Tall Pines Conservancy Fundraiser (Koepke Pleasant View Farm)

On February 25, 2021, Tall Pines Conservancy will be presenting “An Evening with Michael Perry” as part of an important fundraiser to support the farmland conservation and water-quality initiatives of Tall Pines Conservancy.

While most of you know what Mike does, we’d like to let you know what Tall Pines Conservancy does in a series of videos leading up to the event day. If you are interested in attending, more event details are here.

Here is the video about Koepke Pleasant View Farm.

While Waukesha was once known as Cow County USA for its abundance of thriving dairy operations, decades of suburban growth and numerous economic challenges have permanently altered the once bucolic landscape.  

Koepke Pleasant View Farm is a 109-acre farm founded in 1875 and located just north of the city of Oconomowoc.  Its picturesque views of Holy Hill to the north and Lac La Belle to the south made it a prime candidate for a subdivision that could have incorporated 100 homes.  Instead, the Koepke Family chose to permanently protect their 5^th generation family farm from future development through a conservation easement with Tall Pines Conservancy.  Today, the land serves as a strategic buffer between rural northern Waukesha county and the city to the south.

In addition to protecting their family legacy, the Koepkes wanted to be an example to other area farmers who might be interested in protecting their farm for future generations.   They are role models in other ways, too.  

In 2011, the Koepke family received the Aldo Leopold Conservation Award for being one of the first farms in the area to adopt a completely no-till system and utilize conservation practices such as contour strip cropping, diversified crop rotation, nutrient management and cover crops.  Today, John Koepke shares his extensive knowledge as a founding member of Farmers For Lake Country, a farmer-led organization that advocates best management practices to improve soil health and help preserve and protect our lakes and streams that are also economically viable.    

According to John, “Tall Pines is the leader in keeping some country in Lake Country. Our family is proud to partner with Tall Pines to protect farmland and open space in Oconomowoc– it keeps us as farmers viable, protects the environment, and keeps the community both beautiful and bountiful.”