planning for agriculture in new york€¦ · • new york agricultural mediation program brochure...

Planning for Agriculture

in New York:

A T o o l k i T f o r T o w n s A n d C o u n T i e s

NewYorkOffice NationalOffice 112 Spring Street, Suite 207 1200 18th Street, NW Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Washington, DC 20036 (518) 581-0078 (202) 331-7300 [email protected] www.farmland.org www.farmland.org/newyork

WhatwedoAmerican Farmland Trust is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices and supporting a sustainable future for farms. As the vital link among farmers, conservationists and policy-makers, we’re focused on ensuring the availability of the land that provides fresh food, a healthy environment and lasting rural landscapes. Since our founding in 1980 by a group of farmers and citizens concerned about the rapid loss of farmland to development, we’ve helped to save more than 3 million acres of farmland and led the way for the adoption of conservation practices on millions more.Our work in New York focuses on three areas:•Protecting farmland from poorly planned development,•Promoting environmental stewardship on farms, and•Strengthening the economic viability of agriculture.Through our research, educational programs and advocacy, AFT helps farmers, public officials and the public strengthen the future for farming in New York.

Acknowledgments Photographyby

Cover images: equipment, grapes, tomatoes – David Eckhardt; cow – Dietrich C. Gehring. Inside images: John Archer, Kirsten Ferguson, Dietrich C. Gehring, Sean McEntee, Jim Newton, Diane Held, Shelley Stein, Laura TenEyck, John Whitney.

American Farmland Trust is grateful to the following people for their assistance with this project: John Brennan, Jerry Cosgrove, Jennifer Dempsey, Jim Duval, Diane Eggert, Todd Erling, George Frantz, Julia Freedgood, Kirsten Ferguson, Tammey Holtby, Erica Ingraham, David Kay, Lael Locke, Jay Matteson, Ron Mead, Dave Miller, Doris Mittasch, Joan Petzen, Kate Rossiter, Ora Rothfuss, Maria Rudzinski, Jennifer Small, Bob Somers, Laura TenEyck, Judy Wright, Cornell University 2009 Land Use/Environmental Planning Class Members.

WrittenbyDavid Haight and Diane Held

DesignedbyInnovative Resources Group, Inc.Saratoga Springs, NYwww.innovativeresourcesgroup.com

© 2011, American Farmland Trust

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Section One: Planning for Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 • WhyPlanforAgriculture? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 • MakingSupportforAgricultureaCommunityPriority . . . . . . . . .4 • EngagingFarmersinPlanningforAgriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 • TopMythsinPlanningforAgriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Section Two: Supporting Local Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 • PrinciplesofPlanningforAgriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 • IsYourCOUNTYPlanningaFutureforFarms?Checklist . . . . .10 • IsYourTOWNPlanningaFutureforFarms?Checklist . . . . . . .14

Section Three: The Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 • AgriculturalDistrictsandRight-to-FarmLaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 • AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 • ComprehensivePlans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 • Zoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 • SubdivisionOrdinances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 • LocalPropertyTaxReductionPrograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 • PurchaseofDevelopmentRights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 • TransferofDevelopmentRights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 • AgriculturalEconomicDevelopment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 • InfrastructurePlanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 • FoodandHealthPolicies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 • EducatingthePublicaboutAgriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Pulling It All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

S E C T I O N F O U R :

AppendixResource materials located at specified website:Background Information • APlannersGuidetoCommunityandRegionalFoodPlanning:

TransformingFoodEnvironments,FacilitatingHealthyEating www.farmlandinfo.org/index.cfm?function=article_

view&articleID=37833• NortheastCenterforFoodEntrepreneurshipattheNewYork

StateFoodVentureCenter www.nysaes.cornell.edu/necfe/resource_main.html• PolicyGuideonSmartGrowth www.planning.org/policy/guides/pdf/smartgrowth.pdf• PuttingSmartGrowthtoWorkinRuralCounties www.ihda.org/admin/Upload/Files/90ca9ac4-c74b-4e31-b045-

23345ecc5c2b.pdf

Resource materials located on the CD that accompanies this guide: Background Information • FarmlandInformationCenter,FactSheets — FarmlandProtectionPolicyAct — FarmlandProtectionToolboxRelated State Programs and Documents • NYSAgriculturalAssessmentProgram• NYS,AgriculturalEnvironmentalManagementProgram

AnnualReport• NYSDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation,

OpenSpacePlanningGuide• NYSDepartmentofState,GuidetoMunicipalLandUseControlsCounty Guides to Agricultural Planning • OnondagaCounty,MunicipalReferenceforAgriculturalLand

UsePlanning• YatesCounty,AgriculturalPlanningGuideMaking the Case for Planning for Agriculture • AmericanFarmlandTrust,ErieCounty:FarmingontheUrban

Edge• FarmlandInformationCenter,FactSheet — CostofCommunityServicesStudies — WhySaveFarmland?• BroomeCounty,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan,Why

AgricultureWorksforBroomeCounty:TheTop10Reasons• AEMTierIIWorksheet:AgricultureandtheCommunity• HudsonValleyGreenway,SavingFarmlandWithDevelopment

Agricultural Districts and Right-to-Farm Laws Agricultural Districts • AgricultureandMarketsLawSection303-a,Eight-Year

ReviewProtocol• NYS,AgricultureandMarketsLaw,Article25-AA• FarmlandInformationCenter,FactSheet,AgriculturalDistrict

ProgramsSection305-a–LocalOrdinanceProvision• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,

305-a:LocalLawsandAgriculturalDistricts:HowDoTheyRelate

• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,305-aReviewForm

• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,305-aQuestionnaireforStartUpFarms

• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,AgriculturalDistricts305-aGuidanceDocuments

— AnimalControl — Composting — FarmMarkets — FarmWorkerHousing — Greenhouses — HorseBoarding — Junkyard — NutrientManagement — OpenBurning — Wetlands — Zoning• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,Pipeline

ConstructionGuidelines• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,WindPower

GuidelinesSection305-a–AgriculturalDataStatements• SaratogaCountyAgriculturalDataStatement• SampleAgriculturalDataStatementCounty and Town Right-to-Farm Laws• FarmlandInformationCenter,Right-to-FarmLawsFactSheet• YatesCounty,ModelRight-to-FarmLaw• TownofCharlton,Right-to-FarmLaw• TownofEden,Right-to-FarmLawFarm–Neighbor Relations • NewYorkAgriculturalMediationProgramBrochure• SaratogaCounty,AreYouThinkingAboutMovingtothe

Country?Brochure• TompkinsCounty,LivingintheCountryBrochure

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plans• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,KeyElements

ofaMunicipalPlan• 2010MapofTownsReceivingPlanningGrants• NYS,AgricultureandMarketsLaw,Article25AAA• TownofCharlton,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan• TownofLima,ZoningAnalysisandRecommendations• TownofBrutus,AdoptingResolution• WayneCounty,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan

Comprehensive Plans Town Agricultural Advisory Committees• TownofIthaca,AgricultureCommittee• TownofEden,AgricultureCommitteeLESA • FarmlandInformationCenter,LandEvaluationandSite

AssessmentFactSheet• USDANaturalResourcesConservationService,Land

EvaluationandSiteAssessmentGuidebook• PutnamCounty,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan,

LESASystem(p .85–92)• TownofPittsford,GreenprintTown Comprehensive Plans • TownofWarwick,ComprehensivePlan(p .7–9,43–57)• TownofSeneca,ComprehensivePlan(p .5–8,11–18,39,

48–49,59–67,89–95)

Zoning • NYS,TownLaw,Section278–ClusterDevelopment• AmericanFarmlandTrust,WhatAboutMyEquity?State Laws and Documents • NYSDepartmentofState,GuidetoPlanningandZoning• NewYorkDirectMarketAssociation,ModelZoningfor

RoadsideStandsandFarmMarketsTown Zoning Laws and Ordinances • TownofPlainfield,Illinois,ZoningCode(excerpt)• TownofSeneca,ZoningCode(p .27–32)• TownofIthaca,ZoningCode(p .34–43)• PeachBottomTownship,Michigan,ZoningCode(excerpt)• AlpineCharterTownship,Michigan,ZoningCode(excerpt)• TownofWashington,ZoningCode(excerpt)• TownofKinderhook,ZoningCode(excerpt)• SkagitCounty,Washington,ZoningCode(p .34–37)• TownofStuyvesant,ZoningLaw• TownofMilton,ZoningCode(excerpt)• NYS,TownLaw,Section261-b–IncentiveZoning• TownofBeekman,ZoningCode(excerpt)

Subdivision Ordinances • SouthernTierCentralRegionalPlanning&Development

BoardRuralDesignWorkbook• HudsonValleyGreenway,SavingFarmlandWithDevelopment• TownSubdivisionLaws — TownofCaton,SubdivisionRegulations — TownofEaston,SubdivisionLaw

Local Property Tax Reduction Programs • AmericanFarmlandTrust,NewYorkAgriculturalLandownerGuide• NYS,RealPropertyTaxLaw,Sections483,483-aand483-c — AgriculturalAssessmentforRentalLandowners — AgriculturalAssessmentForms — FarmBuildingExemption — FarmWorkerHousingExemptionForms• Farmer’sSchoolTaxCredit• HistoricBarnsTaxCreditLease of Development Rights • TownofElma,AuthorizingLegislation• TownofWarwick,AgriculturalOverlayDistrict• TownofPerinton,ConservationEasementLaw• TownofPerinton,ConservationEasementforFarmingPurposes• TownofCliftonPark,ConservationEasementLaw• TownofSouthampton,AgriculturalOverlayDistrictand

AgriculturalPlannedDevelopmentDistrict

Purchase of Development Rights • FarmlandInformationCenter,FactSheets — AgriculturalConservationEasements — FarmTransferandEstatePlanning — InstallmentPurchaseAgreement — NYSFarmlandProtectionProgram — PurchaseofAgriculturalEasements — PurchaseofAgriculturalEasememts:SourcesofFunding — StatusofLocalPACEPrograms — StatusofStatePACEPrograms• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,Model

AgriculturalConservationEasement• AgriculturalStewardshipAssociation,Agricultural

ConservationEasement• NYS,EnvironmentalConservationLaw,Article49Section3

• USDANaturalResourcesConservationService,FarmandRanchLandsProtectionProgram

Town Purchase of Development Rights• TownofWarwick,Code(excerpt)• TownofRiverhead,CommunityPreservationActLawCounty Purchase of Development Rights• JeffersonCounty,PDRFeasibilityStudy• SuffolkCounty,PDRApplication• LandTrust/CountyMemorandumofUnderstanding• CayugaCounty,Pre-ApplicationforNYSFarmland

ProtectionImplementationGrant• FrederickCounty,Maryland,OptiontoPurchaseAgricultural

LandPreservationEasement• FrederickCounty,Maryland,AgriculturalLandPreservation

InstallmentPurchaseAgreement

Transfer of Development Rights • NYS,TownLaw,Section261• FarmlandInformationCenter,TransferofDevelopmentRights

FactSheet• ResourcesfortheFuture,HowWellCanMarketsFor

DevelopmentRightsWork?• TownofRiverhead,TDRLaw• WarwickTownship,Pennsylvania,TDRLaw• TownofLysander,TDRLaw

Agricultural Economic Development• SouthernMaryland,FarmViabilityEnhancementGrant

ProgramAgreement• SouthernMaryland,FarmViabilityEnhancementGrantand

AgriculturalUseCovenant(termeasement)• LoudonCounty,Virginia,AgritourismBrochure• NYSDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,Guidelines

forReviewofLocalLawsAffectingSmallWindEnergyProductionFacilities

Agricultural Economic Development Specialists• Saratoga–WashingtonCounty,AgriculturalEconomic

DevelopmentEducator• WayneCounty,AgriculturalDevelopmentSpecialistPosition

DescriptionFarmland Leasing• FarmRentalAgreementChecklist• FarmlandTenureandLeasing• ManagingTenant–LandlordRelationships• PeconicLandTrust,farmlandlease• Agritourism(AndMore)intheSouthtowns

Infrastructure Planning • GeneseeCounty,SmartGrowthPlan2010Review

Food and Health Policies • AlbanyCounty,LocalFoodPurchasingPolicy• WoodburyCounty,LocalFoodPurchasePolicy • MissoulaCityandCounty,Montana,JointResolution

establishingtheCommunityFoodandAgricultureCouncil

Educating the Public About Agriculture• GeneseeCounty,DecisionMakersTourItinerary

A farm is lost to development every three and a half days in New York.

Find out what you can do .

YoucanhelpsaveNewYorkfarmsandfarmland.BE AN ADvOCATE: www .farmland .org/newyorkadvocate

SUPPORT OUR wORk: www .farmland .org/nydonate

STAy CONNECTED: www .farmland .org/newyork

New york Office112SpringSt .,Suite207•SaratogaSprings,NY12866•(518)581-0078

www .farmland .org/newyork•newyork@farmland .org

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AmericanFarmlandTrust’sPlanningforAgricultureinNewYork 1

Introduction

AgrowingnumberofNewYorkcommunitiesrecognizethatfarmsandfarmersshouldnotbetakenforgranted .NewYorkerswho

understandthemultiplebenefitsthatagriculturecontributestotheircommunitiesarespeakingupabouttheneedtosupportlocalfarms .Farmsarevaluedasasourceoflocalfood;forhelpingmaintainlowerpropertytaxes;asgeneratorsofeconomicactivity;asstewardsofthestate’snaturalresourcesandwildlifehabitat;forpreservingcommunities’ruralheritage;andforprovidingthegreenspaceandscenicbeautythatattracttouristdollars .NewYorkcommunitieswantnewgrowthanddevelopment—justnotattheexpenseoffarmers,farmlandandlong-termfoodsecurity .

Atthesametime,morefarmersrecognizetheexistingorpotentialimpactsofpoorlyplanneddevelopmentontheirbusinesses .RuralcommunitiesinwesternandcentralNewYorkandtheNorthCountryareincreasinglybecominghometo

commutersfromupstatecitiesorlocationsforsecondhomes .TheHudsonValleyandLongIslandcontinuetoexperiencesomeofthehighestdevelopmentpressureinthenation .

Someoftheimpactsofthesetrendsarehighlyvisible .Subdivisionsandparkinglotsnowcoverformerfarmfieldswhere“concretewasthelastcrop .”But,manyofthemostsignificanteffectsofthefragmentationofNewYork’slandscapearelessvisible .Farmlandpricesinmoreandmoreareasofthestatehaverisenbeyondfarmers’purchasingability .Asaresult,beginningfarmersandfarmerslookingtoexpandtheirfarmsstruggletogetaccesstoland .Increasingdevelopmentalsocontributestoconflictsonroadwaysbetweendriversoffarmmachineryandfastermovingvehicles,aswellastodisputesaboutfarmpracticesbetweenfarmersandtheirnewneighbors .

ThelossoffarmsalsojeopardizesthesupportsystemforagricultureinNewYork .Farmserviceproviderssuchasveterinarians,feeddealers,farmequipmentstores,slaughterhousesandothersdependuponastrongbaseoffarmcustomers .Asfarmsarelost,

2 AmericanFarmlandTrust’sPlanningforAgricultureinNewYork

thesecriticalserviceprovidersloseincomeandtheirfutureisweakened .Thelossoftheseserviceprovidersmakesitevenmoredifficultforremainingfarmstosurviveastheymusttravelfarthertogetcriticalsuppliesorservices .

ThispublicationisatoolkitforthoseNewYorkcommunitiesthatrecognizetheimportanceoflocalfarmsandwanttotakeactiontosupportthem .Itisanupdatetothe2005versionofAmericanFarmlandTrust’sGuidetoLocalPlanningforAgricultureinNewYork .Theoriginalguidefocusedontherolesthattownscanplayinpro-activelysupportinglocalagriculturesincetownshaveprimarylandusedecision-makingauthorityinsuburbanandruralareasofNewYork .DecisionsmadeeachweekbythousandsofNewYorkerswhoparticipateontownboards,planningboardsandzoningboardsofappealcombinewiththedecisionsofindividuallandownersandstateandfederalpoliciestodefineNewYork’sfarmingcommunities,economyandlandscape .

Theoriginalguideanalyzedwaysthattownshavesupportedagricultureusingtoolssuchasright-to-farmlaws,zoningcodes,comprehensiveplans,subdivisionordinances,propertytaxreductionprograms,andpurchaseandtransferofdevelopmentrights .Profilesofmorethan30townsfromNewYorkandotherstatesillustratehowthesetoolshavebeenusedtosupportagriculture .

The2011versionoftheguidealsohighlightstheimportantrolesthatcountiescanplayinaffectingthefutureofagriculture .Throughtheireconomicdevelopment,publichealthandinfrastructurepolicies,aswellassupportfortheuseofagriculturaldistrictsandpurchaseofdevelopmentrights,countiescanhaveasignificantimpactonlocalfarms .Thisupdatededitionoftheguidedescribestoolsavailabletocountiesandprofiles38countiesthathavetakenlocalactiontoplanforagriculture .

