Construction of a new south Farm, the work hub for staff who take care of the Arboretum, wrapped up in early fall thanks to generous donors to the Growing Brilliantly campaign. The newly modernized South Farm is a key component of the $63 million Growing Brilliantly campaign. Located just south of the Administration and Research Building, it includes a 38,000-square-foot curatorial and operations center with offices, meeting space, a vehicle repair area, carpentry shops, and tool and equipment storage, as well as a 39,000-square-foot transportation building to house the Arboretum fleet. Also included are new greenhouses and plant production facilities in which nearly 100,000 plants are grown each year.
The arborists, horticulturists, and gardeners who work out of South Farm are the people responsible for caring for the Arboretum that visitors know and love. These professionals keep gardens and natural areas beautiful, care for trees and trails, and provide visitors with experiences that are enriching, informative, and even life-changing.
“Everything we do at the Arboretum is connected to South Farm,” says Kris Bachtell, vice president of collections and facilities at the Arboretum. “It’s the hub and heart of our collections, research, and new plant development work. Everything that people love about the Arboretum—and everything that makes the Arboretum one of the leading institutions of its kind in the world—ties directly to the new facilities we have built at South Farm.”
The large-scale project not only underscores the Arboretum’s position as a leader in the world of arboreta, but also speaks to the institutions’ tremendous growth. It welcomed more than 1 million visitors in 2016. Made possible with support from donors to the Arboretum campaign, South farm provides the necessary space and capacity to care for the 1,700-acre Arboretum now and for decades to come. Thank you to our generous donors!
