winter 2010 valley trust newsletter, three valley conservation trust

8/9/2019 Winter 2010 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust

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Valley Trust

NEWSNumber 40 / Winter 2010 Conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of Southwest Ohio2009 AnnuAl Meeting

SAturdAy, FebruAry 13, 2010 5:30-9:00 pM Marcum Conference Center

Lonnie Thompson, the Ohio State University glaciologist

who has probably spent more time at high altitudes than

any other person, will be the keynote speaker at our 15th

Annual Meeting.In his captivating style, Dr. Thompson will share facts,

stories and audio/visual documentation of global climate

change. He will explain how conservation does more

than enhance and protect habitats for wildlife and rare

plants in the TVCT area.

From this work, he, geography professor Ellen Mosley

Thompson his research partner and wife -- and his

research team have provided irrefutable evidence that

the last half-century was the warmest period in recorded

history. That work signals a rapidly growing warming

trend that apparently exceeds any normal variation seenin past centuries.

In addition, there will be recognition of elected ofcials,

and presentation of the third annual Wallace I. Edwards

Conservationist award.

The Trust will also honor retiring TVCT Board members

Ray Arlinghaus, Margarette Beckwith, Hank Dupps,

Mary Moore, Greg Peck, and other dedicated individuals

and organizational partners.

Three Valley Conservation Trust

You are invited...RSVP card is enclosed.Please reply by February 8, 2010.

Keynote SpeaKer:

Lonnie Thompson

Paleoclimatologist,

Distinguished Professor,

The Ohio State University

and Director, Byrd Polar

Research Center

(continued on page 3)

Photo by Thomas NashDoors open at 5:30 pm

Entertainment by Anachrorhythms

Please be seated for dinner at 6:15 pm

$18 per person Cash Bar

10,000 AcreS

Under Protection!

l-r: Kristen Jensen, Executive Director, ODA Ofce of

Farmland Preservation; Ron Stewart; Jill Hittle, title attorney;

Larry Frimerman; Gene & Jo Ellen Tapalman; Ben Jones;

Sam Fitton; and Margarette Beckwith.

Gene and Jo Ellen Tapalman didnt know it when they had

applied for state farmland preservation funding through the

TVCT, but the protection of their (continued on page 4)

Photo by Megan Kosmo, of First American Title Co.


2/122 www.3vct.org Valley Trust NewS

AdolphGreenberg,Chair, Board of Trustees

If It Ain't Material, Is it Immaterial?

Our mission is to preserve and maintain significant

forests, streams, agricultural land and farm heritage in

southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana. This is

conventional usage in that typically biological resources

(forests, streams, land) are distinguished from culturalresources (farm heritage) as if these are separate worlds.

As an anthropologist by training, I find this a curious

distinction as my work with American Indian communities

was punctuated by one singular lessonbiological

diversity cannot be separated from cultural diversity.

Despite the assertion of the separation of nature and

culture found in our mission statement, it is clear to me

that land trusts intuitively understand and operate on the

premise that this distinction is artificial. Let me try to

explain.

I am writing this column on the eve of a road trip to BigBend National Park and Padre Island in Texas. Sandy and

I have been thinking of doing this for some time because

it been awhile since we have been west together. I

had been to Big Bend a few times while under contract

(along with George Esber) to the United States National

Park Service to execute what is called an ethnographic

assessment and overview of that park. The goal of the

project was to identify any contemporary communities

that may have connections with lands, resources, features,

etc., now under federal control, and work with them

to identify and manage park resources in a culturally

appropriate manner. This represents a quantum leap forthe Park Service as cultural resources were, by an old,

imperious standard, limited to the artifacts and remains

of human groups who long ago abandoned the area.

In other words, material remains had scientific value

to archaeologists and historiansan opportunity to

construct theories or offer explanations for past events in

a fashion totally disconnected from those who actually

lived that history or were members of the affiliated

communities. For example, a Park Service naturalist at

Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas typically

and quite innocently would consider the mescal (Agave

neomexicana) a botanical feature and park resource as the

plant is an indicator species for the Chihuahuan Desert.

