June 7, 2021 – Richfield, WI – The Herb Lofy Family Farm on Pleasant Hill Road in the village of Richfield is now permanently protected through a conservation easement with Tall Pines Conservancy (TPC).
The property, 27-acres of rich agricultural farmland, had been donated to the Richfield Historical Society (RHS) subject to a life estate that will allow the Lofy Family to call their farm “home” for the remainder of their lives.
Photo courtesy Zach Steinbach
The conservation easement was suitably finalized on Earth Day, April 22, 2021.
Herb and Sharon Lofy have been long-standing supporters of RHS and their farm is located across from the 33-acre Richfield Historical Park, which is part of the village of Richfield park system and is adjacent to the 92-acre Richfield Nature Park.
The all-volunteer organization is responsible for restoring and maintaining numerous historic buildings within the Historical Park as well as hosting several popular events throughout the year.
In tandem with this generous donation of a Life Estate to RHS, the Lofy family was also determined to permanently protect their ancestral property through a conservation easement with Tall Pines Conservancy.
“Sharon and I are equally pleased that a portion of our farm is now covered with a conservation easement through Tall Pines,” said Herb Lofy. “This part of the farm is a life estate with Richfield Historical Society as the beneficiary, we felt a conservancy would provide a “win-win” situation for everyone.
“Development has certainly taken many farms in Richfield out of production. One hundred years from now this may be one of only a few open spaces left in Richfield.”
The beautiful Coney Creek meanders among various wooded areas through both the Richfield Historical Park and the Lofy Farm.
In fact, one of the reasons the Lofy Farm is such a solid candidate for conservation is best management practices applied to the agricultural operation present a significant opportunity to benefit both the water quality of the creek and the Oconomowoc River, which it feeds.
Both RHS and TPC look forward to its new, unique partnership and thank the Lofy family for their foresight in preserving their land.
Founded in 1999, Tall Pines Conservancy is a 501c3 nationally accredited Land Trust working to preserve rural heritage by protecting remaining farmland, water resources, natural areas and open spaces adjacent to and impacting Northwestern Waukesha County.
Tall Pines has preserved approximately 1,500 acres of land by conservation easements and fee acquisition.
The Richfield Historical Society (RHS) was founded in 1997. RHS is also a 501c3 organization with its mission to discover, collect, preserve, and promote the history of the Village of Richfield. Its vision is to provide opportunities to connect to Richfield’s past.
