Project Story

Longtime Coupeville resident John Moon has had the great fortune of owning his own little piece of paradise in Ebey’s Reserve since 1957. At that time, John was ending his service with the Navy, and he and his family were looking for a place to settle. When they arrived in Coupeville, Moon was captivated by the farmlands, open spaces, and sweeping views. He and his wife Virginia purchased their 27-acre property and built a home on it in which to raise their five children. Virginia passed away in 1997.

Located in the heart of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, the Moon property includes 17 acres of field and 10 acres of forest. In addition to having some of the best farming soils on Whidbey Island, the property’s forest provides excellent habitat for raptors and birds traveling between Crockett Lake and Penn Cove, both of which are designated as Audubon Important Bird Areas. The property’s combination of field and forest is also a major wildlife benefit for raptors that rely on the forests for perching and nesting and the fields for feeding.

For fifty years, the Moon family has worked on and enjoyed their property. In addition to running an equestrian tack shop in Oak Harbor, John farmed hay and alfalfa in his fields for several decades. John reminisces about what a great place it was for his children. His two daughters rode horses through the fields and forest during their youth, and his children, and now his grandchildren, played in the forest.

John donated the conservation easement to the Land Trust to make sure that the property would always be available for farming. “I’ve seen a lot of development occur since I moved here,” Moon said. “I want to keep my property as I’ve enjoyed it and keep it useful for agriculture.” Without the conservation easement, future owners could have subdivided the property and built as many as five homes and, inevitably, both farmland and natural habitat would have been eliminated.

The conservation easement allows John and future owners to use the agricultural area for a number of agricultural purposes such as growing hay, alfalfa, and garden crops or raising cattle. Flexibility in Land Trust-permitted farming uses lets John and future owners determine how best to utilize the land while ensuring that it remains actively farmed.

Today, John and his wife Wendy continue to use their property for hay production; their family continues to enjoy the open space and forest. They cherish living in Ebey’s Reserve and are thankful that their land will remain the way it is for both future generations and wildlife to enjoy and use.