Hard'ack Food Forest Planning Meeting

Project Background The Hard'ack Food Forest is a project that began forming in 2024, with the input from community members interested in establishing a food forest in St. Albans that could support local food production, horticultural training and education, wildlife habitat, and community programs. A site at Hard'ack Recreation Area was identified as the potential location for the food forest. Initial concept and planning meetings took place between the summer and winter of 2024, along with site analysis, conceptual design, and initial plant species selection. To help this project move from planning to implementation, the Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District and St. Albans Recreation Department applied to the Community Tree Planting Grant Program offered by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program. With the generous support of this grant, funding is now available for the purchase and planting of trees for this project. Tree planting is expected to take place in 2025 or early 2026. Hard'ack Food Forest Planning Meeting

This event will include a brief presentation providing an overview of previous project planning and development, site analysis, conceptual designs, and species lists. Following will be a short walk to see the proposed planting site (located at Hard'ack Recreation Area, next to the Greg Brown Lodge), and an open discussion to share ideas on how the planting should be laid out, what species to include, and what programs and uses the planting should support. This meeting will inform final planning and design considerations leading to the purchase of trees to be planted in 2025, funded through the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program Community Tree Planting Grant. To learn more about project planning and previous meetings, please visit the links below:

Notes from the 8/14/2024 planning meeting: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1upvBraGP-gnc00YpRbaMFECqZJ_LQFya/view?usp=drive_link

Map of project areas & site analysis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_SUAsANlQAVFOjyQLEU0XklLQiQiK8Ye/view?usp=sharing

Conceptual design with tree species: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eOUMDinFTe9Nv54R58m1w4SjarYkZjbO/view?usp=sharing

Accessibility

This event will take place at the Greg Brown Lodge at Hard'ack Recreation Area in St. Albans. Parking is located just outside of the building, and the meeting space is located on the ground floor. The event will include a presentation, with printed materials also available. During the event there will also be an open discussion. Depending on the number of attendees, smaller discussion groups may be formed. If weather permits, we will take a short walk to look at the planting space in person. The space can be viewed from the gravel walking path between Congress St. and Hard'ack Recreation Area.

FCNRCD is committed to hosting inclusive, accessible events. If you have any accommodation requests or questions, do not hesitate to reach out to Dorothy Kinney-Landis at dorothy@franklincountynrcd.org or 802-275-6589. Requests should be made by 4/3/2025.