To the Mescalero Apache (people of the mescal), however,

this plant is at once a food and significant component of

a sacred landscape critical to their cultural heritage. To

the Mescalero, there is no difference between cultural and

natural resources. What we can glean from this example

and many others is that it took an earth-based community

of indigenous people to reveal the importance and proper

context of those materials so jealously guarded these

many years by the federal government. During the past

several years, as this new approach to park management

was implemented, African American, Hispanic, or

Appalachian communities have also been consulted with

and allowed to weigh in on issues of importance to them.

Its safe to say the National Park Service is now, for the

most part, trying to manage parks and park resources in

ways which are more responsive to any and all affiliated

groups.

Old ways are hard to change. Our project was apparentlyviewed as a threat to the cultural resource specialists

and park superintendent at Big Bend since there was a

likelihood that their control over park resources, at least

in their view, was threatened by the possibility of an

emergent partnership with outsiders, i.e., American

Indian communities. This runs deep. I had made

appointments to meet with these officials during an on-

site visit to further explain the project. When I showed

up I discovered that the cultural

LIVINGGREEN(BERG)


Index

2009 Annual Meeting Invitation ..................................... 1

10,000 Acres Under Protection ........................................ 1

Living Green(berg) .......................................................... 2

From the Desk of Larry Frimerman ................................ 3

3rd Annual Wallace I. Edwards Award Nominations ....... 3

Farmland Preservation Workshop Jan. 12 ........................ 4

Kroger Fuel ..................................................................... 4

Snapshot: At Last! A Farm! ............................................. 5

Auction for Acres 2009!................................................... 6Local Saw-whet Owl Project Completes Its 2nd Season . 8

Corporate Members ......................................................... 9

"Eat" Bark This Winter! ................................................... 10

Board of Trustees ............................................................. 11

How to Join the Trust ....................................................... 11

Easement Incentive to Expire 12/31/09; Likely to Be

Renewed Retroactively .........................................................12

Calendar ........................................................................... 12


3/12Winter 2010 www.3vct.org 3

From the Desk of...

LarryFrimermanEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This winters brisk temperatures

have accompanied the sparkle

and light of the holidays. It also welcomes in a new

year, with new plans, hopes and approaches. A time

sipping a cup of hot coffee or steaming cocoa snuggled

up around a glowing replace. The holidays remind

us of friends, relatives and missed loved ones, of days

gone by as well as the years to come. It is also a time of

reection of the year and a decade (really) just past.

2009 has provided the Trust with two of its most

signicant milestones our 15th Anniversary, and our

10,000th acre under Three Valley Conservation Trust

easement control! Our 15th Anniversary party at theTrust was a memorable and uplifting experience for all

who attended! The kindness of Dave Nolin and John

Kogge and the spontaneity of Lisa Biales in song eased

the Trust into a new era.

The timing of last-minute easement donations

(Lanthrop, Stewart, Cummins/McCollum) to avoid the

looming expiration of the Conservation Easement Tax

Incentive, signing of 2008 Ohio farmland preservation

program (AEPP) easements (Tapalman, Schlichter), and

2008 program U.S. farmland preservation grants (FRPP)

(Baker and Lupinske) have boosted our TVCT easementacreage to 10,784.

Removal of a Clean Ohio Conservation Fund bottleneck

for six properties applied for in 2008, and which

received agency blessing, will raise that total to nearly

12,000 acres.

As we wrap up the rst decade of the twenty-rst century,

time does seem to go as much forward as in reverse. The

lingering severe recession that forced the Trust to reduce its

staff to only two still drains our resources. Yet we must press

on to protect what we have been entrusted with by new and

continuing thoughtful stewards of the land. Our mid-course

correction in 2009 worked with the help and heroic efforts

of our benefactors, Board and strong volunteers, we are

nishing 2009 in the black. Our budget cutting and priority

setting gives us condence that with your support, we can

build upon this foundation to slowly grow our capacity to

provide service sustainably. How?

Creating Clear Expectations, asking for what it costsus to produce easements and protect properties. The

Trust and the landowners with whom we work have greater

understanding of the signicant service and technical

assistance TVCT provides to easement donors and grant

applicants. We are also working closely with easement

donors to build and celebrate lifelong partnerships. These

generous landowners have responded by increasing their

commitments to the Trust both for operating funds as well

as monitoring/stewardship endowment contributions. New

conservation easement donors combined to contribute

$21,000 toward operations as well as more than $70,000

toward our permanent stewardship endowment fund.

In this vein, the Trust has created a basket of options to help

easement donors cover the costs of annually monitoring their

properties in perpetuity. The most recent easement donors

have gone beyond that, making up-front contributions for

Annual Meeting (continued from page 1)

(continued on pg 7)

easement donors will share their inspirational stories

about why they have protected their farms and open

space, of habitat lost, and of their vision of the future.

These individuals are among the 86 easement donors

who have stepped up to forever protect properties

covering 10,784 acres of ground with the Three Valley

Conservation Trust in the Trusts watersheds.

The Trust Annual Meeting will summarize its

accomplishments, and present its plan for the coming

year. To close, the membership will hold its election for

the Three Valley Conservation Trust Board of Trustees

2010 slate of candidates. z

The Three Valley Conservation Trust seeks nominationsfor the prestigious Wallace I. Edwards Conservationist

Award. The recipient for 2009 will be awarded at the

Annual Meeting on February 13, 2010 at

the Marcum Conference Center, Miami

University, Oxford, Ohio.

The Edwards award was established bythe

Trust to recognize work done by a person

or persons in the preceding year as well

as the cumulative results of a long-term

3rd Annual Wallace I. Edwards

Conservationist Award

January 29: Deadline for Nominations

(continued on page 11



The Three Valley Conservation Trust,

soil & water conservation districts

(SWCDs), and county Natural

Resources Conservation Service

(NRCS) ofces will team up to

provide services for the 2010 Clean

Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase

Program (AEPP) in SW Ohio. Along

these lines, the Trust, SWCDs and

Ohio Dept. of Agriculture (ODA)

are hosting a workshop to inform the

public on how to apply for the AEPP

and how farmers and others can

protect their family lands.

AEPP provides funding to assist landowners in

preserving Ohio's farmland. Preserved farmland not only

ensures that the scenic views and cultural heritage are

maintained for future generations, but they benet our

environment and provide critical habitat for wildlife.

The program also helps family farms transition to the

next generation and protects Ohio's largest industry.These very limited but available matching grant and tax

programs provide funding options for farmers and other

landowners looking to permanently protect their lands.

Only the highest scoring farms are successful, and the

competition is erce. However, clusters of applications

increase a farms chances,

commented Larry Frimerman,

our Executive Director. As such,

the workshop will provide tips to

landowners seeking to increase their

chances of success.

The Trust is the designated Local

Sponsor to apply for the program

and provides information on possibletax benets for preserving family

lands, Federal Farm and Ranch Lands

Protection Program and other land

conservation programs. County

SWCDs calculate soil values and,

with the NRCS, help farmers to develop conservation plans

to protect the farms natural resources, as well as possible

federal cost-share programs.

The Clean Ohio Fund has provided dollar for dollar direct

pass-through funding for farms through the Trust with the

help of the other conservation agencies over the past six

years. If you or others you know are interested in protecting

your land to remain as a farm or open space, and are looking

for tools to help you do so, contact your county SWCD,

the Ohio Dept.of Agriculture, at (614) 728-4203 www.

ohioagriculture.gov/farmland, or TVCT at (513) 524-2150

or at www.3vct.org. z

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

5:30 pm-7pmCox Arboretum Metropark

6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton, Oh 45449

(937) 434-9005

FarmlandPreservationWorkshop

Twin Township, Preble County farm by the Trust and the

Ohio Dept. of Agriculture last week put the fteen-year-

old nonprot land trust over the 10,000 acre mark of lands

permanently protected.

The Tapalman Farm was one of 23 properties in the

2008 applications funded through the Ohio Agricultural

Easement Purchase Program and one of two specic to this

program that have been achieved with the partnership of

the Trust. The Tapalman and Ernst and Marcia Schlichter

farms in Reily Township, Butler County were permanently

preserved for agricultural use with funds from the

Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program in

conjunction with the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture. The Trust

will co-hold and annually monitor compliance with terms

and conditions of the agricultural easement agreement.Essentially, the properties can never be developed for

housing, retail, commercial or mining activity, and will

forever preserve blocks of productive agricultural lands.

We are grateful for the opportunity, and really appreciate

all the work that Three Valley put into making these

easements a reality. I certainly would recommend to others

who feel passionately about their lands to work with the

Trust to protect their familys lands, commented Preble

County farmer Gene Tapalman at the December 22 closing

in Eaton.

