The Renner’s Corner farm, located in Bridgewater Township on Austin Road near Manchester, is a beautiful, idyllic place. A historic stone farmhouse overlooks gently rolling hills where hay and soybeans grow. On another 10-acre field bordered by oak forest and seasonal wetlands, sheep contentedly graze.

David Renner spent much of his life on the land farming and exploring the picturesque property. The land has been a special place to the Renner family since 1967, when Renner acquired the land. “Raising four children who loved to roam the fields, swamp, and woods, and spending time watching the wildlife kindles many memories,” said Renner.

Today, Renner’s son David Scott Renner continues to live and farm on the property, adding to the long chain of farmers who have worked the land since 1836. At its start in 1836, the farm was 219 acres. Today, the farm is smaller, at 66 acres, with 41 acres actively farmed.

To preserve the remaining portion of this historic and productive farmland, David and Marilyn Renner worked with the Legacy Land Conservancy to donate a conservation agreement on the land. They decided to protect the property after talking to conservation agreement donors Bob Ludwig and his daughter Connie Ludwig, who protected their properties with the Conservancy in 2007. As Renner said, “Their enthusiasm rubbed off.”

Now protected by a permanent conservation agreement, the scenic qualities of the 66-acre farm will be preserved, while the land’s strong legacy of farming can continue long into the future.

The 66 acres protected by the Renner Family is one of 6 new land protection projects completed by Legacy Land Conservancy in December 2009.

Serving Washtenaw and Jackson counties, the Legacy Land Conservancy (the new name of the Washtenaw Land Trust) protects the natural areas and working farms that make our community a great place to live. Since 1971, the Conservancy has protected 4046 acres of land through 78 projects. For more information, please contact the Conservancy at [email protected]/ or 734-302-LAND (5263).