Zena Farm and the Sustainability Institute Records

As one of its key roles, the Sustainability Institute at Willamette University oversees management of Zena Forest, part of the largest remaining contiguous block of forestland in the Eola Hills west of Salem. Management guidelines for Zena Forest are the protection, restoration, management, and enhancement of natural resources and ecosystem services of Zena, following an adaptive ecosystem management model.

One acre of the Zena Forest property is occupied by Zena Farm, an historic homestead. It contains an approximately 100-year-old farmhouse, a half acre of organic vegetable production, and an orchard. Zena Farm hosted the annual Summer Institute in Sustainable Agriculture Program, a residential program that combined farming experience and interdisciplinary academic coursework. These records primarily contain documentation and photographs pertaining to the summer institute and the students who participated.

For more information on this collection, please see the finding aid. The records were transferred, organized, and described by Grace Pochis (’16).