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Open Space Benefit Draws a Crowd at the Conklin Farm

Over 200 hundred people turned out for the first fundraising benefit held by the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust. It was a warm evening down on the Conklin Farm in Sandy Springs, Georgia. As the smell of the barbecue from Low Country Caterers drifted through the air, ticket holders and donors sipped beverages from the bar and chatted about the beauty of the farm located on the northside of Atlanta.

Local bands Louder Than Dirt and Pine Grove rocked the night away. The event raised money for the Land Trust to use to help save land throughout the South. In the last 20 years, the Land Trust has preserved more than 260,000 acres of forests and farmlands, making it the largest land trust in the Southeast. The Land Trust partners with landowners to execute conservation easements on their property. By giving up development rights, owners can continue farming and pass the land down to their heirs without worrying about escalating expenses forcing families off their farms and livelihoods.

Co-host Robin Conklin said she wanted to help promote the event to raise awareness of the need to save natural and open areas around the city and the Southeast.

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Land Trust Supporters Chow Down While Listening to Local Bands

Land Trust Development Director Rena Ann Stricker said that the event not only raised money but raised friends as well.