Native Species Planted Along Stream Buffer at Hinesburg Farm

The Record

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District and Vermont Land Trust (VLT) partnered with Kay Ballard to plant nearly a thousand native shrubs and bushes on the Ballard farm in Hinesburg.

The planting took place on two and a half acres along a tributary of the La Platte River, which flows into Lake Champlain, and included native species such as dogwood, willow and chokeberry. The shrubs and bushes were grown and donated by a nearby nursery, Verterra Nursery.

The planting site was protected with VLT in 2022, as part of a broader conservation of the farm property. This effort enhances those permanent protections by boosting the land’s ability to absorb and filter water, and to provide habitat for wildlife.

The effort was funded by Trees for Streams and the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts.

The Ballard family has been farming their land since 1937 and operated a dairy for many decades before leasing the cropland to neighboring dairy farmers who use it for hay.

“We are so grateful for the lasting legacy that the Ballards created by conserving their iconic Hinesburg farm and for further protecting those resources with this

Rooted in Vermont since 1977, the Vermont Land Trust unites land and lives for the enduring benefit of people and the place we share. We have protected more than 640,000 acres of land and foster life-long connections to the farms, forests, and community spaces that define Vermont. Learn more at vlt.org.