SPEAKER SERIES
This winter when it's cold outside, join us inside the warm, historic Long Branch House for a series of educational and thought-provoking presentations by experts.
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Tickets: $25 per event. Wine and cheese reception prior to presentation. ​​​
​​To purchase tickets: click on button for each event, or mail a check to Long Branch to PO Box 241, Millwood, VA 22646.​​
January 13:
The Evolution of the Shenandoah Valley Apple Industry
David & Phillip Glaize - owners, Glaize Apple Farm, Winchester VA
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Join David and Phillip Glaize, 4th generation apple farmers of Glaize Apple Farm as they relate the storied history of apple production in the Shenandoah Valley, and its impact on general growth and prosperity of our region.Glaize Apples are grown in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Since 1937, four generations of Glaizes have added to the history of premium fruit harvests between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Read more about their story at at glaizeapples.com.
January 19:
Letters from Country Life Farm
Josh Pons - writer and owner of Country Life Farm
Josh Pons – Two-Time Eclipse Award Writer for his journalism in BloodHorse magazine, and author of three published books will discuss the history, breeding, and challenges in the world of thoroughbred racing, including Long Branch historic connections!
​In 2016, Pons discovered thousands of letters from his grandfather Adolphe Pons’ life in the Thoroughbred horse business. Immigrating at the age of 5, he became  Augustus Belmont’s personal secretary and played a major role in the breeding and sale of Man o’ War, widely regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He eventually bought his own horse farm​ in Fallston, Maryland, naming it Country Life. 
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In “Letters from Country Life,” Pons invites readers along as he unearths long-lost voices of Gilded Age tycoons — their voices speaking out from century-old letters and telegrams and their images in never-before-seen photos.  What results is an epic story set against the backdrop of World War I, the Great Depression and World War II. 
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Pons will also outline a connection between his grandfather and Long Branch's Harry Issacs, who worked together in Maryland racehorse breeding.​
Book Signing
There will be a book signing after this event
February 2:
Using Native Plants to Support Functioning Ecosystems
Iara Lacher - owner Seven Bends Nursery
An advocate of native plants for nearly twenty years, Dr. Iara Lacher brings the knowledge and experience that comes from degrees in Botany, Environmental Science and Management, and Ecology to Seven Bends Nursery and its customers. She is established in conservation and planning circles in this region through her research at the Smithsonian Institution, where she worked to connect her science to policy in order to help achieve sustainability goals. Iara’s knowledge of native plants, ecological systems, and plant physiology make her a useful resource as you introduce native plants into your landscape, ensuring you get a garden that is both beautiful and ecologically functional.
Passionate about education and outreach, Iara also loves to share her knowledge with others. She hopes to empower individuals to make positive environmental changes and inspire environmental conservation. Read more about Seven Bends Nursery at sevenbends.org.
