Fauquier County, VA (October 18, 2018) – Local landowners, Kyle and Sarah Jo Luby, recently worked with the Land Trust of Virginia to permanently protect their piece of Virginia’s Horse Country through the donation of a conservation easement. Their 31-acre property is located on Coon Tree Road in Fauquier County, four miles north of The Plains. 

Kyle and Sarah Jo purchased the property in 2017 having been attracted to it by the variety of terrain found within a relatively small area. “A natural spring sits at the roadside and joins up with a stream which spans the length of the property and continues onto neighboring land,” said Sarah Jo.  “A large portion of the land is wooded, which provides privacy as well as habitat for wildlife. Rolling pastures are situated behind the house, which makes for a lovely view of the horses grazing each morning.” 

In addition to enjoying the pastoral views, Kyle and Sarah Jo work closely with horses on their farm and, in Sarah Jo’s case, professionally as an equine veterinarian. Currently their farm is home to their two retired horses and three boarders. “The property could probably handle more, but we think five is plenty!” they said. 

When asked why they chose the Land Trust of Virginia to hold their easement, Sarah Jo said “The people at the Land Trust of Virginia were so approachable and easy to work with. Though special and unique in its own right, our parcel is smaller than many others in this area and Ashton Cole (the Land Trust’s Director of Conservation and Stewardship) worked just as hard on this easement as any other. We truly appreciate all the time and effort that went into the easement process.” 

Like so many local residents, Kyle and Sarah Jo have witnessed firsthand the rapid loss of farmland and open space in Virginia, leading to their decision to permanently protect their property with a conservation easement. “As cities continue to grow, the amount of land for horses and equestrian activities is rapidly disappearing.” Sarah Jo said. “We wanted to do our part to help maintain a thriving horse industry and preserve the scenic, rural character of our region.” 

The Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with landowners who voluntarily protect properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. With the addition of this easement, LTV holds 167 easements protecting a total of 18,613 acres in 15 counties across Virginia.