OLIVE TOWNSHIP — Like many Midwesterners of a certain age, lifelong farming couple Lyle and Donna Veldheer were born into the business. 

"My dad was a dairy farmer. But of course, back then you had chickens, you had cows, wheat, corn," said Lyle Veldheer. Donna Veldheer's upbringing was much the same. "We had cattle, horses, steers, chickens ... whatever they could make some money on," she recalled.  

As children, Lyle and Donna lived kitty-corner from each other in Olive Township and played together. They fell in love, married young, and in 1970 bought what was initially a five-acre strawberry farm and house they still live in on Blair Street.  

"We paid just $17,500 for the five acres and the house," said Donna. "And another $500 for the tractor, a little strawberry planter and a cultivator."

Over the years, they raised a variety of crops, acquired more property and expanded their operation to the 36 acres it is today. Much has changed since 1970; what hasn't is the Veldheers dedication to agriculture. On March 14, their farm became the ninth property protected through Ottawa County's Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program. This agreement guarantees the Veldheers' land will continue to be used for agricultural purposes in perpetuity.  

With a lifetime in the business, it was important for the Veldheers to protect their agricultural legacy. 

"We love the land. We really felt like we never wanted to see this developed," said Donna. "We wanted to have young people have their opportunity to farm."

A farming neighborhood 

The Veldheer property is the second Olive Township farm to be preserved via the PDR program. The other, Shady Side Farm, is across the street and is run by Lona and Mike Bronkema - the Veldheers' daughter and son-in-law. 

"It's really ideal for the PDR program and the County's larger mission of farmland preservation to have contiguous or adjacent properties protected," said Agriculture & Economic Resources Coordinator Becky Huttenga. "Having larger corridors of ag land is more conducive to successful farming and can actually encourage more operations."

In a way, the Veldheers had been involved in farmland preservation for decades - they helped the Bronkemas acquire Shady Side Farm and have supported them as they expanded their operation over the years.  

Today, Shady Side uses the Veldheers' land in their crop rotation, growing organic dry beans, small grains, corn, or as grazing land for the Bronkemas' sheep and cattle. 

Applications now being accepted for the PDR program 

Now through April 25, 2025, farmers and other landowners may apply to preserve their eligible agriculturally zoned property by selling the development rights. Landowners protect their property from development by creating a permanent agricultural conservation easement, which guarantees it can only be used for agriculture purposes. Landowners are compensated for lost development potential yet still own the land and retain all rights associated with it. Interested? Learn more and complete a pre-application by visiting miottawa.org/farmland.

Donations and grants are key 

No County money is used to pay landowners for their development rights. The PDR program is completely funded through private donations, state and federal grants, and landowner contributions. 

Funds from The Natural Resource Conservation Service grant made protecting the Veldheer property possible.  

"Grant funding and donations are integral to the continued success of the PDR program," said Farmland Preservation Analyst Julie Lamer. 

About the Farmland Preservation Program 

With area farmers producing more than $726 million in products annually (2022 Ag Census), it's easy to see Ottawa County is an agricultural powerhouse. At the same time, Ottawa County is growing quickly, and this growth is putting pressure on our highly productive farmland.  

Ottawa County strives to protect the local agriculture industry through education, advocacy, economic development support and promoting the benefits of creating agricultural easements through the PDR program. Learn more about Ottawa County's farmland preservation efforts by visiting miottawa.org/farmland, or by attending the Agricultural Preservation Board's annual fundraiser and chefs' competition, Farms are the Tapas.