After my brother and I left the family home in Ann Arbor, my parents, Dan and Norma Green, purchased a small 41 acre farm located on Marshall Rd, in Dexter. Oblivious to the images of Eva Gabor, and Arnold the pig that the name evokes, they christened the land Green Acres Farm. When they were farming, their main product was shiitake mushrooms, which started as a hobby for my dad in Ann Arbor, and grew into a business at Green Acres farm. My mom supplemented the mushrooms by growing flowers, assorted produce, and chickens for eggs, and at one point I am told MANY more ducks then they ever intended to have.
She also became an active voice speaking out for and about family farmers, as part of the Land, Food and Justice Committee of the Interfaith Counsel for Peace and Justice. Over the years, my parents took the old farm fields back to wetlands, wildflower fields, and forests, planting thousands of trees, shrubs and native flowers.
As they watched all that they had planted grow and the property transform into a beautiful wildlife habitat, they dreaded the possibility that one day the land might be developed, destroying what they had helped to create. Instead, they dreamed that the land would become a nature preserve. To support that dream, in 2009, my parents put 38 acres of the farm into a conservation easement, guaranteeing that those acres can not be developed. They also stipulated that when it leaves their care or the care of either of their children (which turned out to be me), the township/county will have first option to acquire those 38 acres, in the hope that it will become a park. In 2019, they relocated to a condo, passing the land on to me and my husband. If all goes well, we hope to enjoy many rewarding years at Green Acres, and then move forward with it becoming a park when we can no longer care for it.
In the spirit of sharing the land as a park/nature preserve, my parents welcomed walkers, and we continue to welcome visitors who would like to walk on and enjoy the property. We do request that you call me or my husband (Gary Casper) to let us know you would like to visit, so we can make sure you know where to park, and what to expect from bees, bee hives, dogs, goats and chickens, as well as mosquitos, poison ivy and ticks, of which we have PLENTY! That will also allow us to let you know when we have hunters out on the land during hunting season, and to give you an idea of where the property boundaries are, so you don’t inadvertently wander onto a neighbors property, where you are not expected. We also ask that you be respectful of the property, carrying out anything you bring with you, and leaving our gardens, farm animals, wildlife, plants and land as you found them. (Also please note that there are no public bathroom facilities nearby and at least during COVID, we are not sharing ours.)
