Private Project Dossier · Not for distribution
Private Dossier · 1st Edition 2026

The Farmette
Project

A 5.8-acre regenerative estate in Great Falls, Virginia. A whole-systems design, phased installation, and a roadmap toward a productive, self-reliant landscape that pays back for a generation.

Hardiness Zone 7bHumid Subtropical / CFA~40in annual rainfall5.84 acres
5.84
Acres under whole-systems design
40
Tree food forest · 13 existing + 27 new
808-1,724
Projected lbs harvested per year at maturity
$86K+
Modeled annual returns plus incentives
Plans and Goals

A working landscape that pays you back.

Eden and Dane reads a property at every level - soil, water, sun, structures, and tax position - then builds from the ground up. The Farmette pairs an existing apple orchard and barn with new orchard guilds, a native meadow, a duck pond, and a rainwater network, sequenced to capture every available conservation incentive along the way.

01
A farmette and farm stand
Build a productive small farm the family can run, with a roadside stand for the kids to sell eggs, produce, flowers, and propagated plants.
02
Lower the tax burden
Layer conservation programs, agricultural-use designation, and a farm entity to convert land into credits, rebates, and permanent liability reduction.
03
Close the water loop
Complete and expand the duck pond, then route gutter and slope runoff into cisterns, drip irrigation, and the chicken system for hands-off circulation.
04
Build real self-reliance
Enhance the existing infrastructure - coop, barn, beds, beehives - into a closed-loop system producing food, eggs, honey, and stored energy year-round.
05
A native wildflower meadow
Convert mown turf into a successional native meadow, established in tandem with conservation-landscaping cost-share funding.
06
Expand the harvest window
Stack fruit, nut, and berry species so something is producing across every month of the calendar.
Site Profile

What we are
building on.

A mature site with strong bones: an established apple orchard, reliable water, productive beds, and working farm structures - all underused. The design enhances what exists before it adds anything new.

  • Production40 tree orchard, 50+ perennial vegetables, 12 chickens, 2 apiariesExisting 13 apple + 27 new: peach, pear, cherry, plum, apricot, persimmon, yuzu, and more
  • Berry PatchOver 30 different kinds of berries, mostly native, all tasty
  • Garden BedsOver 50 kinds of perennial and annual food bearing crops for successional harvesting
  • Livestock12 laying hensBuff Orpington, Barred Rock, Ameraucana - plus planned ducks, sheep, and ponies
  • Apiary2 hives, honeybees and mason bees, with more on the way
  • StructuresBarn (~1,120 sq ft roof), chicken coop, existing fencing
  • WaterWell water, plus ~30k gal/yr catchment potentialSwale and water capture routed to orchard and coop
Permaculture Zoning

Five zones, by frequency of use.

The property is organized in descending order of human interaction, so daily systems sit closest to the house and low-input, long-cycle systems extend to the edges.

1
Intensive Use
Daily interaction. Seating, morning coffee, formal garden with pollinator waterers.
2
Regular Garden
Polyculture beds, trellised fruit, berry bushes, compost and worm systems.
3
Farm / Field
Staple crops, livestock pasture, expanded food forest, beehives, coop and run.
4
Semi-Wild
Foraging, mushroom logs, windbreaks, timber species, wildlife corridors.
5
Wild
Native zones, pollinator meadow, and trails for quiet observation.
Orchard and Plant Palette

From 13 trees to a 40-tree food forest.

The existing apple block is expanded into a 40-tree food forest, with 27 new fruit and nut trees and a full understory guild planted around each. Citrus and tea species are sited in the warmest microclimates; natives anchor the meadow.

Plum · Methley, Santa RosaPeach · 5-in-1Pear · 4-in-1Cherry · 4-in-1Apricot · BlenheimPersimmon · FuyuNectarine · Red GoldPomegranateMulberry · GirardiHazelnutChestnutYuzu · Ichandrin, SudachiGreen TeaPawpawBlack WalnutNorthern PecanGoji · Aronia · HaskapElderberry · Currant · FigNative understory guilds
Sustainability Audit

Already strong. Stronger by design.

