In person at AD Makepeace, Wareham, MA
Soils are the hidden heroes of landscape architecture. Engineered soils enable healthy plant growth in places not otherwise possible. Have you ever wondered how engineered soils are made? Or what it's like to be in a cranberry bog during harvest? Or what those two things have to do with one another?!?
Read Custom Soils and AD Makepeace invite BSLA and ASLA members and friends to a special behind-the-scenes tour of their blending facility, a complimentary working lunch in the historic Box Mill, and a rare opportunity to wade through a flooded cranberry bog during the harvest.
They'll also show the exciting new renewable material of biochar, and speak to their current work in the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Initiative.
Limited to 24 participants.
Get your ticket here
Please register by October 10. Thanks!
Floating cranberries at sunset, photo by Tom Connolly
SCHEDULE
9:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Arrival and Welcome
Join us at the A.D. Makepeace Company’s historic Box Mill Hall to kick off the day with coffee, water, and juice.
Meet and mingle with fellow attendees before we embark on our day of exploration.
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Guided Tour of Read Custom Soils Blending Facility
A shuttle will transport guests to the Read Custom Soils blending facility, where you’ll have a rare behind-the- scenes look at how engineered soils are blended. Discover a variety of innovative soil products, including Stonedust with Organic-Lock™ binder, CU-Structural Soil™, and rooflite® Certified Green Roof Media, and engage in a Q&A session with our experts.
Led by Chris Ierardi, Vice President & General Manager of Read Custom Soils and Terry Gibbs, Production Manager
11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Lunch & Learn with Tony Will
Return to Box Mill Hall for a complimentary lunch. Enjoy an engaging presentation by Tony Will, a leading expert in soil solutions with 45 years of experience in landscape construction materials. Tony will provide an overview of RCS’s soil solutions, from ground applications to rooftop uses, and share insights on the company’s latest initiatives, including: a partnership with Standard Biocarbon to bring premium biochar products to market, the recent Makepeace Miyawaki Forest implementation, and their involvement in the Healthy Soils Initiative.
Led by Tony Will, Director of Marketing & New Product Development.
12:45 - 1:15 p.m.
Break & Explore | Visit Makepeace Farms Country Market and Abel’s Place Cranberry Museum.
1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Classic New England Cranberry Bog Tour
Experience the beauty and tradition of cranberry farming with a guided bogside tour led by Glenn Reid, General Manager of Cranberry Operations for the A.D. Makepeace Company. Glenn will share his 30+ years of cranberry growing experience with the group. Plus, attendees will have an opportunity to don a pair of waders and get into the corral of crimson berries to experience the harvest firsthand.
PLEASE NOTE
Participants will be transported by shuttle bus to/from the blending facility and the cranberry bog (those sites cannot handle lots of private vehicles). The fee for this event covers the direct cost of that shuttle bus. Meals and tours are provided by Read Custom Soils.
All registered guests will receive an email with the directions and details for the excursion. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. An extra pair of socks is recommended for the cranberry bog portion of the day.
This excursion will be held rain or shine, though inclement weather may impact parts of the tour. Any anticipated modifications will be communicated to ticket holders 72 hours before the tour, allowing time to adjust plans if needed.
Questions? Please email the chapteroffice@bslanow.org.
If your schedule changes, please cancel via eventbrite so that you can be refunded and so that your ticket can go to someone else. Tickets will not be available on the day of the excursion. AD Makepeace and Read Custom Soils reserves the right of admission.
Photos, from left: cranberry bog at harvest; biochar; the blending facility; Harvard SEAS, which incorporated Read Custom Soils
ABOUT THE HOST
Read Custom Soils (RCS) is New England’s most experienced precision soil blender. The company operates from a New Hampshire quarry, a Westford blending facility, and a state-of-the-art blending facility in Carver, MA. RCS is New England’s leading provider of lightweight planting soil for green roof installations, stabilized stonedust for nature paths and pedestrian walkways, bioretention/raingarden soils, a proprietary blend ideally suited for challenging urban tree planting, and specialized soils for athletic fields.
RCS is also the region’s leading provider of golf course materials, consistently serving over 400 courses throughout New England. RCS offers multiple varieties of topdressing sand, bunker sand, rootzone mixes, divot mixes, colored sand, and our newest product, Kiln Dried Topdressing Sand, all meeting USGA specifications.
RCS has demonstrated its commitment to providing a high-quality, consistent product line to customers by implementing an in-house testing lab coupled with routine testing through multiple independent laboratories. RCS remains aware of the industry's evolving demands and actively participates in projects that help define future best practices.
RCS is an active member of BSLA and numerous other vital industry organizations.
Read Custom Soils is a division of the A.D. Makepeace Company. The 169-year-old A.D. Makepeace Company is Ocean Spray’s largest grower-owner, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, the developer of the award-winning Redbrook, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and stewardship.
