124 acres of Varina farmland preserved through easement

A 124.3-acre tract of privately owned farmland in Varina has been protected through a conservation easement, the Capital Region Land Conservancy announced recently.

Working with CRLC and Henricopolis Soil and Water Conservation District as co-holders of the easement, Doug Godsey of Godsey Properties Inc. officially preserved the site – much of which is working farmland – on Kingsland, Hoke Brady, and Varina Roads. The new easement supports the goals of the Henrico County Comprehensive Plan and contains provisions to preserve the property’s multi-faceted conservation values, which include approximately 90 acres of priority agricultural lands, as well as 30 acres of freshwater wetlands, and historically significant battlefields adjacent to the Richmond National Battlefield Park.

The move is particularly noteworthy, according to CRLC officials, because it preserves the agricultural value of the land and at the same time honors the working relationship between the landowner and Charlie Purks, whose family was the prior owner and who continues to farm the land. The easement facilitates the implementation of conservation practices that preserve the land’s prime agricultural soils for future generations while protecting the purpose of the contractual relationship.

According to a survey by the American Farmland Trust, the type of working relationship exemplified by Godsey and Purks is a common but seldom broadcast trend in agriculture.

“I have a deep belief that non-operator landowners like myself are only part of the equation,” said Doug Godsey. “To be an effective steward of my land, it is crucial to work closely with Mr. Purks as we develop a sustainable future for the land’s soil and crops. Part of that process is understanding Mr. Purks’s needs and goals, so that our contract can reflect his perspective.”

The conservation community has relatively little awareness of the perspectives and needs of non-operator landowners and operators, according to CRLC officials, which presents a challenge for policy makers, natural resource agencies, and conservation groups as they work to understand how best to work with NOLs to achieve more effective resource management of the lands they rent to their operators.

“Land is expensive, and owning it adds an expensive burden on top of an already expensive business. I don’t know exactly how many would-be farmers are kept off the land due to issues of cost and access, but I see the type of relationship I have with Mr. Godsey as a partial solution to get more farmers working the land and cultivating a better future for our region and our state,” said Purks.

Godsey’s property is considered historically important because of its role as a battlefield or staging area for the Civil War battles of Second Deep Bottom and Chaffin’s Farm, both of which heavily involved The United States Colored Troops and led to the ultimate cessation of war in Appomattox. The property has been identified by the American Battlefield Protection Program to be among the most intact and threatened historical battlefields in Virginia.

“Conservation is rarely about protecting one thing. In the case of this easement, Mr. Godsey is helping to protect not only our region’s agricultural viability, but also our cultural identity and our sense of history,” said CRLC Executive Director Parker Agelasto. “From battlefields to fields of corn, our region’s landscapes deserve a conservation approach that is as multi-faceted as the land itself.”

“It is a great honor to participate in a process that protects water quality, soil fertility, air quality, habitat, view sheds, and the open space on which Virginia's agriculture, forestry and tourism industries depend; not just today, but for future generations,” said Nicole Anderson-Ellis, chair of the Henricopolis Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors.