

for Her Flock

16 year old Bronwyn is working to develop her flock of rare Tunis sheep.

One of Bronwyn’s Tunis ewes peers through the fence at her new home at Plumsock Farm.

The Hausmann’s Plumsock Farm on Delchester Road in Willistown, preserved from development by conservation easement, is the perfect spot for sheep.

Together with Wayne Art Center we presentNOVEMBER 5 - DECEMBER 3, 2011

A Bounty of FarmsPreview

Reception Saturday

November 5th5:30 - 9:00 pm

featuringcocktails & local foods

Call 610-688-3553 for tickets

Wayne Art Center413 Maplewood Ave

Wayne

Exhibition & Sale of Recent WorksCapturing the Rural Beauty of Willistown Through the Seasons

Proceeds support the Trust and the Wayne Art Center

The Trust’s Director of Community Farm Program, Fred de Long (far right), has been providing guidance to farmers TJ and Chris Costa at their new Turning Roots at Lundale Farm.