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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Once the economy took a downturn, it seemed like there were farmers selling their land to developers every week, said East Orchard Mesa fruit grower Guy Parker.
“That's how it felt,” he said.
Parker and his wife, Lori, decided to do what they could to foster farmland preservation by agreeing to put a portion of their land in a conservation easement with Mesa Land Trust, which protects the land for perpetuity. The parcel adjoins property owned by his in-laws, Sue and Charles Cooke, who also agreed to a conservation easement.
“We feel for our children, and our children's children, we really don't want this valley to be totally without fruit farms,” Guy Parker said. “We feel the ability to grow food in western Colorado is too important to leave to chance, or the economy.”
The Parkers joined three other family farms in conserving 115 acres of peach and wine grape producing lands, as part of the Land Trust's Fruitlands Forever Initiative, which seeks to conserve a critical mass of farmland sufficient to support fruit growing into the future.
The families sold their development rights, but retain ownership and may continue to live on and farm the land. They can even sell the property, although it can never be subdivided or developed.
Sons of longtime farmer Harry Talbott agreed to conserve their 37-acre Riverview Vineyard which sits atop a Colorado River bluff, and which buffers the Tillie Bishop Wildlife Area.
Talbott was one of the original founders in 1980 of the Mesa County Land Conservancy, whose name later changed to Mesa Land Trust.
“We were first in the United States to conserve agricultural land,” Talbott said.
Local farmers were concerned by the subdivision boom of the 1970s and 1980s and formed the conservancy to help save disappearing farmland.
“We needed to save our orchards,” Talbott said.
The land in and around Palisade is unique and prime for peach growing, “which is why we wanted to preserve this land,” Talbott said. “We were very concerned we couldn't go elsewhere and grow peaches.”
The Land Trust's Fruitlands Forever Initiative's goal is to conserve 500 additional acres of prime fruit-growing land in the next five years.
Palisade's family farms not only provide beautiful landscape, but also contribute to the economy and quality of life of the Grand Valley, Mesa Land Trust executive director Rob Bleiberg said.
“It also grows sweet, juicy peaches that are hard to beat,” he said.
The Land Trust makes it possible for landowners to afford forfeiting their development rights by providing tax credits, and/or cash payments for conserved land. Landowners retain ownership, may continue to farm, or sell the land. The land cannot be subdivided, or developed, however, whether sold or not.
Great Outdoors Colorado provided $953,000, and the Natural Resources Conservation Services awarded $837,000 toward the Land Trust acquisitions. The four landowners donated a total of $300,000 of property value, and the Gates Family Foundation provided a $50,000 challenge grant. Funding was also provided by the Goodwin Foundation.
Between 1997 and 2002, Mesa County lost 17,000 acres of agricultural lands to other uses; and in the last 20 years, Colorado lost 50 percent of its orchards and vineyards, Bleiberg said.
Landowners have partnered with Mesa Land Trust to conserve more than 40 family farms and more than 720 acres of prime land near Palisade.
“The East Valley is an agricultural treasure for the state,” producing nearly 20 million pounds of peaches annually, Bleiberg said. “We want to do everything we can to conserve this wonderful place for future generations.”
“That's how it felt,” he said.
Parker and his wife, Lori, decided to do what they could to foster farmland preservation by agreeing to put a portion of their land in a conservation easement with Mesa Land Trust, which protects the land for perpetuity. The parcel adjoins property owned by his in-laws, Sue and Charles Cooke, who also agreed to a conservation easement.
“We feel for our children, and our children's children, we really don't want this valley to be totally without fruit farms,” Guy Parker said. “We feel the ability to grow food in western Colorado is too important to leave to chance, or the economy.”
The Parkers joined three other family farms in conserving 115 acres of peach and wine grape producing lands, as part of the Land Trust's Fruitlands Forever Initiative, which seeks to conserve a critical mass of farmland sufficient to support fruit growing into the future.
The families sold their development rights, but retain ownership and may continue to live on and farm the land. They can even sell the property, although it can never be subdivided or developed.
Sons of longtime farmer Harry Talbott agreed to conserve their 37-acre Riverview Vineyard which sits atop a Colorado River bluff, and which buffers the Tillie Bishop Wildlife Area.
Talbott was one of the original founders in 1980 of the Mesa County Land Conservancy, whose name later changed to Mesa Land Trust.
“We were first in the United States to conserve agricultural land,” Talbott said.
Local farmers were concerned by the subdivision boom of the 1970s and 1980s and formed the conservancy to help save disappearing farmland.
“We needed to save our orchards,” Talbott said.
The land in and around Palisade is unique and prime for peach growing, “which is why we wanted to preserve this land,” Talbott said. “We were very concerned we couldn't go elsewhere and grow peaches.”
The Land Trust's Fruitlands Forever Initiative's goal is to conserve 500 additional acres of prime fruit-growing land in the next five years.
Palisade's family farms not only provide beautiful landscape, but also contribute to the economy and quality of life of the Grand Valley, Mesa Land Trust executive director Rob Bleiberg said.
“It also grows sweet, juicy peaches that are hard to beat,” he said.
The Land Trust makes it possible for landowners to afford forfeiting their development rights by providing tax credits, and/or cash payments for conserved land. Landowners retain ownership, may continue to farm, or sell the land. The land cannot be subdivided, or developed, however, whether sold or not.
Great Outdoors Colorado provided $953,000, and the Natural Resources Conservation Services awarded $837,000 toward the Land Trust acquisitions. The four landowners donated a total of $300,000 of property value, and the Gates Family Foundation provided a $50,000 challenge grant. Funding was also provided by the Goodwin Foundation.
Between 1997 and 2002, Mesa County lost 17,000 acres of agricultural lands to other uses; and in the last 20 years, Colorado lost 50 percent of its orchards and vineyards, Bleiberg said.
Landowners have partnered with Mesa Land Trust to conserve more than 40 family farms and more than 720 acres of prime land near Palisade.
“The East Valley is an agricultural treasure for the state,” producing nearly 20 million pounds of peaches annually, Bleiberg said. “We want to do everything we can to conserve this wonderful place for future generations.”
