We’re celebrating 20 years of inspiring stewardship.

The Arbor Day Foundation acquired J. Sterling Morton’s original 260-acre estate in Nebraska City in 1972, and this National Historic Landmark was the ideal setting for carrying forth Morton’s legacy — specifically through a state-of-the-art conference center. After more than five years of planning, design, fundraising, and construction, Lied Lodge first opened our doors to the public in October 1993.

View the Photo Gallery: Lied Lodge Under Construction & Architect Renderings

Lied Lodge & Conference Center, circa 1993. Click the photo for more archived photos from the construction process.

How It Began
Lied Lodge was thoughtfully designed to be a grand, beautiful, nature-inspired facility that would serve many. Turning Lied Lodge from vision to reality began with a $6 million congressional appropriation endorsed by the National Association of State Foresters and administered by the U.S. Forest Service. This appropriation was matched with a major donation from the Lied Foundation Trust along with donations from environmental agencies, foundations and corporations, and more than 100,000 contributions from Arbor Day Foundation members.Over the past 20 years, Lied Lodge has become a sought-after gathering place, a home base, a learning site, and an inspiration for people who care deeply about our natural world and its future. It’s a place where people can come together and be inspired by nature. It’s where families stay for a summer getaway, where brides and grooms say “I do,” and where friends meet up for a drink or gather ’round a table for a delicious meal.

Thank You
So as we pass this 20th year in 2013, all of us at Lied Lodge & Conference Center want to say THANK YOU. Thank you to the generous donations and the incredibly hard work of people and organizations back in 1993 and beyond, who had the foresight and fervor to build what Lied Lodge has become. We thank all the guests who’ve stayed with us, met with us, dined with us, and otherwise ”been here” with us through the years. We thank the City of Nebraska City, the Home of Arbor Day. And we thank the many employees who’ve played a key role in making our guests feel welcome and helping each one of them create unique memories of their visit here.

Happy 20th birthday, Lied Lodge. Here’s to many more years of inspiring stewardship.

For the complete story on Lied Lodge’s 20-year history, visit http://www.liedlodge.org/twenty

If you’ve been our guest in the past, we’d love to hear about your experience — tell us about it in the comments, below.

A total of 72 poly-resin tree sculptures have been placed at various points around town for the summer, letting the locals and tourists alike enjoy their whimsical beauty.

All the trees will be displayed in Nebraska City until late September 2013.  The six-foot trees done by professional artists and high school students will be mounted on concrete bases and set into the ground in public outdoor places.  The rest of the trees, all four feet tall and designed by students, will be displayed at various businesses throughout the community.

Here at Arbor Day Farm and Lied Lodge, we’re honored to be the temporary summer home for four different sculptures in the public art project: one in the Lied Lodge lobby, one out front of Lied Lodge’s main entrance, one at the Apple House Market, and another near the sidewalk at the Tree Adventure.

Wondering where else to find the sculptures? Download and print the Enchanted Arboretum community map and take an art-filled walk.

We invite you to visit Nebraska City this summer and enjoy these works of art!

Hundreds of people turned out for the unveiling of the Enchanted Arboretum project in downtown Nebraska City on April 20, 2013.

Nebraska City school students work on their Enchanted Arboretum maquette, a small–scale mock-up of their final tree sculpture.

The landscape team at Lied Lodge in Nebraska City install a six-foot tree sculpture from Enchanted Arboretum, the community’s public art project on display this summer.

Find more photos, maps, and other information online at http://www.enchantedarboretum.com

Here in Nebraska City, Arbor Day’s hometown, we’re planning lots of fun.

Special Activities at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City

Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure is open extended hours on Saturday & Sunday, April 27 & 28, from 9am to 5pm. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for youth (age 3-12).

Tree climbing is always a hit at Arbor Day Farm.

Special events for Arbor Day 2013 at the Tree Adventure attraction include tree climbing, cross-cut sawing competitions, Arbor Day Farm wine tasting, face painting, bubble making, live music and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Outdoor Family Fun Trailer.

During this special weekend celebration, Discovery Rides into the orchard and forest at Arbor Day Farm will depart at noon, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, April 27 & 28. We’re hoping for beautiful pink blossoms in the orchard by this time, so don’t miss your chance to see them up-close. Bring your camera! Discovery Ride tickets are $4 for adults; $3 for youth (age 3-12).

The Tree Adventure’s regular features are always available on every visit:
• Climb the 50-foot-high treehouse
• Hike the wooded trails.
• Solve mysteries in the Nature Explore Club Cabin.
• See the feature film, Trees in the Movies, where trees are the stars of the show
• Make music in the Nature Explore Classrooms
• Scramble up the 20-foot Spider Web

Also during your visit to Arbor Day Farm, be sure to stop and shop at the Apple House Market.  Choose from delicious food items, small gifts, home decor and Arbor Day Farm wines — the perfect souvenir from our own vineyards.

