Ottawa County Sign Unveiling Celebration for the Preservation of the Hehl Farm

The Ottawa County Agricultural Preservation Board is pleased to announce that it closed on its first permanently preserved agricultural property on August 24, 2016.  The Hehl Farm, a 34.9 acre hog and cattle farm in Polkton Township, is the first farm permanently preserved by the Ottawa County Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program.

To commemorate this achievement, the Agricultural Preservation Board is holding a sign unveiling celebration on September 29, 2016 at 4:30 p.m.  The sign unveiling celebration will feature guest speaker Carl Bednarski, President of the Michigan Farm Bureau.  A picnic will be held immediately following the sign unveiling.  The celebration will be held at the Hehl Farm located at 14468 88^th Avenue, Coopersville, MI 49404.

“This is a first for Ottawa County,” stated Cliff Meeuwsen, Chair of the Agricultural Preservation Board.  “The need for farmland that provides food for the world continues to grow, while we continue to lose farmland to development at a rapid pace.  This program preserves farmland and green space for future generations, and we should remember that without timely rains and farmland, we could not exist.”

The PDR Program is a voluntary program that preserves farmland through the purchase and donation of development rights for actively farmed property.  It is the program’s mission to preserve the scenic, environmental, and economic benefits that farms and farmland provide to their local communities and beyond.   

Landowners who participate in the program receive compensation for the development potential of the land, yet they still own their land and retain the majority of the rights associated with it. Development of the land is restricted by a permanent deed restriction, which bars any future residential and commercial development on the land.

The PDR Program is funded entirely through private donations, contributions from foundations, and state and federal grants.  Without these sources, the Program would not be able to continue to preserve and protect local farmland.  If you are interested in making a contribution to the Program, donations can be made to the Ottawa County Farmland Preservation Fund through the Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation. 

If you are interested in attending the Hehl Farm Preservation Sign Unveiling Celebration, please RSVP by September 22 at (616) 738-4852, via email at plan@miottawa.org, or electronically at the Ottawa County Events site.

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Media Contact:

Paul Sachs | Director, Planning and Performance Improvement Department | (616) 738-4852