| |
|
The Baldwin Center is dedicated to connecting citizens to working farms and landscapes and to advancing sustainable and state-of-the-art practices in:
• Rural land use planning and development
• Preservation of productive lands and scenic landscapes
• Best land management practices and innovative agriculture
The Baldwin Center is headquartered at Bundoran Farm and provides a gathering place for local and farm related concerns, symposiums, workshops and field trips, while the surrounding acreage is dedicated to agricultural research and demonstrations supporting innovative farming practices, land preservation, environmental education and outreach.
|
 |
Local Activities
The Baldwin Center is developing programs that link people to the rural environment, highlight the region's rich natural and agrarian resources, and celebrate the cultural and agricultural heritage of the area. These programs include activities and events that provide opportunities for residents, local students and the surrounding community to examine sustainable management of natural resources, innovative farming practices, responsible development practices, and low-impact living.
The Center hosts field trips and educational programs for nearby schools, universities, organizations, elected officials and other interested parties, and provides a variety of
opportunities for experiential learning and field research. For more information about these opportunities and upcoming events, please contact the Baldwin Center at info@thebaldwincenter.org |
 |
|
The Broader Program
The Baldwin Center provides a place for people with interest, experience, and expertise in farm preservation to come together to examine important land use management techniques and preservation tools that can guide and motivate better growth patterns in rural areas. The Baldwin Center's broader program supports an ongoing dialogue about how to best:
• Preserve and manage productive lands while minimizing environmental damage.
• Sustain agricultural practices in areas where development pressures continue to grow.
• Develop and implement policies that effectively protect rural character, agricultural
land uses, and environmental resources. |
Facility
The new home of the Baldwin Center is located at the foot of Tom Mountain, overlooking the scenic Massie Barn and North Branch Creek, at the center of Bundoran Farm. The simple barn structure echoes the dignified agricultural architecture of this working landscape, and the immediate grounds illustrate approaches to the development of a rural homestead. The Baldwin Center, constructed using innovative framing techniques and new approaches to environmental control and indoor health, will offer a resource library, work and gathering spaces for scholars, individuals and small groups interested in studying Bundoran Farm, or sharing experiences of related efforts around the world. |
 |
|
Dedication & Funding
The Baldwin Center was established in 2007 in honor and memory of Robert Baldwin, Sr., the founder of Qroe Farm Preservation Development and the innovator of the design and planning concepts incorporated at Bundoran Farm.
Initial funding for the foundation was largely provided by the developers of Bundoran Farm and founding property owners. Ongoing programs are supported by property sales at Bundoran Farm, private donations and individual grants received for specific initiatives. |
Preservation Development at Bundoran Farm
The Baldwin Center is located at Bundoran Farm, a Preservation Development located just outside of Charlottesville, VA where over 90 percent of the 2,300 acres is protected as working farmland and forest. Preservation Development is an approach to land and farm preservation that integrates limited residential development with agricultural practices to preserve the character and use of rural landscapes in perpetuity. The Baldwin Center also exists to share the lessons and experiences of Bundoran Farm well beyond its boundaries.
Preservation Development is based upon the fundamental tenet that sustainable growth occurs by incorporating agricultural, natural land and wildlife features within the
growth pattern, so that as the community grows, its citizens remain directly in touch with these natural and agricultural uses. In this manner, land and farm preservation is more likely to be perpetually supported by the free market economic system, an essential component of sustainable growth. Preservation Development seeks to use private development to help preserve traditional farmlands before those lands lose the ability to feed us. |
 |
More Information
For more information about the Baldwin Center, please contact:
info@thebaldwincenter.org | The Baldwin Center, 5005 Edge Valley Road, North Garden, VA 22959
|
| |
 |
|
|
