Johnson County Conservation Board makes progress with Two Horse Farm

Two years ago, the Johnson County Conservation Board (JCCB) purchased the 83-acre Two Horse Farm in Solon with the intent to develop the property for public access, and has made significant progress since then. While the property – at 2257 Sugar Bottom Road NE – has no horses, visitors seeking to leave city limits for some country solitude can rent the three bedroom, three bath restored farmhouse and enjoy the 1 ½ mile grassy trail that winds through the mixture of prairie and timber.

“We've done a tremendous amount of work there in the last year or two regarding this property,” said JCCB director, Larry Gullett, but is quick to point out that the previous owners made the improvements easy because they had worked to preserve the natural and cultural history of the site prior to the sale. Since the county purchased the farm from the Melloy family in 2022, it has installed water and electric lines, renovated two small outbuildings for use of the Raptor Advocacy Rehabilitation and Education (RARE) organization – which also utilizes the barn – added a parking area to the east of the house, painted and furnished the house for use as an Airbnb, installed signage and perhaps most significantly, worked to eradicate invasive plant species and maintain the reconstructed prairie.

“As part of our long-term management plan each year during the appropriate time of the year, we will be doing work on the forest and savanna and prairie communities to help diversify things and control invasive species,” said Mr. Gullett. “That will be ongoing for decades.” The JCCB would like to add a restroom facility to the park next, said Mr. Gullett, when funding becomes available. Since opening to the public in 2022, the park has received a positive reception, said Mr. Gullett, with visitors practicing their nature photography skills, bird watching and hiking. “There's a lot of different activities that people can participate in,” he said. Most recently, Two Horse Farm participated in the JCCB’s Johnson County Avian Adventure, a bird scavenger hunt program that spanned 12 Johnson County parks and greenspaces. While Two Horse Farm is host to RARE birds, the birds are not for public display and the property is not a designated primary education park, although there have been a few educational groups that have visited. Kent Park, Cangleska Wakan and Pechman Creek Delta parks are better suited because they have adequate road systems, parking, and the amenities needed to support environmental education programs, said Mr. Gullett.

“This particular site is so fragile that developing for a high-use environmental education area would destroy the natural resources of the site,” he said. “When you're developing areas to be used regularly for environmental education activities, you have to have facilities for buses, large parking and modern restroom facilities.” Motorized vehicles, including snowmobiles and ATVs, bicycles, and horses are prohibited from the property in an effort to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem and respect for its history, but hikers are encouraged to bring their leashed dogs for jaunts through the acreage. The renovated historic farmhouse is only open by appointment through the Airbnb site.