Our Story: 

Drylands Agroecology Research works at the intersection of restoration and agriculture, designing farm ecosystems that sequester carbon, reverse desertification, and support biodiversity. 

Our understanding is that in our climate, water is the limiting factor for each of these ecosystem functions. That is why passive water-harvesting earthworks lay the foundation for our work. Contour swales bisect a landscape on its contour lines so that water, rather than running downhill and out of the system, hits each basin, spreads out, and rehydrates the land before passing through. When filled with compost and mulch, the swales create a moist microclimate that makes it possible to plant fruit and nurse trees without irrigation. In 2018 and 2019, 950 fruit and nurse trees were planted without irrigation in the dryland swale system at our pilot property, Elk Run Farm. As of 2022, we were tracking a 79% survival rate for these trees, despite the fact that they have never been irrigated after the day they were planted. With time, the trees will create a cool, moist microclimate that further rehydrates the landscape. Between contour swales, we practice regenerative grazing using ruminants such as sheep and cattle to regenerate grasslands and their ability to store water, cycle nutrients, and support life. We are scaling these systems to support broadscale regeneration through partnership with farms and private land owners.

This spring, we are planting 6000 trees and shrubs across 50 dryland acres at one of our partner properties, Yellow Barn Farm. These are a mixture of fruit, forage, and nurse trees that will help rehydrate the landscape, produce valuable forage for livestock, create habitat, and produce abundant food for humans. We are inviting you to join us for a fun, educational, and impactful planting day!

What to Expect:

We'll start with a little orientation to the farm systems and planting tutorial. Then we will break into smaller planting teams of 10-15 lead by a DAR team member. Our first session will be from 9-12, followed by a picnic lunch, and a second planting session from 1-4. Planting will involve raking away the mulch, digging holes with a sharp shooter, planting a variety of bare root trees and shrubs (1-2' tall), and replacing the mulch. 

We recommend bringing the following:

• Appropriate layers for the weather (this will be entirely outdoors)
• Closed toed shoes
• Gardening gloves
• Sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, or whatever other sun protection you need
• A picnic lunch, waterbottle, and any snacks you may need

Feel free to reach out to Amy Scanes-Wolfe with any questions: amy@dar.eco/303-834-5235