LOWELL, Mich — A partnership between Culver's and Kent County's Agricultural Preservation Board aims to keep farmland intact forever.
"You tell me when people are going to stop eating, and we'll talk about it," said Denny Heffron, a Kent County farmer and township trustee. Heffron emphasized the importance of preserving farmland, noting that the county "realized we were losing farmland at an alarming rate, and it's going to impact us."
The Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program is a voluntary initiative that compensates farmers for their "willingness to accept a permanent deed restriction on their land that limits future development of the land for non-agricultural purposes," according to the Kent County website. "It's a voluntary program. Farmers sign up for it, and they're compensated for the development value of their property, where they can never develop it," Heffron explained.
To support the PDR program, 10 Culver's locations in Kent County are donating a percentage of their sales. "Culver's understands that farmland is super important to our business. It's where our food comes from," said Steve Stephan, owner and operator of four Culver's locations in the Greater Grand Rapids area.
Stephan added that Culver's participation "Really has an impact on their future." The partnership allows customers to learn more about the PDR program and "get a better connection, really, to where their food comes from," he said.
Heffron praised Culver's involvement, saying, "They understand the food situation and how it all works, and they've been just great."
The participating Culver's locations hope to continue hosting these fundraisers annually to help the PDR program shape Kent County's landscape for generations to come.
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