The Mountain at Ticonderoga Farms

Terrace Gardens and Vineyards
Synergy at its best

A VISION

It's morning at Ticonderoga Farms. A lone dove is heard cooing in a harmonious chant with the bellow of a bullfrog. Nothing unusual about this scenario, except that after a brief walk over a glade and through a copse of ancient trees you are face to face with a spectacular view: giant machines excavating a huge lake loading a parade of trucks circling an area the size of ten football fields, depositing their loads in neat piles to be pushed and compacted by great bulldozers onto a growing hill over 100 feet high. Part of the completed lake already reflects the trees and cliffs of the upthrusting earth, and the gardens created by the hand of man. These gardens demonstrate not only the creative artistry which can be incorporated into a garden of any size, but also the almost limitless varieties of plants and trees, and their habits and their habitats which can be used, and obtained in nurseries and garden centers as well as at Ticonderoga Farms’ own nurseries. Of additional significant importance are the agricultural demonstrations of crops from cotton to grapes as well as vital food crops, helping to bring greater understanding to the viewers of the importance of agriculture - potatoes and corn come from the earth - NOT factories! By instilling an understanding in our children of the relationship of the food they eat to the earth around them, we believe there will be greater concern for the environment and a better understanding of the linkage between agricultural and the future of humanity. A special added benefit is the superb wildlife habitat created by these gardens and cliffs (from birds to butterflies and all the other four footed denizens of the wild) , while the observers of this bounty of nature have the benefit of glorious views over the surrounding countryside and the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.

Construction of Knop's Hill in 1995

Unwanted Soil is Recycled for a Useful Goal, Rather than Harming the Environment

THE PLAN FOR KNOP'S HILL

The cost of construction for terrace gardens is completely self-financed. Excess soil that would normally be a problem, here become a solution. As civilization produces unwanted extra soil, Ticonderoga Farms uses this soil to create something new as an asset to the region. This lowers costs for government and regulators, because trucks otherwise dump this soil in haphazard, uncontrolled ways harmful to the environment, such as by the side of the road, into streams, etc. (Even now, our staff has followed trucks illegally dumping soil in non-permitted places, yet the County fails to stop these violations.)

Creative input from the environmental, artistic, agricultural, horticultural and educational community is desired for the completion of this project. Your support is very important and will assist us in our search for individuals who wish to lend their talents to this "work in progress" as well as for materials to go into the gardens or the agricultural history center and museum adjacent to the demonstration gardens. We look forward to giving you an on-site tour of Ticonderoga Farms and the terrace farming on Knop's Hill.

The terrace farming demonstration and exhibition gardens at completion will rise some 270 ft. providing spectacular views and wonderful learning opportunities in many fields from land use and agriculture to wind and other forms of solar energy to geography and geology. The opportunity to combine these activities with a true wildlife habitat of sustainable size, is unequaled in the area. It will cover a base area, including the lake which will be over one half mile long, of over 120 acres, surrounded by over 1000 acres of open space. We believe that the best way to educate is to demonstrate and have fun in the process. Interactive exhibits at museums are becoming very popular, and the academic community now accepts that hands on field experience is important to furthering the education of their students.

This creation is being built of lake material excavated on site as well as rock and dirt recycled from suburban development, much of which used to be improperly dumped into wetlands and swamps. Material that used to be a problem for the community is now being transformed -- like phoenix rising from the ashes -- into a unique "cathedral" celebrating nature as art, and man's appreciation of beauty in all its forms, natural and that created by man, as well as a remarkable "university" helping bring greater knowledge and understanding to man of the importance of agriculture and the environment.

Ticonderoga Farms, Inc. 26175 Ticonderoga Rd. Chantilly, VA 20152 phone: (703) 327-4424		Member:
	& Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association