MSU Extension Tollgate Farm and Education Center

The offices of the Americana Foundation are located on Tollgate Farm, a 160 acre historic farmstead in Novi, Michigan, originally owned by the Foundation's founders, Adolph H. and Ginger Meyer. The Meyers first saw the farm during avisit to Novi in 1951 and were impressed by the natural beauty of the area and the scenic topography. They purchased it shortly thereafter as an expression of their interest in honoring America's agrarian traditions, out of concern about the vanishing agricultural landscape beyond the Detroit suburbs, and to create a home for Mr. Meyer's prize-winning German shepherds. For years, the farm produced vegetables, dairy products, corn, oats, and hay and, at various times, housed chickens, horses, hogs, and cows.

The Meyers donated 60 acres of the farmstead to Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) in 1979 with the proviso that the farm be used for public agricultural education. The rest of the farmstead is still owned by the Foundation and is leased to MSUE for community gardening, hay fields, and other uses. Educational programming at Tollgate Farm includes workshops, lectures, summer camps, field trips, and hands-on learning to teach the community about vegetable and flower gardening, food production, nature, environmental protection, water quality, and other important topics. Community programs celebrate maple sugaring and the fall harvest. The farm features fields, gardens, farm animals, rolling hills, woodlands, and a pond, offering a unique opportunity to experience agriculture in a suburban environment.

To learn more, visit the Americana Foundation's website: https://americanafoundation.org/