Returning Home Farm

Returning Home Farm

Returning Home Farm is an extension of Penn Forest Natural Burial Park that provides model projects in sustainability. Penn Forest owns 35-acres of land in the Penn Hills/Verona area, but only about 2-acres are currently used for green burials. Another 10-acres are set aside as a wildlife refuge area. That leaves about 23-acres that can be used for other sustainability projects that benefit the community.

Ongoing projects include:

  • Raising goats for clearing brush in burial areas
  • Raising chickens and ducks for eggs (we share them with visitors when we have extra)
  • Beehives
  • Blacksmith training classes
  • Hiking trails
  • Tree/shrub planting for forest restoration
  • A quarter acre native PA meadow restoration project

Planned future projects include:

  • A sally garden for raising willows for basket making (and maybe coffins)
  • A hoop greenhouse for raising tea
  • A berry garden
  • A mushroom walk trail
  • A Hügelkultur garden

We are always open to additional sustainability projects. If you’d like to bring your project to RHF, please tell us about your idea.