David Harper

David Harper

he/him
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More About David Harper

With 30 years of experience in all aspects of land conservation and farmland preservation in rural and urbanizing regions, David Harper has raised more than $8 million in grants for conservation planning, easement acquisition, sustainable agriculture and local food system development, and ecological restoration projects in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern US. He has worked with landowners and land trusts to preserve more than 8,000 acres of farmland, natural areas and historic sites. He designed and taught a course on land conservation and management and is a frequent public speaker on conservation topics. David served for 8 years as a municipal planning commission member in a fast-growing agricultural community near Philadelphia. He is co-chair of the Rural Resource Coalition of South Carolina, promoting rural economies favoring healthy land and communities, and Treasurer of the International Center for Indigo Culture, educating about revival of indigo as a natural dye. David previously served as Executive Director of the Pee Dee Land Trust in South Carolina and Unique Places to Save in North Carolina. He currently runs a land conservation consulting practice, Land In Common. He and his wife Caroline grow indigo in the SC Lowcountry and produce indigo dye and textiles for her business (www.chidesignindigo.com).