2009 has provided the Trust with two of its most signicant

milestones- our 15th Anniversary, and our 10,000th acre under

Three Valley Conservation Trust easement control!

Additional year-end conservation easement donations by

the Lanthrop, Stewart, Cummins and McCollum families

were timed in advance of the expiration of the Conservation

Easement Tax. These permanent protection agreements have

boosted Three Valley Conservation Trusts easement acreage

to 86 properties and 10,784 acres, more than 1500 of which

were completed in 2009.z

10,000 Acres (continued from page 1)

NOW OPEN!

Using your TVCT Kroger Gift Card

provides a donation to TVCT

andpoints for your fuel purchases.



Submitted by Ann Geddes

There's a popular radio show depicting a mythical place

"where all the women are strong, all the men are good

looking and all the children above average." That could

describe a very real farm of 200 acres now largely under

permanent easement in Preble County - the farm of

Tricia and Steve Shepherd and their boys. While Steve's

rst love is the farm, he spends his weekdays as senior

insurance advisor with One America Securities in New

Lebanon, while Tricia tackles the day-to-day hands-on

work of the cattle farm with extraordinary vigor and

passion. "Strong" woman is not a sufciently adequate

adjective to describe Tricia who at various times might

be digging a pond, taking a 4-H troop for a midnight

exploration of the creek, or assisting with a breech

delivery at 3 am on a frigid February morning.

Over the years that the Shepherds have had the farm,

they have bred sheep, hogs and cows but decided

that, yes, they like cows best. Currently they have 74

crossbred beef cows, with calving timed to start lateJanuary-March and with sale of the feeder calves timed

for optimal spring pasture growth. All the cows are ear-

tagged, but Tricia has given them all names of family

and friends - Jenna, Jane, Lucille, etc.- because she says

they respond so much better. When she gets some of

her boys to help separate the cows for different pastures

or calving, Tricia will yell out to the

boys on the gates to "let Verda in but

keep Lucille out", and the boys in

exasperation yell back, "Mom, give

us the number! Go by the numbers!"

as they don't have that intimate

knowledge of each cow by sight as

she does. (Tricia did acquiesce to one

of her male relatives, a nephew, who

complained about the all-girl names,

so there is one "Scottina" named for

him.)

The farm has been a labor of love for

this couple. When they met in 1977,

both from farm backgrounds, they

Snapshots! People & their landSnapshots! People & Their Land provides stories of the people and the lands they protect.

We hope that you will enjoy getting to know a little about your neighbors.

were destined for each

other, because as Steve

said, Tricia arrived at

their rst date straight

out of the barn with the

scent of animal feed

on her hair. That cinched it and they weremarried 11 months later.

They had the same goal of wanting to farm, and together

made a list of what features the new farm must have - such

as a pond, creek, a tree-lined lane, hunting and shing

possibilities, etc. - because, while they wanted income from

the farm, they mostly wanted a place to raise a family. Once

on a trip to Missouri, they saw on a barn roof the

name "Atlasta Farm" (At Last A Farm) and vowed

that if they ever could get their dream property, that

would be the name.

After an exhaustive search, out of the clear blue sky(or as Tricia describes it, straight from heaven), the

Preble County Land Bank phoned with a farm for

sale. When they walked it, their eyes opened wide in

wonder because it had all the features on their "must

have" list and more! Not only that but Steve, being

raised in Carlisle, OH on Twin Creek, felt he had

come home because this farm was also bounded by

Twin Creek. They moved onto the property in 1985

and built their present home there 13 years later.

At Last! A Farm!

(continued on page 10

"We're stewards

of this land,

not the owners.If we don't

protect it,

conserve it

and consider it

precious,

who else is going

to do it?"

Steve and Tricia Shepherd


6/12

Outstanding food, ambiance, great music, and

wildlife artists made for a great evening at the

Trusts 7th Annual Auction For Acres. But,

it wasnt the only auction related fundraising

event a separate online auction hosted byEverything But The House, and the Trusts

Auction Benefactor program contributors

added to the success of the fundraising event.

We were tickled to death to have John

Ruthven, Christopher Walden, Mary Louise Holt, Devere

Burt, Katy Jo South, and Linda Howard Bittner provide

generous donations of

their time and talent with

quick nish paintings

and drawings that were

auctioned off during the

evening. And all of the

proceeds benet the Three

Valley Conservation Trusts

mission, noted Board Chair Dolph Greenberg.