PlanningforAgricultureinNewYork:AToolkitforTownsandCountiesisintendedasaresourcefortownandcountyofficials,planners,economicdevelopmentprofessionals,extensioneducators,farmersandotherNewYorkresidentsinterestedinmaximizingthebenefitstotheircommunitiesofplanningforagriculture .ChaptersofthisresourceguideprovideNewYorkcommunitieswitharangeoftools,casestudiesandresourcestobesuccessful .Topicsaddressedinclude:

• Makingsupportforagricultureacommunitypriority;

• Engagingfarmersandrurallandownersincommunityplanningefforts;

• Evaluatingcurrentpoliciestodeterminetheirimpactonfarms;

• Developingpoliciesthatstrengtheneconomicopportunitiesforlocalfarmsandprotectirreplaceablefarmland;

• Identifyingresourcesforfurthersupport .Theguideincludesalistofagenciesandorganizationsthatcanserveasresourcesduringtheon-goingprocessofplanningforagriculture .TheaccompanyingCDprovidesmaterialsfromprofiledcommunitiesandadditionalresources .

ResourcesonCDarenotedbythissymbol .

Resourcesavailableonlinearenotedbythissymbol


S E C T I O N O N E :

Planning for AgricultureWhy Plan for Agriculture?

Whyplanforagriculture?Thisunderlyingquestionisofcriticalimportance .Communitieswithoutcompelling

answerstothisquestionwillbechallengedtomotivatelocalofficialsandresidentstotakeactiontosupportlocalfarms .

Therearetwofundamentalpartstothisquestion .First,localofficialsandnon-farmresidentsmaywonderwhytheyshouldfocusonfarmsinlocalpolicies .Givenalloftheissuesfacingcommunities,whyshouldtheygiveequalconsiderationtoagriculture?Second,farmersandrurallandownersmayquestionwhetherplanningandpolicy-making

canorshouldbeusedtoaddressissuesfacingagriculture .

Oneofthebiggestchallengesinengagingthepublicinplanningforagricultureisconveyingthemessagethatfarmsshouldnotbetakenforgranted .Toooften,residentsassumethatfarmswillbeintheircommunitiesforever .Motivatingpeopletotakeactionbeforeacommunity’sfarmsarelostischallengingbutveryimportant .

Itisnotsurprisingthatmanyfarmersareskepticaloflocalplanningefforts .Somecommunitieshavetreatedfarmingasatemporarylanduseincomprehensiveplans,zoningcodesandotherpolicies .Inothercases,agriculturehasnotbeenrecognizedasabusinessorasavaluablelong-termcommunityasset .Farmerskepticismtowardlocaleffortsalsomaystemfromconcernsaboutthefairnessofnewlandusepoliciesandhowsuchpoliciesmayaffecttheirpersonalandbusinessinterests .Farmersmayalsobefrustratedthatlocaleffortsmayonlyhavelimitedinfluenceonnationalorinternationalissuesthatarehavingasignificantimpactontheirfarms .


Bydevelopingcompellinganswerstothequestionsandconcernsthatresidentsandfarmersmayhaveaboutplanningforagriculture,communitiescanincreasethelikelihoodthattheirlocalplanningeffortswillbeasuccess .

Making Support for Agriculture a Community PriorityTherationaleforsupportingfarmsandprotectingfarmlandmaydifferineverycommunity .However,thefollowingargumentsaboutthebenefitsofagriculturehavefrequentlybeenusedtogeneratelocalsupportforfarming .

Economic: Farms provide jobs and support the local economy .Farmsarelocalbusinesses .Theycreatejobsandsupportmanyotherbusinessesbypurchasinglocalgoodsandservices .In2007,NewYorkfarmssoldmorethan$4 .4billioninfarmproductsandspent$3 .5billiononproductionexpenses,muchofwhichstayedwithinNewYork .Accordingtoa2001reportfromCornellUniversity,farmandrelatedfoodprocessorsandserviceprovidersgeneratemorethan$23billioneachyearineconomicactivity .AgriculturehasbeenadependablecomponentofNewYork’seconomyformanyyearsandwillcontinuetobe,ifweinvestinitsfuture .

Fiscal: Farm and forest land require fewer community services and help maintain lower property taxes .Developmentimposescostsoncommunitiesintheformofincreaseddemandforschools,roads,water,sewerandothercommunityservices .NumerousCostofCommunityServicesstudiesandotheranalyseshaveshownthatfarmandforestlandgeneratemorelocaltaxrevenuethantheycostinservices .Bycomparison,residentialdevelopmenttypicallyfailstomakeupforlocalcostswithpropertytaxrevenue .Theexpression“cowsdon’tgotoschool”isoftenusedtorelaythemessagethatcommunitiesshouldconsiderthenetimpactsofnewdevelopmentonpropertytaxes;convertingagriculturallandtoresidentiallanduseshouldnotbeseenasawaytobalancelocalbudgets .

Health/Nutrition: Farms produce fresh local foods . Locallygrownfoodtastesbetterandisoftenhealthier .Communitieswithlocalfarmshavereadyaccesstofarmers’markets,farmstandsandotherretailoutletsthatsellfreshlocalfarmproducts,includingfruits,vegetables,meats,dairyproductsandotheritems .Increasedaccesstofreshfruits,vegetablesandothernutritiousfoodsisastrategyforcombatingchildobesityandmanyofthepublichealthchallengesfacingNewYork .Inthefuture,thesecurityofhavingalocalfoodsupplymaybecomeevenmoreimportanttocommunities .

Scenic: Farms provide rural character and scenic landscapes .WorkingfarmshelpdefinetherurallandscapethatisattractivetomanyNewYorkers .Byprotectingcropland,pasturesandforests,communitiescanretaintheirtraditionalsenseofplaceandruralidentity .

Tourism: Scenic working farms attract tourists and dollars to New york .InadditiontomakingNewYorkadesirableplacetolive,farmshelpmakethestateadesirableplacetovisit .Wineries,u-pickfarmsandotheragritourismestablishmentsaredirectdrawsfortourists .Workingfarmsprovidethescenerythatisenjoyedbypeopleoncountrydrivesandbringsvisitorstocommunitiesaroundthestate .

Environmental: well-managed farms help protect water quality and natural resources . Farmershavebeenthestewardsofthestate’snaturalresourcesforgenerations .Farmsmaintainwildlifehabitat,providebuffersforwetlandsandwaterwaysandprotectrechargeareasforaquifersandotherenvironmentalresources .TheenvironmentalbenefitsoffarmshavebeenwellrecognizedbycitiessuchasNewYorkCityandSyracuse,whichhaveinvestedmillionsofdollarstoconservewell-managedfarmsthatprotectdrinkingwaterqualityandothernaturalresourcesintheirwatersheds .

Cultural: Farms connect us to our community heritage and historic places .Farmbuildings,rockwalls,historicfarmmachinery,openfieldsandotherelementsofagricultureareimportantlinkstoourfarmingheritage .Byprotectingfarms,weensurethatfuturegenerationshavetheopportunitytovisitlocalfarmsandlearnmoreaboutagriculture .Manypeoplealsoadmirethevaluesandworkethicrepresentedbyfarmersandfarmfamilies .

Recreation: Some farms provide access for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreational activities .Notallfarmsallowpublicaccess,butmanyfarmers,whenasked,allowcertainrecreationalpursuitssuchashunting,fishing,snowmobiling,horsebackridingorotheractivitiesontheirland .Biking,runningorwalkingalongruralroadsnearfarmsalsocanbeanenjoyablerecreationalexperienceformembersofthecommunity .

Thoseinvolvedinplanningforagricultureneedtodevelopcompellingargumentsthatcanbeusedtomotivatelocalofficialsandresidents .

• BroomeCounty,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan,WhyAgricultureWorksforBroomeCounty:TheTop10Reasons

• AmericanFarmlandTrust,ErieCounty:FarmingontheUrbanEdge

• FarmlandInformationCenter,WhySaveFarmland?FactSheet

The Threat:

Working Farmland Lost to Poorly Planned DevelopmentNew York’s landscape has been changing for generations. Studies from 20 to 30 years ago documented the rise of new non-farm development and the potential impacts on agriculture. So why is it more important than ever that we take action now?

Non-farm development has been on the rise in New York for decades, but the scale, speed and distribution of recent development is significantly different. The most recent statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture indicate that roughly 47,700 acres of farmland were developed in New York between 2002 and 2007. This equates to roughly 9,000 acres of farmland per year or a farm every three and a half days.

The connection between the loss of farmland and challenges facing upstate New York cities was highlighted in study titled “Sprawl Without Growth: The Upstate Paradox,” by Cornell University’s Dr. Rolf Pendall and the Brookings Institution. This report determined that conversions of farmland and forests in New York have generally not been due to population growth. The study found that 425,000 acres of farm and forestland were developed between 1982 and 1997, resulting in a 30 percent increase in developed land during the period. At the same time, the population grew only by 2.6 percent. The study also highlighted that the movement of people out of upstate cities into the countryside was having a negative impact on city budgets and economies as well as contributing to the loss of farms.

Statistics about farmland loss don’t capture the full impact of non-farm development on agriculture. New non-farm development may raise land values, which can prevent farm operations from expanding or limit opportunities for young farmers to purchase farms and land. Poorly planned development may also fragment blocks of land into pieces that are too small for commercial farm equipment, may discourage farm investment or may set the stage for costly conflicts about farming practices.

The loss of New York farmland is largely driven by the migration of

residents from cities into the suburbs and rural communities surrounding

them, not by population growth.



Engaging Farmers in Planning for AgriculturePlanningeffortscanelicitvaryingreactionsfromfarmersandrurallandowners .Forsomefarmers,localplanningisanopportunitytodirectlyinfluencethefutureofthecommunity .Forotherlandowners,localplanningbringsuncertainty,angerandmistrust .

Somefarmersoperateincommunitiesthatfailtomakeagricultureapriority,don’tfullyunderstandfarmsandmodernfarmpracticesormakedecisionsthatunderminethefutureforfarming .Inthosecases,itiseasytounderstandwhyfarmerswouldnotbesupportiveoflocalplanningorotheractions .Inothersettings,however,localcommunitymembersappreciatefarmersandconsidertheretentionoffarmbusinessestobeapriority .Farmersupportforlocalplanningismorelikelyinthosesituations .

Individualfarmersandrurallandownersmayrespondverydifferentlytolocalplanningefforts,dependingontheirownpersonalpriorities .Farmerswhoperceiveastrongfutureforagriculturemaybemorelikelytosupportnewpoliciesthatlimitnon-farmdevelopmentormakeeconomicinvestmentsinagriculturalbusinesses .Farmerswhoplantoexitfarminginthenearfuture—whetherduetoageorbusinessconcerns—maybemorelikelytoemphasizetheirinterestsaslandownersandwanttomaximizetheirpropertyvalues .

Sincefarmershavemultipleinterestsintheirproperty,theirviewsonplanningandlanduseissueswillbeinfluencedbyvariouspersonalandbusinesscircumstances .

• Aslandowners,theyareconcernedaboutpotentialimpactsonpropertyvaluesandequity

• Asbusinesses,theyarestrivingtokeeptheirfarmenterprisesviableandprofitable

• Astaxpayers,theyareinterestedinkeepingpropertytaxeslow

• Asresidentsandcommunitymembers,theyhopetokeeptheircommunitiesdesirableforfuturegenerations

Theprioritiesofdifferentkindsoffarms,whetherwineries,organicfarms,dairies,pigfarms,orchards,etc .,maydifferaswell .Acommunitycouldbeheadedfortroubleifitassumesthattheinterests

of“agriculture”canbeaccountedforwithoutconsideringthediversityofitslocalagriculture .

Thefollowingaresuggestionsforcommunitiesinterestedinengagingfarmersandrurallandownersinlocalplanningefforts .

Engage farmers early in the processInordertobuildlocalfarmerandlandownersupport,itiscrucialthatyouengagethemearlyintheprocess .Gettingfarmerinvolvementmaybeachallenge,duetofarmers’schedules,interestsandconcerns .Anymeetingstargetingfarmersshouldbeheldattimes,datesandlocationsthatarecompatiblewithfarmoperations .Thesescheduleswilllikelydifferdependingonthetypeandscaleoflocalfarms .Determiningfarmeravailabilitybycontactingafewfarmerspriortoschedulingameetingcanhelpensurethattheeventisbetterattendedandmoreeffective .

Somestrategiesforincreasingfarmerparticipation:

• Establishanagriculturaladvisorycommittee• Holdfarmerfocusgroupsattimesandlocations

convenientforfarmers• Invitelocalfarmorganizationstoparticipateinthe

process• Conductsurveysorinterviewindividualfarmers• Identifythefarmleadersinyourcommunity;

personallyinvitethemtogetinvolved

Treat farms as both businesses and land usesFarmsplaymultiplerolesinacommunity .Theyarebusinessesthatsupportthelocaleconomyandprovidejobs .Atthesametime,farmshelptodefineacommunity’slandscapeandsenseofplace .Localplanningeffortsmustfocusoncreatingasupportivebusinessenvironmentforfarmersaswellasprotectingfarmland .Emphasizingonewithouttheotherwillreducethelikelihoodofacommunity’ssuccessinplanningforagriculture .

Identify and cultivate leadership Well-respectedlocalfarmersandpublicofficialscanhelpaddlegitimacytotheplanningprocessandproduct .Spendtimeidentifyingtheappropriatelocalleadersandcultivatetheirparticipation .


Balance community interests with private property rightsPlanningrequiresadelicatebalanceofcommunityprioritiesandtheprivatepropertyrightsofindividuallandowners .Mostlandownersunderstandthisneedforbalancebutwanttomakesurethattheirprivateinterestsaretreatedfairly .Thedefinitionof“fairness”willdifferbyindividualandcommunity,buttheplanningprocessshouldseeksolutionsthatstrikethisbalance .

Evenifalloftheabovesuggestionsareused,therewillalwaysbeindividualswhodonotsupporteffortstoplanforagriculture .However,acommunitywithbroad-basedsupportforfarm-friendlylocalplanningwillbebetterabletoaddresssuchskepticism .

Make agriculture a priority in the community’s vision for the futureCreateacommunityvisionthathighlightstheroleforfarmsandfarmers .Farmlandisnotjustopenspaceorvacantland .Agriculturerequirespeopletomanagethelandandnaturalresources .Thisuniquecombinationofpeopleworkingwiththelandneedstoberecognizedandaddressedinlocalplansandpolicies .Communitiesshouldincludesupportforfarmsaspartoftheirbroaderefforttoprotectruralcharacterandopenspace .Theuniqueneedsoffarmersandfarmbusinessesmustbeconsideredintheplanningprocess .

Top Myths in Planning for AgricultureBarns are falling down in my town . That must mean agriculture is dead .Farmingisabusiness,andbarnsarebuilttofillspecificbusinessneeds .Barnshouselivestock,cropsandequipment .Maintainingtheirstructurescanbeexpensive .Whenfarmsgooutofbusinessorbarnsnolongerbringareasonablereturnonfarmerinvestment,barnscanbegintodeteriorate .However,thisdoesnotmeanthatfarmingisdead .Agriculture,likeotherbusinesses,isconstantlychanging .Whilesomebarnsmaybefallingdown,othersarebeingbuilttofillnewfarmbusinessneeds .Farmsmustconstantlyadapttochangingconditionsinordertohaveastrongfuture .

Purchase of development rights is the only tool needed to support agriculture . Thepurchaseofdevelopmentrights(PDR)isonetoolthatcanbeusedtopermanentlyprotectlandforagriculture .However,PDRwillnotsolvealloftheissuesfacingfarming .ManystrategiesarerequiredtoensurethatfarmsandfarmerscontinuetobeapartofNewYork’slandscape .Withoutcomplementaryactions,PDR-protectedfarmscanbecomesurroundedbyhousingdevelopmentsmakingitmoredifficultforfarmerstooperate .

when we talk about farms, we are really only talking about dairy farming .DairyfarmingrepresentsthelargestportionofNewYork’sagriculturaleconomy .However,NewYorkfarmingconsistsofmuchmorethanjustdairy .FarmsinNewYorkalsoproducefruitsandvegetables,maplesyrup,beefandothermeats,Christmastrees,woolandotherfarmproducts .GreenhousesandhorsefarmsarealsoanimportantpartoftheNewYorkagriculturalindustry .

Increasing the minimum lot size for new houses to five acres will help protect farmland .Increasingtheminimumlotsizefornewhousestothree,fiveorsevenacreswillnothelpprotectlandforfarming .Theresultinglotsareoftentoosmallforlarger,commercialfarmvehiclesandtoolargeformanyhomeownerstoactivelymanage .Thiszoningtechniquedoesreducethedensityofnewhouses,butthatshouldnotbeconfusedwithprotectinglandforactivefarmuse .Thefixedratioapproachtozoning(describedinfurtherdetailinSectionThree,p36)isanalternativethattownscanuse .Fixedratiozoningallowstownstomakemodestreductionsinhousingdensitywhilestillkeepingnewhousesonsmallerbuildinglots .

