Danby, VT – Smokey House Center is welcoming school groups back to its 5,000-acre working landscape in Danby, Vermont this fall through its Saplings to Stewards youth education program. Students from more than 20 schools will visit campus to help establish  one-acre of American ginseng in the forest as part of Smokey House Center’s ongoing forest farming research, gaining hands-on experience in agroforestry, forest ecology, and climate-adaptive land management.

American ginseng is a slow growing, high value forest botanical with deep roots in various Asian cultures, herbal medicine traditions, and an emerging forest farming economy. It is also a plant under pressure: wild ginseng populations have declined significantly due to overharvesting, illegal poaching, and habitat loss, making forest farming a living example of “conservation through cultivation”. At Smokey House Center, the ginseng planting is part of a broader Forest Farming and At-Risk Plant Propagation research initiative exploring how forest understories can produce food, medicine, and supplemental income for farmers with wood lots while strengthening ecological resilience. 

For students, the experience goes beyond planting a seed. They learn about forest ecosystems, soil health, and the relationship between plants and the canopy above them. They hear why  some plants are at-risk and what forest farmers can do to help. And they leave with a connection to a place and a relationship with a plant that will be growing long after they have gone back to their classroom. 

“Bringing at-risk youth to Smokey House has been an incredibly impactful experience, as they are always deeply engaged and genuinely love working alongside Lauren and Walker. The opportunity to participate in hands-on projects gives them a true sense of purpose, knowing that their hard work is making a real difference in the community.” said Claire Isherwood, a teacher at Burr and Burton Academy.  

All field trips through the Saplings to Stewards program are offered free of charge to schools and families, removing financial and logistical barriers that often prevent school groups from accessing immersive outdoor educational experiences. 

“I love forest farming. It’s my new favorite thing!” said Rosie, a fourth grader from Green Ridge Elementary School. 

Saplings to Stewards is Smokey House Center’s flagship youth education program, bringing more than 1,000 PreK through high school students to campus each year for immersive, place-based learning in agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences. The program is designed to connect young people to the land, to real research, and to a sense of their own role as stewards of the natural world. 

Community members wanting to learn more about forest farming at Smokey House Centers are encouraged to follow their social media channels on Facebook and Instagram @smokeyhousecenter and through their website, www.smokeyhouse.org.

About Smokey House Center: Smokey House Center is an innovative, place-based nonprofit designed to address the urgent need for viable agricultural and forestry practices that support food systems and local communities while fostering ecological health and resilience and community engagement. Through applied research conducted on its expansive 5,000-acre property, Smokey House aims to create and refine climate-adaptive practices that can be replicated in other regions, contributing to a global dialogue on how to best steward the land in a way that is equitable, viable and just. At the forefront of this work is involving young people in every part of the process, providing them with meaningful, hands-on experiential learning opportunities.