Nittany Antique Machinery Association Launches Fundraising Campaign to Purchase Its Own Property

Facing an uncertain future for its longtime leased space at Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park, the Nittany Antique Machinery Association has launched a fundraising campaign to acquire its own permanent home and create an affordable community space for other organizations.

The association is looking to raise $800,000 to secure a property, saying it “has reached a point where it can no longer depend on the uncertainty surrounding its relationship” with Penn’s Cave, where it has hosted its antique machinery shows for 51 years.

“Despite efforts to negotiate a mutually agreeable lease renewal under the terms of its existing agreement, NAMA believes the discussions have not reflected the good-faith negotiations necessary to provide the Association with a stable and sustainable future,” the association wrote in a news release.

William Burnett, attorney for NAMA, told StateCollege.com that the organization has identified a potential property, but that they were not ready to disclose the location until it is under contract.

“Discussions have gone well between the seller and the team at Yocum Realty,” Burnett said.

NAMA’s current five-year lease expires at the end of this year and the organization previously said it had notified Penn’s Cave in August that it planned to exercise a a five-year renewal option based on mutually agreeable terms.

In September, however, an attorney for Penn’s Cave told NAMA in a letter that his client acknowledged “a provision concerning a possible renewal of the lease,” and was willing to negotiate a new term of no more than one year, writing in a letter that future plans for the property are a “strong consideration” in negotiating a new agreement.

Penn’s Cave’s fourth-generation owners have indicated they are ready to sell the 1,400-acre property in Gregg Township. They have been in talks with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources about potentially acquiring the historic site and making it a state park, and they recently listed it for sale through a commercial real estate agency with an asking price of $34 million.

The short-term lease proposal provided to NAMA more than doubled the current rate to $80,000 per year and imposed new security requirements.

NAMA went to Centre County Court in September seeking a preliminary injunction and an order for Penn’s Cave to participate in good-faith negotiations without insisting that a one-year lease is the only possible outcome. It formally withdrew the petition later in the month in hopes of more constructive talks.

“While NAMA had hoped to continue its longstanding relationship with Penn’s Cave, the experience has reinforced an important lesson: community organizations should not have to face the possibility of losing decades of work, investment, and tradition because they do not control the property on which their activities depend,” the organization wrote in a news release on Monday night.

With its own property, NAMA aims to develop a location that will not only continue its own educational and historical mission, but also “can serve as an affordable and accessible event venue for other community organizations, nonprofit groups, families, and local entities that often struggle to find suitable and reasonably priced places to hold events and gatherings.”

“What has happened to NAMA has shown us how vulnerable organizations can be when their future depends entirely on property they do not own,” the association wrote. “We don’t want other organizations to find themselves in that same position…. This is about building something that benefits more than just our membership.”

A Gifts Committee established by NAMA will coordinate fundraising and engage supporters as it seeks new and renewed memberships, individual donations, family contributions and business sponsorships.

NAMA’s annual memberships are $10 for individuals and $15 for families.

For larger commitments, business sponsorship opportunities are available at four lavls: 

● Platinum Business Sponsor: $10,000 
● Gold Business Sponsor: $5,000 
● Silver Business Sponsor: $2,500 
● Bronze Business Sponsor: $1,000 

Individual and family sponsorship opportunities are also available: 

● Platinum: $1,000 
● Gold: $500
● Silver: $250 
● Bronze: $100 

Checks can be made payable to Nittany Antique Machinery Association, Inc. and can be mailed to:
James Markle, Treasurer;
Nittany Antique Machinery Association, Inc.
2113 Brushwood Drive
State College, PA 16801

For more on memberships, sponsorships and other donations, visit nittanyantique.org or contact NAMA secretary skberkey57@gmail.com.

In support of the fundraising campaign, NAMA’s law firm will offer discounted estate-planning legal services to individuals who make a donation of $10,000 or more, subject to the firm’s terms and eligibility requirements.

Since its founding in 1975, NAMA has been an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to education and the preservation of American agricultural heritage, with its most high-profile events being the annual spring and fall shows that bring together farmers, collectors, exhibitors and visitors to experience historic tractors, steam engines, machinery demonstrations, tractor pulls, parades, antique vehicles, a museum, a library and family activities.

The association also supports educational opportunities and scholarships for students pursuing higher education.

“We have spent 51 years building NAMA into what it is today. We want to make sure the next 50 years are even stronger,” the organization wrte. “Owning our own grounds means we can protect our tradition, plan for the future, and open our doors to other organizations that need an affordable place to bring people together. We are asking our community to help us make that vision a reality.”