The buyers are Charles DeLacey and Kelly Shindell DeLacey, who own an adjacent property and co-own Yellow Springs Provisions LLC with another local couple, Logan and Olivia Coppock. (Submitted photo)
Family to conserve 185-acre farmland on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road
- Published: November 12, 2025
A sizable expanse of farmland just beyond Yellow Springs municipal limits is set to remain that way — agricultural in perpetuity.
A 185-acre farm along Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, split between three parcels, is actively under contract for purchase by a local family who is working with local farm conservation nonprofit Tecumseh Land Trust to place a conservation easement on the entire farm, thus precluding any future attempts to develop the land in any way.
The buyers are Charles DeLacey and Kelly Shindell DeLacey, who own an adjacent property and co-own Yellow Springs Provisions LLC with another local couple, Logan and Olivia Coppock.
The property has long been owned by David Welch and his family, and has predominantly been used for growing corn and soybeans. In addition to crop fields, the land contains around 1,800 feet of the Jacoby Creek — a source for Yellow Springs’ drinking water — as well as 16 acres of wooded area.
In an email to the News, Charles DeLacey said Yellow Springs Provisions will use the 185 acres to raise grass-fed, grass-finished cattle — which, prior to the purchase, were raised on a pasture leased from neighboring Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice — as well as other livestock and crops.
“We intend to convert the Welch property to organically managed pasture land, and to practice regenerative farming raising cattle, sheep, chickens, turkey and other livestock on the pastures,” DeLacey wrote.
He added: “We intend to remain involved at Agraria to demonstrate rotational grazing practices and for other educational opportunities, both at Agraria and on our new property directly across the street.”
These 58-plus acres are connected to two other parcels — all three amounting to 185 acres of contiguous farmland. (Submitted photo)
DeLacey also said he and his co-farmers currently sell their beef primarily to Dorothy Lane Market, but are actively increasing their herd to begin direct-to-consumer sales in 2026, and have plans to sell their products in other retail locations, restaurants, farmers markets and, eventually, their own farm store.
Ahead of the sale’s finalization, the three parcels were listed on local auction and real estate Sheridans LLC’s website for $1.3 million, $925,000 and $1.5 million. According to DeLacey, the purchase is scheduled to close mid-December, with local realtor Sheila Dunphy facilitating the transaction.
Tecumseh Land Trust secured the conservation easement for $858,000, $113,000 of which came from the Village of Yellow Springs’ Greenspace Fund, and $50,000 from Miami Township Trustees. The rest of the money, according to Tecumseh Land Trust Executive Director Michele Burns, came from fundraising efforts and individual donations.
“The easement made the acquisition feasible for an agricultural buyer,” DeLacey said. “Without the easement, the property was priced for developers. We’re happy this portion of the agricultural corridor into Yellow Springs will remain protected and feel lucky we could participate.”
The land has long been identified as a “priority area” for preservation by the Village’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which states in part: “the Village should continue to support farmland preservation and conservation efforts, particularly in the northwest quadrants of Miami Township.”
To that end, TLT has expanded its regional footprint in recent years by placing conservation easements on 241 properties, totaling 38,583 acres of preserved land in Greene and Clark counties — many of which comprise the greenbelt that surrounds Yellow Springs’ municipal boundaries.
The DeLaceys have deep roots in Yellow Springs. Kelly Shindell DeLacey grew up in the village and graduated from Yellow Springs High School in 1996. Her mother and sister’s family also live in town. Charles DeLacey has been practicing law in San Francisco for the last 30 years, and three years ago, the couple purchased a home in Yellow Springs — relocating to the village “one suitcase at a time,” Charles DeLacey said, with plans to soon be in the village full-time with their 10-year-old daughter.
The Coppocks are also longtime locals. As DeLacey wrote, the couple has been raising grass-fed beef for the last three years with a focus on regenerative, soil-first practices. Logan Coppock is a career farmer with a background in agricultural business, and Olivia Coppock is a nurse.
“They’re passionate about growing local food and giving back to the community they raise their family in,” DeLacey said.
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