Notable Events

Printable pdf of timeline

1982

  • Linda and Gene move to Wisconsin from Colorado as Gene becomes the Chair, UW Family Medicine.

1983

  • Purchase of the original Farley land (43 acres).

2009

  • Death of Linda Farley, first person to be buried at the Farley Center.
  • Gardeners at the Farley’s land, with Gene and Janet, make plans to launch a farm incubator to support immigrant vegetable farmers.

2010

  • Conditional Use Permit granted for Natural Path Sanctuary as a green cemetery; Advisory Committee formed.
  • The Farm Incubator got its first grant from the USDA. Spring Rose Growers Cooperative was formed by four farmers and it also got a grant from the USDA. Both entities launched farmer training and support programs including workshops and videos in Hmong, Spanish and English, land link, organic certification, creating CSAs, and boosting infrastructure at the Center with farm equipment, irrigation, wash and pack area, cooler, hoophouses, and a root cellar.

2011

  • Natural Path Sanctuary becomes 501c13 non-profit.
  • Farley Center became a 501c 3 non-profit.
  • Susan and Kevin Corrado started as the Farley Center and NPS Facilitators.
  • Cemetery surveyed, platted and registered.

2012

  • First Meet up Land Link by Farm Facilitator Janet Parker.

2013

  • Dedication Celebration of the Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability.
  • Farm businesses at the Center completed organic certification with MOSA.
  • First Environmental Art Exhibition in the Natural Path Sanctuary woods.
  • Death of Gene Farley.

2015

  • Shedd Farley (third son of Gene and Linda), becomes Director of the Farley Center.
  • Farley Center packing shed concrete floor and equipment shed built by Operation Fresh Start.
  • Upper driveway was paved and several acres of previously unavailable land was opened up to farmers.

2016

  • Beekeepers started installing first bees.

2019

  • Farley Environmental Land Art featured in Playhouse Gallery exhibition at the Overture Center in Madison.

2020

  • Green Burial Council certification.
  • Farley Center becomes Wisconsin Food Forest Demo Site.
  • Purchase of adjacent new land (66 acres).

2021

  • NPS 10th Anniversary and Land Dedication Celebration.