Land Preservation is Booming in Ross Township, Greene County, Again!

When TLT secured funding from the Ohio Department of Agriculture to purchase an agricultural easement on the first Ross Township farm in 2004, no one knew how quickly this program would take off.   Since then, TLT has closed 11 more easements on a total of 3,034 acres.  Two of the newest properties are Phil Spahr’s Century Farm and 387 acres owned by Sunny Lane Farms.  Sunny Lane Farms contains 367 tillable acres currently planted in a soybean and corn rotation. Talking with Mike Hartman, co-owner of Sunny Lane along with his brother Richard, you quickly hear their passion for farmland and agricultural preservation. Seeing so much farmland disappear to urban development during his lifetime, Mike wanted to “set aside his farm for his family and the next
generation.”  Mike went on to say, “and Michele is the bomb,” emphasizing the “invaluable” asset that the land trust has been to assist in the process of preserving his farmland. He admitted being unsure if he and his brother would have pursued this avenue without the help and backing of TLT. “People [in these counties] need to realize the value of having an organization for the purpose of helping landowners in this process, not everyone has access to something like this.” In fact, this is the Hartman’s second easement with TLT.  In 2007, they closed an easement on their 270 acre farm which is contiguous to TLT’s second largest block of preserved land.  This new easement is on a farm located just two miles from approximately 1,389 acres of contiguous preserved land. Mike’s goal of preserving his farmland for his family and the next generation is has been realized thanks to the work of TLT.   Coming soon is a new block of preserved land in Ross Township consisting of four different properties with a long stretch of Brickle Creek traversing the fields – stay tuned!