We encourage Airlie Center guests to visit the Local Food Project garden. Whether you stop by during an evening stroll around the grounds or attend an organized tour with your conference group, a visit to the garden is a great way to complete your stay at Airlie.

• View a photo introduction to the garden
• Download a pdf of our self-guided tour—updated seasonally!

To find the Local Food Project garden, walk west past Airlie House and through the formal gardens, past the pavilion and up the hill. Feel free to come into the garden even if the gate is closed (but please shut it on your way out). You can wander among the beds and see a wide range of crops, from summertime favorites like tomatoes, squash and peppers, to more unusual varieties like okra, celeriac and Swiss Chard.

Take a few minutes to check out our Parking Space Garden—a 9x19 foot section that measures the same size as a typical U.S. parking space. The beds are prepared using a method called double digging—a process where soil is shifted and loosened with simple garden tools to create a deep growing area. Since plant roots can reach deeper, less surface area is required and crops can be spaced closer together. Urban dwellers will enjoy seeing just how much food can be grown in this small plot.

During a group tour, you’ll learn how vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers from the Local Food Project garden make their way to the Airlie Center kitchen where they’re integrated into delicious meals to delight your palate in the dining room. Local Food Project Director Pablo Elliott will also share his food growing expertise and talk about the basics of organic gardening, offering tips and tricks you can apply in your home garden. You may also have the opportunity to sample local and organic wines and flavorful treats prepared with garden ingredients.

If your group would like to schedule a group tour, please contact an Airlie conference planner.

Local Food Project home