RVLT Completes the Deal

by Sybil Kolon

very farm has a history that starts before it becomes a farm. Sometimes a farm can keep being a farm; sometimes it becomes a city or suburban neighborhood; sometimes it can return to its roots, slowly melding into a more natural state of being. The latter may be a good forecast for part of the old Hoffman farm, now owned by Don and Brenda Dheel.

The RVLT now holds a conservation easement on 30 acres of the Dheel’s farmland that was converted to perennial grasses four years ago. This area was subject to erosion and flooding, and taking it out of agricultural production will benefit the river by reducing runoff of soil, fertilizer, and herbicide. This was funded by the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which gives farmers an incentive to establish cover on farmland where the environmental cost of farming are too great. This is our first easement on the River Raisin, and twelfth overall. It is also our first where the property owner has been compensated for giving up their development rights, funded by a grant from the Department of Environmental Quality.

The bends of the River Raisin form the shape of a mitten, similar to the lower peninsula of Michigan, encompassing about 70 acres that the Dheels call home. They bought it from the Hoffman family, who raised tomatoes in the rich muck soil beside the River Raisin, along with other crops and livestock. The connection with tomatoes didn’t stop with the muck soils; the river also provided the means for separating tomato seeds for seed production. This seemingly trivial fact emerged from our inquiries to various Hoffman family members who still reside in the area.

In late summer, nearby farmers took turns bringing their tomatoes to the banks of the Raisin, where the ripe bounty was placed in a large wooden trough, crushed, and the pulp separated out with river water over several successive steps. The seeds would sink and the pulp would be washed downstream. It was an event the whole family could join in on, and would often be the occasion for a picnic in the oak woods that line the river. After drying, the seeds were sent for final processing to serve as seed stock for hundreds - maybe thousands — of farmers and gardeners the following year. Sometime in the early 1950s the tradition ended. It may have been due to the mechanization of seed production, but it may have also been partly because chemical and biological pollution was becoming more of a concern.

About the same time, in the mid-1950s, the Hoffman children were no longer allowed to swim in the river. The fish, once diverse and plentiful, declined, with carp being the only reliable catch (they were usually thrown back in). Times are changing again. It is unlikely that tomato pulp — a relatively benign waste compared to other harmful substances historically dumped in the river — will ever emanate from these banks again. Although the condition of the river is not perfect, the major sources of pollution have been controlled. We now understand that there are people downstream, and beyond that, Lake Erie; that the health of the river ultimately influences and reflects our own health.

This easement is just a small piece of the puzzle that can be assembled to improve the well being of the river. We thank the Dheels for their commitment to conservation. We hope to work with them to help guide their efforts to restore the former farmland to support a diverse array of plant and animal species. As we learn from history, both good and bad, this stretch of the river will set an example of the balance of nature that humans hold in their hands. It will take time, but the first step has been taken and more will follow.

Conservation Easement — A legal agreement entered into voluntarily between a landowner and a land trust or government agency to protect a property’s conservation values — natural features, agricultural potential, scenic views, wildlife habitat, water quality — while keeping the land in private ownership. The easement defines use of the land for all current and future landowners.

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Design by Kenny King.