NOHLC's Executive Director, Katie Anderson, and Virginia and Michael Knag have worked together to permanently protect the conservation values of 97 acres of the Knag's 140 acre farmstead known as Thread Creek Farm.

Ginny, whose connection to the farm and the land runs deep, said, "I just knew this was the right thing to do. I have peace of mind knowing that the farm will be protected in perpetuity and can be appreciated by the generations beyond my life. I have enjoyed the farm because of the actions taken by my ancestors to preserve it over these many years." 

 

Having been continually farmed by Virginia's family for six generations, the family still uses the original buildings. Virginia is the great-great-great granddaughter of Jonathon Davison. John C. Evatt, deceased in 2008 was a fifth generation farmer who passed down the property to his daughter Virginia Evatt Knag and her husband Mick Knag.

.

Thread Creek farm is a working farm. They produce native Michigan perennial flowers, sweet corn, pumpkins, and raise a small herd of cattle and turkeys. They open their farm to school groups in the Fall and their roadside stand also provides produce to the public.

 

The easement drafted and negotiated by Frank Aiello, Thomas Cooley Law School Associate and editor of the newly-drafted Michigan Model Conservation Easement, provides for two zones of protection. The "Habitat Zone" covers the riparian area including Thread Creek and the wooded area, while the "Agricultural Zone" allows for eco-friendly agriculture practices.

The baseline documentation which serves as a permanent record of the land's conservation values was prepared by Kathleen Rollins, NOHLC Land Steward. The management plan for the property is being prepared in collaboration with Virginia's niece, Shannon Walker, a forestry student at MSU.