The onsite work of Catherine Hollins, Cal Conrad, and

especially the Knolls' staff helped things go both beautifully and

smoothly, observed Larry Frimerman.

Ann Geddes and the Food Committee outdid themselves,

commented Committee member Harriet

Schmitt. Everything was outstanding, from

the Sugar Valley Farms brisket and lamb

balls to the luscious desserts.

A number of attendees noted that the eclectic acoustic music by Jay Jesse

Johnson, Carl Rader, and Kirk Williams was phenomenal and broke out

into dancing.

Next year, Im bringing six people from Yellow Springs and Cincinnati,

exclaimed Debbie Henderson of Yellow Springs.

Auction Benefactors included the Dupps Company, Wild Berry Incense,

Clemmons & Wolterman Law Firm, Ernst Bever, Fine Trim

Landscape Services, Frank House, Roger Millar, Betty Rogers, Ron &

Sue Stewart, Paul & Marcia Trokhan and Gene & Connie Lanthrop.

A number of attendees contributed $100 or more to Save An Acre.Many donated items and services to TVCT for the auction, including

Dave Cornett, Doug Ross, Jim Jackson, and Miller Brewery.

6 www.3vct.org Valley Trust NewS

Auction for Acres 2009:

Great Fun and Fundraiser!

Clockwise: "Early birds" Jerry Stanley, Cynthia Kelley, Muriel Blaisdell,Beverly Brubaker, and Joann Jones claimed rst seats at dinner:Musicians Carl Rader, Jay Jesse Johnson and Kirk Williams; Pat & John

Dupps perusing the catalog; Volunteers Jan Krebs, Frank House andJosette Stanley keeping the food coming; Ann Taulbee, new membersPaul & Marcia Trokhan; Chris Walden nishing his donated pencildrawing of a goshawk.




The hottest items of the night were trips to Nova Scotia,

the Hudson Highlands and the Rockefeller estate, and

Mr.Ruthvens on-site pencil drawing. A guided shing

trip up the Au Sable River, a fabulous Montana lodge,

Oceanfront Maine cottage, and a Northern Michigan

lake experience were among the list of donated vacation

getaways. All told, the event will net $35,000 that will

help fund general operations. z

Auction for Acres 2009(continued from pg 6)

Cheryl Vajda, Ron Stevens, Steve and Peggy Jamison.

operations and monitoring and also property transfer fees

of 3% of the lands value. (Until 2008, the Trust had

not been as assertive in its requests of easement donors,

and the economics of endowment building changed

dramatically.) Please remember to think about including

the Trust in your will!

Strong scal control. The nancial crunch required

that the Trust monitor our cash ow on a daily basis tomake decisions that would assure solvency. We did that,

and recognized we needed better tools to make those

determinations. We brought in a new bookkeeper and

new accounting rm to strengthen our real-time scal

resources. We revamped how we invest our restricted

funds. We have cut costs well beyond staff reductions,

to stabilize our budget at $208,000 going into 2010, vs.

$290,000 entering 2009 (we spent ~$235,000).

Successful, but taxing events. You assisted us by

attending/helping/donating to Novembers Auction

for Acres ($38k net), the last Annual Meeting, and theSpecial Dinner ($11k and $13k respectively).

Land Protection Continuing obligations remain our

focus. In order to meet our obligations to landowners

and governmental agencies, the Trust applied for limited

funds as designated local sponsor for farmers and other

landowners. Agency approvals received for the Grimme,

R. Voge, H. Crowe (2009 AEPP), Walker, Smith (2009

FRPP), and Gibson, Flowers and Ehrhardt (2009

Clean Ohio Conservation Funds) farms would, when

completed, bring the Trust to more than 13,000 acres

under easement.

Outlook for 2010. Our ongoing austerity causes the

Trust to limit applications (and thus be even more

selective) even further in 2010. In addition, new internal

documentation processes and procedures require updated

data systems and databases. The Trust is still seeking funds

to help get us there. We want to update our website, and

more effectively use the internet for awareness, outreach and

fundraising.

