The back story: In 2008, Gary and Christi Bardenhagen preserved their 184-acre farm, which produces the much-celebrated local strawberries that are sold at area grocers and farmers markets. The farm […]
Category Archives: Farmland Protection Stories
180-Acre Putnam Farm in Omena Forever Protected
Having moved to Omena over 30 years ago, the Putnam farm just up the road from where I live is a place I have long worried might turn into a […]
Iconic Putnam Farm in Omena Preserved
Putnam Farm in Omena: Forever Preserved An iconic farm in Omena has been preserved forever, thanks to the heirs of Rennie and Esther Putnam. Working with the Leelanau Conservancy, the […]
Michael Chetcuti and Kyle Evans Protect Farmland near Northport with Donated Conservation Easement
Big Picture People Michael Chetcuti’s first memory of Northport is boating into the harbor with some buddies on a 4th of July weekend in the late eighties. After wandering around […]
Eitzen Family Preserves Land and Legacy of Farming
Eitzen Family Preserves Land and Legacy of Farming When it comes to the history of Leelanau County, one family’s story—that of the Eitzens—is about as intertwined as it gets. The […]
New “Farmer to Farmer” Website Helps Farmers Find Land, Employees, Work
New Farmer to Farmer Website Up and Running A new program provides matchmaking for farmers. “Farmer to Farmer” will connect buyers and sellers as well as lessors and lessees of […]
Leelanau Conservancy Farmland Preservation Efforts Earn Kudos
Saving Land Magazine, a publication of the Land Trust Alliance, talks about the state of farmland conservation, the Farm Bill, and the role the Leelanau Conservancy has played. From its […]
Promise Keepers: McManus Farm Preserved
Promise Keepers Thirty six years ago, Mike and Janet McManus made a promise. They were about to purchase Karl Kiessel’s farm along Eagle Highway—an ideal fruit-growing site overlooking Lake Michigan. […]
210-Acre Lawton Farm Protected in Honor of Beloved Parents
When you retire at 55 from the Chrysler Corporation as its assistant treasurer, and then become a cherry farmer for the next three decades, what does that look like? Tom […]
Kiessel Brothers: Center Highway
From Our Fall 2014 Newsletter In the heart of the agricultural corridor along Center Highway sits the old Green farm. The Leelanau Trail stretches back off to the east, and […]
