Agroforestry for sustainable food
and resource conservation.
About Wool Bank Forest Farm
An unnamed tributary stream of Conneaut Creek runs south through the farm, and comprises 1.24 acres of freshwater and riparian habitat for countless bald/golden eagles, American toads, egrets, darter fish, and more. Primary and secondary riparian zones have mostly healthy native vegetation, though rapidly expanding, dense thickets of invasive shrubs make most of the stream inaccessible and vegetation species largely undesirable. Over the next two years, we will work to eradicate these shrubs and replace them with other year-round food sources for sedentary birds.
Roughly 2.4 acres are persistent emergent wetlands and provide lush wildlife habitat and surface water quality enhancement for aquatic species. Biomass from these wetlands will be utilized for outdoor mushroom production and mycelium inoculation.
n 2025, we are establishing an agroforestry system to harness the commodity and wildlife habitat benefits that trees bring to a farming operation. Through the implementation of alley cropping, forest farming, silvopasture, and hedgerows, each good harvested will have benefitted multi-fold from the surrounding biodiversity. Sheep, chickens, and ducks will be rotationally grazed on pasture.
We will produce:
Forest products: Mushrooms and tree nuts
Plants: Herbs, pulse
Animal products: Pasture-raised chicken and duck,
poultry eggs, and sheep milk & cheese
Fibers: Wool, flax, and cotton
About the Farmer:
Before establishing Wool Bank Forest Farm, Jasmine owned and operated Philly Forests, an 8-acre farm using crop revenue to fund an urban ecology program that promoted urban forestry, wildlife habitat restoration, and nature education in Philadelphia. She has a background in federal food policy work and Native American food sovereignty advocacy in northern California. Jasmine served as an advisor for the USDA Farm Service Agency Urban Agriculture County Committee for Philadelphia, a Land Advocacy Fellow for the National Young Farmers Coalition, and a Board member for the Pennsylvania Farmers Union. Jasmine uses her power of storytelling, core memories, and asset-based community development to revitalize the connection between neighbors and the regional food system.
Jasmine Thompson
Outside of work, Jasmine is a classical pianist working through Chopin’s nocturnes and etudes. She also enjoys cooking lentils and cuddling her cats.