Van Buren County Preserves 219 Acres of Druskovich Farm

Van Buren County secured a $312,600 grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to permanently protect 219 acres of the Druskovich farm in Hamilton Township from development.

The Agricultural Preservation Fund grant allows the county to purchase development rights while the Druskovich family retains ownership. A permanent easement restricts the land to agricultural use only.

Carl Druskovich, a sixth-generation farmer, grows corn, strawberries and gladiolas on the property. His family's next generation already works alongside him.

The Druskovich property would fetch approximately $438,000 on the open market. MDARD covered 75 percent of the development rights purchase cost, with the county and landowner covering the remainder.

Van Buren County lost nearly 44,000 acres of farmland between 2012 and 2022. This marks the first preservation through the MDARD program since 2008.

Lisa Ransler, the county's Community Services Director, said the grant "helps today's farmers and future generations as we lose agriculture — because it's very important to Van Buren County." The county's Land Preservation Board plans to pursue additional preservation opportunities.