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A Farm with the 'Wright' Stuff
 Lifelong farmer Wayne Molyneux poses next to his tractor on his property southeast of Coopersville in Wright Township. (Photo by Rich C. Lakeberg/Ottawa County)
155-acre Wright Township Farm is 10th Agricultural Property
to be Protected from Development by Ottawa County
Wright Township farmer Wayne Molyneux is an independent guy who loves the freedom that farming provides. "You don't have anyone telling you what to do, and when. You get to make your own hours ... well, the crops do that," he mused. "You got to get to it whenever it works for them."
Like so many Ottawa County growers of a certain age, Wayne was born into it. As a child on a property nearby, his family raised dairy cows, steers, pigs, as well as some field crops. "I farmed all my life with my dad," he said.
In 1986, Wayne set off on his own and acquired two parcels to farm in Wright Township from the Stroven family. Since then, he's seen a lot of change and has produced a variety of commodities on his properties - livestock including pigs and beef cattle; different cash crops; and a family to boot. Now 40 years on, he's still working the land. But with one eye to the future and a deep love for farming, he's elected to protect his acreage by participating in Ottawa County's Farmland Preservation Program. The County officially closed on the property Oct. 27, 2026.
"You look out around the County and see development all over," said Wayne. "I didn't want that here."
Wayne plans on passing his properties on to his son, Joshua Molyneux, who lives in Sparta, and hopes his grandchildren will be interested in the property one day. But Molyneux isn't one to hold his breath to hope for the best. By creating a permanent conservation easement on the parcels with the Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR), he's ensured the land will stay agricultural even if the property is sold in the future. "If the grandkids end up with it years from now and they don't farm, they can't try to plot it all off," Molyneux said, matter-of-factly.
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"You look around the County and see development all over.
I didn't want that here."
Lifelong farmer Wayne Molyneux
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 The whole Molyneux property, and some of the structures - including the home Wayne lives in - have been farmed since at least the 1870s. (Photo by Scott Vandenberg/Ottawa County)
About the Farm
The Molyneux property in Wright Township is the 10th farm protected through the County PDR program. At about 155 acres spread over two parcels, it is the largest to join the ranks.
The farm stood out for its 100 percent prime soils - meaning it has the ideal characteristics for productive agricultural operations according to the National Resources Conservation Service.
What made preserving this acreage possible was qualifying for funds from both the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Michigan Agricultural Preservation Fund.
"The PDR program is completely funded through private donations, grants, and landowner contributions," said Farmland Preservation Analyst Julie Lamer. "These types of grants ensure family farms like the Molyneuxs can be protected."
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Evolution of the Farm, Historic Structures,
and Hollywood connections
When Wayne Molyneux first took over the property in the '80s with help from his brother, they continued with the same type of operation the Stroven family had - a small herd of cows and raised corn and hay. They then slowly branched out, adding pigs to the mix. "I was probably one of the first around to plant barley. I used to use that to feed pigs, instead of corn," Molyneux recalled.
These days the Molyneux brothers focus on hay and cash crops, switching back and forth between corn and soy, which he and his brother harvest and sell to Zeeland Farm Services. Wayne Molyneux also leases around 38 acres to a neighboring farmer.
The farm holds a lot of memories for the Molyneuxs and is a bit of a local landmark. A Michigan Centennial Farm, the whole property itself, and some of the structures - including the home Wayne lives in - date to the 1870s.
A century later, the Molyneuxs were hunting the property before they even owned it. They still do today. "Well - we've had a lot of fun on this farm," Wayne said. "My son and grandkids go out deer hunting here all the time."
In the late 2000s, the Molyneux farm had a brush with fame. Filmmakers shot part of the time-travel football drama Touchback on the property, which starred actors Kurt Russell and Brian Presley. Scenes were captured inside the historic home and around the farm.
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Molyneux and other Ottawa County Farmers featured in new video
You can hear from Wayne Molyneux and other farmers who have been through the Purchase of Development Rights process in a newly released short documentary, Protecting Paradise, which tells the story of farmland preservation in Ottawa County. Created by DSI and the County's skilled videographer Scott Vandenberg this past summer, the video can be watched on Ottawa County's official channel.
About the Farmland Preservation Program
With area farmers producing more than $726 million in products annually (2022 Ag Census), it's easy to see that Ottawa County is an agricultural powerhouse. At the same time, the County is growing quickly, and this growth puts pressure on our highly productive farmland.
Ottawa County strives to support the local agriculture industry through education, advocacy, economic development, and the creation of agricultural conservation easements via the PDR program. Learn more about Ottawa County's farmland preservation efforts by visiting miottawa.org/farmland.
Media Contact:
Rich C. Lakeberg, Communications Specialist
(616) 738-4852
plan@miottawa.org
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