Ecological restoration is a labor of love that works to reverse time and damage that has stripped a land of its native biodiversity. Restoring an ecosystem to its natural state […]
Category Archives: Farmland Protection Stories
A Legacy of Farming
When the Leelanau Conservancy protects family farms, we often talk about the land as a globally rare resource that is perfect for growing stonefruit. We identify streams and towering hardwood […]
Board Chair’s Column: Jim Nugent
Photo above of the Mawby Family Farm near Suttons Bay by Mark Smith Leelanau County is a land of spectacular natural features and amazing farmland. The Leelanau Conservancy is working […]
2020 Land Protection Project Roundup
(From our 2020 Annual Report). As the year came to a close, it was pretty incredible to look back over 2020 and realize that with your help and the dedication […]
Porritt Farm Adds to Corridor of Conserved Lands
All photos thanks to Mark Smith Rex Dobson was the very first farmer in Leelanau to permanently protect his land from development. In 1999, he worked with the newly formed […]
Great News: Mawby, Porritt Farms Protect 288 More Acres
Your Leelanau Conservancy is still saving farmland under a high threat of conversion to development despite the ongoing pandemic. Two more iconic farms rooted in Leelanau County’s agricultural heritage have […]
Bernie Rink’s Boskydel Vineyard Lands Protected
Story by Carolyn Faught, Senior Writer for the Conservancy. (Feature photo by Mark Smith.) Before moving to Leelanau full time in 1987, my husband and I owned a tiny cottage […]
Gallagher Family Protects Beloved Farmland
John Gallagher Jr. says that he and his family “have been blessed” to own more than 400 acres of breathtakingly gorgeous farmland in Leelanau’s Elmwood Township. Panoramic views from the […]
Two Farms Protected in 2018, 10 More Projects in the Works!
It won’t be long before Leelanau’s thousands of fruit trees burst into bloom, covering our rolling hillsides with their one-of-a-kind beauty.
Parker Family Protects Beloved Trout Stream
From our Fall 2018 Newsletter–At 87, Keith Parker shows no signs of slowing down. He’ll drive a combine for eight hours, harvesting corn that feeds his 120 head of beef […]
