Through state program, Porteus sisters preserve ancestral farmland for generations to come

Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune
·2 min read

COSHOCTON − Preserving farmland for agricultural purposes that has been in a local family for generations was the desire of three sisters.

Susan Fleck, Ann Herman and Barb Porteus recently had 93 acres of farmland along Ohio 83 South added to the Farmland Preservation Program of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The ODA reported 21 farms joining the program this year. Since the program started in 1998, 701 farms totaling 104,896 acres have entered into agreements.

Landowners agree to perpetually maintain the land predominately in agricultural use. If the land is ever sold, the new owner must also use it for agriculture purposes.

Susan Fleck, Ann Herman and Barb Porteus recently had 93 acres of farmland that has been in their family for about 175 years put into the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Farmland Preservation Program to keep it in agriculture for generations to come.
Susan Fleck, Ann Herman and Barb Porteus recently had 93 acres of farmland that has been in their family for about 175 years put into the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Farmland Preservation Program to keep it in agriculture for generations to come.

Deb Bigelow, program administrator for the Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District, assisted the Porteus sisters with their application. She said the Tracy Renfrew Farm on County Road 192 joined the program in 2008. Bigelow said it's quite an extensive application process going through a land trust or soil and water agency. The Porteus application took a little more than a year to finalize.

"We've got to feed the world, that's all there is to it. This is one way we can help do that," Bigelow said.

The land had been in the Porteus family for about 175 years when ancestors first came to the U.S. from Ireland. It's currently being farmed by extended family members. It's been used for corn, soybeans and hay.

Barb, who now lives in Sugarcreek, said she heard about the program from a neighbor and was pointed to Bigelow for help.

"The idea of doing something that would preserve the land for farming was something I had tossed around in my head for awhile," she said.

The land was previously farmed by the sisters' parents, John and Peg Porteus. While they weren't going to farm it and they knew their children and grandchildren wouldn't, it was still important to keep the legacy going. In the future, progeny can visit and see the sign declaring the area as preserved farmland even if it's no longer in the family.

"I don't recall my dad ever saying the words, there was never any doubt he considered himself a steward of the land. After he passed, my mother continued with that idea. They had opportunities to sell in the past and it was never a consideration," Barb said. "This was a way we could do what we saw as our part in the generational aspect of being the steward."

Anyone interested in the Farmland Preservation Program can contact the Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District at 740-622-8087, ext. 4, or go to coshoctoncounty.net/swcd.

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Porteus family participating in Ohio Farmland Preservation Program