Download the Arbor Day Farm Celebration Flyer (PDF), which includes a map to find your way to all the special activities.

The mansion at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park in Nebraska City, Nebraska

Special Activities in the Nebraska City Community

The entire Nebraska City community takes great pride in being the birthplace of Arbor Day, and celebrations happen all over the city to mark this great event every year.

For the 2013 Arbor Day Celebration, the Nebraska City community has selected the theme of “Dig It, Plant It, Grow It.”

Nebraska City Arbor Day events include a 5k/10k run/walk, a parade, a chili cook-off, a home and garden show, and more activities for locals and visitors alike.  Download the Nebraska City Arbor Day schedule of events for complete details.

Regardless of how you celebrate Arbor Day, two simple words sum it up best: Plant Trees!

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You’ve never experienced the Tree Adventure — or the symphony — quite like this!

Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure in Nebraska City and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra are teaming up for a one-of-a-kind outdoor music event, called Nature’s Symphony, on Saturday, May 4, from 3:00-5:00pm.

Guests of this event will stroll through the forested trails at the Tree Adventure, finding different musicians from Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra, making music in the woods. World-renown violinist Anton Miller will play atop the 50-foot-high treehouse and Maestro Ed Polochick will play piano in the log-beamed Discovery Ride Depot, making for a musical, memorable encounter in the great outdoors.

Four food and wine stations will be situated along the trails, each featuring a selection of bite-sized hors d’oeuvres and Arbor Day Farm wines to enjoy while you roam.

“The Nature’s Symphony event is intended to bring a new perspective to audience members – about symphonic music as well as about nature,” said Doug Farrar, Vice President of Arbor Day Farm. “Our goal is to provide opportunities for individuals to make meaningful connections in nature, and the orchestra provides a unique soundtrack for doing just that.”

Nature’s Symphony Q & A:

Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra Maestro Edward Polochick will play piano in the Discovery Ride Depot.

What is Nature’s Symphony?
Nature’s Symphony is an outdoor event on May 4, 2013, 3-5pm, designed for people who love music, nature, food and wine. Members of Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra will play various instruments along the wooded trails at Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure in Nebraska City. Guests are invited to stroll the trails while enjoying food, wine, and beautiful sounds in the forest. Specifically, world-renown violinist Anton Miller will play the violin atop the 50-foot-high treehouse; LSO Maestro Edward Polochick will play the piano in the log-beamed Discovery Ride Depot.

How much do tickets cost and where can I purchase them?
Tickets for Nature’s Symphony are on sale now: $25 for adults; $10 for youth (age 3-12). Tickets can be purchased online at www.arbordayfarm.org/symphony; or in person at Arbor Day Farm, including at the Lied Lodge Front Desk, the Tree Adventure attraction, and the Apple House Market.

A Nature’s Symphony lodging package is available at Lied Lodge for $189, which includes two tickets to the music event combined with an overnight stay on your choice of May 3 or May 4, 2013. To reserve the Nature’s Symphony lodging package, please call 800-546-5433.

What’s the dress code for Nature’s Symphony?
Nature’s Symphony is an outdoor event and we want you to be comfortable while strolling the trails, finding Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra musicians making music in the forest.  Please come casual, relax, and enjoy yourself; good walking shoes are encouraged.

World-renown violinist Anton Miller will play atop the 50-foot-high treehouse at Nature’s Symphony.

This is an outdoor event. What about inclement weather?
While we’re hoping for a beautiful, sunny day on May 4, we know that springtime in Nebraska can be a bit unpredictable. Nature’s Symphony will go on, rain or shine. In case of rain, the musicians will play together in a tent and in the Discovery Ride Depot at Arbor Day Farm, and attendees can gather around to enjoy the music.

What kind of food and wine will be offered?
Four food and wine stations will be situated along the trails, each featuring a selection of bite-sized hors d’oeuvres and Arbor Day Farm wines to enjoy while you roam.

Where can I find more information about Nature’s Symphony?
Contact Chris Campbell, Director of Arbor Day Farm, (402) 873-8724 or ccampbell@arbordayfarm.org
Online: arbordayfarm.org/symphony

Nature’s Symphony at Arbor Day Farm is generously supported by these sponsors:
the Otoe County Visitors Committee; Dietze Music; Firespring; Cornerstone Printing; Leadership Resources; and TenDot Corporate Travel.

Gathering near Union, Nebraska, the volunteer crew set out to collect as many as 10,000 healthy donor cuttings that will be replanted in the Missouri River Valley this spring.

