Celebrating Fall at Fields Restored Farm

Do you love the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of trees in October? Do you know why trees create such beautiful displays of color? Come find out at this free event hosted by the Savanna Institute at Fields Restored, where all ages are welcome to learn about the science and mystery of fall foliage. Take a tour with Agroforestry Educator, MJ Oviatt, to explore the diversity of autumnal leaf color across a variety of tree species. Learn about the ecological and aesthetic benefits of adding trees to Midwestern farm landscapes. Partake in leaf-themed arts and crafts with leaf stenciling and leaf confetti-making! Local apple cider and cookies will be provided.

Fields Restored is a 166-acre farm near Oregon, IL owned and operated by siblings Scott and Sandy Williams and their farm partners the Rogers Family. In 2015, the Williams worked with the Savanna Institute to transform 20 acres of cropland into a diverse and productive perennial cropping system. After seeing substantial improvements by having trees on this field, the Williams decided to partner with Savanna Institute to expand their perennial acreage through planting trees along a creek (riparian buffer), and adding trees into their pasture (silvopasture). With four major agroforestry practices on the farm–windbreaks, alley cropping, riparian buffers, and silvopasture–Fields Restored serves to demonstrate ways agroforestry can be utilized on other Northern Illinois farms.