Danny Bingamon first approached TLT about participating in the agricultural easement purchase program in 2004, just the 3rd round of the Clean Ohio Fund program!  His persistence finally paid off.  After almost 20 years, one of Danny’s farms was accepted into the program and the easement closed last year.  Thanks to Danny’s encouragement, his son, Josh, also protected his farm which is adjacent to his dad’s.  Both properties are located off of Cherry Grove Road and Wolford Road on the border of Ross and New Jasper Townships just north of Jamestown.  These easements, along with a neighboring farm, create a continuous block of 321 protected acres that includes no-till farmlands, organic farmland, as well as a wooded riparian corridor along Brickle Creek, an important tributary of Caesars Creek. Preserving the natural state of wooded riparian corridors is extremely beneficial for many reasons: it prevents erosion which in turn decreases the intensity of flooding, it prevents waterways from filling with sediment, it filters pollutants and contaminants from runoff which in turn protects water quality, and it provides important habitat for wildlife. The organisms that thrive in the stream in turn support those that thrive by the water’s edge, which in turn supports the wildlife all around us. Protecting land that contains various natural resources is exactly what TLT does best!

Both Danny and Josh understand the importance of the work the Tecumseh Land Trust does. This particular part of Ross Township was hit very hard by rural residential development in the past,  cutting up farmland into 3-10 acre lots.  Because of the dedication of the Bingamons and their neighbors these farms will be forever protected.