Genesee Land Trust has been awarded five grants from New York State, totaling $5,011,096 to purchase conservation easements and permanently protect five family farms in the greater Rochester area. This year’s grants will permanently protect 1,021 acres of agricultural land that’s vital to our nation’s food security and climate mitigation.
The funds for these critically important conservation projects come from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Farmland Protection Implementation Grant (FPIG) program, funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. This region of New York contains some of the best agricultural soils in the world, but it continues to be paved over, fragmented, or converted by poorly planned development. Between 2001 and 2016 alone, 253,507 acres of irreplaceable agricultural land were lost or fragmented across the state.
New York is now in the top 20 most threatened states for farmland conversion, and you can see it firsthand as local fields have steadily been turned into housing developments, low-density residential properties, and light industrial complexes.
The five protected properties by Genesee Land Trust include:
· Amsler Farm in Walworth: Deb Amsler, a fourth-generation farmer, owns 293 acres and runs a successful commodity grain farm. She works with a young farmer – Kiel Craft of Field Craft Farms – swapping land, marketing crops and sharing equipment. Deb and her husband, Steve, also sustainably harvest the farm’s woodlands for their firewood business.
· Goodell Farms in Manchester: Goodell Farms, a beef and cash grain operation on 274 acres, has been a small family operation since 1908. Bill and Brycie Goodell hope to keep it that way by transferring the land and business to a young, beginner farmer – Mike Verstraete. The farm has been no till for 14 years and seen increased production and reduced soil erosion as a result.
· Stonecrop Farm in Henrietta: Greg Hartt and Jenney Stringer purchased 57 acres of unused farmland in 2016 to start their farm. They raise pigs, laying hens, and turkeys which they sell directly to consumers from their farm store. Stonecrop Farm is the only certified organic livestock farm in Monroe County and one of only 19 certified pig farms in the state. www.stonecropfarmny.com
· Van Voorhis Farms in Henrietta: Steve Van Voorhis, a 4th-generation farmer, owns 200 acres of farmland and rents 400 more for his grain business. Van Voorhis Farm, in operation since 1903, is closee to Mendon Ponds Park. Steve and his wife, Jane, are committed to ensuring their farm carries on Henrietta’s rich agricultural culture and heritage.
· Woodworth Farm in Sterling: In operation since 1851, Woodworth Farm consists of 197 acres primarily growing grain. Bob and Rita Woodworth currently operate the farm, which they plan to sell to their grandsons. Funds from the grant will help cover property taxes well into the future, removing the pressure of ever-increasing property taxes on the viability of the farm.
Each family farm has a unique plan for its future land usage, and the conservation easements will protect their fields and woodlands by permanently restricting development. The farmers retain private ownership of their land and can sell it any time after the grant process is complete, but the land will always remain farmland.
“I helped build this farm since I was a young girl, and it made me the woman I am today. I strive every day to honor and protect the land that feeds us,” says Deb Amsler. “Good soil will grow anything, but I never want to plant houses here. I am so glad Genesee Land Trust has helped us be able to provide future generations with protected land that they can use for farming, not another plot of houses.”
In their grant application to protect Stonecrop Farm, Greg Hartt and Jenney Stringer wrote: “We cannot afford to think only about how to grow the best pastures and raise the most delicious meat, eggs, and specialty produce. In our minds, being good farmers requires that we are good stewards of our land. And for us, that means doing everything we can to make sure that this 57-acre slice of farmland in Henrietta is ready for the next generation of young organic farmers when we retire.”
To date, Genesee Land Trust has completed 18 farm protection projects totaling more than 4,100 acres - and has 13 more in progress. It can take two to three years from the time a grant is awarded to complete the process.
Want to support farmland protection? Genesee Land Trust is hosting a Farm to Picnic Dinner on August 21 at Broccolo Garden Center. Tickets are now available to purchase: 2022 Farm to Picnic Dinner — Genesee Land Trust.