67%→86%
Current baseline
Potential at full build-out
Pollinator Friendliness continual blooms + water20 → 20
Food Production orchard + garden + livestock19 → 20
Native Landscaping ~85% native inclusion18 → 20
Nutrient Cycling closed-loop, on-site17 → 20
Water Capture passive catchment15 → 20
Water Retention swales + soil loam12 → 18
Soil Quality loamy clay, building topsoil11 → 16
Waste Management compost + greywater10 → 16
Plant Guilds function per role7 → 16
Edible Nutrient Profile complete-diet coverage0 → 18
Self-Reliance Rating

The biggest upside on the property.

35%→69%
Current baseline
Potential at full build-out
Water Source ~40in annual rain, no flooding20 → 20
Water Collection cisterns + catchment to be set10 → 18
Food Preservation cellar + canning + ferment8 → 16
Resources lumber + heating trees8 → 14
Food Production garden, orchard, eggs0 → 20
Power Supply large south-facing solar potential0 → 18
On-Site Food Variety fruit, nut, berry, protein0 → 18
Energy Storage battery backup with solar0 → 14
Return on Investment and Incentives

The land as a financial asset.

Beyond the harvest, the design is sequenced to capture cost-share reimbursements and conservation tax positions that most landscapes leave on the table.

Annual Food Value
$2,645 - $6,769
Per year at maturity, 808-1,724 lbs across fruit, nuts, berries, vegetables, and herbs.
VCAP Reimbursements
Up to $27,750
Conservation landscaping and constructed-wetland cost-share, up to 80% of eligible costs.
Conservation Tax Credit
$40K+/yr*
Potential Virginia income-tax credit via conservation easement. Requires attorney and formal appraisal.
Captured Water
~$800/yr
Up to ~182,000 gallons of passive catchment routed to orchard, garden, and livestock.
Property Value Delta
~$10,000
Estimated lift over 2-5 years as new plantings mature and systems establish.
Modeled Total
$86,150
Combined first-cycle returns across food, water, systems, value lift, and reimbursements.

*Tax figures are preliminary estimates and depend on a formal appraisal and legal structuring. Eden and Dane is not a law or accounting firm; conservation-easement and entity decisions should be confirmed with a qualified attorney and CPA.

Culinary Field Guide

What it all tastes like.

A productive landscape is only worth it if the kitchen uses it. A primer on the less-familiar species and how to cook with them.

Sea Kale
Cabbage x asparagus
Roast flower stalks, saute leaves, blanch shoots. Three textures, one plant.
Lovage
Intense celery
A little goes far. Stocks, herb butter, potato salad.
Yuzu Citrus
Tart, floral, intense
Zest or juice into dressings, ponzu, cocktails, desserts.
Haskap
Blueberry x raspberry
The earliest fruit of the year. Jam, pies, smoothies, liqueurs.
Nasturtium
Peppery, like arugula
Eat flowers and leaves raw. Pickle green seed pods as capers.
Sweet Cicely
Mild anise
Add to fruit dishes, especially rhubarb and berries.
Pawpaw
Mango x banana
Eat fresh when soft-ripe. Puree into ice cream, smoothies, custards.
Goumi Berry
Tart, cherry-like
Best cooked. Jams, shrubs, chutneys.
Elderberry
Deep, winey, earthy
Always cook before eating. Syrups, cordials, and wine.
Aronia
Astringent, dark
Best blended with sweeter fruits. Excellent in shrubs and juice blends.
Green Tea
Clean, grassy, light
Harvest young spring leaves, steam or pan-fire to stop oxidation.
Persimmon
Honey-sweet when ripe
Fuyu variety is non-astringent - eat crisp like an apple or let soften.
The Roadmap

Pioneer, creep, leap.

  • 2026
    Establish
    Install the orchard expansion, garden perennials, and drip irrigation. Improve the coop and apiary. Stand up the farm entity and farm stand. Implement the conservation easement and Section 179 strategy mid-year; sow cover crops in fall.
  • 2027
    Expand
    Assess and grow the apiary, add a second hive type, and apply the conservation-easement income-tax credit. Evaluate solar. Perennials begin to creep and fill in.
  • 2028
    Leap
    Perennials grow rapidly and the native meadow is firmly established. The system shifts from installation toward monitoring and harvest-first management.
  • 2030+
    Mature
    New trees reach maturity. The landscape produces well over 1,500 lbs of food per year and runs largely on autopilot.
Next step

Ready to move forward?

Schedule a 15-minute call to discuss phasing, timing, and what comes next for the property.

Book a discovery call →
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