Retiring Board Stars. Boards of Directors have a heavy

scal and organizational responsibility for any nonprotgroup, and developing organizations have the signicantly

added burden of requiring their boards of directors to be

working board members in order to bear/share administrative

and some day-to-day work. To wit, the Trust has been

blessed with scores of dedicated Board members through the

years. Four of these saintly individuals will retire at the 2009

Annual Meeting February 13, 2010. Hank Dupps retired

and was replaced by Roger Millar this summer. Please help

us recognize the heavy lifting and achievements of Ray

Arlinghaus, Margarette Beckwith, Mary Moore, and Greg

Peck in addition to Hank on February 13th.

With a paid staff of only two (plus amazing volunteer

monitoring coordinator Lois Nelson, of course), the Trust

will have to limit the scale and/or scope of activities which

we can engage in during 2010. If possible, we will build

toward becoming one of the rst land trusts in Ohio to be

fully Accredited by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation

Board should grant funding permit.

Thank you all so much for making the Three Valley

Conservation Trust what it is, and for your future efforts to

help us grow sustainably. z

Frimerman (continued from page 3)

resource specialists and park superintendent had literally

skipped town. Obviously, the reader can surmise as they

want another reason for this departure, and I wont be

offended.

Curiously yet not surprisingly, farmers and farm families

know that the importance of their lands lies not in monetary

value, but in the generations of lives lived on and about the

land. So when we consider the Trusts mission of protecting

the heritage of farming, we are talking not of an artifact, not

of an old building but rather of protecting relationships to the

land: living, vital, nurturing, identifying and familial. This

is the sum and substance of bio-cultural diversity. It is in the

shared recognition of the importance of these immaterial

values that farmers and land trusts have partnered

successfully to protect these many years. z

Living Green(continued from pg 2)



Submitted by Tim Tolford

October 2009 marked the second season for the Hummer/Bird BandingResearch Collaborative (HBRC) Northern Saw-whet Owl project. This ow

is the smallest eastern North American owl ... about the size of an adult hand

Going into this project we had absolutely no expectations. We did not know

if we would have an opportunity to encounter one or a dozen owls. The owl

is safely captured, after which an aluminum band is placed on its leg. We take

various measurements, record its condition and compile other useful data and

release the owl unharmed.

The data we are collecting is part of a nationwide project called Project

Owlnet. There are over 200 stations currently following a standardized

protocol. (www.projectowlnet.org)

Last year, our rst, we encountered a surprising 41 owls! This exceeded ourexpectations by leaps and bounds, with local Christmas Bird Count sightings

typically producing only one per year.

Eight of the owls we encountered were foreign recoveries meaning they

had been banded elsewhere; ve were from Ontario, Canada!

We hope to procure a grant to include radio telemetry and/or geotracking

in the coming years of the project to help us better understand their winter

movements and ways to insure their survival. This will require much more

volunteer effort. Volunteers are welcomed!

Visitors and small groups are welcomed Wednesday thru Sunday just after

sunset until about midnight from October 10-December 15.

Follow our progress via www.hbrcnet.org, or for last minute opportunities/

changes; join the "hbrcbirdbanding listserv. HBRC is also on Facebook!

(The listserv and facebook page are linked on our website.)z

Photo courtesy Tim Tolford

Tim Tolford, Project Coordinator

Licensed Hummingbird and

Songbird Banderwww.hbrcnet.org

[email protected]

If so, you can make contributions to TVCT via payroll deduction.

Contact your Human Resources or Payroll Depts.

Does Your Employer Partner with

OR

The quintessential farm scene with Marc

Tincher & wife Danielle Mann in front of

their big red barn on their protected farm

in Reily Twp. on Indian Creek.

Local Saw-whet Owl Projectcompletes its 2nd season



Submitted by Emily Mills Holman

Three Valley Conservation Trust has been fortunate to have charitable corporate

sponsors who have chosen to support our mission. Their generous donations have

helped us to achieve great things over the years, some of which have directly

affected these corporations.

Joe Maas, the president of JTM Provisions, lives and works in Harrison, the town

through which the Whitewater River ows. Realizing how crucial this river is to

the community where he works and lives, he was curious to see who was keeping

track of this river; this is how he discovered the Three Valley Conservation Trust.

He was pleased to discover that someone had taken the proper steps to ensure the

maintenance of it. He believes that this river is vital to the strength and viabilityof the community, and that a strong community is benecial to all businesses.

