Donations and gifts of all sizes
by Kristin Vogel, Communications & Education Associate
This article was originally published in December 2010
It truly takes an entire community to save local organic farmland forever. As an organization, we’ve sought to be creative and pursue multiple ways of preserving and stewarding organic farmland. And sometimes, our fellow community members also find innovative ways to support farmland preservation.
Such is the case with our latest project. Gary and Lois Fisher of Whidbey Island have donated the conservation easement from their 15-acre property to PCC Farmland Trust — which will be our first donated easement. The property is in Oak Harbor, and is made up of pasture, forest and wetland. The farm has prime soils, is near other protected lands, and acts as a significant site for migratory and waterfowl habitat. Gary and Lois are livestock advisors for WSU Extension and raise unique heritage breeds of livestock, including a wide variety of sheep, chickens, ducks and other poultry.
Adding to their already sizeable act of generosity, the Fishers also have made a significant donation to the trust’s stewardship program to ensure that their land, and land that is already secured by the trust, is stewarded in perpetuity.
The Fishers’ donation is exciting for an obvious reason: 15 more acres of local land saved forever. But we’re also happy to facilitate saving farmland in a different way. While 15 acres would likely be too small for the trust to purchase as an easement, the Fishers’ donation of their conservation easement allows for this land to be protected in another way. Most of us don’t have an easement to donate but the Fishers made a generous and forward-looking contribution in a way that made sense for them.
We also are pleased to offer lots of other ways of giving and supporting PCC Farmland Trust that might make sense for you and your family. New, and just in time for the holiday season, we’ve debuted PCC Farmland Trust gift certificates: good for a 2011 farm tour or a Local Chefs for Local Farms event. We also offer membership in our “Circles of Giving”— so whether you’d like to become a monthly donor, explore Sustaining Circle donations, or make planned giving to PCC Farmland Trust a part of your legacy, you can find a giving plan that works for you. See our website for details.
And as always, gifts in honor of loved ones around the holidays are a simple and easy giving idea. You can donate online at pccfarmlandtrust.org, and we offer blank Farmland Trust note cards that you can personalize with your gift.