Agriculture - not important??

A housing development, Fiddler’s Green, is in the process of being developed in the last space of agricultural land remaining in the Upper Stroubles Creek Watershed. The only saving grace for some of this agricultural land is that in 1991, Katherine Hoge entered into an engagement with the town of Blacksburg, in which thirty-two acres of her land was placed into a conservation easement. According to Andrew Warren, Zoning Administrator for the town of Blacksburg, this type of conservation easement is the only one of its kind in Blacksburg. Additionally, Warren has indicated that it would in violation of the easement if the thirty-two acres were to ever become abandoned or fallow, therefore indicating that this area must remain active agriculture in the future. In an article discussing the easement, it is reported that the land has been recently bought by Jim and Heather Cowan, in which the land will remain ninety percent agricultural with organic farm management practices, and will be used as a horse farm (Collegiate Times, November 19, 2008). Additionally, a second lake is going to be constructed on the property (increasing open water in Upper Stroubles Creek Watershed), which will act as a migratory bird habitat. Ironically, one of the selling points of trying to bring buyers to Fiddler’s Green is the close location to the easement and the beauty of being located near the horse farm.