T.C. Winchell bought 25 acres just south of the Bear Creek Quaker Meeting in Earlham to maintain the solemnity of the Meeting. In her will, she asked that the land remain in agriculture.

This month, her husband and executor of the estate Bob Winchell donated a SILT conservation easement to fulfill her wishes.

As new large homes pop up near this property located just 30 miles from Des Moines, future farmers can rest assured that this farm will never compete with them for price.

In fact, evidence shows that with this farm protected and owned by a successful, chemical-free farmer, the land surrounding this farm will increase in value, while the farm itself remains affordable for farmers.

“We need to enter into a discussion as a society about what’s going to happen to farming in the future,” Bob Winchell said upon donating the easement. “Maybe you don’t like corn and soybeans, but what are you doing to contribute to this discussion?”

The estate plans to sell the land to a sustainable food farmer before it can close out. Based on an appraisal Bob received last year, the value of the land has dropped nearly in half, making it much more affordable for a farmer to purchase than it would if slated for a large home.