Five Things to Know About Wagner Farm Arboretum

Spring means the planting season is almost here, and fitting with the season, the Wagner Farm Arboretum is planting the seeds of its growth with a special fundraiser today at the Whole Foods Market in Vauxhall.

Shop at the store today, and help increase the donation the store will make to the Arboretum—the store will donate 5 percent of the proceeds of today's sales, so every bags of sweet potato chips and organic hummus helps. 

Still not convinced it's worth the trip? Here are five things you need to know about Wagner Farm Arboretum:

You Need To Know About The Greenhouse: When completed, Wagner Farm Arboretum will feature a greenhouse to store plants through the winter, as well as for a butterfly conservatory. The goal is to raise $100,000 for the greenhouse through several upcoming projects, with today's event opening the effort.

You Need To Know About The Summer Fayre: The real kickoff for fundraising will be June 2, when Wagner Farm hosts a Summer Arts and Crafts Fayre, featuring art exhibits, fun activities for kids, planting events and vendors (tables are available for just $35—send an email to crafts@wfafnj.org for information).

You Need To Know About The Giving Garden: Every year, hundreds of families served by area food banks and soup kitchens enjoy fresh produce grown at the Giving Garden. Residents volunteer to help with all aspects of the garden, from preparing the soil, to planting, protecting, pruning and plucking. You can help—an Orientation meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday will get you up to speed on how to best help the garden.

You Need To Know More Trees Are Coming: Wagner Farm already boasts a beautiful tree-filled vista, but the Arboretum is working on a long-range that will enhance the landscpaing with more trees. A special Arbor Day Event on April 27 will take the next step on the landscpaing project—certified tree expert and certified arborist Jeff Calvert, from SavATree, will lead a tree planting project. Volunteers are invited to come help plant trees, beginning at 9 a.m.

You Need To Know The Barn Is Falling Down: The farm is dominated by the large barn, with its two distinctive silos, but unfortunately, the barn is unsafe and will be torn down in the coming months. The township will be building a replacement structure, however, and is currently discussing the options for best use at the site.   

There's always a lot happening at Wagner Farm Arboretum, from art shows and classes to the children's garden, Brite Nights and the events listed here. All help teh arboretum fulfill its mission of providing "environmental and horticultural education of children and adults through the development of plant life in a beautiful, natural setting." To learn more about the Arboretum, visit www.wfafnj.org.