Centennial family farm preserved Albert and Ann Kassuba are reassured knowing their family’s Otsego County centennial farm is protected forever from development and available for farming for future generations. The Gaylord farm was established in 1882 by Albert’s grandparents. Albert, the third generation to farm the land, inherited the land from his parents. The Kassuba family first turned to HeadWaters Land Conservancy a few years ago for information about protecting the homestead and its rolling farmland. “As suitable farmland becomes more scarce, it’s more important than ever that places like this are protected. This land and farming have been a way of life for me and my family and I could not imagine the landscape changing,” noted Albert Kassuba. HeadWaters Land Conservancy staff recently helped the Kassuba family complete a conservation easement on the 106-acre farm, permanently protecting the land from development and subdivision. The eastern shore of Kassuba Lake, located on the property, is also protected as part of the conservation easement. “We are optimistic that the Kassuba story will encourage other family farmers to contact us to learn more about land conservation options and benefits,” says Kirt Manecke, HeadWaters Land Conservancy’s Director of Marketing. Married for 65 years this past August, the Kassubas raised six children who all had active roles in farming and raising livestock. The family grew grain, hay, corn, oats and potatoes. Dairy cows and pigs were raised as well. Farm production stopped in the early 1970’s and all of their livestock was sold by the late 70’s, after which Albert and Ann took some well-deserved time off to enjoy retirement. “Although the land is not currently being farmed, it’s nice to know that the possibility is there,” added Albert Kassuba. Traversed by Interstate 75, and with a 29.8% population increase between 1990 and 2000, Otsego County is one of the fastest growing counties in northern Michigan. Where family farms once sat in the open, rolling fields near Gaylord, the County’s largest city, new developments are shooting up. Among other benefits, farmland protection maintains land for wildlife, preserves the local agricultural and tourism economy and contributes to flood control. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land conservancy. It allows a landowner to permanently protect land and limit future development in order to protect the conservation values of the land, while allowing the landowner to retain ownership and the ability to sell. Along with possibly reducing estate taxes, landowners who place a conservation easement on their property may receive an income tax deduction. Land protected with a conservation easement remains private and not open for public access. A building envelope for a future home site(s) can be built into the conservation easement agreement as long as it does not disrupt the conservation values of the property. Based in Gaylord, HeadWaters Land Conservancy is a private, non-profit land conservancy established in 1993 to protect land in the eleven-county region of northeast Lower Michigan. These counties include Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Crawford, Roscommon, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle County. Over 2,566 acres are protected to date, with another 2,000 acres in process. HeadWaters Land Conservancy works to conserve the “Up North” you enjoy by protecting open space, waterfront, wildlife habitat and farmland in Northeast Michigan. For more information, please call (989) 731-0573, e-mail headwaters@gtlakes.com or visit www.headwatersconservancy.org.   Headwaters Land Conservancy 110 S. Elm Avenue Gaylord, MI 49735 (989) 731-0573 headwaters@gtlakes.com

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