(Editor’s Note: Fifth generation OMP farmer (and my brother) Ward Johnson says that the wineries have each done an excellent job of creating an aesthetically pleasing place on the Peninsula. And that the legacy farmers who’ve been here for generations need the wineries to be profitable and successful. Above is a photo of his crew planting apple trees on his farm earlier this year. Read more of his thoughts below. And if you’ve got something to say about anything related to the Old Mission Peninsula, write it up and send it to me, [email protected]. -jb)
Through the efforts of many concerned citizens and groups, including Peninsula Township, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Protect the Peninsula, and the State of Michigan, the Old Mission Peninsula has been saved!
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You can see the fruit of everyone’s labor when you take a drive out of Traverse City; the pleasant views overlooking the bays, open land created through the strategic use of Planned Unit Developments, scenic turnoffs to stop and enjoy the views, the many township and state parks, and our preserved farmland that doesn’t allow for further residential development. The foresight and hard work of these citizens and groups has paid off.
All of the wineries have done an excellent job of using their own unique area of the Old Mission Peninsula to be aesthetically pleasing, inviting and respectful to their neighbors. Farmers need these wineries to be profitable, even if it’s through value added services or goods.
Peninsula Township will still grow exponentially, as we have created one of the most desirable places to live.
-Ward Johnson, 5th generation farmer on the Old Mission Peninsula
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SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette
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