The Swamp Rabbit Trail has transformed Greenville and Travelers Rest by connecting communities, parks and businesses through a pedestrian tail network. Naturaland Trust has purchased miles of old railroad bed to bring the famous trail to the Slater-Marietta community. In 2012 a keystone parcel to this effort went on the market located along the North Saluda River. The tract is 49 acres and has historically been farmed in plastic row-crop agriculture.

After purchasing the property, Naturaland Trust partnered with Save Our Saluda lead by Melanie Ruhlman to embark on a plan to create an agricultural demonstration site and limit sedimentation of the creeks and river. Over several years, we planted riparian buffers and pollinator strips with Trees Upstate along Railroad Creek, built sediment catchment basins, used cover crops in the dormant season, and have moved to regenerative farming practices with Wet Knot Farms. The transformation on the property has been remarkable and we have seen a dramatic improvement of water quality entering the North Saluda River from the farm.

When the Swamp Rabbit Trail is able to connect and come through this property, we hope that thousands of visitors to the trail will get to see a working sustainable farm that provides local food while keeping the North Saluda River and its downstream users healthy.