The Agricultural Districts Law prevents towns from regulating farms .NewYork’sAgriculturalDistrictsLawpermitstheDepartmentofAgricultureandMarketstointervenewhenlocalgovernmentsenactlawsthatunreasonablyrestrictfarmoperationsinagriculturaldistricts .Thisdoesnotmeanthatlocalgovernmentsarepowerlesswhendealingwithfarms .Thisimportantstatelawrequiresthatlocalgovernmentsbereasonableintheirapproach .Asafirststep,


alocalgovernmentshouldworkwiththefarmcommunitytoaddressissuesofconcern .Ifthisisnotsatisfactory,thelocalgovernmentshouldapproachtheDepartmentofAgricultureandMarketstoensurethattheproposedlocallawdoesnotviolatetheAgriculturalDistrictsLaw .Thisprocessmaytaketimeandenergybutwillhopefullyensurethatfarmers’needsandcommunityinterestsareaddressed .

By keeping farms in our town, we are limiting our tax base .

$1.50

1.25

1.00

.75

.50

.25

0Farm, Forest

and Open Land$0.29/$1

Commerical $0.26/$1

Residential$1.27/$1

Cost per dollar of revenue raised to provide public services to different land uses.

“Cowsandcorndon’tgotoschool .”Thissayingreflectsthefactthatwhilefarmlandpayslessinpropertytaxesthanresidencesdo,itrequiressignificantlylessinpublicservices .CostofCommunityServicesstudiesfromaroundthecountryhavedemonstratedthatfarmandforestlandgenerateanetpropertytax“profit”whilehousesgenerallycauseapropertytax“loss”(duetothehighcostoftheirassociatedpublicservices) .Thus,havingfarmlandinacommunitycanhelpmaintainalowerdemandforpublicservicesandkeeppropertytaxeslower .Bymaintainingabalanceoflandusesandbyfocusinggrowthinareaswithaccesstounderutilizedinfrastructure,communitiescanpromotefiscalefficiency,preservefarmlandandopenspace,andavoidothercostsofsprawl .

Farms may be pretty to look at, but they don’t impact New york’s economy . AgriculturehasplayedamajorroleinNewYork’seconomyforcenturies .Whileotherbusinessesmaymovetothestateforaperiodoftimeandthenrelocate,agricultureisastablebaseforthestate’seconomy .NewYorkfarmsannuallygenerateover$4 .4billioneachyearinfarmsalesandaredirectlylinkedtoagriculturalservice-providersandfoodmanufacturersthatgenerateanadditional$18 .6billioneachyearinsales .Withtherightsupport,farmswillcontinuetoplayanimportantroleinNewYork’seconomyforyearstocome .

Cluster developments and the transfer of development rights (TDR) are the perfect farmland protection tools .Theclusteringofnewhousesisanimportanttechniqueforconservingnaturalresourcesandreducingthefootprintofnewhousing .However,ithaslimitationswhenappliedtofarmlandprotection .Aclusterdevelopmentcanconcentratenewneighborsnearanactivelymanagedfarmfieldorfarmoperation .Itdoesn’ttakemanyresidentialclusters,evenonrelativelysmallparcels,tostarttointerferewithfarmviability .Pro-activestepsmustbetakentoensurethattheclustereddevelopmentdoesnotgeneratefutureconflictsbetweennearbyfarmersandtheirnewneighbors .

TDRprogramsarecomplextoolsthathavebeenusedeffectivelyinotherstatesbutwithlimitedsuccessinNewYork .TDRmustdirectlyaddresscomplexissues,suchaspropertytaximpacts,zoningvariancesandrealestatemarkets,tobesuccessful .Remember,therearenoeasy“silverbullets”forprotectingfarmland .Acombinationofstrategiesandtoolswillbemosteffectiveinsustainingagriculture—andallofitsmanybenefits—inyourcommunity .


S E C T I O N T w O :

Supporting Local FarmsPrinciples of Planning for Agriculture in New York

FromSuffolkCountytoSt .LawrenceCounty,NewYorkhasatremendouslydiversepopulation,landscapeandagricultural

industry .Sometownsandcountieshavethrivingrealestatemarketsandlargetaxbases,whileothercommunitieshaveexperiencedlessdevelopmentpressureandhavesmallertaxbases .Somehavecomplexlanduselawsmanagedbyplanningprofessionals,whileothercommunitieshavenocomprehensiveplans,zoninglawsorplanningstaff .

ThisdiversitymakesitimpossibleforanysingleprogramorpolicytobeappropriateforeveryNewYorktownorcounty .However,therearegeneralprinciplesof“planningforagriculture”thatshouldfitnearlyeverycommunity .Thetoolsusedtoachievetheseobjectivesmaydiffer,butthebroadobjectivesaresimilar,asaretheunderlyingissuesfacingfarmsthroughoutthestate .

ThefollowingfiveelementsofplanningforagricultureshouldbeaddressedbyNewYorktownsandcountiesinterestedinsupportinglocalfarms .

1) Encourage public appreciation for local agriculture . Acommonunderstandingofagriculturalissuesandawarenessofthevalueoffarmsshouldbeatthecoreoflocalpolicies .Thisdoesnothappenautomatically .Itmustbeactivelysoughtandreaffirmedonaregularbasis .Communitiesshouldeducatethemselvesabouttheeconomic,propertytax,environmental,historicalandqualityoflifebenefitsprovidedbylocalfarms .

2) Strengthen economic opportunities for farms and related businesses .Farmsarebusinessesandarecloselylinkedtomanyotherpartsofalocaleconomy .ManyNewYorkers

havejobsthatareconnectedwithfarmssuchaselectricians,carpenters,farmequipmentdealers,bankers,foodprocessorsandtruckdrivers .Itiscriticalthatfarmsbetreatedaslocalbusinessesandreceivethemarketingandeconomicdevelopmentassistancethatotherlocalindustriesreceive .Additionally,townsandcountiesshouldensurethatlocallanduse,publichealthandothercodesarefarm-friendlyandsupportopportunitiesforlocalfarmersandrelatedbusinesses .

3) Encourage the long-term viability of farming and food production . Planningforagriculturerequiresthinkingaboutthefutureandidentifyinglong-termneedsoflocalfarms .Developinganagriculturalandfarmlandprotectionplanoranagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentstrategyrequiresacommunitytodevelopavisionforthefutureoflocalagriculture .Anextgenerationoffarmersandfarmworkersisnecessarytocarrythevisionforward,socommunitiesmustincorporateeducationandworkforcedevelopmentintotheirplans .Protectingthelandbaseandcaringforthesoilsarealsonecessarytoensurethatfarmsremainviableandproductive .

4) Support positive relationships between farmers and others in your community .Communityunderstandingofagricultureisthefirststepinavoidingconflictsbetweenfarmersandnon-farmers .Itisimportantthatpublicofficialssuchasatownassessor,codeenforcementofficer,sheriff,countyplannerandothersunderstandthespecificneedsandstandardsthatapplytolocalfarms .Additionally,itiscriticalthatthepublicdemonstrateitssupportforlocalagricultureandthatactionsbetakentomitigatepotentiallycostlyconflictsbetweenfarmersandothercommunityresidents .

5) Protect agricultural land and keep it actively farmed . Notalllandiscreatedequalforfarming .Communitiesshouldhaveaclearideaofpriorityfarmingareaswheretheywanttosupportagricultureoverthelong-term .Theyshouldthentakeactiontokeepsuchlandsinactiveagriculturaluse .Itisimportantthattownsandcountiesseektoretainblocksoffarmlandthatwillsupportarangeoffarmbusinessesandavoidsitingnon-farminfrastructureinpriorityfarmingareas .


Is Your COUNTY Planning a Future for Farms?A Checklist for Supporting Farms at the County Level in New york

Encourage Public Appreciation for AgricultureDoes your county…

YeS NO…support farm festivals, fairs and other events that encourage public appreciation for agriculture? MostNewYorkersdidnotgrowuponafarm,andmanyhavenevervisitedafarm .Givingpeopleachancetolearnaboutfarmingandcelebratelocalfarmsisanimportant,andenjoyable,learningexperience!

YeS NO . . .host tours, farmer forums or events aimed at educating local, state and federal officials about agriculture? PublicofficialsarekeyplayersindecidingthefutureoffarminginNewYork .It’simportantthattheseleadershavethechancetolearnaboutagricultureandbetterunderstandhowtheycansupportfarmingintheirroleascommunityleaders .

YeS NO…regularly distribute information about agriculture to the media? Themediaisakeyallyineducatingthepublicabouttheimportanceofagricultureandissuesfacinglocalfarmers .Providingstatistics,perspectivesandresourcestolocalmediacangenerateinformedcoverageofagriculturalissues .

YeS NO…support efforts to educate children about their food and how it is grown? Educatingkidsabouteatinghealthyfoodiscriticaltosolvingmanypublichealthproblemsandensuringthatfuturegenerationsappreciatetheimportanceoflocalfarms .

YeS NO…celebrate excellence in local agriculture? Thecontributionsmadebyfarmerstothelocaleconomy,environmentandcommunityareoftenoverlooked .Awards,mediaeventsandothereffortstorecognize

thesecontributionshelpencouragelocalfarmers,whilereinforcingthemanybenefitsthatagricultureprovidestoNewYorkcommunities .

YeS NO…provide resources to municipalities about local agriculture? Countiescanprovideimportantdata,mapsandotherinformationtotownsthatarelookingforinformation .CostofCommunityServicesstudies,economicreports,landusemapsandotherresourcesthatareprovidedbycountiescanhelpmunicipalitiesmakeinformeddecisions .

Strengthen Economic Opportunities for Farmers and Related BusinessesDoes your county…

YeS NO…treat farms as businesses? AgriculturesupportsthousandsofjobsacrossNewYork .Foodprocessorsandotheragribusinessesarealsocriticalpartsofthestate’seconomy .Thesefarmandfoodbusinessesshouldbetreatedlikeothersectorsoftheeconomyandprovidedwithbusinessplanningservices,financingandotherincentivestoretainandexpandjobsintheseindustries .

YeS NO…support “buy local” campaigns that encourage people to purchase food and farm products produced nearby? Consumerscanhaveabigimpactonthebottomlineofmanyfarmersbychoosingtobuylocalfarmproducts .Buylocalmarketingcampaignscaneducatepeopleaboutthebenefitsoflocalproductsandhowtheycanbepurchased .

YeS NO…facilitate connections between farmers and area restaurants, schools, hospitals and other institutions? Publicandprivateinstitutionsthat


purchaselocalfarmproductscanmakearealdifferenceinthefarmeconomyduetothescaleoftheirpurchasingpower .Encouraging,orrequiring,localfoodpurchasingbyinstitutionscanhelpkeepfooddollarsinacommunityandmagnifytheimpactofthisspending .

YeS NO…incorporate agritourism into tourism promotions? FarmsarenotonlyabeautifulpartofNewYork’ssceniclandscape,manyalsoofferenjoyableexperiencesforfamiliesandtourists .U-pickfarms,cornmazes,pumpkinpatches,horseriding,winetastingandotheron-farmexperiencesshouldbemarketedalongwithotherareatourismactivities .

Encourage Long-term Viability of Farming and Food ProductionDoes your county…

YeS NO…support agricultural education programs such as FFA, 4-H and other workforce development programs for farmers and farm workers? Suchprogramsnotonlyteachyoungpeopleimportantleadershipskills,theyensureaskilledworkforceforareafarmsandrelatedbusinesses .

YeS NO…make agriculture a priority in local and regional economic development strategies? Toooften,agricultureisoverlookedasamajorcomponentoftheeconomyinNewYork .Localandregionaleconomicdevelopmentstrategiesshouldmakefarmandfoodjobsapriorityandidentifystrategiesforretainingexistingjobsandexpandingnewjobsinthesesectors .

YeS NO…encourage farmers to participate in New york’s Agricultural Environmental Management program and other environmental stewardship programs? FarmersmanageroughlysevenmillionacresoflandinNewYork—roughly25percentofthelandinthestate .Encouragingenvironmentallysoundstewardshipofsoil,waterandothernaturalresourceswillencourageahealthyenvironmentandbetteropportunitiesforfuturegenerationsoffarmers .

YeS NO…have a current agricultural and farmland protection plan and annually review progress towards accomplishing its recommendations? Currently,50NewYorkcountieshavedevelopedagriculturalandfarmlandprotectionplanstodirectcountyactioninsupportoflocalfarmsandprotectingirreplaceablefarmland .However,theseplansshouldn’tsitonashelf!Countiesshouldkeepthemup-to-dateandmakeanongoingcommitmentoftimeandresourcestoimplementingthem .

Support Positive Relationships Between Farmers and Others in Your CommunityDoesyourcounty…

YeS NO…support trainings and dialogue about agricultural issues among assessors, code enforcement officers, sheriff, police and other local staff that interact with farmers? Farminghasuniquecircumstancesthatfrequentlyrequirealternativerules,regulationsorapproachesthanotherbusinessesandlanduses .Publicofficialsneedtounderstandtheseuniquecircumstancesandapplicableregulationsandapplythemfairlytofarmbusinesses .

YeS NO…support New york’s Agricultural Districts program and update districts on a regular basis? TheAgriculturalDistrictsprogramisoneofNewYork’soldestfarmlandprotectiontools,anditprovidesimportantright-to-farmprotectionstoNewYorkfarmers .Countiesshouldkeepdistrictscurrentandusetherenewalprocessasanopportunitytoengagelocalofficialsaboutissuesfacingfarmersinthesedistricts .

YeS NO…offer trainings for town boards, county legislators and others about the Agricultural Districts law and its “unreasonably restrictive local ordinance” provision? NewYork’sAgriculturalDistrictslawrequiresthatlocalgovernmentsnotbeunreasonablyrestrictive


inregulatingfarmersoperatinginstate-certifiedagriculturaldistricts .TheNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets(NYSDAM)hasdevelopedguidanceforlocalgovernmentsabouthowthisstandardappliestoavarietyoftopicsrelatedtoagriculture .Localgovernmentsarewell-advisedtousetheseguidancedocumentsandcontactNYSDAMpriortoadoptingnewregulationsthatcouldimpactagriculture .

YeS NO . . .encourage municipal governments to make agriculture a priority in local comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances and other land use plans? Thoughtfulsitingofnewhousesanddevelopments,buffersbetweennewhousesandneighboringfarms,andotherplanningmeasurescanhelppreventfutureconflictsbetweenfarmersandneighbors .

YeS NO…have a right-to-farm law? Localright-to-farmlawscanbeanimportantstatementinsupportofagriculture,whilealsoestablishingstrategiesforpreventingandaddressingconflictsbetweenfarmersandnon-farmneighbors .TheselawscanreinforceprotectionsprovidedbyNewYork’sAgriculturalDistrictsprogram,whileofferingadditionalplanninganddisputeresolutionmeasuresthatcanpreventmisunderstandingsfrombecomingexpensiveconflicts .

Protect Agricultural Land and Keep It Actively FarmedDoesyourcounty…

YeS NO…educate farmers and landowners about estate and farm transfer planning? Theprocessoftransferringafarmfromonegenerationtoanotherisacomplicatedendeavor .Withoutproperplanning,thetransferprocesscanresultinunnecessarytaxes,familyconflictorothercomplicationsthatcanpushafarmintobeingdeveloped .

YeS NO…pro-actively steer new water, sewer and road infrastructure towards cities, villages and hamlets and away from priority farming areas? Buildingsuchinfrastructureinfarmingareassendsastrongsignalthatfarminghasalimitedfutureandthatnewnon-farmdevelopmentisexpected .Ifinfrastructureexpansionsarenecessary,besuretoestablishmitigationmeasures,suchaslateralrestrictions,tolimitthespreadofdevelopmentonproductivefarmland .

YeS NO…help farmers and landowners who want to permanently protect their land? Sincethe1970s,NewYorkcountieshaveplayedanimportantroleinprotectingfarmsfrombeinglosttodevelopment .Somecountieshaveprovidedfundingtopurchaseconservationeasementsonfarms,whileothershavefacilitatedsuchprojectsinpartnershipwithlocallandtrustsandmunicipalities .Whiletheapproachmaydiffer,allcountygovernmentscanhelpensurethatfarmlandisprotectedforfuturegenerations .

YeS NO…act as a resource for planning and zoning boards? Countygovernmentscanbeakeyallyformunicipalgovernmentsthatareconsideringzoning,subdivisionorothercodesrelatedtoagriculture .Countiescanprovidemaps,statisticsandotherresourcestosupportinformeddecision-makingatalocallevel .

Total Your Score!Your results…yes on 20-23Congratulations!You’veaccomplishedagreatdealinsupportinglocalfarms .But,don’tstopnow .Issuesfacingagriculturearealwayschanging—staydiligent!

yes on 15-19Yourcountyhasmadeimportantprogress .Keepengagingfarmersandothersindoingmoretosupportlocalagriculture .

yes on 10-14Youclearlyvaluelocalfarmsbuthaven’tdoneeverythingnecessarytosupportthem .Lookagainatthebenefitsfarmsprovidetoyourcountyandredoubleyoureffortstosupportagriculture .

yes on 5-9It’stimetogetgoing!Yourcountyhasmanyopportunitiestodomoreinsupportoffarming .

yes on 0-4Yourcountyhasalongwaytogoinsupportingagriculture .But,it’sbettertostartnowthanneveratall!Engagelocalfarmersandbegintotakeaction .



Encourage Public Appreciation for Local Agriculture Does your town…

YeS NO…have any visible demonstration of the value of local farms? Does your town support a fair, an apple festival or other farm events? When agriculture is visible to the public, residents will better understand the benefit of having farms in town.

