The Brightside Farm and Nursery is the home of Global Roots. The farm hosts a mixed syntropic orchard with fruit trees, nuts, berries, vines, and various support species. The orchard will function as a source of food as well as a source of ‘mother plants’ providing seeds, cuttings, scionwood, and rootstocks for the plant nursery. Plants produced in the nursery will be used in rewilding projects and made available for sale to the general public through the Global Roots website. All income generated from sales will be used to expand the nursery allowing for Global Roots to support projects materially. The farm also serves as a site for community gardening and collaborative placemaking.

 

Regenerative agricultural practices include no-till, applications of compost teas and holistic soil practices, cover cropping, pesticide and artificial fertilizer free management, and other agroforestry techniques promoting biodiversity. The nursery is mostly a bare-root operation with plants grown in air-pruned beds promoting lateral rooting and healthy taproots. 

 

Historically, the farm was used for tobacco production, horse pasturing, and organic market gardening. Moving forward, Global Roots envisions Brightside as a hub for encouraging the transition to plant-based agriculture and increased conservation through the onsite farming and nursery operations. 

 

At the time of European contact, the lands at Brightside and the piedmont area of North Carolina were occupied by the Eno, Sissipahaw, and Shakori tribes.

 

The farm is located outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina in growing zone 8a and covers an area of 2.5 acres hosting the nursery, mixed vegetable production, and orchard. Operations of the farm and nursery are governed by the Global Roots staff and board of directors.