Beyond the issues regarding this specic community, Maas talked about the benet

of water conservation worldwide. He said, In the Midwest we take water for

granted, and we shouldnt be that way. Throughout most of the country and most

of the world, water is in short supply and is a resource that is in jeopardy. Just

because we have plenty of it doesnt mean we should take it for granted.

Marc Biales and Rodger Atkin, co-owners of Wild Berry, believe in preserving as

much as we can now because it will benet not only us, but future generations as

well. Biales grew up in the Cleveland area where they had country forever with

only two stoplights. He returned to discover where that second stoplight was,

there are now 25 following it. Once development like this is created, it is difcultto go back. I like keeping as much green as possible around and this can be done

by slowing down urbanization, said Biales. Wild Berry wants to congratulate

Three Valley Conservation Trust on the land we have been able to preserve thus

far.

Tim Abbott, Regional Manager at Duke Energy, has had a long history with

the Trust. With the common goal of protecting the environment, we have been

fortunate enough to work together on accomplishing this goal. Abbott, who grew

up in the Butler County area, has seen and witnessed the growth there; it is fast

development like this that concerns him. Three Valley is doing things that will be

benecial for many, many years to come, said Abbott. He has a personal belief

that things should be done in an orderly and educated fashion, and believes that

this organization has proven to do this in a very successful manner. He called theThree Valley Conservation Trust an organization that will listen to everyones

concerns and issues and at the end of the day make decisions based on what is best

for all involved.

At the Trust we are fortunate to have so many corporations that recognize the

importance of land conservation and water quality, and have chosen to contribute

to our cause. When you shop at these businesses, be sure to thank them for their

support of the Trust. z

NOTE: In the Spring issue of the Valley Trust News, we will feature

MillerCoors of Milwaukee, and the Dupps Company of Germantown, Ohio.

Corporate

Members



Submitted by Margarette Beckwith

In these cold, dark, damp winter months, our bodiesbeg for an antidote. The low temperatures may seduce

us into planning trips to southern climes, but perhaps a

more immediate, satisfying and healthful response is to

indulge in preparing and imbibing a hot, spicy drink that

warms the spirit as well as the body. Whether it is a mug

of hot cider or mulled wine (glgg in Scandinavia!) an

essential avoring for the drink is cinnamon (Cinnamomum

zeylanicum), ground or better yet in stick form!

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices and is mentioned

in Chinese botanical documents dated around 2,700 BC.

The spice is referred to in the Bible as well and was usedin ancient Egypt as a avoring, medicine and embalming

agent. One of the rst commodities traded between the Near

East and Europe, it continues to be produced in India, Sri

Lanka, and other countries in the Far East.

Researchers have determined that cinnamon offers an

array of health benets. These range from boosting brain

function, protecting the heart from certain diseases,

controlling blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, and as an

anti-inammatory, helping to lessen blood clotting. (See:

www.whfoods.com)

So on a dark, cold evening this winter, invite some friendsto join you in this pleasure of the season! Raise a toast to

the health, history and well-being that eating this bark

with good friends can provide!

Mulled Wine

1/3 C. sugar

1/3 C. water

1 bottle of red wine (Claret is good!)

1/2 C. brandy (optional)

8 whole cloves

1 small orange thinly sliced

1 small lemon thinly sliced

2 3 cinnamon sticks

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a non-reactive pot,

stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add spices, wine and

fruit and heat but do not boil. Ladle out and enjoy!

For a non-alcoholic alternative, substitute cider for the

wine and eliminate the sugar, water and brandy. z

Eat Bark This Winter

At Last! A Farm (continued from page 5)

But there was a lot of land restoration to do. Almost all of

the elds on this property had been in row crops for years,

and since the property is one of the highest points in Preble

County with land sloping away in all directions, the soils

were highly erodible. As Tricia says, "We started on thejourney to save our dirt!" With Preble Co. Soil & Water,

they planned waterways, a 10-year set-aside where no

tillage occurred, and when the animals were brought in, they

installed a fabric underlayer with riprap along the cattle ways

to prevent the hooves from eroding precious topsoil. From

two white oaks planted when they arrived, they now collect

acorns, pot up and transplant them when 8-10" tall along the

property with pines, maples, butternut and spruce. Someday

these oaks will be as magnicent as the towering sycamores

that line the riparian area along the creek; those huge

sycamores that Tricia nds so precious that she nearly

ran off the lumber speculator who had the audacity to

offer to turn them into pulpwood.

