Roots of Life Farm
Urbana, OH
Location:
Urbana, OH
Total Acres:
86 acres
Agroforestry Acres:
5
Year Established:
2018
Introduction
Fourth generation family farm producing corn / beans / hay. Added 3 1/2 acre deer fenced shade botanical patch including: blue cohosh, black cohosh, false unicorn root, true solomon seal, ramps, culver root, goldenseal and mayapple. Converted hay field into orchard for hicans (pecan/hickory cross) with 14 varieties planted; also apple orchard with 7 varieties planted. Eradicated invasive honeysuckle in 40 acres of woodlot - planted 800 3-4 foot tall wildlife friendly trees in the understory to prevent the honeysuckle resurgence: plum, hazelnut, persimmon, pawpaw, chicago fig, hop hornbeam. Planning to start a sugar operation using black walnut, sycamore and maple trees to make syrup. Raising a variety of perennial vegetables.
The agroforestry project was planting 1 acre of goldenseal rhizomes on my hands/knees between Easter and Memorial Day. They are thriving. The grant funded half the cost of the rhizomes and none of the labor - which I thought was a GREAT deal!
Main Agroforestry Species
Orchards: nut (hican) and fruit (apple). Forest botanicals: blue cohosh, black cohosh, false unicorn root, true solomon seal, ramps, culver root, goldenseal and mayapple. Wildlife nourishment: (planted in coordination with NRCS/EQIP grant) understory trees - hop hornbeam, pawpaw, chicago fig, persimmon, hazelnut, plum. Upcoming syrup operation: focusing on maple, sycamore, black walnut production. Also traditional corn/beans/hay. Perennial vegetables; artichokes, sunchokes, rhubarb and asparagus.
Contact Information
Main Contact:
Lou Driever
Phone
937-772-7288
Email:
Website:
Social Link
Social Link
Site Visitors
Not Usually - Central State University has visited
Nursery or Planting Stock Provider Information
Agroforestry System Design
Working around two row crop fields / 1 hayfield / and a 5 acre pond. Converted part of another hayfield into an orchard as it was better use of the land on a long term basis. Used two large woodlots to house wildlife nourishment trees - and deer fenced 3 1/2 acres of one woodlot for a forest botanical patch.
Selected the area for the orchard based on pH, slope, orientation and deep plowed it prior to planting to aerate the soil. This parcel has been farmed since before the last civil war so the soil needed some help.
On the shade patch for forest botanicals I ran a tracked ditch witch up/down the slope to create 4 foot wide seedbeds in the woods (effectively raised beds). The shade patch has no additives (although considering gypsum) and was carefully selected to meet the requirements of the plants vis a vis slope, orientation, pH, soil analysis, etc. Note that the various plants flourish with different shade requirements to important to plant accordingly. The forest canopy does not cast a uniform shade throughout the parcel. For example, Culver root does ok in 50% shade - goldenseal does better in 65+% shade, false unicorn root wants 90%+ shade. None of the plants like "wet feet" so that was a consideration.
Personal or Collective Experiences
This is a great long term project that can be approached incrementally. It took me 4 years to slowly fill the entire 3 1/2 acres of my forest botanical patch. It's not a 365 day / year exercise but you need to allot time to clear the land (non-chemically) of invasives, erect deer fence, create seedbeds, select plantings for each area, chart it as you go, selectively eradicate resurgent weeds. It's a very deliberate exercise. Pests include voles, turkeys, deer, diseases and humans (poachers) - each require a different approach
I wanted to get a better use for my hay field - planting an orchard seemed like a good idea. I haven't elected to alley crop it (yet). Selecting the tree to plant was important - I settled on hicans. I could only find 8 places to purchase them in the US so I decided to plant 14 varieties. That allows me to not only (eventually) harvest nuts, but also to sell scion wood and saplings as well.
My father planted 300 sycamores and 300 black walnuts in another hayfield 25 years ago. I learned these could be tapped for sap just like maples to make syrup. I'm now running a business plan to see if that prospect pencils out. You need business plans not just for grant applications and the bankers but most importantly for yourself - to see if your dreams align with reality.
March 30, 2026 at 7:01:22 PM