Countryside Conservancy

Countryside was created in 1999 to help Cuyahoga Valley National Park solve the problem of how to conserve the quickly disappearing rural character of the Valley – the dozens of once vibrant farmsteads had fallen to the plow of industrialization and the concentration of our food system.

We began by helping the park identify the farms with the highest potential to be resuscitated. Then, we helped create a competitive Request for Proposals to attract like-minded people who wanted to realize their small farm dream while being part of something bigger than themselves – the Countryside Initiative program. Fourteen farmsteads were rehabilitated, 10 are currently leased to privately operated farmers who participate in this unique land tenure program.