In May 2012, String of Pearls, together with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, honored land owners of eight properties in Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Landowners & Their Pearls

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy nominated the eight properties and holds the easements on all of them. The eight Pearl creators preserved land in watersheds of Cecil, Kent and Queen Annes counties. Each property is different and each has its own story as to why it was protected. The commonality between these land owners is that they came forward and acted. Their action protects the Bay to the benefit of all of us.

The Pearls

• Ordinary Point Farm
• Browning Creek Farm
• Andelot Farm
• Bachelor’s Hope Farm
• Pinecroft Farm
• Spaniard’s Point Farm
• Indiantown Farm & Poplar Grove Farm
• Boxer’s Rest

Ordinary Point Farm — Mr. & Mrs. James Bayard
Sassafras River Watershed – Cecil County

Jim Bayard’s parents purchased Ordinary Point Farm in 1955 and made little changes to the property. Mr. Bayard acquired the farm from his mother’s estate in 2002. In 2005, Mr. Bayard began a massive shoreline erosion control project to save the farm’s namesake, Ordinary Point. In addition, he is completing other erosion control/water quality protection measures on the farm in accordance with the Soil & Water Quality Conservation Plan for the property. Jim Bayard is committed to the historic preservation of Ordinary Point, which in the 1700s was the site of a Courthouse, an Ordinary (tavern), and ferry dock. The conservation easement preserves productive agricultural and woodland soils (214 acres of farmland, 208 acres of woodland, 30 acres of marsh), provides water quality protection (approximately one mile of frontage on the Sassafras River and one mile of frontage on Money Creek), and wildlife habitat protection.

The property contains Forest Interior Dwelling Species habitat; the adjacent open waters are known historic waterfowl concentration areas; and approximately 99 acres are located within the Grove Neck Natural Heritage Area, which contains six rare, threatened or endangered species, including the Federally & State endangered Puritan Tiger Beetle, threatened Bald Eagle, endangered Sandbar Willow, rare Maryland Burmarigold, rare American Lotus, and Spongy Lophotocarpus. In addition, the Ordinary Point Farm is adjacent to a large block of permanently protected land including the Glasscock, Rice, Spry & Jones Rural Legacy conservation easements and the Decker Maryland Environmental Trust-donated conservation easement, plus it adjoins the 743-acre Grove Farm, which is a proposed in fee acquisition by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The property is directly across the river from the Sassafras Natural Resources Management Area in Kent County. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy)

Browning Creek Farm — Jack & Charlotte Loller
Bohemia/Elk River Watershed – Cecil County

The quest to protect the 355 acres of Browning Creek Farm began in 2006 after the property received approval for 47 residential lots. That action led to the involvement of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. The farm was permanently protected just recently thanks to widespread community support and the willingness of the landowners, brothers Felix and Mark Rutkoske, to sell a conservation easement at below appraised value which enabled ESLC time to find a conservation buyer for the farm. Fortunately, local farmers/conservationists Jack and Charlotte Loller purchased the farm so that their grandson, Danny, could begin a career in farming. Jack Loller’s parents lived on the farm at one time.

“It is a shame that they were not around to see us get this place but we are excited for (our grandson) and so glad to get back here,” said Charlotte Loller. The Lollers intended to farm the property – so buying it subject to the conservation easement worked out well because they did not have to pay for the development value of the property.

The Lollers previously purchased nearby Locust Thicket Farm from Charlotte Staelin’s mother’s estate. That farm had been already preserved by easement and it is where the Lollers started farming. Also, the Lollers own Pinewood Farm and Quiet Acres Farm. All four farms are in some form of Agricultural preservation. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy)

Andelot Farm — Louisa C. Duemling
Kent County

The extensive conservation of Andelot Farm in Worton, Kent County, consists of a conservation easement of 2,984 acres including approximately 1,087 acres of forest, 1,692 acres of tilled land and 50 acres of freshwater ponds. Andelot Farm is the largest privately donated conservation easement in Maryland, preserving a 200-foot vegetative buffer strip along 9.2 miles of the Chesapeake Bay, Churn Creek, Tims Creek, Worton Creek and Still Pond, protecting water quality and riparian wildlife habitat. In addition, the property contains quality habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including the Delmarva fox squirrel.

“Year after year, enjoying those beautiful fields and woods, walking the shoreline and reaping the bounty of the harvests, I decided to make thoughtful stewardship of the land a central passion of my life,” said Louisa Duemling. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy)

Bachelor’s Hope Farm — Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hewes
Chester River Watershed – Kent County

Bachelor’s Hope Farm, south of Chestertown, is comprised of 164 acres of farm, wetland and woodland. The Hewes donated easement was made in 1997. It has over 1800 feet of shoreline on the Chester River. The property is adjacent to open waters which have a known historic concentration of migratory waterfowl.

