To Save a Lake

Those who bike, hike, blade or run the TART trail north of Traverse City as it merges into the Leelanau Trail travel through a trek of land along Cedar Lake. This 145-acre parcel is the Louis DeYoung Farm and it is the latest acquisition endeavor of the Leelanau Conservancy.
Last December The Conservancy signed an option to purchase the historic farmstead by putting down $50,000 towards the $1.8 million purchase price.
If $1.8 million seems like a lot of clams, guess again. The DeYoung family easily could have demanded twice, maybe even three times as much from developers. The parcel has one mile of lake frontage and enough room to develop 100 homes; Some lots have stunning views of both West and East Grand Traverse Bay.
“The DeYoung family turned away many offers from developers and sacrificed financially by offering this property to the Conservancy because they care tremendously about seeing it remain as it is today,” said Matt Heiman, a land protection specialist with the Leelanau Conservancy who has worked with the family for the last 4 years. “This is the biggest inland lake project for us to date. With nearly a mile of shoreline on Cedar Lake, we’ll be protecting nearly half of the west side of the lake.”
Plans for the property are still in the works, but current owners and the Leelanau Conservancy envision it free of development and a place where the public can come to swim, enjoy nature and possibly learn about community supported agriculture.
The land became available when Louis DeYoung, Sr., passed away last year at the age of 104. His son, Ted,
says it was his father’s dream to see the land forever preserved. They began exploring options with the Conservancy late in 2003.
“This is a tremendous project that will touch the lives of people from both Leelanau and Grand Traverse County,” said Heiman. “Thousands of people bike through this
area now. We are just beginning to formulate plans and to work with other interested groups. Right now our priority is raising the money in order to secure the property,
while reaching out to potential project partners as we develop a vision for what this project will bring to the surrounding communities.”

FAMILY HISTORY
The farm has a rich agricultural history. The aging mustard colored farmhouse along Cherrybend Road is where Louis and his wife, Esther, raised two children and, early on, tended a dairy cattle herd. After morning milking, Louis herded the cows to pasture, sometimes leading them over railroad tracks to graze on the shores of Cedar Lake. Louis drove his milk into Maxbauer’s Creamery on Traverse City’s West Front in a one-seat Ford pickup. The DeYoungs weathered the Depression, nearly losing their farm. Louis was the first in the area to bring electricity into their home. He rigged up a car generator, a couple of 6-volt light bulbs and hooked it all up to a water wheel on a stream that ran beneath his workshop.
After the Depression, the DeYoungs were also the first of their neighbors to give up farming with horses for tractors. Soon after, they gambled on cherries, planting eight acres, and enjoyed an extended period of profitability – one that put both his children through college. Today, Ted is a retired aerospace engineer now living in California and daughter Pat is a retired physician living in Oregon. At the time of Louis’ death, they co-owned the farm with their father.
Leelanau Conservancy staffers and supporters have made the proposed DeYoung Natural Area a top priority. To date, the Conservancy has protected over 1,000 acres of farmland from development. On average, 500 acres of Leelanau farmland annually is lost to development.
Conservancy staff and docents have been offering exploratory hikes for the general public and donors.

View On Our Website