OLD MISSION PENINSULA — A new community group has formed to promote collaboration and preserve the heritage of Old Mission Peninsula while supporting responsible growth.
The Old Mission Citizens Coalition, made up of 11 residents and property owners, aims to work with farmers, neighbors, businesses and local government officials to balance the area’s agricultural traditions, tourism, and community character.
“Change is inevitable, but growth is optional,” the group said in an Oct. 30 statement. “Our commitment is to develop a balanced approach that supports all residents and businesses.”
As its first initiative, the coalition plans to partner with Peninsula Township officials to review and develop township codes and ordinances that address the needs of residents, farmers, and business owners.
The organization’s leadership includes President Fred Swaffer, a retired Air Force officer and commercial airline pilot; Secretary Fred Woodruff, a retired real estate lawyer and foundation executive; Treasurer Bern Kroupa, a fifth-generation Peninsula fruit grower; and board members Tom Menzel and Don Coe.
“A good life is about leaving the best footprints in every chapter,” Menzel said. “By forming this group, we hope to help solve the township’s challenges and create a model that others can follow.”
“I joined the other founders to expand the Township’s farm land protections to programs that help the farmers,” Coe said. “I am an advocate for viable farm businesses.”
Additional board members include Amanda Danielson, Jedd Heming, Kate Jerman, Brad Niergarth, Kathleen Haueisen, and Walt Knysz.
“If we want to preserve the landscape we love, our choices are farms or houses,” Swaffer said. “We need to find alternative solutions to litigation; we need to be neighbors again.”
“I joined OMCC to explore how Peninsula Township could operate more efficiently and effectively,” Woodruff said. “The township is at a crossroads—I want to help ensure we take the right path forward."
“This isn’t our forefathers’ agriculture—we want the freedom to grow," Kroupa said.
The Old Mission Citizens Coalition was founded in 2025 and is dedicated to preserving Old Mission Peninsula’s heritage while fostering growth that benefits all who live and work in the community.