The Vermillion County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a long‑term pasture hay lease with Ellis Farms and to allow a small (about 3.7–3.73 acre) carve‑out for the Vermillion Trails Alliance (VTA) trailhead area.

Commissioners said Ellis Farms proposed a 25‑year lease in which, in lieu of a recurring cash rent, Ellis Farms would provide a quarter of beef (estimated at roughly $1,300 in packaged beef per quarter) to the county each year for the life of the 25‑year lease. Ellis Farms and the commissioners discussed the estimated lifetime value of the beef and the cost of installing new woven‑wire fencing; figures mentioned in the meeting were roughly $31,000 in beef value over the lease term and approximately $33,000 for new fencing, though participants discussed those amounts as estimates.

Joe Ellis, speaking on behalf of Phil Ellis and Ellis Farms, described the fencing they proposed—high‑quality woven wire—and said the farm would not repair the county’s existing ageing fence but would build new sections as laid out in their proposal. The Vermillion Trails Alliance asked for a 3.7‑acre carve‑out for a trailhead park; the parties discussed fence alignment, water gaps, and whether relocated fence would be creosote post or steel post construction.

Commissioners discussed whether to lengthen the lease (one commissioner raised the possibility of extending the lease from 25 to 30 years to offset lost pasture and additional fence costs) but no formal amendment to change the term was adopted at the meeting. The board approved the Ellis Farms lease as presented and authorized a county designee to work with Ellis Farms and the VTA to finalize the fence location and lease language; the board instructed that if any material obstacles remain, the matter will return to the board.

The commissioners recorded the approval by voice vote. The motion carried and the county indicated Joe (Ellis) would rework lease language to reflect agreed details before final signature.

Background: The county discussed two competing proposals for the pasture: a Dunham Farms proposal that included a 20‑year lease with the first 10 years rent‑free and $3,000 per year for years 10–20, and the Ellis Farms 25‑year in‑kind proposal. Commissioners prioritized the Ellis Farms proposal after hearing details about fence condition, pasture value and the VTA carve‑out.

Next steps: The board designated a commissioner to be the point of contact to coordinate fence placement and finalize lease terms with Ellis Farms and the Vermillion Trails Alliance; the finalized lease and any substantive unresolved issues will be returned to the board if needed.