River Farm Reopens To Public As New Executive Director Takes Over

FORT HUNT, VA — At this time last year, the future of River Farm was uncertain as the American Horticultural Society prepared to put the historic property up for sale. Now after AHS reversed the decision and took the property off the market, it is back open to the public on a limited basis.

AHS held a news conference Monday to announce the limited reopening of River Farm to the public and the appointment of a new AHS director. Board member Marcia Zech and her husband also announced a $1 million gift to AHS.

Initially, River Farm will be open to the public Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check for future updates at ahsgardening.org.

The new AHS executive director is Keith Tomlinson, formerly the botanical garden manager of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna.

"Keith is a renowned horticultural director whose visionary leadership at Meadowlark Gardens spans a broad range of programmatic, operational, and strategic areas," stated Holly Shimizu, an AHS board member and former director of the U.S. Botanic Garden. "He will be instrumental in re-imagining and improving the gardens while expanding our fundraising and outreach efforts. Now that we have confirmed our commitment to retaining historic River Farm as AHS headquarters and an integral component of our overall mission, he is the ideal choice to collaborate with the Board, AHS stakeholders and help us move forward with our goals – to protect the property in perpetuity and to use it as a springboard for building national horticultural programs in support of our mission."

The appointment comes after interim executive director J. Robert Brackman resigned on September 30, 2021. Several AHS board members had also resigned as AHS decided to take River Farm off the market and keep it as headquarters. The board had previously been divided on keeping River Farm as AHS headquarters or selling it.

New leadership provides an opportunity for a new long-term plan for both AHS and River Farm. The board will continue working to secure operational and endowment funding for the organization.

Zech and her husband's $1 million gift is that first step in securing funding.

"This is just a start, and it's to lead the way, and we hope that other people will join us," said Zech at the news conference. "It's a challenge to the rest of you to join us and make this property everything that it can be, still available to the public but to take us into the future and secure both the American Horticultural Society and River Farm as a shining jewel."

One of the actions moving forward will be protecting the property from redevelopment. Not only was River Farm one of George Washington's farms, but it has been a setting for private occasions and public access to its gardens. River Farm has been the AHS headquarters since 1973, when a financial gift from Enid Annenberg Haupt allowed the organization to purchase it. A condition of the purchase was keeping it as a publicly-accessible resource.

"A key priority for AHS is to enhance River Farm as a platform for launching new national gardening programs," said Shimizu. "Given the importance of preserving and protecting River Farm, the Board is also actively exploring ways to implement long-term conservation solutions on the property."