YeS NO…publicize where to go to get advice and assistance on farm questions? Towns should help connect farmers with local, state and federal agricultural and conservation organizations that can serve as resources.

YeS NO…recognize the property tax benefits of farmland and support tax policies that are fair to farmland owners? Whilefarmlandmayprovidelesstaxrevenueperacrethanotherlanduses,italsorequiressignificantlylessinlocalservices .CostofCommunityServicesstudiesinmorethan15NewYorktownshavedemonstratedthatfarmlandgenerallypaysmoreintaxesthanitreceivesinlocalservices .Bycomparison,residencesgenerallyrequiremoreinlocalservicesthantheypayintaxes .Hasyourtownconsideredadoptingagriculturalassessmentvaluesforfire,libraryorotherservicedistrictsasameansofdemonstratingthatfarmlandrequiresfewerpublicservices?

Strengthen Economic Opportunities for Farms and Related Businesses Doesyourtown…

YeS NO…allow agricultural uses in more than one zoning district? Agriculturalbusinessesarenotthesameasothercommercialdevelopment .Sometownsconfineagriculturalbusinessestothecommercialzoneonly,whileothertownsprohibitsuchusesinthecommercialzone .Farmenterprisesoftenarehybridsofseveraldifferentuses .Ordinancesandregulationsshouldallowfarmbusinessflexibility .

YeS NO…allow flexibility in regulations to accommodate the unusual needs of agricultural businesses? Doesyourtownhaveappropriateregulationsforfarmretailerssuchasexpandedhoursofbusiness,temporaryandoff-sitesigns,parkingnearpick-your-ownfields,oronstreetparking?Thelanduseimpactandoff-siteimpactofaseasonalfarmbusinesscanbemuchlessthanthatofafull-timeretailbusiness .Pick-your-ownoperationsorChristmastreefarmsmayhaveahardtimestayingviableinatownthattreatsfarmslikeallotherretailers .

YeS NO…allow farm stands to sell produce purchased elsewhere? Manytownshaverulesthatrequireacertainpercentageoffarmstandproducetobegrownonthefarm .Thebasisforallowingafarmstandshouldn’tbelimitedtohowmuchisgrownonthefarmbutshouldalsoconsiderwhatbenefitsthefarmprovidestothetownintermsofopenspace,wildlifehabitation,watershedpurificationandnaturalresourceprotection .

Is Your TOWN Planning a Future for Farms?A Checklist for Supporting Farms at the Town Level in New york


YeS NO…allow rural businesses compatible with agriculture in farming areas? Home-basedoccupationssuchasfarmmachineryrepairshops,sawmillsandotherruralbusinessescanhelpfarmfamiliesmakeendsmeet .Theycanalsoprovideaneconomicallyviablealternativetosellingfarmlandfordevelopment .

YeS NO…have business infrastructure that supports modern farms? Modernfarmingoperationsrequireservices,asdootherbusinesses .Tosupportfarmbusinesses,townsshouldensurethattelephone,electricandotherwiresarehighenoughtopreventaccidentswithfarmequipment .Theyalsoshouldmakesnowplowingonroadsleadingtodairyfarmsaprioritysothatmilktruckscancollectmilkeasilyandshouldmaintaingoodculvertsanddrainagesystemstohelpmovewaterawayfromfarmfields .Townsshouldalsochecktheirroadsandbridgestodeterminewhethertheycanhandletractor-trailers,whicharecommonlyusedtoprovidegoodsandservicestofarms .

YeS NO…act as a resource for information about property tax reduction programs aimed at farmers and other farmland owners? LocalgovernmentsandNewYorkstatehavedevelopedanumberofprogramsaimedatreducingpropertytaxesforfarmersandotherownersoffarmland .DoesyourtownencouragetheuseofNewYork’sAgriculturalAssessmentandFarmBuildingExemptionprogramsandtheFarmers’SchoolTaxCredit?

Encourage the Long-Term Viability of Farming and Food ProductionDoesyourtown…

YeS NO…have a detailed section on agriculture in the town’s comprehensive plan? Thecomprehensiveormasterplanisthebigpictureviewforthefutureofthetown .Doesyourtown’scomprehensiveplanreferto“maintainingruralcharacter”butoverlook

agricultureastheprimarycomponent?Considerhavingatown-appointedcommitteeprofilelocalfarmstodemonstratetheeconomic,culturalandenvironmentalbenefitsofagriculture .Agricultureshouldn’tbeanafterthought!

YeS NO…have policies aimed at limiting the impact of new development on productive farmland? Doesyourtownhavestrategiesforlimitingthefootprintofnewdevelopment?Creativesiteplanningcanaccommodatenewdevelopmentwhilelimitingthelossofyourtown’sbestfarmland .

YeS NO…require buffer zones between farmland and residential uses? Theoldsaying“goodfencesmakegoodneighbors”hasamoderncorollarythatsays,“goodbufferzonesmakenewneighborsintogoodneighbors .”Newdevelopmentshouldnotplacetheburdenonexistingfarmstogiveupboundarylandasabufferzonebetweenagriculturalandresidentialareas .Newresidentialdevelopmentshouldprovideforitsownbufferzoneand/orlandscapeplantingsforscreeningwhennecessary .

YeS NO…have an “agricultural zone” that limits the impacts of new development on farms? Doesyourtownhaveastrategyformanagingnewdevelopmentinagriculturalzonesinawaythatsupportsagricultureoverthelongterm?ManytownsinNewYorkhavezoningordinanceswith“agriculturalzones”thatpermitscattereddevelopmentnexttofarms—arecipeforfutureconflict .

Support Positive Relationships Between Farmers and Others in Your CommunityDoesyourtown…

YeS NO…have farmers serving on local planning boards, zoning boards or local economic development committees? Havingfarmersserveontowncommitteesisoneofthemosteffectivewaysfor


townstoincorporateagriculturalconcernsintolocallanduseoreconomicdevelopmentplans .TownLawSect .271(11)permitstownswithstateagriculturaldistrictstoallocateplanningboardseatstofarmers .Agriculturaladvisorycommitteescanalsobeestablishedtoprovideguidancetoatown .

YeS NO…have a consistent approach for local procedures that deal with agriculture? Townboards,planningboardsandzoningboardshavedifferentresponsibilities,butacommonregulatoryoutlookispossible .Updateyourcomprehensiveplantoreflectthevaluethatagriculturecontributestoyourtown’squalityoflifethroughopenspace,wildlifehabitation,watershedpurificationandnaturalresourcepreservation .Establish,asapolicy,thatagricultureisbeneficialtoyourtownandfairnesswillfollow .

YeS NO…work to pro-actively address trespassing on farmland? Whenpeopletrespassonfarmland,crops,fieldsandinfrastructurecanbedamaged .Communitiescanhelpprotectpublicsafetyandpreventneedlessfarmlossesbypro-activelyaddressingtrespassingproblems .

YeS NO…properly assess specialized agricultural structures? Hasyourtownassessorreceivedtrainingonassessingfarmlandandfarmbuildings?Specializedstructuressuchassilos,milkingparlorsandpermanentgreenhousesdepreciateinvalueovertime .Ifyourtownfrequentlyovervaluesagriculturalstructures,thiscanhaveachillingeffectonalltypesoffarminvestment .

YeS NO…have planning tools that are supportive of New york State Agricultural Districts? TheAgriculturalDistrictsLaw,whichwasenactedin1971,isoneofNewYork’soldestfarmlandprotectiontools .Agriculturaldistrictsprovideimportantright-to-farmprotectionstofarmers .Doesyourtownincorporatetheboundariesofagriculturaldistrictsintoyourzoningmapsandotherlocallandusepolicies?

YeS NO…have policies to mitigate conflicts between farmers and non-farm neighbors? Alocalright-to-farmlawexpressesacommunity’ssupportfor

agriculture .Itcanalsopreventunnecessarylawsuitsbetweenfarmersandnon-farmneighborsbyreferringconflictstomediationbeforethecourtsareinvolved .CornellCooperativeExtension,SoilandWaterConservationDistricts,theNewYorkStateAgriculturalMediationProgramandothergroupscanserveaspartnersinaddressingconflictsbeforetheygrowintopainfuldisputesorexpensivelawsuits .

Protect Agricultural Land and Keep It Actively Farmed Doesyourtown…

YeS NO…identify areas where it wants to support agriculture over the long term? Doyouknowwherethebestagriculturalsoilsarelocatedinyourtown?TheUSDANaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS)andSoilandWaterConservationDistrictscanbeimportantpartnersinidentifyingproductiveagriculturalsoils .Soildatacombinedwithotherinformationcanhelptownsidentifypriorityfarmingareaswheretheywanttosupportagricultureoverthelongterm .

YeS NO…have policies aimed at retaining large blocks of farmland that are able to support a variety of farm businesses? Farmersdon’twanttobean“islandinaseaofdevelopment .”Hasyourtowndevelopedpoliciestokeeplargeblocksoflandinagriculturaluseoverthelongterm?Largerareasoffarmlandprovidegreateropportunitiesforfarmstoadapttochangingmarketconditions .Retainingsuchblockshelpstoensureafutureforfarming .

YeS NO…limit expansion of infrastructure in areas where it wants to support agriculture over the long term? Extendingwaterandsewerlinesthroughfarmlandshouldbedonewithcaution .Providingtheseserviceswithoutaccompanyingplanningmeasurescanacceleratethelossoffarmland .Focusingwater,sewerandotherservicesinalreadydevelopedareascanhelplimitthedevelopmentofatown’sbestfarmland .

YeS NO…have a strategy for protecting its best farmland? Onceyourtownidentifiesitspriorityfarmingareas,complementarylandusepoliciesshouldbedevelopedtoencouragetheretentionofthatlandincontinuedagriculturaluse .Generallanguageaboutagricultureinacomprehensiveplanisn’tgoodenough .Workwithfarmerstoturntheideasexpressedinyourcomprehensiveplanintospecificpoliciestoretainyourtown’sbestfarmland .

YeS NO…encourage the use of conservation easements on farmland? Doesyourtownsupportapplicationstothestateorfederalgovernmenttopurchaseagriculturalconservationeasementsonlocalfarms?Haveyouconsideredprovidingfundingforacquiringconservationeasementsonfarmland?Agriculturalconservationeasementscanbeusedtoprotectthenaturalresourcebaseforagriculture .Onceaconservationeasementisrecordedonfarmland,thelandwillpermanentlybekeptavailableasaresourceforfuturegenerationsoffarmers .

Total Your Score!Your results…yes on 20-24Yourtownisveryactiveinsupportingafutureforfaming!

yes on 15-19Yourtownknowsthatfarmersaregoodneighborswhoprovidelotsofbenefitstoyourqualityoflife,butyoumayneedhelpinpro-activelysupportingthem .

yes on 10-14Careful!Yourtownmaybelesssupportiveoffarmsthanyouthink—evenunfriendly,perhapsinadvertently .

yes on 5-9It’stimetogettoworkonunderstandingfarmersinyourtownandhowyoucanhelpsupporttheirbusinessandlanduseneeds .

yes on 0-4Yoursisnotafarmfriendlytown,butthereisstillhope .Seekhelpimmediatelyfromfarmers,farmgroupsandrelatedorganizations .

ThisquestionnairewasdevelopedbaseduponasectionofPreservingRuralCharacterthroughAgriculture,writtenbyGaryMattesonfortheNewHampshireCoalitionforSustainingAgriculture .



S E C T I O N T H R E E :

The ToolkitSection 3 summarizes a menu of tools that towns and counties can use to support local farms . The tools include:

• Agriculturaldistrictsandright-to-farmlaws • Agriculturalandfarmlandprotectionplans • Comprehensiveplans • Zoningordinancesandlaws • Subdivisionordinances • Localpropertytaxreductionprograms • Purchaseofdevelopmentrights • Transferofdevelopmentrights • Agriculturaleconomicdevelopment • Infrastructureplanning • Foodandhealthpolicies • Publiceducation

Eachsectionbeginswithanoverviewofthetool,followedbyabriefassessmentofitsbenefitsanddrawbacks .Thetoolsectionsconcludewithcasestudycommunitiesand/orothersamplematerials .BriefcasestudydescriptionsinthissectionareaccompaniedbysupportingdocumentsontheaccompanyingCDoratnotedwebsites .

ThecasestudieswereselectedfromNewYorkandotherstatestobestrepresentthetoolconcepts .However,thecasestudymaterialsshouldbeconsideredexamplesandnotmodelsnecessarily .Communitiesconsideringusingoneofthetoolsshouldcarefullyreviewthesamplematerialsandmakeappropriatechangestoensureasoundfitwiththeirspecificneeds .

Tools to Consider

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan; Comprehensive Plan; Public Education

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan; Zoning Law; Tax Reduction Programs; Agricultural Economic Development; Food and Health Policies

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan; Agricultural Districts and Right-to-Farm Protections; Comprehensive Plan; Tax Reduction Programs; Purchase and Transfer of Development Rights; Agricultural Economic Development; Infrastructure Planning; Food and Health Policies; Public Education

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan; Agricultural Districts and Right-to-Farm Protections; Public Education

Agricultural Districts and Right-to-Farm Protections; Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan; Zoning Law; Subdivision Ordinance; Purchase and Transfer of Development Rights; Infrastructure Planning

Question

How can we encourage public appreciation for local agriculture?

How can we strengthen economic opportunities for farms and related businesses?

How can we encourage the long-term viability of farming and food production?

How can we support positive relationships between farmers and others in our community?

How can we protect agricultural land and keep it actively farmed?


Agricultural Districts and Right-to-Farm LawsAgricultural Districts

NewYork’sAgriculturalDistrictsLaw,Article25-AAoftheAgricultureandMarketsLaw(AML),wasenactedin1971tohelp

keepfarmlandinactiveagriculturalproduction .Anagriculturaldistrictcanbedevelopedwhenagroupofinterestedlandowners—whocollectivelyownatleast500acres—submitaproposaltotheircountyrequestingtheformationofadistrict .1Bylate2010,242county-levelagriculturaldistrictshadbeenformed,encompassingnearly23,266farmsandalmost8 .6millionacresofland .

Farmersandrurallandownersenrolledinstate-certifiedagriculturaldistrictsreceiveimportant“right-to-farm”protections .Theseprotectionsinclude:

Definition of Agriculture: ProvidesauthoritytothecommissioneroftheNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets(NYSDAM)todeterminewhetherlandusesareagriculturalinnature .

Local Ordinance Provision: Providesprotectionagainstlocallawsthatunreasonablyrestrictfarmoperations .Underthisauthority,NYSDAMhasproactivelyworkedwithlocalgovernmentstopreventtheenactmentofunreasonablyrestrictivelocallaws .Farmersareguardedfromunreasonablyrestrictivezoningcodesandordinancesregardingfarmworkerhousing,manuremanagementandotherfarmpractices .Agricultural Data Statements: Requiresthefilingofanagriculturaldatastatementforcertainlandusedeterminationswithin500feetofafarmoperationlocatedinanagriculturaldistrict .

Thestatementmustincludeinformationabouttheproposedprojectandbeincludedwiththeapplicationformunicipalapproval .Theclerkofthelocalboardmustmailanoticeoftheapplicationtotheownersoflandassociatedwithneighboringfarmoperationsidentifiedinthestatement .Thelocalboardisrequiredtoevaluateandconsiderthestatementinitsreviewofpossibleimpactsofaprojectonnearbyfarmoperations .NofurtherreviewbythecountyagriculturalandfarmlandprotectionboardorNYSDAMisrequired .

Notice of Intent (NOI): Requiresanalysisofproposedpublicprojectsthatmayimpactfarmsinagriculturaldistricts .ApreliminaryNOIandafinalNOI,includingadetailedagriculturalimpactstatement,mustbefiledbeforepublicfundsarespentoncertainnon-farmprojectsinanagriculturaldistrict .Thesestatementsdescribeshort-andlong-termimpactsoftheprojectonagriculture,alternativestotheproposedprojectandpossiblemitigationmeasures .Oncecompleted,preliminarynoticeandfinalNOIsmustbereviewedbyNYSDAMandthecountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionBoard(AFPB) .

Sound Agricultural Practices: Offerslimitedprotectionfromprivatenuisanceclaims .ProvidesauthorityforthecommissionerofNYSDAMtoreviewspecificcasesandissueanopinionastowhetherafarmerisconductinganagriculturalpracticethatis“sound .”Fourbasicquestionsguidethedeterminationofwhetherapracticeissound:• Isthepracticelegal?• Doesthepracticecausebodilyharmorproperty

damageoffthefarm?• Doesthepracticeachieveintendedresultsina

reasonableandsupportableway?• Isthepracticenecessary?AfarmercanuseaNYSDAMopiniontodefendagainstprivatenuisanceactions .Soundagriculturalpracticeopinionsofferadefensetoprivatenuisanceactionswhenthelandinvolvedisinanagriculturaldistrictor,ifthelandisoutsideofanagriculturaldistrict,whenthelandinvolvedisusedinagriculturalproductionsubjecttoanagriculturalassessment .


