Issue 11

The Meadowview Research Farms

In 1989 The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) established the Wagner Research Farm in Meadowview, VA, to start the backcrossing program developed by TACF founding scientists Charles Burnham, David French, and Philip Rutter. Plant pathologist Fred Hebard was persuaded to move to Meadowview to manage the research farm, where he immediately began testing the backcross method. By 1993, Hebard had produced thousands of healthy trees, including several highly blight-resistant seedlings, from two intercrossed generations. Hebard has been able to reduce the time it takes chestnut to flower from between 6 and 10 years to between 2 and 4 years, which has stepped up the pace of breeding for blight resistance.

By 1995, the research farm was filled to capacity, with over 5,800 chestnut trees at various stages of backcrossing. A generous donation allowed TACF to purchase a tract of land nearby, now known as the Glenn C. Price Research Farm. TACF purchased a third farm in 2002 and a fourth in 2006. Today, there are four research farms at Meadowview, with over 34,000 trees at various stages of breeding on more than 150 acres.