Yes, from little acorns magnicent trees do grow. Andfrom hopeful dreams, with hard work and perseverance,

despite setbacks and loss, a family can nd its home.

And we hear that, of their 5 children, 2 of the sons have

an interest in continuing in the farming life for the future

May their grandchildren nd shade in those oak saplings

that have been planted so carefully along the cattle ways

As Tricia says, "We're stewards of this land, not the

owners. If we don't protect it, conserve it and consider it

precious, who else is going to do it?"z



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Mail and make payable to: Three Valley Conservation Trust

TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, Ohio 45056.

three valley conservation trust

Conserving the natural

environment and cultural

heritage of Southwest Ohio

Adolph Greenberg

Frank House

Ben Jones

Amy Leedy

Roger Millar

Founded in 1994, the Three Valley Conservation Trust works

with people and communities to conserve the natural environmentand cultural heritage in Southwest Ohio. The Trust protects open

space and farmland by acquiring, through gift or purchase,conservation and agricultural easements, and works to protectand improve water quality in the western tributaries of the Great

Miami River.

Ray Arlinghaus

Margarette Beckwith

Calvin Conrad

Sam Fitton

Stephen Gordon

Valley Trust News, the newsletter for members of the Three

Valley Conservation Trust, is published four times per year.

Editors: Mary Glasmeier, Stephen Gordon

Mary Moore

Gregory Peck

J. Ronald Stewart

Don Streit

Christian Worrell

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

WIE Award (continued from page 3)commitment to conservation values.

When choosing recipient(s), the Trust Selection

Committee will take into consideration activities and

projects that clearly reect Edwards vision, such as:

Demonstrating land use practices that are

environmentally, economically, and culturally

sustainable;

Nurturing a strong conservation ethic and good

stewardship habits in others;

Organizing community members to learn about and

work toward stewardship goals;

Volunteering time to improve others land or organize

others to take restoration action;

Organizing a coalition of diverse interests and

individuals to work toward a common goal;

Advancing or disseminating methods to control

invasive, non-native species.

Any combination of the above.

The recipient of the Wallace I. Edwards Conservationist

Award need not be a member of TVCT. The recipient

may be either professionally or avocationally involved in

conservation or protection.

Nomination forms are available at www.3vct.org or at

the Trust ofce.z

Modern technologyOwes ecology

An apology.~Alan M. Eddison


12/12

Non-Prot Org.

U.S. Postage

P A I DPermit No. 171

Oxford, OH

45056

www.3vct.org

Larry Frimerman, Executive Director

Mary Glasmeier, Ofce Manager

MEMBER OF

Thi l tt i i t d l d d i l il bl i di it l f t E il f @3 t

5920 Morning Sun Road, PO Box 234Oxford, Ohio 45056

513-524-2150 513-524-0162 fax

AnnualM

eeting

February1

3,2010

SeeInsert

Wed like your feedback!

[email protected]

513/524-2150

TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, OH 45056

Calendar

January

12 Farmland Preservation Workshop,

5:30 pm, Cox Arboretum, Dayton

February

3 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT

13 Annual Meeting, 5:30 pm, Marcum

Conference Center, Oxford, Oh

March

3 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT

From LTA Advocates Alert: Dec. 18, 2009

Barring an unforeseen breakthrough, it appears the Senate -- still

struggling with health care -- will adjourn for the year without

acting on the estate tax or other tax "extenders." Though that

means these enhanced tax deduction for conservation easements

will expire on December 31st, it is very likely Congress will

renew the extended incentive in 2010 and make it retroactive to

January 1st (as happened in 2008). Clarication: Even if Con-

gress fails to renew the incentive, easements will still be deduct-

ible under the old limits: 30% of income, 5-year carry-over.

We're optimistic Congress will to act early in the year, but it's not

possible to predict exactly when. We realize this uncertainty is a

terrible burden on land trusts and landowners; that's why we've

been working so hard to make the incentive permanent!z

Easement Incentive Likely to be

Renewed Retroactively

winter 2010 valley trust newsletter, three valley conservation trust

Documents