Ever wonder how the Vehe farm came to be Deer Park's municipal center? Learn More
Prairie
When the Village purchased Vehe Farm, the fields had been taken over by weeds and grass.
Today, thanks to the Village's vision on using native landscaping for storm water management, the fields are now restored native prairie. This transformation was made possible through the seed and materials generously donated by Citizens for Conservation and the thousands of hours given by the Vehe Farm volunteer corps. In 2004, Deer Park's Vehe Farm received the Midwest Environmental Protection Agency and Chicago Wilderness consortium's award for regional native landscape restoration.
This transformation took eight years and continues today. The first eight years were led by John Wagner (a Deer Park resident and native landscape restoration enthusiast). His contributions follow:
He was the farm's liaison with Citizens for Conservation.
He taught the volunteer corps how to identify invasive plant species (buckthorn, garlic mustard, multiflora rose rose, bush honeysuckle, wild grapevines, cut leaf and common teasel, reed canary grass, white and yellow sweet clover, Canadian thistle, crown vetch, to name a few) and manage their removal.
He trained the corps on how to collect seed, prepare it and then disperse it throughout the prairie.
With his oversight a Boy Scout Troop helped plant the prairie's nursery area with 3,597 native prairie plants.
He led the planting of 16 oak and flowering trees at the farm.
And, he personally planted more than 2000 plants in the wetland.
Often, John could be found in the prairie nurturing its restoration. (picture)
Hundreds of different native species of prairie plants now grow in the prairie. These in turn have brought back to the farm many species of birds, insects and other fauna that used to flourish here. Come experience the beauty and peacefulness of this natural, native setting. And, we encourage you to donate your time (whether it's one or more times per year) to the prairie restoration efforts. It's actually a lot of fun, as is making new friends. Just contact the Foundation.
