Happily Ever After in Londonderry Township
Every piece of land has a story, one which is tied in some way to the people who have lived and worked the land. Now the hard work that owners Jim and Louise Irwin put into maintaining a working farm as wildlife haven has also become their legacy.
Louise grew up on the farm, and Jim moved here with her in 1992. In researching the history of the property, it was discovered that Jim’s ancestors had also owned the property, just after the time of William Penn. This coincidence makes the farm feel even more like home to the Irwins and gives the legacy of protecting it a deep historical meaning for their family. Totalling 80 acres, with its farmland, woods, streams, and wildlife habitat, it is a true haven for wildlife.
Well aware of development pressure close by, the Irwins were being pressured to sell their property. But they saw a sign on a nearby farm protected by Manada Conservancy (the Lehman Farm), and they decided to learn more about protecting their farm, too. A simple email started the process. A few months later, those at a small gathering on the farm witnessed the signing of the conservation easement. The Warrant Line free-range chickens wandered around the yard—not knowing that there home had just been protected. As an additional bonus, Jim said, “Now the developers will stop calling us every night.”
