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FOREVER A FARM. Above, Raymond DeBates of Colonial Title Company gives Robin Falker, Mark Falker and Supervisor Gary Schocke the final papers to sign, allowing for the Falker family to preserve 30.5 acres of his farm as agricultural use only. The Falker farm is the second in Macomb County to preserve its farmlands with the Macomb Agricultural PDR Committee.

(Observer photo by Chris Gray)

Falker signs paper to sell
his farm's purchase rights

Fulfills family promise to
`take care of the farm'

by CHRIS GRAY
Observer Staff Writer

      It was an emotional time as Bruce Township farmer Mark Falker signed the paperwork guarantying his family's farm would be protected.
       "This whole venture for me started Jan. 10, 1992," he said, speaking of his deceased mother, Marjorie. "My mother told me to take care of the farm."
       At a special meeting of the Board of Trustees Nov. 19, the Falker family finally sealed the deal and preserved 30.5 acres of its farmlands after working with the Macomb Agricultural Purchase of Development Rights Committee (MAPDRC) for 12 years.
       He expressed his gratitude to his family for supporting him during the process as well as the committee and the Township Board.
       "What a more fitting time to do this than at Thanksgiving time, because I have a lot to be thankful for," Falker said.
       Ken DeCock, chairperson of the MAPDRC, explained that Bruce Township with the state of Michigan purchased the developmental rights for 30.5 acres of Falker's farm.
       A property owner is paid the fair market value of the developmental rights, then an easement is placed on the property prohibiting residential, commercial or industrial projects to be built on the property. Meanwhile, the owner keeps the property and can utilize the money for equipment, bills or other personal uses.
       With the $152,500 the Falker family received, they plan on building a bottling plant to sell pasteurized milk as well as making ice cream. He said it won't fund the entire project, but will help get it started.
       "We're going to break ground just as soon as we can, it's all in the works," he said. "We want to get the building up this fall and work on the interior in the winter months."
       The MAPDRC is a collaboration of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Center, the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development department and the local townships of Armada, Bruce, Lenox, Ray and Richmond.
       It received help from the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, who formed the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Ad Hoc Committee in 2000.
       "This is a major milestone for the community, it should be proud," said Dist. 13 Commissioner Don Brown, one of the founding members of the committee. "I'm proud to have one of these enrolled farms in my district."
       Falker's farm is the second farm to officially sign a development rights agreement with the committee. The first sale was in Richmond Township to preserve nearly 40 acres of farmland.
       Hannah Stevens from the MSU Extension Center said it was exciting to see yet another farm that will be protected in the local community. The center played a critical role in obtaining grants for the program in 2005 from the Michigan Department of Agriculture.
       "After having so many meetings and so many policies, it's good to see something come out of it," she said.
       Jim Fuerstenau of the Michigan Farm Bureau, who helped begin the MAPDRC in 1986, was thankful for Bruce Township recognizing the importance of preserving farmlands.
       "What a great thing for Bruce Township now to have something to market in the township, that (the board) is concerned about that as well as community growth, and you can do both," he said.
       The need for such preservation is shown through Macomb County's declining number of farms. Over the last 40 years, Macomb County lost nearly 87,000 acres of farmland and roughly 1,400 farms.
       The 2002 United States Agricultural census states more than 500 operating farms are in Macomb County and cover more than 68,000 acres. They produce more than $40 million in revenue for the county.