2026 Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program applications close on March 3, 2026.
Savanna Institute: Vernal Ridge
Urbana, IL
Location:
Urbana, IL
Total Acres:
120 Acres
Agroforestry Acres:
120 Acres
Year Established:
2022
Introduction
Vernal Ridge (formerly Hudson Farm) includes 100 acres of alley cropping to showcase the many options for planting trees and woody species into productive agricultural systems. Grain and timber alley cropping covers 70 acres at Vernal Ridge with five native timber species planted in both one-row and three-row blocks infield with conventional corn and soybean production. Speciality crop alley cropping covers the other 30 and includes black currants and elderberry grown between heartnuts and native prairie between rows of hazelnut. The farm also features a 20 acre CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) windbreak with 11 different designs for food production, drift protection, wildlife habitat, crop protection, and soil conservation. Every tree on this farm was planted through USDA conservation programs making it a classroom for how federal programs can support agroforestry.
Main Agroforestry Species
Native Timber
Contact Information
Main Contact:
Kaitie Adams, Demonstration Farm Director, Savanna Institute
Phone
Email:
Website:
Social Link
Social Link
Site Visitors
Visitors by appointment only, or events
Nursery or Planting Stock Provider Information
Agroforestry System Design
20-acre windbreak featuring 11 designs and 28 species
70-acre grain and timber alley cropping experiment
15-acre hazelnut variety trial and pollinator habitat alley cropping
15-acre elderberry, black currant, and heartnut alley cropping
50-year lease that supports multiple, long-term enterprises with multiple partners
Personal or Collective Experiences
Vernal Ridge, located near Urbana, IL, was established in partnership with landowner Cathe Capel, Canopy Farm Management, and the Savanna Institute in 2022. Nestled among a sea of conventional row crop production, Hudson is a shining example of the multiple options and opportunities that agroforestry can provide
The innovative work at Vernal Ridge operates under a 50-year lease agreement that protects both the Savanna Institute and the landowner and provides clear pathways for the many ways the land can grow and change over time.
As the youngest demonstration farm in Illinois, Vernal Ridge is just coming into production with berry crops, increasing the diversity of bird, insect, and mammal populations on the farm, and deepening relationships with researchers, farmers, business owners, and community members in Champaign County.
November 12, 2025 at 11:31:42 PM