By: CLiGS

For the second year in a row, Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) students at the Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (CLiGS) visited the Airlie Center in Northern Virginia, expanding their knowledge on sustainable agriculture and local food systems. With a four-acre vegetable garden, Airlie harvests some of its produce on-site, and partners with 30 regional farms for their locally sourced culinary program.

Prior to eating a scrumptious meal at Airlie, the students toured Claude and Carla Chapman’s farm in Bealeton, VA, where they were exposed first-hand to agriculture best management practices. Transitioning from a large-scale dairy farm to a beef cattle farm, the Chapmans are more than happy to share their stories about this conversion, not only with students, but neighboring farmers as well. Promoting sustainable agriculture practices, their philosophy now revolves around rotational grazing and alternative water principles, such as gravity flow water systems, which they believe to be helping the farm’s ecosystem.

Woman by a tractor

In addition, thanks to a partnership with the John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District, the Chapmans have adopted land-use conservation practices, including riparian buffers and fences, which prevent the cattle from accessing Harpers Run, a small stream that runs through the property and flows into the Marsh Run Watershed. This has helped restore the farm’s native flora and fauna, including the bobwhite quail Claude so fondly remembers from his youth on the farm. The students even witnessed the appearance of a wild turkey during their tour this year! In doing so, the Chapmans have done an outstanding job of setting a good example for other farmers in the community.

“The site visit to the Chapman farm outside of Warrenton is an excellent opportunity for XMNR students to see how conservation is implemented on the ground and to better understand what motivates a farm couple whose family has farmed the land for generations to change their practices for more sustainable methods,” says Joe Maroon, CLiGS Fellow and Executive Director of the Virginia Environmental Endowment.

After touring the farm, students headed to the Airlie Center where they sat at tables dressed with crisp white tablecloths, as the chef walked through each dish, answering questions about food sourcing and the importance of food choices in relation to the environment.

“I loved the daily attention and detail that the Chef puts into his menu items for each meal depending on the food that is in season or that they could get delivered that week. This also allows for innovative thinking about what sustainable food is coming out of the garden and what to do with items that they can preserve for the off season,” said Jon Lipinski, an XMNR 2015 student who is a Conservation Technician with the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, and also an Environmental Science Officer with the U.S. Army Reserves.

chef speaking to restraunt

The chef’s four-acre organic vegetable garden has been supplying their kitchens with fresh, farm-to-table produce since the inception of Airlie’s Local Food Project in 1998. According to their website, the local food project:

…seeks to reduce the number of miles food travels from field to table, provide the best ingredients possible for our kitchens, support local family-run farms, and educate visitors about sustainable agriculture.

This really puts into perspective the amount of work and dedication the staff has in delivering a quality dining experience for their guests, along with a commitment to the environment as a whole.

Every month, XMNR students delve into a different realm of sustainability. This month the module focused on sustainable food sources and agriculture, and this field trip to the farm and Airlie helped students grasp the challenges and opportunities within that field. It made them seriously contemplate whether localis sustainable or if there’s more to it.

“The amount of energy that goes into producing food is much greater than the energy cost to transport the food, so how important is it to buy local? It may be wiser to grow a sole crop where the crop thrives (which contrasts with localism – or doing everything in the same place) but what happens if a pest infests the crop?” asks Mark Wieder, an energy attorney and XMNR 2015 student.