Appalachian Sustainable Development

AGROFORESTRY FARM TOUR SERIES 2026: CATTLE & SHEEP SILVOPASTURE WITH WILL BOWLING OF OLD HOMEPLACE FARM
2026-05-12 17:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Integrating Wildlife Biology with Forage-Based Grazing: Cattle and Sheep Silvopasture

Will Bowling is both a farmer and a professional wildlife biologist – not two things you often see together – and the combination has yielded intriguing results at his family’s farm in southeastern KY. Will’s passion for managing plant communities has informed his forage-based livestock operation (and vice versa), as he integrates woodland management principles with silvopastoral livestock operations.

Will and Maggie Bowling purchased the farm in 2013, and since that time, they have provided locally-grown farm products to their community in southeastern Kentucky. Old Homeplace Farm consists of around 55 acres, including 2 acres of intensive vegetable production and 26 acres of pasture. Currently, they produce vegetables, cut flowers, and pasture-based livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats). They market through both direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale accounts, as well as some livestock breeding stock. They conduct educational workshops, farm dinners, and other agritourism events.

Come see how over ten years of hard work and ecologically informed land management have resulted in a thriving farm venture.

This tour is supported in partnership with the Southeastern Kentucky Sheep Producers Association.

This event is Free, but registration is required. (This tour has a limited capacity, so please be considerate; only register if you definitely intend to attend.)

AGROFORESTRY FARM TOUR SERIES 2026: OULTRY & SHEEP SILVOPASTURE WITH KELSEY KEENER OF SEQUATCHIE COVE FARM
2026-05-17 14:00 - 17:00
Two Generations of Ecological Farming: Poultry and Sheep Silvopasture

*Please note that this event location is on central time!

Sequatchie Cove is a multi-generational farm, comprising around 100 acres of pasture and 250 acres of forest. Kelsey Keener and his family have been stewarding this land for over 30 years. They are well-known in the region for their commitment to ecological farming practices and their engagement with their local community.

The farm has tried many different operations over the years, but currently their main product line is pasture-raised eggs, sold through wholesale markets throughout the region, as well as locally at farmer’s markets, through their CSA, and on the farm. They currently keep a flock of over 8,000 laying hens. In addition, they keep a flock of around 100 grass-fed sheep, and they also produce market produce, row crops, fruits, and even stone-milled grits and cornmeal.

Come see how two generations of conscientious farming has resulted in a robust operation, deep community roots, and a beautiful, ecologically balanced agricultural system.

Products will be available for purchase on-site. This tour is supported in partnership with the Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers Coalition. Thanks to them, Childcare during the tour is available, upon request!

This event is Free, but registration is required. (This tour has a limited capacity, so please be considerate; only register if you definitely intend to attend.)

Register here.

ASD Veteran Coalition Meeting
2026-05-20 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-06-17 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-15 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Michael Waltrip Brewing, 221 Moore Street, Bristol, Virginia, 24202
Are you a military veteran? If so, we’d love to have you attend our ASD Veteran Coalition meeting tonight at 6 pm. These recur every 3rd Wednesday – why not be a regular?

Location:

These meetings are generously hosted free of charge by Michael Waltrip Brewing, 221 Moore St, Bristol, VA 24201. Meetings are held in the room upstairs.

Goal:

Strengthen the veteran farming community by fostering meaningful connections, sharing practical knowledge and resources, and identifying collaborative opportunities that support the success and sustainability of veteran-led agricultural operations.

Awesome Extras:

Free appetizers and soft drinks

Great company!

Check out our programs and services for veterans – here

AGROFORESTRY FARM TOUR SERIES 2026: GOAT SILVOPASTURE WITH KATHRYN HUGHES OF ADAPTIVE LIFE FARM
2026-06-01 09:00 - 13:00
Small Ruminant Land Management as a Path to Native Forest Restoration

Kathryn and Neil Hughes own and operate a 10-acre forest farm in Madison County, VA (between Charlottesville and Culpeper), where they have been reforesting traditional farmland in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains since 2019. Kathryn teaches writing and studies disability rhetoric at James Madison University, and Neil is a neuro-educator and founder of N-SCP, an assessment and training company based on Narrative Medicine.

Their farming system centers on using animals to balance land management needs with small-scale farming imperatives. They grow and sell native plants, and also breed award-winning dairy goats – both of which they sell through their website. Tour topics will cover native plant production, NRCS cost-share projects, management of conservation areas, and lessons learned in management of pastured poultry and small ruminants.

This event will include a walking tour of their high tunnel, native plant nursery (both woody and herbaceous species), their conserved riparian buffer and wetland, an American Chestnut planting, an overview of their grazing paddocks, and an optional hands-on activity after lunch.

This tour is supported in partnership with the Friends of the Rappahannock.

This event is Free, but registration is required. (This tour has a limited capacity, so please be considerate; only register if you definitely intend to attend.)

Register here.
