May 2013

 

Check out COLT's new facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/OhioLandTrusts

For Immediate Release: 
Contact: Krista Magaw
Phone: (937) 767-9490
Email: krista@tecumsehlandtrust.org

Mother's Day Bird Walk in Yellow Springs, Ohio

Are you wondering what to give your mother for Mother’s Day?  How about a beautiful, relaxing walk with expert birder, Julie Karlson.  On Sunday, May 12, Tecumseh Land Trust (TLT) is hosting a Mother’s Day Bird walk, led by Julie, who will teach you about birds, bird calls, and much more.  The walk will be held on a permanently preserved property owned by Bud & Jean Marsh which features a healthy woods, prairie, and pond – all great bird habitat.  Bring your mother and help welcome back the returning birds!  

The walk begins at 4pm at the Marsh Property located at 171 E. Hyde Road in Yellow Springs.  This event is free to the enjoyment of the public thanks to the generous support of our members.

The Tecumseh Land Trust is a local nonprofit organization that has preserved nearly 22,000 acres of agricultural and natural land in Clark and Greene Counties over the last two decades. The land trust also works to educate the public about land preservation options and buying food directly from farmers.  Direct sales of fresh food, or of value added products made from local crops, increase farm income and stimulate the local economy.

For more information call TLT at 937-767-9490, e-mail Krista Magaw at krista@tecumsehlandtrust.org, or visit www.tecumsehlandtrust.org and click on “Calendar.” 

The Biggest Week in American Birding 2013
Duration of Event: May 3rd – 12th, 2013
Click here to register.
Click here to learn more about this event.

 

Black Swamp Conservancy Thanks You for Your Support of Peninsular Farms

Dear Conservancy Supporter,

Thank you to everyone who has written letters in support of Peninsular Farms. We have recently learned that First Energy is considering new routes for their high voltage power lines - which would avoid this significant natural and cultural resource.

Please click here to visit our website and see additional information, including the public meeting notice and 13abc news story.

Thank you once again for your support of Peninsular Farms and Black Swamp Conservancy. We would never have reached this point without your help!

Sincerely,
Rob Krain
Executive Director

State Cancels Sawmill Wetlands Swamp with Developer

By  Spencer Hunt
The Columbus Dispatch Thursday May 2, 2013 3:12 PM

Map of where Sawmill is.

Map of where Sawmill is.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials have canceled a proposed land swap that would have given a Sawmill Road wildlife preserve to a developer. 

State officials said that they informed the development firm JDS So Cal Ltd. yesterday afternoon that they were terminating their agreement. Natural Resources spokesman Matt Eiselstein said the firm failed to give a required notification 10 days before a May 7 deadline to close on the deal. 

The state took over the 17.5-acre Sawmill State Wildlife Education Area in 1994 as part of a wetlands-conservation plan that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency reached with developers building a nearby shopping center. 

Under the terms of the agreement, JDS would have acquired the land in exchange for a 43-acre property along the Olentangy River near Highbanks Metro Park. 

A 2008 Ohio EPA report lists the Sawmill site as one of 14 remaining wetlands within I-270 capable of supporting amphibian wildlife. 

News of the deal, reported in The Dispatch, inspired several public protests. The Ohio Environmental Council also filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court arguing that the agreement violated promises state officials made to permanently preserve the wetlands. 

 

Contact: Lauren Ketcham, Communications Coordinator, (614) 421-2022 Ext. 203, lauren@oeffa.org

Free Public Tour Series Features Ohio’s Organic and Sustainable Farms and Businesses

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has announced its farm tours and workshops that will be included in the 2013 Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series, featuring free public tours of some of Ohio’s finest sustainable and organic farms. OEFFA has offered these tours for more than 30 years, providing unique opportunities for Ohioans to see, taste, feel, and learn what sustainable food and fiber production is all about from the farmers themselves.

Consumers interested in local foods, farmers and market gardeners wanting to learn more and network with other farmers, and aspiring and beginning farmers are encouraged to attend. 

“Consumer demand for fresh, locally produced food and farm products continues to grow, along with the desire to understand how food gets from the field to the dinner table. Farmers are opening their barn doors this summer to show how sustainably produced food is grown,” said Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA’s Communications Coordinator. “The tours are also designed to help farmers and gardeners learn from each other so they can improve their production and marketing techniques and grow their operations,” added Ketcham.

Seventeen tours and workshops are being sponsored by OEFFA and will be held between June and November. The 2013 farm tour and workshop series is promoted in cooperation with the Ohio State University Sustainable Agriculture Team and the Coalition of Ohio Land Trusts, who are sponsoring additional tours. In total, the series features 24 farms and food businesses, three university research centers, and three educational workshops.

OEFFA's tours and workshops feature: dairy farming and processing, diversified organic production, pasture-raised livestock and poultry, composting, Permaculture, specialty crops, cut flowers, agri-tourism, urban farming, cover crops, season extension, food preservation, and farm business skills.

OEFFA’s events are:

OEFFA’s 2013 farm tours are supported in part by the Jim Rosselot Memorial Fund.  Jim, a third generation farmer from Butler County, passed away last summer at the age of 57. Jim was a staunch supporter of sustainable agriculture and an active OEFFA member. He and his family grew vegetables and produced free range meat, poultry, and eggs, sold through a successful community supported agriculture (CSA) program, the local farmers' market, and restaurants.

For additional information and a complete list of all farm tours, including dates, times, farm descriptions, and driving directions, click here.

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The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 by farmers, gardeners, and conscientious eaters who committed to work together to create and promote a sustainable and healthful food and farming system. For more information, go to www.oeffa.org.

Rally: National Land Conservation Conference Registration Is Now Open

As I travel the country, I hear creative ideas from land trusts that are expanding their membership, fundraising and conservation impact. You can learn about these innovations from the country’s top conservation experts and your peers at Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference, which will be in New Orleans from September 17-19. Register today to get the best pick of the 112 workshops, 16 seminars and eight field trips.

Can’t wait to see you in the Big Easy. 

President, Land Trust Alliance
Rand Wentworth