Posted by Leif Riddervold on June 24th, 2009 in Agriculture, Education and Inspiration
The warm and wet weather we have been experiencing triggered our largest flush of Shiitake Mushrooms yet. They were well enjoyed by the Bundoran Farm community. I am told that some ended up in a creamy soup, some were sautéed, and others ended up on burgers!. Yum.
Posted by Joe Barnes on June 16th, 2009 in Education and Inspiration, General, Project Updates
Transforming Bundoran Farm’s vision into reality requires a talented, experienced and dedicated team. Through the underlying tenants of Preservation Development, it is possible to preserve the character and use of this 2,300 acre heritage landscape while providing an opportunity for a limited number of families to live in a beautiful and authentic agrarian environment. An undertaking of this scale and significance requires substantial expertise and resources.
People looking at purchasing real estate, especially today, should be well informed about a developer’s strength and stability. The development team assembled for Bundoran Farm has a long track record of successfully completing a wide array of community development efforts along the eastern seaboard. “Each time, we and our partners try to push the envelope just a bit further and set the bar high a bit higher. Having been actively engaged in all aspects of real estate development for decades, this team has learned its lessons well and has stayed both competitive and stable through numerous economic cycles” explains Charles Adams, Bundoran Farm’s Co-General Manger and Celebration Associates’ Managing Partner.
Qroe Farm Preservation Development and Celebration Associates are the most visible members of the Bundoran Farm development team. This collaborative relationship began many years ago. Qroe’s track record of multiple successful projects based on the principles “Preservation Development” pioneered over 25 years ago by Qroe’s founder, Bob Baldwin, Sr. attracted the interest Celebration Associates’ founders Charles Adams and Don Killoren. In their exploration to find a way to successfully blend the preservation of rural landscapes, residential development and environmental stewardship, they met and got to know Bob Baldwin, Sr.
Almost instantly, Adams and Killoren knew they had found true kindred spirits in Bob Baldwin and the Qroe team, now run by Bob Baldwin, Jr, Bundoran Farm’s Co-General Manager. After hearing about the visionary work done by the members of the Celebration Associates team at Celebration Florida and Homestead Preserve in Hot Springs, VA, “my father knew he had found people who shared his views and visions regarding the preservation of our rural landscapes”, describes Bob Baldwin, Jr. In addition to being intrigued with Celebration Associates use of Patterns Books as a design tool and how they set up non-profit foundations in their communities, “we were especially impressed with their involvement in the establishment of the Disney Wilderness Preserve and the Warm Springs Mountain Preserve.” Now, Qroe and Celebration Associates are excited about opportunity to work together on the creation of Bundoran Farm, a community that is both naturally distinctive and profoundly significant to the heritage and character of Virginia’s pastoral countryside.
In addition to the managing partners, Bundoran Farm benefits from the financial strength and development experiences of two of its longtime close alliances, Crosland and The Springs Company. Crosland, LLC, based in Charlotte, NC, is one of the Southeast’s leading and most diversified real estate companies, known for developing and managing properties with an underlying focus on creating communities that are better places to live. “For us at Crosland, Bundoran Farm represents a new standard for preserving pastoral farmland and creating exceptional places for families to live”, describes Todd Mansfield, Crosland’s Chairman and CEO. Because of their financial strength and ability to see projects through to the end, Crosland was recently selected as the lead developer working along side Celebration Associates on the redevelopment of the Martha Jefferson Hospital site in Downtown Charlottesville. This opportunity further solidifies Crosland’s commitment and business interests in the Charlottesville area.
The Springs Company, founded by the Close Family, is based in Fort Mill, SC. They have established a reputation as a good corporate citizen that thinks long-term, as evidenced by the establishment of the 2,300 acre Springs-Close Greenway created from their 7,000 acre landholding in and around Fort Mill, SC. Their patient and privately held capital allows them to invest wisely in the community developments created and managed by Celebration Associates.
“It is the strength of these family partnerships that quite frankly allows our company the confidence and patience to move forward intelligently in this current world economy. We are blessed with not having the need to rush projects or cut corners in order to deliver on the realistic visions we project to our owners and neighbors”, explains Charles Adams.