Disclosure Notices: Requiresalandownerinanagriculturaldistricttoprovideaprospectivebuyerwithadisclosurenoticepriortosigningapurchasecontract .Thenoticeaimstoadvisepropertybuyersaboutthesights,sounds,smellsandotheraspectsofmodernagriculturalpracticesbeforetheypurchasepropertyinafarmingarea .

Inadditiontoright-to-farmprotections,theAgriculturalDistrictsLawalsoprovidesAdValoremlimitationsforlandusedprimarilyforagriculturalproductionwithinanagriculturaldistrict .Thisprovisionlimitsthetaxationoffarmlandforcertainmunicipalimprovementssuchassewer,water,lighting,non-farmdrainage,solidwastedisposalorotherlandfilloperations .Landusedprimarilyforagriculturalproductionwithinanagriculturaldistrictcanonlybetaxedifthefeeswereimposedpriortotheformationofthedistrictoriffarmstructuresbenefitdirectlyfromtheserviceofanimprovementdistrict .Ahalf-acrelotaroundanydwellingornon-farmstructureissubjecttoapplicablefeesaswell .

Benefits of Agricultural Districts• Arevoluntaryandpopularwithfarmers• Supportafavorableoperatingenvironmentfor

farms• Helpstabilizelargeblocksoflandtokeepfarming

viable

Drawbacks of Agricultural Districts• Donotpreventconversionofenrolledland• Haveseveralprovisionsthatarereactiverather

thanpro-active• Maylosenon-farmsupportfortheprogramas

right-to-farmprotectionsareexercisedThestate’sAgriculturalDistrictsProgramisapartnershipeffortbetweenNYSDAM,countygovernmentsandAFPBs,andlandowners .Whilethestateisresponsibleforprovidingtheright-to-farmprotections,countiesareresponsiblefordesignatinglandtobeincludedinagriculturaldistricts;reviewingdistrictseveryeight,12or20years;evaluatingnoticeofintentfilings;andoverseeingotheraspectsofagriculturaldistrictimplementationwithintheirjurisdiction .

Townscanalsobeinvolvedinsupportingagriculturaldistricts .Optionsfortownsinclude:

• ComplementingtheprinciplesoftheAgriculturalDistrictsLawaswellasthelocationofparcelsenrolledinagriculturaldistrictsinlocalplansandpolicies;

• Requiringcopiesofagriculturaldatastatementsforproposedlandusedeterminationswithin500feetoffarmoperationsinstatecertifiedagriculturaldistricts;

• Providinginformationtofarmersandrurallandownersaboutagriculturaldistrictsandsupportingtheenrollmentorre-enrollmentoflandintodistricts .

• AMLSection303-a,Eight-YearReviewProtocol

• NewYorkStateAgricultureandMarketsLaw,Article25-AA

• FarmlandInformationCenter,AgriculturalDistrictProgramFactSheet

• NYSDAM,LocalLawsandAgriculturalDistricts:HowDoTheyRelate

• NYSDAM,305-a,ReviewForm • NYSDAM,305-a,QuestionnaireforStart-

UpFarms • NYSDAM,AgriculturalDistricts305-a

GuidanceDocuments: —AnimalControl —Composting —FarmMarkets —FarmWorkerHousing —Greenhouses —HorseBoarding —Junkyard —NutrientManagement —OpenBurning —Wetlands —Zoning • NYSDAM,PipelineConstruction

Guidelines • NYSDAM,WindPowerGuidelines • SampleAgriculturalDataStatement • SaratogaCounty,AgriculturalData

Statement

C A S E S T U D YUlster County, New york: Eight-year Agricultural District Reviews Fortheireight-yearagriculturaldistrictreviews,theUlsterCountyPlanningDepartmentandCornellCooperativeExtensionshowcaselocalagriculturalbusinessestotheCountyLegislature .Photosandotherdocumentationofthefarmsrequestingtojointhedistrictareincludedinafullpresentationtothelegislativebody .Thisisanexampleofusinga“teachablemoment”toinvolveandeducatelocalofficialsaboutthefarmsintheirtownsandcounties .

C A S E S T U D YErie County, New york: Eight-year Agricultural District Reviews Inthepast,whenconductinganeight-yearreview,astaffpersonfortheErieCountyDepartmentofEnvironmentandPlanningcontactedtownsupervisorsintheagriculturaldistrictunderreview .TownsupervisorswereencouragedtosponsoranagriculturalbustourandluncheonforlocalandcountyofficialsandAFPBmembers .Thecountystaffpersonhandledthetourlogistics,whilethetownspaidforthebusandluncheon .Tourattendeesvisitedagriculturalbusinessesinthedistrict,enjoyedlunchatoneofthehostfarmsandparticipatedinapublicmeetingtoreviewtheagriculturaldistrict .

County and Town Right-to-Farm Laws Countyandtownright-to-farmlawsareaimedatmaintainingasupportiveoperatingenvironmentforfarmersbylimitingconflictsbetweenfarmersandnon-farmneighbors .TheselocallawscansupplementtheNewYorkStateAgriculturalDistrictsLawandtheright-to-farmprotectionsthatitprovidestofarmersoperatinginagriculturaldistricts .

Typically,localright-to-farmlawsdocumenttheimportanceoffarmingtoatownandnotifynon-farmruralresidentsthatgenerallyacceptedagriculturalpracticesaretobeexpectedinfarmingareas .Indoingso,suchlawscanprovidefarmfamilieswithasenseofsecurityinknowingthatfarmingisavaluedandacceptedactivityintheircommunity .

Agriculture and Markets Law (AML) Section 305-a:

Review of Unreasonably Restrictive Local Ordinances Town governments considering the adoption of local laws that impact farm operations in agricultural districts should understand the important connection between state agricultural districts and local policy-making. AML Section 305-a allows the commissioner of NYSDAM to review local laws and determine if they are unreasonably restrictive of farms operating in agricultural districts.

When reviewing such measures, the commissioner may consider:

• If the requirements adversely affect the farm operator’s ability to manage the farm operation effectively and efficiently;

• Whether the requirement could impact production options and affect farm viability;

• If the requirement will cause a lengthy delay in the construction of new farm building or implementation of a practice;

• What compliance will cost a farm operation;

• Whether less onerous means are available to achieve the locality’s objective;

• If the local law addresses a threat to public health or safety.2

In situations where a local law is deemed unreasonably restrictive, NYSDAM will notify the local government and try to negotiate a resolution. If rejected by the municipality, the commissioner of NYSDAM can bring action or issue an order to enforce this provision of the AML.

Fortunately, most issues are resolved before NYSDAM has to take action under the AML. Local governments often recognize that the types of issues considered by NYSDAM when reviewing local ordinances should also be considered by local governments interested in creating a supportive business environment for farmers.

For communities interested in taking pro-active steps to address the business and land use needs of farms, agricultural districts and the state’s AML are important complements—not antagonists—to local decision-making.



Additionally,localright-to-farmlawscanestablishdisputeresolutionprocessestomediateconflictsandavoidexpensivelegalbattles .Agriculturaladvisorycommitteesoradhocdisputeresolutioncommitteescanhelpmediatesuchproblemsandhelpthepartiesinvolvedfindamutuallyacceptableresolution .

TheNewYorkStateAgriculturalMediationProgram(NYSAMP)canalsobearesourceforcommunitiesinterestedinmediatingconflictsbetweenfarmersandnon-farmneighbors .NYSAMPworksthroughthestatewidenetworkofCommunityDisputeResolutionCentersandcanprovidemediatorstrainedinresolvingdisputesinvolvingagriculturalissues .

Benefits of Local Right-to-Farm Laws• Helpmaintainasupportiveoperatingenvironment

forfarms• Publiclysupportagriculture• Canguidefuturetownpoliciesanddecisions• SupplementtheNewYorkStateAgricultural

DistrictsLaw• Arerelativelyinexpensive

Drawbacks of Local Right-to-Farm Laws• Mayhavelimitedimpactunlessthelawand

disputeresolutionprocessarewidelypromoted• Donotdirectlypreventfarmlandconversion

• FarmlandInformationCenter, Right-to-FarmLawsFactSheet

• YatesCounty,ModelRight-to-FarmLaw • NewYorkAgriculturalMediationProgram

Brochure • SaratogaCounty,AreYouThinking

AboutMovingtotheCountry?Brochure • TompkinsCounty,LivingintheCountry

Brochure

C A S E S T U D YAlbany County, New york: Right-to-Farm Law Process Attheendof2004,theAlbanyCountyLegislaturepassedaresolutionrequestingtheDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment,ConservationandPlanningworkwiththeCountyAFPBandCornell

CooperativeExtensiontodeveloparight-to-farmlawinordertosupportandpromoteagricultureinthecounty .OverthenextyearandahalftheAFPBmet10timestoformulateanddraftalaw .Itsurveyed13townsandcountieswithright-to-farmlaws,solicitedinputfromlocaltownsandcountyfarmers,andreceivedabroadbaseofinput .Duringthenextyearallcommentswerereceivedandincorporated,includinginputfromtheNYSDAM .In2007,theAlbanyCountyLegislaturepassedthelawwithbroadengagementofthefarmcommunityandunderstandingofagriculture’svaluetothecounty .

• AlbanyCounty,Right-to-FarmLaw,www .albanycounty .com/departments/edcp/default .asp?id=1942

• AmericanFarmlandTrustWebinar,www .farmland .org/programs/states/ny/Putting-Right-to-Farm-Laws-to-Work .asp

C A S E S T U D Ywyoming County, New york: Right-to-Farm Law TheWyomingCountyBoardofSupervisorspassedaright-to-farm-lawin2008,andheldtheofficialsigningattheWyomingCountyFair—ashowcaseforagriculturalproductsandprojects .WyomingCounty’sright-to-farmlawdefinesfarms,agriculturalproductsandgenerallyacceptedagriculturalpractices,aswellasestablishesaprocessfordisputeresolution .

Disputeswillbeaddressedonthetownlevelbyacommitteeappointedbythetownboardunlessnosuchtowncommitteeexists .Insuchinstances,theCountyAgriculturalAdvisoryResolutionCommittee,comprisedoftheWyomingCountyAFPBmembersplusonenon-farmcountyplanningboardmember,willmakeadvisorydecisionsaboutfarmdisputes .DecisionscanbeappealedtotheNewYorkStateCommissionerofAgriculture .

WyomingCounty’sright-to-farmlawalsorequiresthatawrittendisclosurenoticebeprovidedtoallprospectiverealestatebuyersinagriculturaldistrictsalertingthemtothefactthattheyareconsideringthepurchaseofrealestateinanareathatmayhavesights,soundsandsmellsnormallyassociatedwithagriculturalbusinesses .


• WyomingCounty,Right-to-FarmLaw,www .wyomingco .net/Board/laws/2008/Local%20Law%205%202008%20-%20Adopted .pdf

C A S E S T U D YTown of Charlton, Saratoga County, New york: Right-to-Farm LawThetownofCharltonestablishedaright-to-farmlawin1996 .Thepurposeofthelawis“tomaintainandpreservetheruraltraditionsandcharacterofthetown;topermitthecontinuationofagriculturalpractices;toprotecttheexistenceandoperationoffarms;toencouragetheinitiationandexpansionoffarmsandagribusinesses;andtopromotenewwaystoresolvedisputesconcerningagriculturalpracticesandfarmoperations .”

ThelawiswellintegratedwiththestateAgriculturalDistrictsLaw .Itadoptsmanyofthestatelaw’sdefinitionsandincorporatesreferencestoappropriatesectionsofthestatelaw .

Theright-to-farmlawalsostipulatesthattherealestatedisclosurenoticerequiredundertheAgriculturalDistrictsLawbeattachedtoapurchaseandsalecontractatthetimeanoffertopurchaseismade .Therealestatedisclosurenoticealsomustbeincludedinbuildingpermitsandonplatsofsubdivisionssubmittedforapproval .Lastly,thelegislationspecifiesalocalprocessforresolvingagriculturaldisputesthatworkswithbothpartiesaswellasexpertsfromNYSDAM,CornellUniversity,CornellCooperativeExtension,UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureNaturalResourcesConservationService,andSoilandWaterConservationDistricts .

• TownofCharlton,Right-to-FarmLaw

C A S E S T U D YTown of Eden, Erie County, New york: Right-to-Farm LawThetownofEdenpassedaright-to-farmlawin2001to“reducetheloss…ofagriculturalresourcesbylimitingthecircumstancesunderwhichfarmingmaybedeemedanuisanceandtoallowagriculturalpracticesinherenttoandnecessaryforthebusiness

offarmingto…beundertakenfreeofunreasonableandunwarrantedinterferenceorrestriction .”

SimilartothelawpassedbythetownofCharlton,thelegislationcitesthestateAgriculturalDistrictLaw’sdefinitionsandestablishesafarmer’srighttoconductagriculturalpracticesifthosepracticesmeetcertainstandards .Thelegislationalsoestablishesaninformal,localprocessforresolvingdisputesbetweenfarmersandnon-farmers .

Thelegislationfurtherrequiresthattheintentandpurposesofthelawbetakenintoconsiderationbythetowninprocessingapplicationsforrezoning,siteplanapprovalorspecialusepermitwithinonemileofafarm .Appropriateandreasonableconditionsconsistentwiththepurposesoftheright-to-farmlawmaybeprescribedaspartofthisreviewincludingrequiringthefilingofrealestatedisclosurenotices .

• TownofEden,Right-to-FarmLaw


Agricultural and Farmland Protection PlansAgriculture and Markets Law

The1992AgriculturalProtectionAct,establishedunderArticle25-AAAoftheAgricultureandMarketsLaw,gaveauthority

totheNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets(NYSDAM)toencouragecountiestoworkwithfarmerstopromotelocalinitiativesthathelpstrengthentheeconomicvitalityofagricultureandprotectvaluablefarmland .Sincethen,fiftycountieshavesoughtandreceivedgrantfundingofupto$50,000todevelopAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlans(AFPPs)toguidelocalactioninsupportofagriculture .

In2006,Article25AAAwasamendedtomaketownseligibleforgrantstodevelopmunicipalplans .Thischangewasnoteworthyastownshavesignificantlandusedecision-makingauthorityandcanbeakeyallyinsupportingagriculture .AsofJuly2010,63townshavebeenawardedgrantsofupto$25,000todevelopmunicipalplans .

Benefits of Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plans• Outlinestrategiesforlocalgovernmentstosupport

agricultureandprotectfarmland• Provideabenchmarkformeasuringsuccessin

supportingagriculture• Engageabroadaudienceincreatingavisionfor

agriculture,buildingsupportforlocalactionanddevelopingaplan

Drawbacks of Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plans• Requireresourcesandleadershipforplan

implementationtohaveapositiveeffectonlocalagriculture

• Requiretimeandmoneybededicatedtodevelopingaplan

Municipal Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plans NYSDAMhasdevelopedalistofsuggested“keyelements”formunicipalitiesdevelopingplans .

• Establishanagricultureplansteeringcommitteethatincludesfarmersandagriculturalsupportbusinesses

• Outlineapublicparticipationprogramtoengagefarmersandthepublic

• Developatableofcontents,orscopeofwork,withthesteeringcommitteeandconsultant

• Includekeycontentintheplanasrequiredbystatelawandlocalneeds

• Developrecommendationsaswellasanexecutivesummaryandimplementationmatrixtohelpputgoodideasintoaction

• Follownecessarystepstogettheplanreviewedandapproved

Townshavetheflexibilityofdevelopingplansthatreflectlocalneedsandconditions .However,therearecommonthemesthatarefrequentlyfoundintherecommendationsofmanymunicipalplans:

• Establishatownagriculturecommitteetoactasavoiceforlocalfarmersandspearheadplanimplementation

• Developorstrengthenaright-to-farmlawtodemonstratelocalsupportforagriculture

• Revisezoningcodesandotherordinancestoensuretheysupportfarms,farmmarketsandrelatedenterprises

• Promotelocalfarmsandencourageresidentsandtouriststo“buylocal”

• Createalocalpurchaseofdevelopmentrights(PDR)programtohelppermanentlyprotectfarmsfromdevelopment

• Encouragewaterandsewerlinesandnewdevelopmentinhamletsandvillagesandawayfromproductivefarmland

• Samplemunicipalagriculturalandfarmlandprotectionplans:www .farmlandinfo .org/new-york/ .

• InformationaboutmunicipalAFPPgrants:www .agmkt .state .ny .us .


• NYSDAM,KeyElementsofaMunicipalPlan

• 2010MapofTownsReceivingPlanningGrants

• NewYorkState,AgricultureandMarketsLaw,Article25-AAA

C A S E S T U D Y Town of Charlton, Saratoga County, New york: Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan ThetownofCharltonhadoneofthefirstmunicipalAFPPsinthestatetobeadoptedandapproved .Charlton’sAFPPcontainsthestatutorilyrequiredelementsofaplanbuthastheuniqueflavorofthecommunity .Afterevaluatingexistingconditionsinthetownandcompilinginputfromfarmers,localofficialsandinterestedresidents,asetofstrategieswasdevelopedtoguidethetowninsupportingagricultureandprotectingfarmland .

