Founded in 1992, Land Trust of Virginia was formed out of concern that our beautiful countryside, agricultural fields, and historic sites, were being lost forever to development. Volunteers rallied to contact private landowners and encourage them to permanently retire their properties’ development potential through a legal process called a conservation easement. These easement documents are recorded in the local land records and persist regardless of ownership changes.
Land Trust of Virginia - : https://landtrustva.org/
The LTV "Steward of the Year Award" is presented to a landowner of a property in conservation easement with LTV who has demonstrated significant care in the stewardship of their property and its natural and/or historic resources.
Shannon and Katherine Tillman, owners of the Tye River Mitigation bank project were presented with the “Steward of the Year” award by the Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) at their annual Garden Party on May 7, 2023. The Tillmans' property is the largest single easement held by LTV. The Bank is in Nelson County, Virginia.
Since 1998, LTV has hosted an annual Garden Party as a critical fundraising effort to support this mission. The humble beginnings of this event to “Save Virginia’s Countryside” have grown into a not-to-be missed gathering at some of the Virginia Piedmont’s most scenic and historic farms and estates.
Living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains is a wonderful lifestyle that brings with it great solitude and satisfying work. “Our goal is to provide a healthy, all-natural supply of food to our community at a reasonable price; the same food we feed our own children,” says Shannon Tillman.