Success Stories
Christie Reed Smith, Goochland County
Christie Reed Smith of Goochland County has used easement and stewardship to turn her family’s property into a sustainable farm and wildlife habitat.
Once part of her great grandparents’ farm, the property fronts the James River for 1,500 feet. The river was Smith’s main motivation for protecting the farm with a Virginia Outdoors Foundation easement in 2001. She now leases the bottomlands of her property to a farmer who employs rotational planting to control erosion.
Reed Smith used a Virginia Outdoors Foundation easement to increase the health and lasting value of her property. She also holds water-rescue training sessions with Newfoundlands on the river fronted by her property.
About the Project
Location: Goochland County, Virginia
Key Partners: Virginia Outdoors Foundation
Improvements: Virginia Outdoors Foundation easement, sustainable farming practices and cultivation of wildlife habitat