Bob and Janet Hewes have been leading conservation supporters in the region, and their leadership has led to the preservation of many farms in Quaker Neck and in Kent County. This conservation easement protects a heron rookery and allows for the house and property to become a sailing school or other nonprofit. The Hewes have been active for many years in the log canoe races. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy)

Pinecroft Farm — Bob & Jean Payne
Chester River Watershed – Kent County

The Paynes donated their 155.43-acre dairyfarm in 1991 via a conservation easement and an additional 65.801 acres in 2002 for a total of 221 acres. The farm easement includes 60 acres tillable, 65 acres woodland, 30 acres pasture and a two-acre homesite. This farm is the main residence of Bob and Jean Payne and is a working dairy farm. The 65.801 acres across Still Pond Neck Road from the dairyfarm are entirely in agricultural production and unimproved.

A typical day for Bob Payne starts at 4 a.m. when he rises for breakfast (lately it’s been Cheerios). Then it’s off to the milking barn to milk his 50 “girls.” He has Holsteins, Jerseys, and Swiss. The second milking shift starts at about 3:30 p.m. In between, as of late, Bob has time for a short nap.

Bob is a passionate champion of agricultural education hosting over 100,000 children at his farm over 25 years. He is a vehement champion of conservation easements and has done many outreach events on behalf of farmland preservation.

“People thought me foolish about giving up the development rights to the farm and the money that goes with that … but I gave away something I never wanted to sell … to me it was simple: It’s my home and I want it to be as its always been.”

Though serving at home in the National Guard, Bob never left the farm. “I didn’t want to leave and see all the things I was missing … instead I stayed at home and now everything is coming to me!” (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the Maryland Environmental Trust)

Spaniard’s Point Farm — Loring E. Hawes
Chester & Corsica River Watersheds – Queen Anne’s County

Spaniard’s Point Farm, a 218-acre grain farm at the confluence of the Chester and Corsica Rivers, was part of a grant from Lord Baltimore in 1658 to a Spanish ship captain for transporting members of the Hanson family to the colony. The farm is preserved by a Rural Legacy conservation easement and has 100-foot Conservation Reserve Program shoreline buffers on both rivers as well as two “living shorelines” on the Corsica River.

The extensive conservation of Spaniard’s Point Farm, with nearly two miles of frontage on the Corsica and Chester Rivers is a beautiful example of the Eastern Shore at its best. The Hawes family’s farm was preserved with a conservation easement in 2008, forever protecting the magnificent shoreline, farmland and habitat of bald eagles, osprey and many wintering waterfowl. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy)

Indiantown Farm/Poplar Grove Farm — Mr. & Mrs. James Wood
Chester River Watershed – Queen Anne’s County

From 1667 until 1860, the Emory family held all the land within Spaniard’s Neck on the Chester River, dividing and subdividing it into smaller farms as it passed from one generation to another. Around 1700, John Emory built the original house at Poplar Grove. Now owned by James Wood, Emory’s descendant, Poplar Grove is one of the few colonial homes in America owned continuously by the same family.

For more than 300 years the Emory/Wood family worked, protected and enjoyed these lands and waters while carefully and responsibly managing these natural resources. This sense of stewardship was bestowed upon Emory’s descendants, Howard and Mary Wood, and their family. (Mr. Wood was a founding board member of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.).

The Wood family donated a conservation easement in 1986, forever preserving the 333-acre Indiantown Farm, and in 1996, forever preserving the 259-acre Poplar Grove farm. Since then they have generously allowed their farm to be the site of a major study of soil and water conservation projects. The Wood family exemplifies a dedication to farm and natural resources stewardship that is vital to our country’s past and future. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the Maryland Environmental Trust)

Boxer’s Rest — Jonathan & Lori Sallet
Chester River Watershed – Queen Anne’s County

Boxer’s Rest is an 85-acre working farm and nature retreat in Queen Anne’s County. The Sallets purchased the farm in November of 2007 from a developer who had it platted for a housing development of 28-30 townhomes. The property had been owned since the 1980s by a woman, a wildlife enthusiast and bird watcher, who used it as a summer getaway.

After purchase, the farm – whose name refers to Boxer, the fictional, hard-working horse in George Orwell’s Animal Farm — was placed under a conservation easement. The land was transitioned to Certified Organic crop production through enrollment in a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers. The tillable land was placed in a hay crop until 2011 when farming began again. This process allowed the land to rest while being under cover and enabled building the soil’s organic matter and clearing the property of pesticide and herbicide residues. USDA Organic Certification was given in October 2011, and the farm began producing Certified Organic feed grain for organic animals and certified organic vegetable crops which are sold locally at the Chestertown Farmers’ Market and on the regional wholesale market. (Easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the Maryland Environmental Trust)