Two New Farms Available for Lease @ConservancyCVNP

CountrysideSpiceAcres

Have you always dreamed of owning a farm — and not just dreamed but acquired growing expertise and roughed out a business plan?

For the last 15 years, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Countryside Conservancy have been restoring farmed located within the park and awarding long-term leases people who want to make farming a way of life and have a solid plan for doing so. They are people like Ben and Jackie Bebenroth who leased a farm last year and dubbed it Spice Acres (pictured); they’re looking to grow a significant portion of what they serve at Spice Kitchen + Bar in Gordon Square and their catering business on their own farm. Currently, there are nine such farms, including a vineyard and winery, pick-your-own berry farm and several livestock farms, among them one specializing in goat meat.

Two new farms are now being offered for lease, and the Conservancy has put out a request of proposals, saying, “These leases, available for up to 60 years, are open to all interested parties on a competitive basis with selection being based on the proposal’s agricultural and economic soundness, responsiveness to a national park setting, engagement of the public, etc.”

You can find out all the details about the farms, the Edgar Farm in Valley View, and the Schmidt Foster Farm in Summit County’s Boston Heights, here. They’ll be conducting open houses for people planning to submit a proposal on Fri 7/31 and Mon 8/10. Proposal deadline is Wed 9/16 with final selection by the end of 2015, in time for the 2016 growing season.

cvcountryside.org/live-and-farm-in-the-national-park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville, OH 44141

Post categories:

Leave a Reply

[fbcomments]