Marian Bieberbach’s Vision to Protect 115 Acres of Pristine Farmland in Southeast Licking County

In the autumn of 2004, the late Marian Bieberbach, pictured on page 5 with her faithful dachshund Woody, granted an agricultural easement on her 115-acre farm to the Licking Land Trust. Her generous and forward-thinking action thus preserved her beloved farm in southeast Licking County in perpetuity.

Mrs. Bieberbach grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, and as a girl rode her bicycle through the wide-open countryside there. This East Coast rural area was later completely transformed by housing developments, a built environment Marian called “house-to-house.” She did not want this fate to befall her Ohio farm, located in Franklin Township near the Rt 40 / I-70 corridor, so she granted an agricultural easement to the Trust to save her land’s natural rural beauty forever. Her farm, comprising about 65 acres of crops, 15 acres of pasture, and 35 acres of woodland, will now always remain as a pristine agricultural and natural space, as she wished. The farm is quite beautiful, with many breathtaking views. The pleasant hills in the agricultural section roll downward to mature woodlands in the southern third of the property. There is a sizable stand of pine within the deciduous woodland area. Intermittent streams, headwaters of Bowling Green Creek, a tributary to Jonathan Creek, traverse portions of the farm.

Several barns, outbuildings and a peaceful pond complete the picture. The farm’s single-family home is excluded from the protected property, and under the terms of the easement, the property owner may also establish a second building site for one additional new single-family residence. Sadly, Mrs. Bieberbach, a widow and beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away at home in late 2014. In March 2015, the farm was sold to new owners, the Langs, who are committed to conserving this protected land. A variety of farming activities continue, including new tree plantings, all within the terms of the easement that “runs with the land.” The farm is planted in crops, goats roam the pastures, and selective harvesting of dead and nuisance trees is performed after Trust approval of a forest management plan. An energy lease pre-dated the easement and was specifically permitted; this active oil/ gas well, near the northern boundary of the farm, still operates. When energy production is no longer viable, this area will be returned to its original condition, per easement terms. The long-range vision for maintaining the beautiful rural character of southeast Licking County has been very much enhanced through Mrs. Bierberbach’s decision to protect this lovely 115-acre farm.