Sesquicentennial farm preserved in Sharon Township
Irwin Farm in Sharon Township. Photo courtesy of Legacy Land Conservancy.
A local sesquicentennial farm — in the same family for over 150 years — is now permanently protected. The farm, owned by brothers Tom and Jim Irwin, consists of 158 acres of rolling farmland, forest and wetlands off Grass Lake Road in Sharon Township.
The Irwins worked with the Legacy Land Conservancy. Based in Ann Arbor, Legacy is a 50 year-old nonprofit conservation organization that protects land in southern Michigan, mostly concentrated in Washtenaw and Jackson counties.
In 2017, Tom and Jim inherited the farm from their late father, Richard (Dick) Irwin, who had already conserved another portion of the farm with Legacy Land Conservancy between 2004 and 2008. By working with Legacy Land Conservancy to protect their farm via a conservation easement, the Irwin brothers are honoring their father’s wishes. A conservation easement permanently protects private land by limiting the type and amount of development on a property, and restricting other uses that would damage natural features such as rich soils and high functioning wetlands.
The first 80 acres of the Irwin Estate was purchased in 1836 by James Irwin, the great-great-great grandfather of Tom and Jim Irwin. The original deeds to the land were signed by the eighth US president, Martin Van Buren, on sheepskin. At its zenith the Irwin Farm totaled approximately 354 acres. The deeds, along with other Irwin family memorabilia, are housed at the University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library.
"At a young age our father instilled the value to leave the Earth better than you found it for the next generation. By putting the conservation easement on the farm, our family feels we are putting his values to practice,” the Irwin brothers said.
The Legacy Land Conservancy explained, "Preservation of the Irwin Farm is significant because it is adjacent to other protected lands, features high-quality soil and wetlands, and was at risk for development. In addition to ensuring a farmland base contributing to local food security, the property also adds to an existing 300 acre natural “greenway” in the Sharon Short Hills area, benefiting water quality and wildlife habitat.”
The Irwin Farm conservation easement exemplifies innovative land protection through local, federal, and private partnerships. Legacy worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission (WCPARC), the Carls Foundation, and other private entities to secure a creative mosaic of funding sources to purchase the conservation easement from the Irwin brothers.
Tom and Jim will use some of that money to invest back into their family farm. While Tom and Jim currently lease out the farmland, they plan to restore the historic barn and farmhouse on the property and restart their farming business together.
“This conservation easement will allow us to continue farming and keep the farm as one huge parcel far beyond our lifetimes,” said the Irwins. “We can imagine our ancestors smiling down on us today as we finalized our conservation easement on Earth Day."
“We’re thrilled to be protecting this piece of local farming history with such dedicated partners,” Diana Kern, Legacy’s executive director, said. “Family farms are increasingly disappearing as farmers age out of their work and sell their land to developers, making preserving farmland a critical part of creating a healthier local food system. To be helping the Irwin family return to their farming roots is an incredible win for land conservation in southern Michigan.”
Irwin Farm. Photo courtesy of Legacy Land Conservancy
Irwin Family. Photo courtesy of Legacy Land Conservancy.
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