• TownofCharlton,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan

C A S E S T U D Y Town of Lima, Livingston County, New york: Zoning Analysis and Recommendations AgricultureCommitteemembersinthetownofLimachosetocompleteanin-depthanalysisofzoningregulationsasacomponentoftheirAFPPprocessandtodeveloprecommendationsformoreagriculture-friendlyzoninglaws .Thisdecisionoccurredpartlybecausethetownwasduetoupdateitszoning,butalsobecausethefarmcommunityhadexpressedaneedforarevisedcodemoresupportiveoftheagriculturalbusinessesthatarethefoundationofthelocaleconomy .Subsequently,anagriculturalzoningexpertreviewedthetowncodeandrecommendedchangesthatarecurrentlybeingincorporatedintonewzoningregulations .

• TownofLima,ZoningAnalysisandRecommendations

C A S E S T U D Y Town of Brutus, Cayuga County, New york: Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan Approval InJanuaryof2010,theTownBoardinBrutusapprovedanAFPPthathadbeendevelopedoveratwo-yearperiod .Theadoptingresolutioncontainedabriefhistoryoftheprocess,approvedtheplan,andestablishedanAgriculturalAdvisoryCommitteetoassistwithimplementingtheplan .AlthoughtheprocessofdevelopinganAFPPisvaluable,implementationoftherecommendedstrategiesistheendgoalforaplan .Establishinganagriculturalcommitteewhentheplanisapprovedensuresthatanentityischargedwithresponsibilityfortakingactiononthestrategiesdevelopedtosupportagriculture .

• TownofBrutus,AdoptingResolution

County Agricultural and Farmland Protection PlansIn2009,Article25-AAAoftheAgricultureandMarketsLawwasamendedtoallowcountieswithAFPPsmorethan10yearsoldtoapplyforupto$50,000toupdatetheplan .ErieCounty,withanoriginalAFPPfrom1996,wasthefirstcountytoapplyforandbeawardedstatemoneyforitsplanupdate .

ThedevelopmentofcountyAFPPshasspurredimportantaccomplishmentsacrossNewYork,including:

• Retentionorexpansionofagriculturaldistrictsandadoptionofcountyright-to-farmlaws;

• Developmentofcountyandregionalagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentprogramswithdedicatedagriculturaldevelopmentstaffpositions;

• CreationofcountyPDRprograms,includingcountysourcesoffunding;

• Establishmentofdetailedplansformanagingwaterlinesandotherinfrastructuretolimitdevelopmentinpriorityagriculturalareas;

• Deliveryofpubliceducationevents,publications,Websitesandotherresourcestoeducatethepublicandelectedleadersabouttheimportanceofagricultureandchallengesfacinglocalfarmers;


• Expansionoffarm-to-schoolprogramsthateducatechildrenaboutfarmingandfoodproduction .

C A S E S T U D Ywayne County, New york: Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan WayneCounty’sAFPPwasapprovedbytheCommissionerofAgriculturein1997 .Sincetheplan’sdevelopment,theCountyAgriculturalDevelopmentBoard,inpartnershipwiththeAgriculturalEconomicDevelopmentSpecialist(apositioncreatedasanoutgrowthoftheplan),haveimplementedmanyoftheplan’srecommendations .

Theserecommendationsweredrawnfromthefollowingareas:

• AgritourismPlan• CountyComprehensivePlan• FarmLabor• NewFarmerProgram• PDRProgram• PropertyTaxReform• ResourceBooklet• StaffingforAgriculturalProjects–UseofRetired

ExpertsandVolunteers• StaffingforAgriculturalProjects–Agricultural

EconomicDevelopmentSpecialist• TrainingforTown,PlanningandZoningBoards

inAgriculturalIssues• VideoonWayneCountyFarming• WayneCountyFarmMarketingLogo• ZoningforFarmBusinessUsesAlthoughNewYorkStateiscurrentlyprovidingfundingtocountiestoupdateplans,WayneCountyhaschosentomoveaheadwithwritingaplanforthenextdecadewithoutusingstatefunds .

• WayneCountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan

C A S E S T U D YOrange County, New york: Agricultural Economic Development Strategy In2004,theOrangeCountyAFPBundertookanupdateandexpansionofits1996AFPP(thefirstplanapprovedinNewYork) .Theupdatedplanfocusedmorecloselyonoptionsforeconomicdevelopmentinagriculturewhilestillprotectingfarmland .AsOrangeCountyagriculturehastransitionedfrompredominantlycommoditybasedagriculturetonewopportunitiesindirectmarketingandagritourism,itwasimportanttoaddressthechangingneedsoftheindustry .Keyobjectivesofthestrategyinclude:

1 . Improvingtheunderstandingamonggovernmentleadersandthepublicofagriculture’simportanceasakeyeconomicengineandimportantcommunityasset;

2 . Improvingtheprofitabilityandeconomicviabilityoftheagriculturalsector;

3 . Enhancingtheagribusinesssupportinfrastructure;

4 . Enhancingaccesstomarketsforlocalagriculturalproducts;

5 . Developingthecapacityformorevalue-addedproductionactivity .

In2009,theAFPBinstitutedalocalgrantsprogramforagriculturedesignedtopromoteinnovationsinsmallcommercialagriculturaloperations;supportfarmers’effortstogaincertificationinareassuchasorganicfarming,thirdpartyfoodsafetyorotherqualificationsthatwouldincreasemarketingoptions;andforprofessionaldevelopmentprograms .ThisisdirectimplementationoftheAgriculturalEconomicDevelopmentStrategy .

• OrangeCounty,AgriculturalEconomicDevelopmentStrategy:www .orangecountygov .com/orgmain .asp?storyID=1673&orgID=144&storytypeID=1&sid=

• OrangeCounty,grantprogram:www .orangecountygov .com/documentView .asp?docID=6037


Comprehensive Plans

Thefoundationforlocalplanningefforts,acomprehensiveplanrepresentsacommunity’svisionforitsfutureaswellasaroadmap

forhowitwantstogetthere .Thedevelopmentofacomprehensiveplancanbeachallengingbutbeneficialopportunityfordiscussionanddebateaboutthefuture .Mostoften,townsdevelopcomprehensiveplans,buttherearecountiesthathavedevelopedcomprehensiveplansaswell .

Comprehensiveplansofteninclude:

• Avisionstatementdescribingacommunity’slong-termgoals;

• Mapsidentifyingdifferentnaturalandcommunityresources,infrastructureandlanduses;

• Researchregardingatown’scitizens,landuses,businessesandnaturalresources;

• Feedbackfromcitizensviasurveys,publicmeetings,focusgroupsandotherpublicparticipationvehicles;

• Recommendationstoachieveacommunity’sstatedobjectives .

Agricultureisoftentreatedfavorablyincomprehensiveplans .Sectionsregardingopenspace,naturalresourcesortheenvironmentdescribetheroleoffarmsindefiningacommunity’slandscape .Othersectionsconnectthevalueoffarmbuildings,rockwallsandpastorallandscapestoatown’shistoryandheritage .Somecomprehensiveplansevendepicttheimportanceoffarmstoatown’seconomy,jobsandbusinesses .

Unfortunately,fewcomprehensiveplanscapturethefullrangeofbenefitsthatfarmsbringtoacommunityortheuniquenatureoffarmsasbothbusinessesandlanduses .Toooftencomprehensiveplansdonotgobeyondflowerylanguagedescribingthescenicbenefitsoffarmstoidentifyingspecificrecommendationstoaddressagriculture’suniquebusinessandlanduseneeds .Forthesereasons,manycomprehensiveplansfailtopreparealocalitytoworkproactivelytocreateafutureforlocalfarms .

Benefits of Comprehensive Plans• Engagefarmersandnon-farmersindiscussions

aboutacommunity’sfuture• Setthestageforfuturetowneffortstosupport

localfarms• Articulatethereasonswhyatownshouldsupport

agriculture• Arelessexpensivethansomeotherfarmland

protectiontools

Drawbacks of Comprehensive Plans• Involvealengthyprocessthatcandrainpersonal,

financialandpoliticalresourcesandreduceenthusiasmforplanimplementation

• Lackameaningfulimpactwithoutsubsequenttownactions

Drafting a Comprehensive PlanThedevelopmentofacomprehensiveplanisanimportantopportunitytoengagecommunityresidentsinthinkingaboutthefuture .Farmersandrurallandownersshouldbeinvolvedearlyintheprocess,sothatthefinalplanrepresentstheinterestsandconcernsoffarmers .

Agricultural Advisory CommitteesOnewaytoengagefarmersandagriculturallandownersisbyestablishingatownagriculturaladvisorycommittee .Suchacommitteecanbeanimportantforumformakingsurethattheuniqueneedsofagricultureareintegratedintothecomprehensiveplan .

Thegroupcanhelp:

• Analyzeissuesfacingfarmsandfarmlandinthetown;

• Articulatethebenefitsprovidedbylocalfarmsandthechallengestheyface;

• Identifystrategiesforsupportingthebusinessandlanduseneedsoflocalfarms .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Ithaca, Tompkins County, New york: Agriculture CommitteeThetownofIthacaformallycreatedanAgricultureCommitteein1992 .Thecommitteeactsasaresourcetotownboardsintheirlocaldecision-makingandprovidesinformationonstateandnationallegislationthataffectsagriculture .


Thecommitteeincludesuptoeightmembersappointedbythetownboard .Committeeofficersareappointedbytheboardaftercommitteerecommendation .In2004,thesizeofthecommitteewasexpandedtoninemembersduetogrowinginterestamonglocalfarmers .In1999,IthacacreatedanAgriculturalLandPreservationAdvisoryCommitteetoadvisethetownonitspurchaseofdevelopmentrights(PDR)program .TheAgriculturalLandPreservationAdvisoryCommitteehasfivemembersincludingtwomembersfromthetown’sAgricultureCommittee .

• TownofIthaca,AgricultureCommittee

C A S E S T U D YTown of Eden, Erie County, New york: Agricultural Advisory CommitteeIn1994,thetownofEdencreatedanAgriculturalAdvisoryCommitteetoensurethecontinuedviabilityofagriculturewithinthetownandprovidefeedbackfromthefarmcommunitytothetownboard,planningboardandothertownbodies .Thecommitteeiscomprisedoffivemembersofthelocalagriculturalcommunity .Exofficiomembersofthecommitteeincludeamemberoftheplanningboard,thechairoftheboardofassessors,arepresentativefromErieCountyFarmBureauandatownboardmember .

Thecommitteeadvisesthetownonagriculturaldistricts,proposedzoningchangesordevelopments,andcounty,stateandfederallegislation .Italsoactsasaforumforcommunicationbetweenthefarmcommunity,thetownofEdenandtheErieCountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionBoard(AFPB) .

• TownofEden,AgriculturalAdvisoryCommittee

SurveysSurveysoffarmersandagriculturallandownersareanotherwaytogetinputfromthefarmcommunity .Whilesurveysdon’tofferaforumfordiscussion,theycanbeusedtoobtainimportantbackgroundinformationandprovidearepresentativesamplingofopinion .Topicsthatarewell-suitedtosurveyssolicitinginputfromfarmersandlandownersinclude:

• Acreageownedand/orrentedbyfarmers• Natureofthefarmbusiness(wholesalevs .retail,

typesofmarketoutlets,typesofcommoditiesproduced)

• Short-andlong-termplansforthefarmbusiness• Challengesfacinglocalfarmersandrural

landowners• Participationinexistingtown,county,stateor

federalprograms• Interestsinpossibletownpoliciesorprograms• Opinionsoncurrenttownpoliciesorprograms

Focus Groups and Other StrategiesAthirdoptionforengagingcommunityresidentsistocoordinatefocusgroupsormeetingstargetinginputfromspecificaudiencessuchasresidentsorfarmersandrurallandowners .Anymeetinginvolvingfarmersshouldbeheldattimes,datesandlocationsthatarecompatiblewithfarmers’workschedules,whichwilllikelydifferdependinguponthetypeandscaleoffarmoperationsinthecommunity .Gettingfeedbackfromafewfarmerspriortoschedulingcanhelpincreaseattendanceatanevent .

Content of a Comprehensive PlanLocalgovernmentsinterestedinprovidingmeaningfulsupportforfarmsshouldspecificallyincorporatesuchsupportintothevision,objectivesandgoalsoftheircomprehensiveplans .Thiscanoftenbeachievedbyhavingasectionthatprofilestheimportanceoflocalfarmsandcapturestheiruniquestatusasbusinessesandlanduses .

Supportforfarmsandfarmlandprotectionshouldalsobeintegratedintoothercommunityobjectivesasappropriate .Forexample,sectionsaboutcommunitygoalsinregardtoconservingopenspace,maintaininglowerpropertytaxes,protectinghistoricalornaturalresources,orsupportinglocalbusinessesshouldconsidertherolefarmsplayinachievingthesebroadercommunityobjectives .

Identifying Priority Agricultural ResourcesOneofthefirststepsinplanningforagricultureisidentifyingwhereacommunitywantstosupportagricultureoverthelong-term .Ananalysisof


agriculturalresourcescanbesimpleorcomplexdependingonacommunity’sinterestsandavailableresources .

Mappingofacommunity’sagriculturalresourcestypicallyfocusesonananalysisofsoiltypesandothernaturalresource,landuseandcommunitycriteria .Someofthecharacteristicsmayinclude:

• Soilquality• Locationofstatecertifiedagriculturaldistricts

withinthetown• Concentrationsoffarmparcelsand/orfarm

operations• Proximitytowaterorsewerlinesortoexisting

hamlets,villages,citiesorothergrowthinducingfactors

• Proximitytonaturalfeaturessuchasstreamsandwetlandsorothercommunityamenitiessuchasparks

Identifyingpriorityfarmingareascanbeanenlighteningprocess,sinceitrequirescommunitiestolookatlanduseissuesfromanagriculturalperspective .Manynon-farmresidents,includingtownboardandplanningboardmembers,areoftenunawareofthelocationofthebestagriculturalsoilsintheircommunity .UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)NaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS),SoilandWaterConservationDistrictsandcountyplanningdepartmentscanbehelpfulresourcesforidentifyinglocalsoilsandothergeographicinformation .

C A S E S T U D Y Land Evaluation and Site Assessment SystemNRCShasestablishedtheLandEvaluationandSiteAssessment(LESA)systemtoencouragesoundnaturalresourcesandlandusedecisions .LESAisanumericratingsystemdesignedtotakeintoaccountbothsoilqualityandotherfactorsaffectingasite’simportanceforagriculture .QuestionsthattheLESAsystemcanhelpanswerinclude:

• Whatlandshouldacity,townorcountydesignateinitscomprehensiveplanorzoningordinanceforlong-termcontinuationinagriculturaluse?

• Whatfarmsshouldbegivenhighestpriorityforpurchaseofdevelopmentrights?

• Isaproposedhighwayprojectgoingtoimpacthigh-qualityfarmland?

• Whichsiteamongdevelopmentalternativeswouldleastimpactagriculturalland?

TheLandEvaluation(LE)componentoftheLESAsystemusesa1to100scaletoranksoilsforagriculturalproductivity .TheSiteAssessment(SA)criteriaidentifiesnumeroussocial,geographicandeconomicfactorsthataffectlandusedecision-making,suchasproximitytourbancenters,levelofagriculturalinvestmentsandagriculturalinfrastructure .

LocalcommunitiesplayanimportantroleinidentifyingSAfactorsandweighingtheirimportance .Whenscoringsystemsfromeachcomponentarecompleted,acombinedscoreforeachparcelisdeterminedtoprovideasystematicandobjectiveproceduretorateandranksitesforagriculturalimportance .3

SomecommunitieshaveusedaformalLESAsystemforidentifyingpriorityfarmingareas .OthertownsusetheprinciplesoutlinedinaLESAsystemtodeveloptheirowntechniques .“Greenprints”oropenspacerankingsystemsareexamplesoflocalprioritizationsystemsthathaveusedconceptsconsistentwithLESAsystems .

• FarmlandInformationCenter,LandEvaluationandSiteAssessmentFactSheet

• USDANRCS,LandEvaluationandSiteAssessmentGuidebook

• PutnamCounty,AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan,LESASystem


Greenprint for the Future TheGreenprintprovidesarationalguidefordirectingpreservationeffortstothemostsignificantresources.— projectplannerJohnBehan

In 1990, the town of Pittsford faced a land use crisis. The steady loss of farmland threatened to end this central New York town’s once thriving agriculture. Only 12 farms remained in town.

When planners projected that Pittsford would be “built out” within a decade, town officials and citizens decided to tackle their land use issues head-on. They drafted Greenprint for the Future, which mapped out the town’s most valuable open land and outlined strategies for its protection. Having determined that their current zoning was ineffective at preserving farmland, Pittsford planners recommended purchasing agricultural conservation easements on more than 1,000 acres. This was supported by a fiscal impact study that showed it would be cheaper to buy easements instead of paying for municipal services on all that development.

After adopting an updated comprehensive town plan in 1995, Pittsford’s town board appointed a committee to develop a rating formula to evaluate the town’s remaining land resources. Consultants inventoried and evaluated more than 3,600 acres, paying close attention to which agricultural, ecological, historic and scenic land resources should be a priority for protection. The highest-rated land parcels were identified in Greenprint, which recommended preserving 60 percent of the town’s remaining open land. In 1996, the board unanimously approved $9.9 million in bonds to purchase agricultural conservation easements on seven farms, totaling 1,100 acres.

