For some time now, soccer enthusiasts have spoken out about the shortage of soccer fields in Orange County and the poor condition of existing fields because of overuse.

Nutter noted that a neighbor told him about driving the family's two girls to Cedar Grove for soccer practice, and Nutter found that slightly ridiculous.

"I don't know anything about soccer," he said, "except that it seems to be a sport that is increasing in popularity, and there don't seem to be enough places to play."

Thanks to a conversation between neighbors and a generous spirit, the community could now have one more place to play soccer, and it'll be getting the field at a bargain.

That's because Nutter plans to lease five acres at his farm at a rate of just $1 a year for 10 years.

It'll cost $50,000 to build the field and a gravel parking lot and to install an irrigation system. And it'll cost another $10,000 for equipment and for maintenance during the first two years of the field's operation.

Local soccer groups plan to raise $30,000, with the county providing matching funds. That's a small price for the county to pay for a soccer field that is clearly wanted and needed. And it's a bargain that the county can't afford to pass up. Buying land for a soccer field would cost the county far more than $30,000, and a normal lease would be much more than just $10 over 10 years.

The county also has the money already to devote to the field - most notably from its Recreation and Parks facility improvement account, which has about $150,000 in it. The field would provide improved recreational opportunities for the county's residents, and so the fund seems like the appropriate place from which to get the money.

Maple View Farm deserves much thanks for its gift - and likely the farm will see it in the form of more ice cream buyers. And that's where Nutter's gift also translates into a sound business investment.

The land Nutter will lease lies on the edge of a field where corn and barley are grown along Rocky Ridge Road - and also near the farm's latest addition, an ice cream parlor. We can see kids and parents on warm sunny days eating ice cream while also watching soccer games, and we can see teams celebrating afterward - win or lose - with rounds of ice cream cones.

Nutter said selling ice cream wasn't the motivation behind leasing the land, but he laughed and said, "I don't think it will hurt any."