County Farm Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids County Farm Park
The Outer Loop trail at County Farm Park
Map of County Farm Park
Type	Public park
Location	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Area	141 acres (57 ha)
Created	1972
Operated by	Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
Status	Open all year (daily 8am to dusk)

Nelson Meade County Farm Park is a big 141-acre park in eastern Ann Arbor, Michigan. Washtenaw County owns it, and the county's Parks and Recreation Commission takes care of it. The park has forests, open fields, and pretty gardens. It's home to many different plants and animals. People love to visit for gardening, hiking, jogging, and biking.

The land became county property in 1836. For a long time, it was used as a place for people who needed help, like a farm where they could live and work. Later, it became a hospital. In 1972, the area started changing into a park. Community gardens were created, and over the years, trails and a flower garden were added. Since 2000, the park has been working hard to restore its natural areas. This includes removing plants that don't belong and bringing back native prairies and wet meadows.

Park History

The County Poor House in 1874

The land for County Farm Park was bought by Washtenaw County in 1836. It cost $1,200. In 1837, the county opened the County Poor House here. This was a place for people who were poor, sick, or had disabilities to live.

The Poor House was like a working farm. People living there grew crops and raised animals to help pay for their living. They grew vegetables and grains. They also had apple, peach, and pear trees. Animals like pigs, cattle, sheep, and chickens lived on the farm too.

The fitness trail, once called the Parcour exercise trail

In 1917, a brick hospital called the Washtenaw Infirmary replaced the original Poor House building. This hospital helped people who needed ongoing medical care but couldn't afford it. The Infirmary closed in 1971 because it was too old to update. The building was torn down in 1979.

After the hospital closed, the county decided to turn the land into a park. This is how County Farm Park began.

The park started to take shape in 1972. A group called Project Grow began planting gardens on eight acres. In 1976, the Parcour exercise trail was built. This trail is now known as the fitness trail. By the 1980s, the park also had a woodland trail and a perennial garden. In 1991, the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center was built at the park's edge.

In 2013, the park was officially renamed "Nelson Meade County Farm Park." This was to honor Nelson Meade, who helped lead the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for many years.

What You Can See and Do

Britton Woods Nature Area

Britton Woods

County Farm Park has a special area called the Britton Woods Nature Area. It's an 18-acre forest. It's named after Claudius Britton, who owned the land before the county bought it.

This forest has many types of trees. You can find oak, hickory, and cherry trees on higher ground. Near the creek, you'll see maple, ash, and hornbeam trees. Many kinds of wildflowers grow here too. The white trillium and Wild Geranium are very common.

Other native flowers include Rue anemone and Yellow Violet. These plants show what the Ann Arbor area looked like before many people settled here. The park works to keep the woods healthy. They do things like controlled burns and remove plants that don't belong, like honeysuckle and buckthorn.

County Farm Nature Area

Fox Hollow Prairie

The County Farm Nature Area is the open, non-wooded part of the park. This area used to be farmland. Now, it's been returned to nature with fields and hedges. Many animals live here. You might see different kinds of birds, rabbits, pheasant, woodchucks, and skunks. Sometimes, a fox or deer might even visit.

In 2009, a part of this area called Fox Hollow was planted as a prairie. A prairie is a large area of flat grassland. Volunteers helped plant many different seeds. These included yellow coneflower, Ironweed, prairie dock, and Indiangrass. They also planted various types of goldenrod, beardtongue, black-eyed Susan, and milkweed.

Malletts Creek

A small stream that flows into Malletts Creek

Malletts Creek is a stream that flows into the Huron River. It's about 4.7 miles long. A smaller stream that feeds into Malletts Creek flows through County Farm Park.

In 2011 and 2012, part of this stream in the park was changed into a three-acre wet meadow. This meadow has native plants. This project helped stop erosion in the creek. It also reduced the amount of pollution flowing into the Huron River.

Gardens

County Farm Park has many different gardens. There's an eight-sided perennial flower garden. You can also find a "native grasses display" along the Outer Loop trail. Near the children's playground, there's a "Kids & Trees" nursery.

The park is also home to the Project Grow Community Gardens. These gardens have 84 plots that people can rent to grow their own plants. The Project Grow gardens at County Farm Park are the oldest and largest part of their network. They started in 1972. They were inspired by the idea of "victory gardens" from past world wars.

Gallery

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  Pretty Perennial Flower Gardens

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  More views of the Perennial Flower Gardens

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  The Project Grow Community Gardens

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  Another look at the Project Grow Community Gardens

• County Farm Park on LocalWiki