Our Headquarters - The Harris Farm
Our home office is a testament to our mission.
We run the day-to-day operations of Foothills Land Conservancy from a beautiful 300-acre farm in Rockford, Tennessee—a farm protected forever from development.
The Harris Farm was a generous gift from our former board member Gail Harris, who first placed a conservation easement on the property in 2009 and then transferred ownership completely to FLC in 2017. Besides maintaining our headquarters in the former family homestead, we also lease about two-thirds of the land for farming hay, cattle, soybeans, and corn.
“Since I inherited the farm from my late husband and he from his parents, I never did think of the farm as my property, only that I have been given stewardship of it. The donation of this land to FLC is the best way I can think of to honor that stewardship.”
Gail Harris
The Harris Farm embodies our ideal approach to land use - integrating diverse landscape types to benefit both people and ecosystems.
- Existing natural habitat on the property is mostly oak-hickory woodland, which we’ve worked tirelessly to rid of harmful invasive plants. We also enjoy abundant water sources, including a spring-fed pond. Our stewardship of this natural habitat allows local flora and fauna to thrive.
- Our lease with a local family means farming will continue on this property as it has for generations, featuring seasonal crops, open pasture for cattle, and hayfields. These areas also function as grassland habitat that is critical to many disappearing species of wildlife.
- We’ve landscaped our home office with a wide variety of pollinator-friendly, predominantly native plantings that support wildlife while remaining low-maintenance and water-wise.
- We maintain a productive fruit, vegetable, and flower garden that feeds humans and wild creatures alike.
A balanced approach to land use
Native woodland
Working farmland
Residential landscaping