Tyler Janke of The Nature Conservancy explained that as much as 80% of the cottonwood forest along the river corridor has been lost to habitat change, flooding, and just old age. This concerted effort to restore the riparian forest will benefit a variety of native wildlife — from beavers to bald eagles — and will help stabilize the river bank.

This is the third time volunteer groups from these organizations have worked together specifically on cottonwood restoration along the Missouri River, with first cuttings taken in February 2012, a planting event in May 2012, and gathering last week to harvest more cuttings.

Related: Read our blog post about the May 2012 cottonwood planting north of Nebraska City, NE.

The cottonwood crew, front row from left: Sara, Tyler, Brad, Luke, Chase, Corey. Back row: Josh, Alex, Emily, Ashley, Beth, Darry, Heather, Connie, Tyler, Kate, Robin and Joe.

Photos courtesy Carrie Benes, the Arbor Day Foundation.

We needed their help, and they didn’t disappoint.
First, a little backstory:

Hazelnuts growing in the Greenhouse, Arbor Day Farm

These members live all across the United States and already grow hybrid hazelnuts on their properties, reporting back to us regularly on the growth, production, and general health of their plants.

This valuable data allows the Arbor Day Foundation and the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium to continue the search for the “super hazelnut” – one that is well-adapted to a variety of climates, bears large, commercial-quality nuts, and is resistant to disease.

But this time we needed more than just their data. We needed their nuts!

In an effort to keep the gene pool flowing, we asked this select group of members to part with some of their hybrid hazelnuts when they harvested in late summer. The answer was a resounding “yes” from nearly every member we reached out to. With their approval, we mailed them a postage pre-paid box and a few simple instructions about what we needed. The first kits were back in our hands in a matter of days.

What came back to us was very interesting to see. Some hazelnuts were brown, some almost black, some reddish… some smaller, some larger… all of them healthy and key to keeping the research going.

With all the hazelnuts accounted for, the greenhouse staff then began the important work of preparing these nuts for planting: soaking in water, cold stratification, warm stratification, and finally – just last week – they’re ready for dirt.

We’re grateful to those Arbor Day Foundation members who have sent in their nuts; we hope you enjoy watching their progress in our greenhouse. We’ll check back in with the nuts in a couple weeks and show you the growth. Stay tuned!

For an illustrated look at how we’re continuing the search for genetically superior hybrid hazelnuts with Arbor Day Foundation members, check out the article in the January-February 2013 issue of Arbor Day newsletter (PDF).

Note the variations in size and color of the hybrid hazelnuts mailed in by Arbor Day Foundation members from across America. These nuts will be planted in the greenhouse at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, NE, and the strongest specimens will be cross-bred to further expand the gene pool.

Jan prepares bags of hybrid hazelnuts mailed in by Arbor Day Foundation members. Each bag was documented upon arrival, assigned a number, and the nuts will be tracked as they grow in the greenhouse at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, NE.

After stratification, it’s common for some hybrid hazelnuts to sprout even before being planted. This sprouted hazelnut seems to have a good start and increased chances of making it to a viable plant in the greenhouse.

Steve carefully plants hybrid hazelnuts in the greenhouse at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, NE. Each row contains hazelnuts mailed in from Arbor Day Foundation members across America.

Hybrid hazelnuts, planted in trays in the Arbor Day Farm greenhouse.

The following photos were taken on February 1, 2013, in the Arbor Day Farm greenhouse — just two weeks after plant date. Note the growth so far:

Sprouting after just two weeks of growth in the Arbor Day Farm greenhouse.

Hazelnut sprouts showing two weeks of growth.

One hybrid hazelnut, just getting started.

The photos below were taken on February 2o, 2013 — just 33 days after planting. The hazelnuts are growing very quickly now!

Hybrid Hazelnuts mailed in from Arbor Day Foundation members, showing 33 days of growth.

Hybrid Hazelnuts mailed in from Arbor Day Foundation members, showing 33 days of growth.

Hybrid Hazelnuts mailed in from Arbor Day Foundation members, showing 33 days of growth. Note the markings on the leaf.

The goal of the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium is to create a world leading research and breeding program to develop hazelnuts as a widely adapted, high-yielding and low-input sustainable crop that is competitive with annual crops for food, feed or bio-energy.

To date, a majority of the group’s research has been funded by specialty crop grants received from the USDA, and securing additional grant funding was a topic of discussion at their recent gathering.

“The funding of this program is key,” Arbor Day Farm greenhouse manager Adam Howard said.  “It’s the lifeblood of reaching our goal of commercializing hybrid hazelnuts in America.”

At the gathering, each consortium representative updated the group on areas of the research in which they specialize, and the group identified items to work on collectively to advance the breeding, the outreach, and most importantly, the science of hybrid hazelnuts.

“We’re in regular communication with each other all year,” Arbor Day Farm greenhouse manager Adam Howard said. “But it’s especially relevant when the partners can spend time together face to face. It brings a richness to the conversation that is more difficult to have by phone or email.”

