Horsing Around In Webster Township

John and Jean Cares, who own a large farm on Farrell Road in Webster Township, made the decision to sell their development rights for $2.4 million in 2006. They had made their living off pigs for years, but a downturn in the market put the farm at risk, they said, and the greenbelt helped them survive and reinvest. "Our farm was at risk," John Cares said. "We had a tremendous amount of debt. We potentially could have not made it." "It's been important for our family," added Jean Cares, who now serves on the city's Greenbelt Advisory Commission. No longer raising pigs, the Cares are growing corn, soybeans and wheat on the farm, which spans roughly 200 acres. "Before the greenbelt, it was pretty rundown," John Cares admitted of his farm, which has seen some improvements, including a newly restored barn. Read story.

Down On The Farm

The city of Ann Arbor's Greenbelt Program recently purchased the development rights to 286 acres of farmland owned by Bill Nixon of Webster Township for $2.14 million. Aside from being the largest chunk of land ever acquired by the Greenbelt Program, the purchase is significant because the property once was slated to become a manufactured home park. Now that the development rights have been purchased by the city, the land will be forever preserved as open space.