Posted by Leif Riddervold on June 2nd, 2009 in Agriculture, Education and Inspiration, Nature/Environment
Last week I had the honor of visiting the Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina. The Biltmore Estate was built in the late 1800’s by George Washington Vanderbilt, grandson of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Joining me on this trip was our Forester Ches Goodall, and our Development Director Joe Barnes. The folks at the Biltmore had invited us to tour their property and learn about the great work they are practicing in the field of sustainable forestry and agriculture. The tours that were offered us were led by none other than three of the most talented and gracious people the Estate had to offer. Bill Alexander, the Landscape and Forest Historian for the Biltmore briefed us extensively on the history of the property, and the steps that led to the eventual acquisition of some 120,000 acres of land that would provide the canvas on which America’s first professional forester, Gifford Pinchot could practice his art. The Director of Horticulture, Parker Andes, and their Vice President for Agricultural Sciences, Ted Katsigianis led us in the field, allowing us to see first hand the practices that they are implementing in the forests and on their farm. These three, as well as several others who joined us for lunch and dinner, could not have been more gracious, and their enthusiasm for the land, its past, present and future was simply infectious. We only hope that when they come to visit us here at Bundoran Farm that we can come close to returning their hospitality.
There are many similarities between Bundoran Farm and the Biltmore Estate. We both pride ourselves in maintaining a productive and healthy working landscape, and also strive to perfect sustainable practices in the fields and the forest. While the Biltmore has more land to work with than our 2,300 acres, the approaches are similar. They raise beef cattle and sheep; tend extensive gardens and almost 100 acres of grapes for their award winning wines. Here at Bundoran Farm, we also raise beef cattle, but instead of grapes we have apples. Our newest venture has been to experiment with Shitake Mushrooms, and we are studying other possibilities so that our agricultural base will be more diverse. Both properties have set aside forest preserves, while also managing most of the stands for multiple objectives, including careful resource extraction. This is why visits to properties like the Biltmore are important. The sharing of knowledge will help both of us to continue the fine art of sustainably managing our most precious resource, the land.
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 26th, 2009 in Architecture and Design, Baldwin Center for Preservation, Education and Inspiration, Green Building, Project Updates
Materials Arriving
Framing and Exterior Shell Complete
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 23rd, 2009 in Architecture and Design, Baldwin Center for Preservation, Bundoran Farm Events and Occasions, Project Updates
George Abetti – Geobarns
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 23rd, 2009 in Architecture and Design, Baldwin Center for Preservation, Project Updates
We really enjoyed ourselves today…a good last push.
George Abetti – Geobarns
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 23rd, 2009 in Architecture and Design, Baldwin Center for Preservation, General
It is good to see it taking shape-we are grateful for that and that it is going in well.
George Abetti – Geobarns
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 23rd, 2009 in Architecture and Design, Bundoran Farm Events and Occasions, Project Updates
We did not make a whole lot of progress today–dealing with visiting guests, lost of consultations with David Hamilton on refining the plans, and a late start after cleaning up and Matt having to pick up the Envirosafe treated lumber for the sill plates this morning….but the bottom is all laid out and we are ready to frame tomorrow and hopefully finish Thursday.
The building looks so good now–and we have lots of people stopping in to look at it…..
George Abetti – Geobarns
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 23rd, 2009 in Architecture and Design, Baldwin Center for Preservation, Education and Inspiration
Posted by Joe Barnes on May 21st, 2009 in Education and Inspiration, General, Nature/Environment
I recently had the opportunity to be a speaker at a conference sponsored by Williamsburg Land Conservancy titled “Preservation & Profit: The Value of Conservation in Development”. In addition to myself, there were a number of engaging and enlightened speakers talking about topic ranging from “Planning for Nature Friendly Communities” by UVA Professor Tim Beatly to “Conservation Design for Storm water Management by Doug Beisch of Williamsburg Environment Group.
My talk focused how Preservation Development can be used as a market based tool for rural land preservation. After providing a summary of how we are losing more and more productive farm land each year and giving an overview of some of the most widely known/used tools for rural preservation, I highlighted some of the key stakeholders involved in what happens with our rural landscapes – the farmers, environment groups, the development community and municipalities.
Using Bundoran Farm as a case study, I walked everyone through the efforts we undertook to study land and figure out what is most important from an agricultural, environmental, visual and cultural perspective. From that I described how individual homesites were carefully selected to permit the enjoyment and preservation of the inherent qualities found in a place as beautiful as Bundoran Farm. I ended by sharing one of my favorite newspaper headlines that appeared in the Daily Progress the day after our public hearing before the Albemarle County Planning Commission.
“Bundoran Farm enjoys Wide Support. County Officials, Neighbors support Unprecedented Project. Something strange happened at the Albemarle Planning Commission Tuesday night. A development was proposed that all involved actually like”
Our distinctive concept to preserving productive agriculture land, stewarding the environment and creating opportunities to live in and experience the countryside of Virginia, was as well received at this conference as it is by those who come out to tour Bundoran Farm in search of land to buy and build their homestead in the country.
