Old Williams Farm ~ 87 acres, Surry County
Ola Williams Hendren. Donation of Conservation Easement.
“I don’t want
anyone messing up my river or building condos on my land.”
~ Ola Williams Hendren
A sentiment that Ola took action to stand behind by donating a permanent conservation easement over her farm to PLC. Having grown up on this tobacco farm, Ola is full of stories about the farm and the river including riding the family mule across the river to collect rocks for the farm’s well house and “accidentally” falling off so she could play in the water for a few moments. A retired school teacher with no children, Ola had to make a decision about the fate of her family’s tobacco farm. After careful consideration and attending landowner workshops hosted by the Mitchell River Coalition, she donated an easement to PLC and plans on donating the farm to North Carolina State University’s School of Agriculture.
Due to this farm’s location
along 0.7 miles of the Mitchell River, an Outstanding Resource Water, the
easement includes a 100 foot wide no-touch zone along the river to ensure that
Ola’s River is permanently protected. Additionally, the easement protects the
farm from non-agricultural development and protects its open space and scenic
nature. Once her alma mater inherits the farm they may ultimately decide to
sell the farm; however, if they do PLC’s easement will continue to protect the
land and the Mitchell River forever.
Project funding provided by the landowner and the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund.