Reclaiming Farmland

It’s not often that our morning commute gets us excited for the workday.  But today we heard a story on the radio that caused us to bump up the speedometer a bit.  The story was titled “Farmers Take Back Land Slated for Housing.”

Photo courtesy of Pam Brophy

Over the past 30 years, land development trends have been such that farmland has been lost to development at an ever-increasing rate.  In fact, between 1982 and 2007 the US lost more than an acre of farmland every minute.  When the housing bubble burst in 2008, that process was stopped.  In many ways, the burst has been a tragedy with the millions of homeowners who faced foreclosure.  However, one silver lining that has appeared has been the return of lands slated for development back to farmland.

Indeed, in the story we heard this morning, one farmer who sold his land to a developer for $80,000 an acre has since bought it back at a heavily discounted $18,500 an acre and has returned it to agricultural use.  Further, more and more young farmers are entering the field by leasing lands and living on the profits they make from selling high-value commodities like cotton and hay.  We encourage you to have a listen by clicking here.

Investing in Conservation

“Good Stewardship, Good Business, Good Neighbors”

Those six words mark the beginning of the cover story of the most recent edition of The Land Report and do a pretty good job of summing up our own feelings toward investing in conservation.  You see, investing in such practices as wildlife management, stream restoration, and recreational land use has a plethora of benefits to both people and the natural environment.  These include higher biodiversity, improved water quality, and, of course, higher real estate values, to name just a few.

In this particular story, billionaire T. Boone Pickens tells of many of the conservation efforts he has incorporated into his land investment strategy over the years.  As he puts it, “We always made a profit from the ranch sales.  But what I feel really good about is knowing that we left the land in better shape than we found it.”  Indeed, by incorporating wildlife management programs, Pickens was able to promote larger and healthier populations while also profiting off of the increased recreational values of the land.

Further, Pickens was also astute at determining the highest and best use for his and surrounding properties.  For example, when a colossal reservoir was discovered beneath the surface of his land in Roberts County, Texas, he recognized that rather than using that water to support irrigation-intensive agricultural practices, he decided to sell the water credits to local urban centers and instead allow the land to lie fallow.  In return, he not only profited off the sale of the water credits but also received tax benefits by placing his land into a conservation reserve program, and the land was allowed to return to pristine prairie.

You can read more about T. Boone Pickens and his conservation efforts by clicking here (begins on page 38).  While you’re reading, make sure to check out the stunning photography by friend of Field Sport Concepts, Wyman Meinzer.  And if you’d like a sample of our approach to investing in conservation, you can view a presentation given by FSC principal Bob McKee of McKee Carson by checking out this article from our most recent quarterly newsletter.

Running Colter Ranch

We hope everyone had a relaxing holiday season!  We sure did, but we’re also incredibly excited to get 2012 started.

Now that you’re all caught up on your email and are getting settled back into your daily routine, isn’t it time for another vacation?  Maybe not, but how about a five-minute break?  We’ve got just the ticket!  Our affiliate, Trout Headwaters, is doing some great work at Running Colter Ranch over in Bozeman, Montana and recently released a video documenting their work.  Enjoy!

Fall Reading

Check your email!  In it should be a copy of the latest newsletter from Field Sport Concepts.  It’s got a bunch of great content, including stories about barn restoration (trust us, the barns we restore make the other barns jealous), our efforts to educate the local community about current environmental issues, and our unique approach to converting overgrown golf courses into community amenities.  And that’s just the start!

But, what’s that you say?  You can’t find the newsletter in your inbox?  Never fear!  For those 5 or 6 of you who aren’t yet enjoying our quarterly newsletter, you can check it out by clicking here.  If you enjoy the content (we’re confident you will), you can subscribe by visiting our website.

Thanks to everyone who has been checking out our posts!  If you have any feedback, we’d love to hear from you!

Securing the Legacy

We would like to introduce you to another friend of Field Sport Concepts, Wyman Meinzer.  Mr. Meinzer is the Texas State Photographer and has a number of wonderful videos documenting the beauty of the Texas landscape.  One of his videos, “Securing the Legacy,” documents the critically important work of the Natural Resources Management program at Texas Tech University.  Instructing the students in both the ecological history of Texan ecosystems as well as proper management of it is range of ecosystems, the program prepares students to serve as environmental stewards for generations to come.  We invite you to check out the video below.

The Key to Higher Property Values

Carrots, oregano, and beets.

Well, maybe it’s not entirely that simple.  You should probably add lettuce, potatoes, and corn as well.  And berries.

The point is, developers are finding that some of the most successful residential and commercial developments are those that include a long-term commitment to local agriculture.  While many developments centered around culs-de-sac and strip malls have been put on hold, those that include community farms, farmer’s markets, and other local food-based amenities are moving full steam ahead.

In fact, at the recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2011 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles, the sheer power of the local food movement was put on display.  Speaker after speaker demonstrated how by including local food in their development, they saw significantly higher property values with lower capital investment than traditional residential and commercial developments.

In one example, a resort developer in Hawaii included a 22-acre farm on a recently completed luxury residential resort.  He is now finding that the farm is having a big impact on sales and marketing, especially when considering it cost 1/100 the price of a traditional golf course, clubhouse, and spa.  In another example, Bundoran Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia is a conservation community designed around a low-density residential development and a working farm.  Benefiting from drastically lower infrastructure costs as a result of the use of on-site management of stormwater runoff, the developer is also seeing lots selling for $250,000 to over $1 million.

We encourage you to read more about agriculture-centered developments and would love to hear from you should you have any questions!

Scouting for Cover

This past week, we were introduced to a leader in the world of field sport literature by the name of Jim Stenson.  Having recognized that the future of outdoor literature publications is in online media, he has spearheaded the development of a number of online periodicals dedicated to educating and entertaining the world of field sport enthusiasts.  These include such magazines as The Contemporary Sportsmen, The Contemporary Wingshooter, and Backcast (forthcoming).  In both The Contemporary Sportsmen and The Contemporary Wingshooter, readers can enjoy the familiar page-turning feel of a traditional magazine while also benefiting from the global access of online media.

In one of our favorite articles, “These Are Our Good Old Days,” the author tells of his struggles to scout for grouse and woodcock covers in this increasingly urbanized (and suburbanized) landscape.  After spending most of his life living in the suburbs of Boston, William G. Tapply decided to flee to a small village in New Hampshire.  As he writes, “For once in my life, I wanted to be able to spend the hunting season in the woods, not in the car.”

What makes this article so engaging, though, is not just the story itself, but rather the ways in which Tapply is able to paint such vivid image of “the good old days.”  Describing days of simply walking westerly because “the whole countryside was one big grouse cover,” taking time to sit back and savor the moment, and enjoying the simple pleasures of the outdoors, Tapply makes it easy for the reader to get lost in his world.  When contrasted with today’s ever-quickening pace, it is certainly a welcome respite.

We encourage you to check out the rest of the beautifully-written articles contained in these periodicals.  And should you find yourself wanting to develop your own covers, please do not hesitate to give us a shout!

The Working Subdivision

A few weeks back, we posted a story about how agriculture-based communities are the new golf communities.  It looks like we’ve influenced a developer in Illinois to do the same!  (on second thought, he’s probably been working on the project for more than the past few weeks)  You see,  John DeWald & Associates recently broke ground on their newest development, Serosun Farms.  This one is not like traditional subdivisions, though.  As DeWald puts it, “The vision of Serosun Farms is to protect and preserve our land from future development and suburban sprawl.”  Serosun will blend agricultural preservation and sustainable practices (including producing 70-80% of their own energy on site).

Not only will the community have large plot sizes to preserve open space, it will be centered around a 160-acre working, sustainable farm with an on-site farmer’s market and over 400 acres of open space, miles of hiking trails, fishing ponds, playgrounds, a community center, and an equestrian facility.  In fact, the community will have extensive boarding and training facilities and will offer professional care to the residents’ horses.

Perhaps most exciting of all, this innovative community isn’t alone!  According to the Urban Land Institute, there are more than 200 similar projects currently in the works.

The affiliates at Field Sport Concepts have extensive experience with every stage of the development of agriculture-based communities.  In fact, our work at Bundoran Farm was the first working farm to be certified Gold by Audubon International.  We are eager to work with you to develop the next conservation community!

Bundoran Farm is a conservation community characterized by greenbelts, farmbelts, and homesites accessed by common lanes and private drives.

Retraining Veterans to Fight Invasives

When veterans return home, they often struggle to re-acclimate to civilian life.  In addition to having a hard time finding employment, many suffer from debilitating psychological issues.  However, organizations like the Veterans Conservation Corps are working to make the process a bit easier.

Working to restore streams, watersheds, forests, and prairies, among other conservation projects, veterans in Washington State are given the opportunity to connect with others struggling with similar issues through volunteer opportunities.  The program also provides veterans with job training for outdoor jobs in forestry, wildlife management, and other natural-resource fields.  The hope is that by working outside, the veterans will benefit from the healing powers of nature.

Conservation Corps participants have been instrumental in restoring wetlands like the ones picture above. Photo courtesy of Ragesoss.

Benefiting from an AmeriCorps grant, the Conservation Corps has also developed a robust network of members stationed at many colleges around the state.  This has enabled the program to help veterans realize their higher education goals through working with college officials, navigating the GI Bill, and identifying other sources of funding for tuition.  The program also serves enrolled veterans as they transition from military life to college life.

To learn more about the program, check out this article from The Seattle Times.

The Buffalo Commons

We’ve all heard of the Green Revolution, right?  You know, that wildly successful effort to increase agricultural production to meet the demands of a growing world population?

But how about the Brown Revolution?  Like its green counterpart, the Brown Revolution aims to increase agricultural productivity, but this time as a means of battling climate change.  Unlike the previous version, however, this approach does not hinge on implementing new technology.  Rather, it relies on restoring natural systems.

In South Dakota, a team of revolutionaries is looking to lead the charge by implementing a system of holistic management.  Such a system seeks to mimic the natural herding of wild animals using livestock.  Holistic management has been incredibly effective at promoting greater biodiversity, increased organic matter in the soil, rejuvenation of microorganisms, and the restoration of water cycles.  If successful, the trio hopes to restore entire regions!

We would love to hear your ideas on holistic managements and the various ways this could serve as an opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts!

Also, check out this news clip celebrating Charlottesville, VA’s new certified LEED Platinum Smith Aquatic and Recreation Center.  FSC affiliate, McKee Carson, is proud to have been responsible for the overall site planning, landscape architecture, civil engineering and site plan approvals for this exciting project!