Brigham Township Producer Protects Prairie Farm, Then Retires

Farming and Biodiversity Saved Forever
Brigham Township Producer Protects Prairie Farm, Then Retires

February 1, 2006

Over the years the public has witnessed the incremental loss of our rural scenery at the suburban fringesof the Driftless Area. Now, thanks to the leadership of Kenneth Powell Jr. and his family, an important piece ofour rural heritage will be preserved forever. On November 17, 2005 the Driftless Area Land Conservancy was able to obtain a conservation easement from the Powell Family of rural Barneveld. The Powell family agreed to sell this easement at a reduced price, and the Driftless Area Land Conservancy purchased it with financial support from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program. This conservation easement will preserve this special 327 acre prairie farm with its exceptional 18 acre prairie remnant for future generations to cherish. The Powell family lands are also immediately adjacent to The Nature Conservancy's 892-acre Muehllehner Addition to the Barneveld Prairie Preserve. This is a great example of a place where both our natural and agricultural legacies will be preserved in perpetuity. [view photos]

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that protect the conservation values of theproperty and remain with the deed even if the property is sold. The landowner retains all other rights including the right to sell or transfer the property. Under the terms of this conservation easement the Powell lands are not open to the public and the Driftless Area Land Conservancy will ensure the farmland remains open for farming and that the prairie is preserved. The Driftless Area Land Conservancy was formed in 2000 as a non-profit land trust to protect and preserve the unique natural resources and rural character of the Driftless Area. The Conservancy accomplishes this by working with private landowners on a voluntary basis to obtain development rights through conservation easements, or obtaining properties outright. Much of its work in Iowa County involves protecting agricultural lands from conversion to non-agricultural uses.

In 1946 Ken's father, Ken Powell Sr. moved his family into the area and began dairy farming. In 1977, Ken Powell Jr. bought a farm just south of his dad's farm. More recently Ken Powell Jr. obtained his father's farm and consolidated the two farms into one 60 cow dairy operation. Ken had many options to consider while planning his retirement and the future of his farm. Ken's simple devotion to conservation convinced him to forever preserve his open lands. The conservation easement Ken chose enables him to retire by obtaining the development value of his lands today while also allowing him to rent or sell the farm. So in February 2006 Ken will turn over his treasured herd to a young farm family who will rent the entire operation from Ken with an option to purchase. Conservation easements can provide another option to the farmer who is looking for more flexibility when making decisions on what is best for their land, their community and their families. Rhonda Gildersleeve, Iowa County UW Extension Agricultural Agent notes; "While there are always young farmers looking for land to begin farming on, development pressure has priced local farmland out of reach for many young farmers."

Dave Lowe, founding member of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy and a member of The Prairie Enthusiasts, discovered an exceptional prairie while passing by the Powell lands. Dave approached Ken Powell and began a kinship that has led to the ongoing restoration of the natural prairie once common in this area prior to European settlement. Powell's dry prairie is highly biologically diverse, with more than 100 native plant species, including the federally-threatened prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya). In addition to the state-endangered regal fritillary butterfly (Speyeria idalia), three state special-concern species, and a state threatened species are also found on the farm. The Powell lands also includes open-grown burr oaks and shagbark hickories scattered throughout the savanna, as well as dappled-sunlight-loving flowers such as Seneca snakeroot (Polygala senega).

The Driftless Area Land Conservancy also benefited from important management work of volunteers from the non-profit conservation group, The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE). Since 2004 TPE has had an agreement with the Powell family to implement a management plan on the Powell prairie remnant to remove brush and eliminate invasive species. "Our organization is most pleased to be working with the Powells and the Driftless Area Land Conservancy to help protect and manage this rare and significant piece of the State's natural heritage," said Richard Henderson, President of The Prairie Enthusiasts.

The Driftless Area Land Conservancy and The Prairie Enthusiasts collaborate with many other agencies and organizations to protect the grasslands and the agricultural landscape of more than 50,000 acres in a region of western Dane and eastern Iowa counties, Wisconsin, known as the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area. The Powell Farm lies within this project area that has proven to be critical to prairie ecosystem conservation in Wisconsin. This area provides habitat for many grassland birds which have been in decline in recent decades, such as western meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, dickcissels, bobolinks, and upland sandpipers. While the original tall grass prairie is one of the most endangered natural communities on earth, the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area provides an exceptional opportunity for protecting prairie remnants, rare prairie species, and grassland birds in the upper Midwest. One of the goals of the project is to protect and maintain the area's predominantly rural agrarian landscape and economy by keeping important agricultural grasslands open and preventing the unplanned fragmentation and conversion of these lands into residential and commercial uses.

The Driftless Area Land Conservancy is especially grateful for the grant funds from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program that were used purchase the conservation easement from the Powell family. In this transaction the Powell family also gave a very generous gift in the form of a bargain sale of the easement to the Driftless Area Land Conservancy. Their gift not only made the project more affordable and competitive with the granting authorities, but the cash value of that gift can be matched with WDNR Stewardship funds to protect additional farmlands in the area. Now the goal for the Driftless Area Land Conservancy and the Powell family is to establish an endowment to fund the perpetual maintenance and management of their special prairie remnant.

The Driftless Area Land Conservancy is seeking additional donations to support this important project. For more information on the Powell Prairie and Farm Conservation Easement and protecting threatened farmland, contact Doug Cieslak, Executive Director, at (608) 930-3252.

For more information on The Prairie Enthusiasts and protecting oak savanna and prairie plant communities, contact Renae Mitchell, Executive Director, at (262) 473-2956.

For more information on estate and financial planning for agricultural producers, contact your local County UW Extension Office or Joy Kirkpatrick, UW Center for Dairy Profitability at (608) 263-3485.