Members of the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium shown here are (from left): Loren Isom, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Shawn Mehlenbacher, Oregon State University; Troy Pabst, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Tom Molnar, Rutgers University; Brad Hillman, Rutgers University; Adam Howard, Arbor Day Foundation; Scott Josiah, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Doug Farrar, Arbor Day Foundation.

Arbor Day Farm has had a cider press for many years at the Apple House Market, but it was more of a museum showpiece than a functional cider press. For the 2012 apple harvest season, we decided it was time to change that.

New parts were ordered. A new UV treatment machine arrived. The health inspector approved the changes, and Arbor Day Farm’s cider press was re-born.

Any kind of apples can be pressed for cider; we’re currently using a mix of Ozark Gold, Honey Crisp, Jonathan, and Braeburn apples from our orchard. This “recipe” will change over the season as different apple varieties ripen. Pressing will take place as needed all season long, and visitors can watch the cider press in action from large viewing windows inside the Cider Room.

If you’re visiting Arbor Day Farm this fall, please stop in and have a look.

Bushels and boxes of apples, circa 1930, from the Joy Morton Orchard Company, now known as Arbor Day Farm.

Apples and apple orchards are a time-honored tradition at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, and the 2012 apple harvest carries on that heritage.

Apple trees have thrived here since 1855, when J. Sterling Morton and his wife, Caroline, moved to Nebraska City from Michigan, and planted several varieties of apple trees on their homestead, the property now known as Arbor Day Farm.In the 1920s, J. Sterling and Caroline’s son, Joy – founder of the Morton Salt Company – partnered with Grove Porter and formed the Joy Morton Orchard Company on this land, one of many local orchards supplying a wide selection of apples for the southeast Nebraska region.

Today, the orchards at Arbor Day Farm are still going strong, even with the very dry year that 2012 has turned out to be. As is typical in drought years, the apples are smaller in size this year but the quantity of apples in the orchard remains relatively consistent with recent harvests.

U-Pick and Pre-Picked Apples

Picking a golden delicious apple at Arbor Day Farm.

From now through late October, 14 varieties of traditional apples will be available here.  Many people enjoy the “u-pick” orchards, where one can wander through the apple trees and hand-pick for themselves any combination of varieties in five- or ten-pound bags, or half- or full-bushel. Improved orchard signage at Arbor Day Farm will help people find just the apples they’re looking for. Free hayrack rides to the orchard are available for the fall season on Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5pm.

For those who love apples but don’t necessarily wish to pick their own, the Apple House Market is a one-stop shop for pre-picked apples. A team of orchard workers picks apples daily in the orchard, bringing their harvest into the market for

purchase. Five- and ten-pound bags, half- and full-bushel quantities are ready to go for your convenience.

The Preservation Orchard

It’s impossible to discuss apples and apple traditions without noting the Preservation Orchard at Arbor Day Farm.

The almata apple, an heirloom apple variety at Arbor Day Farm known for it’s reddish-pink flesh.

This collection of heirloom-variety apple trees was originally planted in the late 1980s and today consists of 90 rare, antique apple varieties, some dating back to the 1500s and originating in Rome, France, Ireland, Turkey and beyond.

Many varieties of preservation apples are not necessarily “pretty” – many have russeting (discoloration of the skin), odd shapes, or irregular sizes. But just as one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, one also shouldn’t judge a vintage apple by its outward appearance. Certain varieties of these heirloom apples have exceptional flavor and are prized for baking.

For the 2012 apple harvest season, visitors to Arbor Day Farm will have the opportunity to purchase these heirloom apples in five-pound bags at the Apple House Market. Quantities are limited and selection will vary as different varieties are ready for harvest.

We look forward to sharing the apple tradition with you this fall at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City.

We’ve also been taking care of some off-season projects around the orchard, too — specifically, making apple variety signs and sign posts for placement in the orchard. We heard you loud and clear: you needed better signs so you know what kinds of apples you’re picking. If grandma’s prized recipe calls for Golden Delicious, there’s no need to spend time wandering through the Ozark Golds, looking for what you need. The new signs will help you find exactly the apples you want, and they’ll also help our orchard staff keep better records of yields of specific varieties and orchard maintenance throughout the year. Win-win.

Jesse (L) and Adam saw new signposts for the orchards at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City.

There are LOTS of posts to install!

Signs like this one at Arbor Day Farm will help visitors find different varieties of apples in the orchard.

Jesse spent some time working the corn maze last week, too — cutting the design into the rows and making it a fun challenge for our visitors this fall.

We’ll share more orchard updates on the blog soon, but just wanted to show you what’s happening this summer in the orchard.

See you soon at Arbor Day Farm!

-Adam