2017_OP_Fall_Winter Newsletter

OPEN LANDS

OPEN LANDS

UPDATES STELLWAGEN FARM

“The village acquired Stellwagen Farm in 2002 with the vision of making it accessible to residents and visitors to learn about the community’s rich agricultural heritage. Since the beginning, each building at the farmstead has been meticulously restored to preserve and tell the story of everyday life in rural Orland Park. The Stellwagen Family, the Stellwagen Family Farm Foundation (of which I am a member), and village staff have worked over the years to prepare the farm for public enjoyment” Trustee Kathleen Fenton DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, PLANNING & ENGINEERING

STELLWAGEN FARM MASTER PLAN The Stellwagen Family Farm Master Plan was commissioned by the Stellwagen Family Farm Foundation and the Village of Orland Park to guide the future development, operation and maintenance of the Stellwagen Family Farm, a local Orland Park landmark. The plan’s main interest is to establish the Farm as a wonderful and unique educational and local food asset that benefits the Orland Park community and its surrounding area. The mission is to preserve, restore and interpret the Farm, its structures, artifacts and history for residents to learn about and enjoy our community’s agricultural heritage.

The plan was written for the village, the Stellwagen Foundation, its volunteers, interested residents, businesses, and future generations to use and learn about the Farm. The farm is a public farm and welcomes volunteers, enthusiasts, investors and people of all ages. The Master Plan can be used to: • conduct self-guided tours on the farm, • learn about the basics of historical farming • understand how the farm will be preserved • implement new opportunities and programs for the farm • obtain grants to continue preservation efforts Visit orlandpark.org for more information and to view the master plan online.

This fall, the village and the Stellwagen Family Farm Foundation will see the completion of two major accomplishments. The first is the Master Plan for the farm, which has been made publicly available so that residents and businesses can learn about and participate in the vision for this incredible community asset. The second is the Stellwagen Path, which is a 1.3 mile long recreational walking and biking path around the perimeter of the farm. The foundation and the village

always envisioned that residents and visitors should be able to roam the wide open spaces the farm has to offer and take in the leisurely sights. The path connects to all the surrounding neighborhoods and parks and is now open to the public. This addition brings us one step closer to making Orland Park a pedestrian-friendly and “walkable” village. While these are major accomplishments, there is much more work that needs to be done. Currently, restoration efforts include work on the white Stellwagen Family Farm farmhouse, which includes repairing windows, siding, porches, and roof, as well as other restorative repairs/improvements. The farmhouse is the last building to be under restoration. We encourage interested residents and businesses to reach out to and support the Foundation and the Village in this worthy endeavor of preserving our heritage.

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| FALL WINTER 2017 | WWW.ORLANDPARK.ORG

WWW.ORLANDPARK.ORG | FALL WINTER 2017 |