Rex Eugene Dobson is a fourth generation farmer and steward of the property his great grandfather, William Core, homesteaded in 1865. With only a brief idle period during the Great Depression, the Ruby Ellen Farm - named for Rex's mother, Ruby Ellen (Core) Dobson - has been continuously operated by the family since 1865. Here, a representative slice of American agricultural life has been carved out of the earth in Bingham Township, Leelanau County, Michigan. As the last in his family's lineage, Rex set out to share with others, his family's experience and his sense of place, so that they too could understand and enjoy the magic of Ruby Ellen Farm. In 1999, four years after his initial application was made, Rex sold the development rights on 90 acres to the State of Michigan Farmland Preservation Program. Farmland protection expertise in presenting the project to the States Program came from the Leelanau Conservancy. This conservation easement keeps the acreage available to Rex, and to future farmers, for agricultural use, and prevents unwanted development --- forever. While the sale of development rights protected much of the land at Ruby Ellen Farm, it did not protect the buildings, heirlooms, and cultural legacy of the Core-Dobson family. With support and assistance from friends, family, and professional advisors, Rex set lofty goals. He intended to protect his family's heritage, not just for himself or a family heir to the farm and its holdings, but for the community as a whole. With this in mind, Rex gathered a Board of Directors to assist him, created a 501(c)(103) non-profit corporation called The Rex Dobson Ruby Ellen Farm Foundation in 2002, and continued his efforts. |
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