By engaging the community in the Greenprint planning process, town leaders were able to create a sense of cooperation in the face of potentially heated issues. “There has been no real controversy—only community debate,” said town supervisor Bill Carpenter. “We have been able to bring all residents along on this issue. It’s critical to have a process that allows the community to come to consensus.”

• TownofPittsford,Greenprint

Understanding Local FarmsInformationgatheringaboutfarmsshouldnotstopatmappingacommunity’sagriculturalresources .Relateddataregardingtheeconomic,social,fiscalandenvironmentalimpactsoffarmscanprovideabetteroverallunderstandingofhowcommunitiesbenefitfromagriculture .CostofCommunityServicesstudies,meetingsofagriculturaladvisorycommittees,farmerfocusgroupsandlocalsurveyscanhelpdemonstratethefullrangeofbenefitsprovidedbyfarms .

• FarmlandInformationCenter,CostofCommunityServicesFactSheet

Recommendations in a Comprehensive PlanIfacommunityhasgoalsregardingagriculture,itmakessensetohaverecommendationstohelpachievethesegoals .Therecommendationsshouldaddresstheuniquebusinessandlanduseneedsofagricultureandhowalocalitycanhelpfarmsaddresstheirneeds .Recommendationsinvolvingfarmsshouldnotonlybeanchoredinanagriculturalsection .Asappropriate,theneedsoflocalfarmsshouldalsobeintegratedintorelatedsections—onbusiness,openspaceandtheenvironment,communityinfrastructureplanning,propertytaxes,housing,townhistoryandheritage,andotherareas .

C A S E S T U D YTown of warwick, Orange County, New york: Comprehensive PlanThetownofWarwick’scommitmenttoagricultureisreflectedinitscomprehensiveplan .Theplan’ssummarystates,“Warwickisandshouldremainprimarilyaresidentialandagriculturalcommunity…TheComprehensivePlanisareflectionofthegoalforpreservationofthenaturalbeautyofWarwickanditsruralqualityoflife .”

Theplanhasaspecificsectionregardingagriculturethatoutlinesthefollowingcommunityobjectives:

• Supporttheeconomicviabilityoffarming;• Createincentivesforlandownerstomaintainland

inagriculturaluse,keepingitaffordablesonewfarmerscanbeginfarming;


• Preserveasmanyoftheoperatingfarmsaspossible;

• Preservetheagriculturalheritageofthetown;• Discourageincompatiblenearbylandusesthat

havethepotentialtoplaceburdensomepressuresonfarmingactivities .

Warwick’scomprehensiveplanalsotakestheimportantstepofintegratingagriculturalinterestsintosectionsregardingresidentialgrowthandbusinessdevelopment .

• TownofWarwick,ComprehensivePlan

C A S E S T U D YTown of Seneca, Ontario County, New york: Comprehensive PlanSenecaislocatedinsoutheasternOntarioCountyinoneofthemostfertilefarmingregionsofthestate .Thetown’s2002updatetoitscomprehensiveplanreflectstheimportantrolethatagricultureplaysinthecommunity .Accordingtotheplan,“Thelossof

agriculturallandandopenspacecanhaveanegativeimpactontheeconomyofthetownaswellasdestroyingtheruralcharacterthatmakesthetownofSenecaadesirableplacetolive .Byupdatingthe1962MasterPlan,thetownistakingaproactiveapproachtocontrollingdevelopmentandensuringthattheruralcharacterofthetownispreserved .”

Senecatakesthefurtherstepofintegratingagriculturalinterestsintosectionsregardingcommunitycharacter,landuse,economicdevelopmentandtransportation .

• TownofSeneca,ComprehensivePlan

Zoning

Zoningordinancesandlawstouchuponagricultureinavarietyofcontexts .Zoninglawscanspecifywhereandhowfarms

andrelatedagriculturalbusinessescanoperateinacommunity .Zoninglawsmayalsohelptodefinewhetherandhowfarmlandmaybedevelopedintootheruses .

ManyNewYorktownshavezoningordinancesthatdefine“agricultural”or“rural”zoneswhereagricultureisapermittedusealongwithmanyotherresidential,commercialand/orindustrialuses .However,manyoftheseordinancesaredescriptiveofcurrent(orpast)conditionsandarenotnecessarilyprescriptiveofdesiredfuturecircumstances .Unlessothersignificantplanningmeasuresareundertaken,thestandardsofagriculturalzoneswillpermitthefragmentationoffarmlandscapes,increasingthelikelihoodofconflictsbetweenfarmoperationsandnew,nearbynon-farmneighbors .

Agoodzoningordinanceisnotnecessarilytheendofthestory .Becausepropertyownersmaybegrantedvariancesfromthezoningordinanceundercertainconditionsbyazoningboardofappeals(ZBA),itisimportanttoensurethattheZBAunderstandstheramificationsofitsdecisionsforagriculture .

Zoninglawsoragriculturalzoningdistrictsintendedtosupportfarmsandprotectfarmlandoftenhavesomeofthefollowingobjectives:

• Supportafarm-friendlybusinessenvironment;• Stabilizelargerblocksofagriculturalland;• Reducethelikelihoodoffutureconflictsbetween

farmersandnon-farmneighborsbymanagingnewdevelopmentpatternsandprovidingforgrowthinappropriateareas;

• Preventtheconversionofthetown’smostproductivefarmlandorthedivisionofthelandintotractsthataretoosmalltofarmprofitably;

• Keeplandmoreaffordableforfarmerstopurchase .

• NewYorkState,DepartmentofStateGuidetoPlanningandZoning

How Zoning and Planning Measures Relate to New York State Agricultural DistrictsTown governments considering new zoning or other planning measures should understand the important connection between New York agricultural districts and local policy-making. Agricultural districts were first developed by the state in the 1970s to help provide a supportive business environment for farming. Farmers operating in locally created agricultural districts receive important state protections from private nuisance lawsuits, new public projects that may impact farms and unreasonably restrictive local ordinances.

This latter provision, New York State Agriculture and Markets Law (AML) Section 305-a, allows the commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) to review local laws and determine if they are unreasonably restrictive of farm operations in agricultural districts.

When reviewing such measures, the commissioner considers:

• If the requirements adversely affect the farm operator’s ability to manage the farm operation effectively and efficiently;

• Whether the requirement could impact production options and affect farm viability;

• If the requirement will cause a lengthy delay in the construction of new farm building or implementation of a practice;

• Compliance costs for a farm operation;

• The availability of less onerous means to achieve the locality’s objective;

• If the local law addresses a threat to public health or safety.4

In situations where a local law is determined to be unreasonably restrictive, NYSDAM will notify the local government and try to negotiate a resolution. If rejected by the municipality, the commissioner of NYSDAM can bring an action or issue an order to enforce this provision of the AML.

The key issue in this determination process: what is reasonable? Towns clearly have the authority to institute reasonable requirements on farm operations in agricultural districts if they are acting to protect public health or safety. Fortunately, most differences of opinion between town governments and NYSDAM are resolved without legal action by NYSDAM to enforce the AML.



Benefits of Using Zoning to Create a Supportive Business Environment• Ispopularwithfarmersandrurallandowners• Supportsimportantbusinessneedsoffarm

operations

Drawbacks of Using Zoning to Create a Supportive Business Environment• Maydrawcriticismfromnon-farmresidentsif

newfarmbusinessesorcompatiblenon-farmbusinessesdon’tconformtotheirperceptionofagriculture

• Haslimiteddirectimpactonfarmlandconversioninareasexperiencinghighdevelopmentpressure

• Drawscriticismfromresidentswhodon’tbelievezoningwillservetheirinterests

Zoning Techniques: Creating a Supportive Business EnvironmentInordertobesuccessful,farmbusinessesneedasupportiveoperatingenvironmentjustasotherbusinessesdo .Theyneedmarketandbusinessdevelopmentassistance,financing,infrastructureandothersupportservices .However,theseneedsarecomplicatedbytheuniquerolesoffarmsandfarmersinthetown’seconomy,landscapeandcommunity .Inaddition,agriculture’sdirectconnectionwiththelandscape,theseasonalityoffarmbusinessesandotheraspectsoffarmingaddcomplexitytotheseissues .

Townsshouldunderstandtheneedsthatfarmssharewithotherbusinessesaswellastheneedsthatareuniquetoexistingagriculturalbusinessesandthosethatarelikelytoevolveovertime .Bothfarmsandfarmsupportbusinesses,suchasveterinary,repairshopsorfarmmachinerydealers,shouldbeconsidered .Thefollowingarestrategiesthattownscanadopttohelpcreateasupportivebusinessenvironmentforfarming .

Using a Broad Definition of FarmingNewYorkhasatremendouslydiverseagriculturalindustry .Thestateisanationalleaderintheproductionofmilk,apples,grapes,vegetables,horticulturalproductsandotherfarmcommodities .Inaddition,theagriculturalindustryisfrequentlychangingasfarmersadapttonewmarketand

operatingconditions .Asglobalizationcontinuestoaccelerate,itislikelythattherateandextentofchangewithintheagriculturalindustrywillincreaseaswell .Thesechangesmayincludetheproductionofdifferentagriculturalproductsoradoptionofnewproductionpractices .

Oneexampleofthischangeistheincreasinguseofgreenhousesorothertemporarystructuresfortheproductionofvegetables,fruits,horticulturalproductsorlivestockhousing .Whilethesestructuresmaynotconformtosometraditionalviewsofafarm,theyarevaluabletoproducersastheyareacost-effectivemeansforincreasingcontrolofgrowingconditions,whichisofgreatimportanceinNewYorkgiventhestate’svariedandoftenchallengingweatherconditions .

Thesedefinitionsmayneedtobeslightlymodifiedforatownzoningcode .However,includingsuchbroadandwell-understooddefinitionsoffarmscangiveexistingfarmersornewfarmerstheflexibilitytoadapttonewconditions .

Purposes of an Agricultural Zoning District and Permitted UsesThe“purpose”ofaspecificzoningdistrictdescribestherationalebehindthedistrict’sdesignation .Itisthefoundationuponwhichthedistrict’stermsandconditionsshouldbebased .Azoningdistrictintendedtosupportfarmsshouldclearlystatethisemphasiswithinitspurposes

C A S E S T U D YTown of Ulysses, Tompkins County, New york: A-1 Agricultural Zoning DistrictTheZoningLawadoptedin2007bythetownofUlyssesincorporatesright-to-farmlanguagedirectlyintheregulationsfortheA-1Agriculturalzoningdistrict .AccordingtoArticleV,Section501,oftheZoningLaw,thepurposeoftheA-1Agriculturalzoningdistrictisto“protecttheagriculturalproductionresourcesoftheTownofUlysses… .”

Section502reads:“IntheA1–AgriculturalDistrict,agricultureshallbetheprimarylanduse .WithintheDistrict,anyagriculturalpracticedeterminedtobeasoundagriculturalpracticebytheNewYorkStateCommissionerofAgricultureandMarketspursuanttoArticle25-AA,Section308,includingbutnot


Section 301 Definitions of FarmingHow “farming” is defined in zoning and other town ordinances must be broad to encompass the diversity and rapid evolution of farming. Section 301 of the New York State AML provides a well-understood and broadly supported definition:

Farm operation: “means the land and on-farm buildings, equipment, manure processing and handling facilities, and practices which contribute to the production, preparation and marketing of crops, livestock and livestock products as a commercial enterprise, including a ‘commercial horse boarding operation’... Such farm operation may consist of one or more parcels of owned or rented land, which parcels may be contiguous or noncontiguous to each other.”

The statute further defines:

Crops, livestock and livestock products shall include but not be limited to the following:

a. Field crops, including corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, hay, potatoes and dry beans.

b. Fruits, including apples, peaches, grapes, cherries and berries.

c. Vegetables, including tomatoes, snap beans, cabbage, carrots, beets and onions.

d. Horticultural specialties, including nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees and flowers.

e. Livestock and livestock products, including cattle, sheep, hogs, goats, horses, poultry, ratites, such as ostriches, emus, rheas and kiwis, farmed deer, farmed buffalo, fur bearing animals, milk, eggs and furs.

f. Maple sap.

g. Christmas trees derived from a managed Christmas tree operation whether dug for transplanting or cut from the stump.

h. Aquaculture products, including fish, fish products, water plants and shellfish.

i. Woody biomass, which means short rotation woody crops raised for bioenergy, and shall not include farm woodland.

The section also recognizes that the equine industry is an important and growing part of New York agriculture. It defines a commercial horse boarding operation as:

“an agricultural enterprise, consisting of at least seven acres and boarding at least ten horses, regardless of ownership, that receives ten thousand dollars or more in gross receipts annually from fees generated either through the boarding of horses or through the production for sale of crops, livestock, and livestock products, or through both such boarding and such production. Under no circumstances shall this subdivision be construed to include operations whose primary on site function is horse racing.”

limitedtopracticesnecessaryforon-farmproduction,preparationandmarketingofagriculturalcommodities,suchastheoperationoffarmequipment;properuseofagriculturalchemicalsandothercropprotectionmethods;directsaletoconsumersofagriculturalcommoditiesorfoodscontainingagriculturalcommoditiesproducedon-farm;andconstructionanduseoffarmstructures,shallnotconstituteaprivatenuisance .”

Townswouldbewell-advisedtomakeaccommodationsformobilehomesusedonthefarmforworkerhousing .Manyfarmsneedtohavetheirworkforcelocatedincloseproximity,giventhelongandvariedhoursoffarmwork .Inaddition,manyfruit,vegetableanddairyfarmsemploymigrantlaborerswhorequireon-sitehousing .Zoningcodesthataccommodatetheneedforfarm-workerhousingcanhelpfarmersaddresschallenginglaborissues .

Townsmaywishtoallowadditionalusesinanagriculturalzoningdistrictwhilehavingslightly

greatercontroloverwhereandhowsuchusesaresited .Thiscouldbeachievedbyrequiringspecialusepermits .Specialusepermitscanallowatowntoevaluatethespecificmeritsofaproposaltodetermineifitiscompatiblewithfarming,agricultureandtheotherpurposesofanagriculturalzoningdistrict .

Supporting Direct Market Farm BusinessesDirectmarketingisanimportantbusinessstrategyforsomefarmers .Whilefarmstands,u-pickoperationsandotherfarmretailfacilitiesaresimilarinconcepttootherretailestablishments,thereareimportantdifferences .Directfarmretailisoftenseasonalandlimitedinscale .Farmretailmarketingfacilitiestypicallysupportbroaderfarmbusinessesthatprovidescenicfarmlandandotheramenitiestothecommunity .

Atthesametime,somefarmretailoperationsreachanoperationlevelonparwithother


commercialretailers .Thesefarmmarketscanhavetrafficflow,parkingrequirements,andbreadthofproductsakintosmallgroceriesorconveniencestores .Additionally,somefarmersareembracingagritourismanddevelopingnewon-farmexperiencesthatstretchtheboundariesforwhatarecommonlyconsideredfarmuses .

Somequestionsthatatownmightaskwhentryingtodeterminetheappropriatestandardstoapplytoafarmmarketoragritourismfacilityinclude:

• Arethesalesandotheractivitiesproposedatthesiterelatedtoabroaderagriculturaloperation?

• Areatleast25percentoftheproductssoldatthefacilityproducedbytheowner/operator?

• Isthefacilityopenyear-round?• Doesthefacilityofferextendedhoursof

operation?• Willthefacilitysellfuelandrelatedproducts,

tobacco,alcoholnotproducedinNewYork,lotteryticketsorotherproductsusuallyassociatedwithmoretraditionalretailestablishments?5

Becausemanyfarmsarenotinprimecommerciallocations,advertisingiscriticalforfarmstandsandmarketsthatselldirectlytoconsumers .Townsshouldreviewtheirlocallawsregardingon-andoff-sitesignstomakeappropriateaccommodationsforseasonalsignsforfarmretailers .Bydemonstratingflexibilityinthisarea,townscansupportfarmviabilitybyhelpingfarmersreachnewcustomers .

• NewYorkFarmersDirectMarketAssociation,ModelZoningforRoadsideStandsandFarmMarkets

Supporting Business Opportunities Compatible with AgricultureModernfarmfamiliesoftenhaveatleastonememberworkingoutsideofthefarm .Theymayrelyonnon-farmjobsforhealthinsuranceorasteady,dependablesalary .Whilemanyofthesejobsoccurawayfromthefarm,somenon-farmbusinessopportunitiesmayalsotakeplaceinthehomeorinotherbuildingslocatedonthefarm .Non-farmbusinessopportunitiescanprovideimportantincometofarmfamilies .Whenfarmersandrurallandownershaveflexibilityinestablishingcompatiblebusinesses,theymayfeellesspressuretoselllandfordevelopment .

