Who we are.
The Crew from 2003 Drag and Burn
We are a small family with a large extended family. We have had many people make contributions to The Land over the years. Most of those contributions have been the joy of company around the campfire, sweat and labor, ideas, and, in a few cases, small cash gifts for particular projects. Many members of this group have been with us from the beginning; some have left by death and other life changes and others have moved on to new adventures in life. Naming them all would be impossible but I want to acknowledge and offer thanks for the gifts they have given this to this place. We could never have done it alone.
We continue to be blessed by the contributions of this extended family and I am particularly blessed by seeing my grandchildren and the children of friends begin to enjoy The Land as much as their parents did years ago and continue to do today.
Who I am.
In general, I am a father of three, husband, land owner, lifelong learner and retired from a job that, that like most jobs, often kept me busy, stressed and indoors. Now, in my late 60’s, I am able to focus much of my energy and time on The Land.
Don and Beth Huber near Spearfish, S.D.
In specific, I am a guy with a dream. The dream was inspired by many years of camping, enjoying the outdoors and most especially, by my mentors, who shared their love of the outdoors with me and taught me how to respect the land, and people who in sundry ways are tillers and caretakers of the Earth.
The dream is simple: To have a place that is managed for forest products (mostly saw timber and firewood), wildlife enhancement (meaning the place of animals we share the world with is considered in our decisions, as necessary for a healthy ecosystem and respected for what they provide), food production and recreation. A corollary of this dream would be to provide a place where people can reconnect with nature, wilderness, food sources, and learn how nature works and the peace and restoration that can come from connection with it.
The implementation is a complex and ever changing plan as I have matured in knowledge and thinking and as the world and needs of others has changed.
Where the name “The Land” came from:
When I had finally reached a point in my life that I could afford to buy a piece of property, in conversation with my family and friends, I said I was going to start looking for a piece of land. The process took about two years and they got used to me saying: “I am going to go look at some land.” or “I saw a great piece of land yesterday.” After I bought the property, described in this website, it became natural to say: “I am going to the land” or “Do you want to come down to the land with me.” So “The Land” stuck. A few times in the past twenty plus years I have tried to change it to “The Farm” or a descriptive name like “Peaceful Acres” but “The Land” stuck.
The Land Basic Description
The Land is a sixty-five acre property in Western New York. It is rectangular (2100’ x 1375’) and oriented on a north south axis. It is at about 1950’ of elevation with about 100’ of elevation change from lowest point to highest. It is located in the northern temperate zone, growing zone 5 to 6. At the time of purchase, it was mostly wooded with a few small brushy areas and one marshy area. There were no ponds, fields or structures. There was a rough walking trail from the road through the approximate center of the property.
The land in the latest Google Earth Shot
The Land was farmed until the early 1920’s and is an old field succession forest of predominately Aspen, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Beech, Black Cherry, Pin Cherry, Birch and Ash with some Hophornbeam, Locust, Basswood, Apple and Cucumber thrown in for variety.
There are about seven to eight thousand feet of trails, three ponds (one small and two about 2/3 of an acre surface area) and two fields of about one acre each.
There are three permanent structures on the property; a barn/house, a vault toilet and a picnic pavilion.