Newsletter
Forever Green
Bob and Shirley banta at their Forever Green Property.
Nestled along the hillside of Murphy Hill is a 64-acre property assembled by Bob and Shirley Banta called Forever Green. Surrounded by conservation properties on three sides and connecting over 1,000 acres of protected land, the Banta property is the newest addition to the massive block of conserved property along the eastern gateway of Cooperstown.
Bob and Shirley Banta purchased the first 9.1 acres of the property in 1956. Their property grew by 11 acres that was willed to them by a neighbor, and they carefully assembled the remainder of their acreage through purchases over the years. Bob and Shirley raised their four children there in the house they built together.
Bob worked many years for the Grange League Federation in Cooperstown and then worked for New York State Electric as a farm representative until his retirement in 1986. Bob played an active role in local conservation as a member of the Soil and Water Conservation District for over 40 years. Shirley worked as a French and Spanish teacher for Cherry Valley and Springfield school districts for over 20 years and privately tutored many aspiring language students.
Shirley and Bob were active in accommodating and touring with foreign exchange students from all over the world who were staying in the area.The Banta’s made lifelong connections with many of these foreign exchange students and have spent much of their retired life traveling throughout the hemisphere visiting them and their families. Their travels have included trips to Mexico, Bolivia, Venezuela, Germany and England.
The Banta property fits perfectly in the conservation landscape, filling in the few remaining unprotected parcels along the eastern gateway of Cooperstown. We congratulate Bob and Shirley on the 65 years of marriage and their commitment to conserving their property for generations to come. With this conservation easement, we can all rest assured that the Banta property will remain Forever Green, indeed.
