Michigan farmer protects his family’s 131 acres from future housing development
Michigan farmer John Boyer has placed his 131-acre property under a conservation easement to prevent future residential or commercial development. By selling the development rights to the Little Traverse Conservancy, Boyer ensures the land remains a working farm regardless of future ownership.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing trend of private landowners using legal mechanisms to combat urban sprawl and preserve agricultural land amid rising property values.
John Boyer grew up surrounded by the rolling fields of corn, oats and wheat that once belonged to his family in East Jordan, Michigan. Decades later, after the 131-acre property had changed hands several times outside the family, Boyer made the decision to buy it back.For Boyer, the purchase was about more than owning farmland. He felt a personal responsibility to bring the property back into the family and continue farming it, while ensuring that development would not gradually encroach on the agricultural community.“For any farmer, everything’s personal,” Boyer was quoted as saying by Bridge Michigan. “Every piece of property, every stone you pick up, you spend countless hours out there.”Now, Boyer has taken another significant step to protect the land.
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