Someissuesthattownsmayconsiderwhenevaluatingthecompatibilityofanewbusinessuseorcommercialbuildingwithagricultureincludewhether:

• Theusewillbeofanature,intensity,scope,size,appearance,typeandquantityconformingtotheexistingpersonaloragriculturalstructures;

• Newcommercialbuildingswillbelocatedinawaythatminimizesnegativeimpactonfutureoperationsandexpansionofagriculturalusesanddoesnotinterferewithcurrentagriculturaloperationsordisplacefarmorforestrystorage,use,orfunctions;

• Theuseisrelatedtoagriculture,forestryoropenspaces;

• Thebusinesswillbeconductedprimarilybypersonswhoresideonthefarmormembersofthefarmfamilyorfarmemployees;

• Theuseissubordinatetothefarmoperation .Subordinationisbasedontheproportionoflandandstructuresemployedbytheruralenterprisetothoseemployeddirectlyintheagriculturalorforestryenterpriseaswellastheamountoftimeandresourcesthefarmerdivertsfromtheagriculturalorforestryoperationtotheruralenterprise;

• Theproposeduseisnotexcessivelymorevaluablethanexistingstructuresthatwouldmakethesubsequentsaleofthefarmtoabonafidefarmerunlikely .

Zoning Techniques: Stabilizing the Agricultural Land Base Zoninglawscanbeusednotonlytoprovideasupportivebusinessenvironmentforfarming,butalsotohelpstabilizetheagriculturallandbase .Zoningcanhelptownsmanagenewdevelopmentandminimizetheeffectsofdevelopmentonlocalfarms .

Zoninglawswithfarm-friendlyobjectivesareoftencalled“agriculturalzoning”or“agriculturalprotectionzoning”andinvolveavarietyofzoningapproachesortechniques .Thisvarietyofzoningisgenerallyappliedtofarmingareasandisdesignedtorestrictusesordensitiesofnon-farmusesthatareseenasincompatiblewithfarming .


Benefits of Using Zoning to Stabilize the Agricultural Land Base• Isarelativelyeasyconcepttounderstandand

administer• Iscomparativelyinexpensiveforthepublicto

implement• Canbeimplementedquicklywhencomparedwith

otherfarmlandprotectiontools• Canbeflexible,changingaslocalconditionsevolve• Iswell-suitedtomoreruralcommunitieswith

lowerdevelopmentpressure

Drawbacks of Using Zoning to Stabilize the Agricultural Land Base• Mayreducelandvaluesanddecreaselandowners’

equityinland• Canbepoliticallydifficulttosetlotsizesanduse

restrictionsthatprovidemeaningfulsupportforsustainedagriculturaluse

• Settingminimumlotsizes,suchasoneresidentialunitperfiveacres,mayresultinparcelsoflandthatare“toobigtomowbuttoosmalltofarm”

• Maycreateamarketforlargeracreage“farmettes”inareaswithhighlevelsofdevelopmentpressureifalowerdensitylotsize(suchasoneresidentialunitper20acres)issetwithoutotherrestrictions .Whiletheresultingparcelscouldpotentiallybefarmed,theagriculturaluseofsuchlargerurallotscouldbethreatenedwhennon-farmersarewillingtopayhigherlandvaluesthanfarmerscanafford .6

Minimum Lot SizeTheminimumlotsizeapproachtoagriculturalzoningsetsaminimumacreagerequirementforsubdivisionsandnewdevelopment .Ideally,theminimumacreagerequirementshouldapproximatethesizeofafarmfieldthatiseconomicallyviableforcontinuedagriculturaluse .InthewesternUnitedStates,theacreagerequiredforaviableranchmightbehundredsofacres .OntheEastCoastandinpartsoftheMidwest,however,theminimumlotsizerequiredforprofitable,field-basedagriculturalusetendstorangefrom20to40acres .

Theminimumlotsizeapproachisoneofthesimplestzoningtechniques .However,thistechniquecanbedifficulttousetoeffectivelystabilizetheagriculturallandbase .Itrequiressettingtheminimumlotsizehighenoughtogenerate

parcelsthatcanbeusedformostfield-basedfarmoperations .Theminimumlotsizeapproachhasalsobeencriticizedforbeingexclusiveandlimitingtheavailabilityofaffordablehousing .7

ManyNewYorktownsusethisapproachinagriculturalzones,settingtheminimumlotsizeatroughlytwotofiveacres .Unlesscombinedwithotherrestrictions,however,thistypeofminimumlotsizezoningreducesthedensityofnewdevelopmentwhiledoinglittletoprotectlandforfarming .Infact,theresultinglargerlotsmayconsumeavailablelandresourcesmorequickly,thusacceleratingtheconversionoffarmland .Forthisreason,theminimumlotsizeapproachhashadlittlesuccessinlimitingthedevelopmentoffarmlandinNewYork .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Plainfield, Illinois: Zoning CodeThetownofPlainfield,Illinois,setsaminimumlotsizeof40acresperresidentialunitinits“agriculturaldistrict .”Thelawisfairlysimpletounderstandandadminister .Suchalawismostlikelytobeapplicableinareaswithlargeblocksofagriculturallandandlowerdevelopmentpressure .

• TownofPlainfield,Illinois,ZoningCode(excerpt)

Density Averaging (Fixed Ratio or Area-Based Allowance)Thedensityaveraging,orfixedratio,approachtozoningsetsafixeddensityforpermittedresidenceswithinanagriculturalzone .Thiscontrastswiththeminimumlotsizeapproach,wherethedesireddensityisachievedbysettingacorrespondingminimumlotsize .Forexample,ifthedesiredresidentialdensitywereoneresidenceper20acres,theminimumlotsizeapproachwouldsetaminimumlotsizeat20acres .Thus,a100-acreparcelcouldyieldfive20-acreparcels .

Bycomparison,thedensityaveragingapproachidentifiesthedesireddensitybutdoesnotusetheminimumlotsizeastheprincipalstrategyforachievingthisresult .Instead,thedensityaveragingapproachdeterminesthenumberofresidencespermittedperparcel .Forexample,ifthedesireddensityisdeterminedtobeoneresidenceper20acres,a100-acreparcelcouldhavefiveresidences .Acommunitymightfurther


specifyarequiredminimumlotsizeof1acre(tocomplywithhealthdepartmentrequirements)andamaximumlotsizeof2acres .Insteadofcreatingfive20-acreparcelsasestablishedbytheminimumlotsizeapproach,thedensityaveragingapproachcouldyieldfive2-acrelotsandone90-acrelot .

Whencombinedwithamaximumlotsizerequirementfornewresidentialdevelopment,thedensityaveragingapproachcanbeapowerfultoolforretaininglargerblocksoffarmlandwhileallowinglimitedresidentialdevelopment .Thisapproachissimilartoclusterzoningorconservationsubdivisionsinthatitconcentratesnewdevelopmentonsmallerpiecesofland .However,clusterzoningorconservationsubdivisionsmaybebettersuitedtolargersubdivisionsgiventhemorecomplexplanningrequirements .

Oneofthechallengesinadministeringadensityaveragingzoninglawisrecordinghowmanyresidencesorsubdivisionshavebeenpermittedforeachparcel .Withoutthepropertrackingofthisinformation,parcelsoflandthathadalready“usedup”theirallowedresidentialsubdivisionscouldbefurtherdeveloped .Communitiesmaywanttoaugmenttheinformationsubmittedinsubdivisionplatswithamastermaporothercreativemeasurestoensurethatthisimportantinformationisretainedwhentownboards,planningboardsandzoningboardsofappealchangemembership .ThetownofMilton,NewYork,requiresthefollowingnotationonfinalplatswhenthesubdivisionapprovalrequiredthataportionofthepropertyremainundeveloped:“ThisplatwascreatedundertheopenspaceincentiveoptionoftheTownofMiltonZoningCode,andanyfurthersubdivisionoftheselotsisherebyprohibited .”

C A S E S T U D YTown of Seneca, Ontario County, New york: Agricultural Zoning District ThetownofSenecaadoptedanupdatetoitszoningcodein2004 .Thecodeincludesan“agriculturalzoningdistrict”meantto:

“…preserveexistingagriculturallandsinthetownandprotecttheruralcharacteroftheareathatreinforcesthespecialqualityoflifeenjoyedbyresidentsinSeneca… .ThecreationoftheAgriculturalZoningDistrictillustratestheTown’scommitmentto

farmingasapreferreduseinthesedistrictsandshallprotectexistingagriculturalareasfromsuburbanandurbandevelopment,encouragethecontinuationofagriculture,reducelanduseconflictsandpreserveopenspaceandnaturalresources .”

Theagriculturalzoningdistrictpermitsonesubdividedlotwithonesingle-familydwellingforeachparcelgreaterthanfiveacres .Thedensitystandardspermitamaximumdensityofoneunitifunder50acresandoneunitper50acresifover50acres .Forexample,a25-acreparcelwouldbeallowedonesubdivision .Thiswouldcreatetwolotswithopportunitiesforasingle-familyhomeoneach .A60-acreparcelwouldbeallowedtwosubdivisionsthatcouldcreatethreelots .Ineithercase,subdividedlotsmustbeatleast45,000squarefeetandhave150feetofroadfrontage .

SenecaandOntarioCountyuseacomputerizedrealpropertysystemthatallowsthemtodocumentpermittedsubdivisions .Thistrackingisimportanttopreventthefurtherdevelopmentofparcelsthathavealreadyusedtheirpermittedrights .

• TownofSeneca,ZoningCode

C A S E S T U D YTown of Ithaca, Tompkins County, New york: Zoning CodeThetownofIthaca’szoninglawhasdensityaveragingelementsbutpermitsmoreconcentratedresidentialdevelopment .Thezoninglawsetsaminimumlotsizeofoneacreandamaximumlotsizeoftwoacresfornon-farmlotsinitsagriculturalzone(withspecialexceptionswhenrequiredbytheTompkinsCountyHealthDepartment) .Inaddition,thedesiredresidentialdensityissetatoneresidentialunitpersevenacres .Thetownplanningboardhastheauthoritytorequireclusteringofthenon-farmlotsasaconditionofsubdivisionapproval .Someofthecriteriathatmaybeappliedwhensitingtheclusteredunits:

• Clusteredlotsshouldavoidprimeagriculturalsoils,definedasClassIandClassIIbytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureNaturalResourcesConservationServicesorsimilarorsuccessoragency;


• Clusteredlotsshouldnotinterferewithnaturaldrainagepatterns;

• Totheextentreasonablypossible,subdivisionsshallbeapprovedinamannerthatmaintainsthelargestamountofcontiguousacreageforopenspaceoragriculturaluse .

WhilethetownofIthacapermitsfairlyconcentratedresidentialdevelopment,itszoninglawhasreceivedcriticismfromfarmersandfarmgroups .Theirargumentsincludeconcernsaboutreductionsinlandownerequityaswellastheprocessusedtodevelopthenewlaw .

• TownofIthaca,ZoningCode

Sliding Scale“Slidingscale”zoningcanbeusedtosetthedesiredlevelofresidentialdensitiesandsubdivisions,dependingupontheoriginalparcelsize,ratherthanafixedratioforallsizeparcels .Thus,feweracresarerequiredperresidentialunitorsubdivisionforsmallerparcelsincomparisontolargerparcels .Theslidingscaleisusedtopromotetheretentionoflargerfarmparcelswhileallowingforlimitedresidentialdevelopment .

TheslidingscaleapproachhasbeenusedbyseveralPennsylvaniatownshipsinanefforttoretainblocksoffarmlandthatsupportarangeofagriculturalbusinesses .Whileslidingscalezoningcanhelpachievethisgoal,itismorecomplextoadministerthanminimumlotsizezoning,whichcanleadtoconfusionamonglandowners .

C A S E S T U D YPeach Bottom Township, Pennsylvania: Zoning CodePeachBottomTownshipestablishedanagriculturalzoneinitszoningordinancesto“permit,protectandencouragethecontinueduseoflandforagriculturalpurposes .”Thetownshipusesaslidingscaleapproachtoagriculturalzoningthatallowsfordwellingatdensityofoneacreperunitonsmallparcelsto44acresperunitonverylargetractsofland .

PeachBottomTownshiphasalsoestablishedamaximumlotsizefornewresidentialsubdivisions;thestandardmaximumlotsizeisoneacreforanewresidenceunlessthelandcannotfeasiblybefarmed .Todeterminewhetheraparcelcanfeasiblybefarmed,thestandardsare:

• Soilquality;• Theexistenceof“featuresofthesitesuchasrock

tooclosetothesurfacetopermitplowing,swamps,thefactthattheareaisheavilywooded,orthefactthattheslopeoftheareaexceeds15percent”;

• The“sizeorshapeoftheareasuitableforfarmingisinsufficienttopermitefficientuseoffarmmachinery .”

Parcelsthatcontainlandoflowqualityforagriculturalusemayhavemorethanoneacresubdividedforresidentialuse .

• PeachBottomTownship,Pennsylvania,ZoningCode(excerpt)

C A S E S T U D YAlpine Charter Township, Michigan: Zoning CodeAlpineCharterTownshiphasalsodevelopedaslidingscaleapproachtoagriculturalzoning .Thislocallawwas“intendedtoensurethatlandareaswithinAlpineCharterTownship,whicharewellsuitedforproductionoffoodandfiber,areretainedforsuchproduction,unimpededbytheestablishmentofincompatibleuseswhichwouldhinderfarmoperationsandirretrievablydepleteagriculturallands .”

Size of Parcel

10 acres or less 0 0

Greater than 10 acres 1 10/1to 20 acres (For 10.1 acres)

Greater than 20 acres 2 10/1 to 40 acres (For 20.1 Acres)

Greater than 40 acres 3 13.3/1to 80 acres (For 40.1 Acres)

Greater than 80 acres 4 20/1 (For 80.1 Acres)

Becauseitdoesnotcontrolmaximumlotsizesfornon-farmdwellings,AlpineCharterTownship’sapproachtoslidingscalezoningcouldcreatecompetitionamongfarmersandnon-farmersforlargerlots,ifthezoningisusedinatownexperiencinghighdevelopmentpressure .Thisissuecouldberemediedbyinstitutingamaximumlotsizefornon-farmdwellingsorbyothersiteplanningrequirements .

# of Permitted Lot Splits for

Non-Farm Dwellings

Ratio of Acres/Lot Split for Smallest Parcel in Category


• AlpineCharterTownship,Michigan,ZoningCode(excerpt)

Overlay Zones or DistrictsOverlayzonesareusedtoaugmentatown’szoningbyinstitutingadditionaldevelopmentstandardsorbyestablishingincentivesforparcelsthathavecertaincharacteristics .Agriculturaloverlayzonesareoftenappliedtoparcelsthatmeetsomeorallofthefollowingcriteria:

• Minimumparcelsize• Highqualityagriculturalsoils• Capacityforcontinuedagriculturaluse• LocatedinaNYScertifiedagriculturaldistrict• LocatedinspecificzoningdistrictsParcelsinoverlayzonesmaybepermittedadditionalagriculture-relatedorcompatibleruralbusinessuses .Theseparcelsmayalsobesubjecttoadditionaldevelopmentguidelinesthatconservekeyagriculturalresourcesandlimittheimpactsofnewdevelopmentonnearbyagriculturaluses .

C A S E S T U D YTown of washington, Dutchess County, New york: Zoning CodeThetownofWashingtonhasestablishedan“agriculturalprotectionoverlaydistrict”applyingtoparcelsinspecificzoningdistrictsthat:

• Aregreaterthan10acres;• Haveatleast50percentofthesoilsdeemedprime

farmlandsoilsorfarmlandsoilsofstatewideimportanceasestablishedbytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture;

• ArelocatedinaNewYorkcertifiedagriculturaldistrict .

Inadditiontotheusespermittedintheunderlyingzoningdistrict,additionalusesarepermittedintheoverlaydistrictincludingroadsidefarmstands,employeehousingforfarmworkersandagriculture-relatedserviceorcommercialuses .

Thetownplanningboardmayrequirethatnewresidentialdevelopmentsofthreeormorelotswithintheagriculturalprotectionoverlaydistrictcomplywiththetown’sclusterrequirementsfoundinits

subdivisioncode .Residentialstructuressitedforparcelsinthisoverlaydistrictshouldbelocated:

• Ontheleastfertileagriculturalsoilsandinamannerthatmaximizestheremainingareaforagriculturaluse;

• Inlocationsleastlikelytoblockscenicviews;• Withinwoodlandsorontheedgesofopenfields;• Onthesoilsmostsuitableforsubsurfacesewage

disposal;• Inamannerthatprovidesbuffersbetweenhouse

lotsandfarmoperations .Inaddition,theplanningboardmayrequirea75-footbufferwitheitherfast-growingnativetreesandshrubsornaturallyexistingvegetationbetweenresidentialandagriculturaluses .

• TownofWashington,ZoningCode (excerpt)

C A S E S T U D YTown of kinderhook, Columbia County, New york: Prime Overlay DistrictThetownofKinderhook’szoningcodeincludesaPrimeFarmlandOverlay(PFO)districtdesignedtoprotectitsprimefarmlandsoilsandtopreventnon-agriculturalusesfromnegativelyimpactingcontinuationoffarming .ThePFOcreatesstandardsforresidentialsubdivisions,siteplansandspecialusepermitswithintheoverlaydistrict,including:

• Mandatoryuseofconservationsubdivisiondesignstandardsthatrequirethatatleast50percentofthetotalparcelareabedesignatedaspermanentopenspace;

• Sitinganddesignthatavoidsdevelopmentonprimesoils,aswellasonareaswithsteepslopes,wetlands,orwhereroadaccessproblemsmayexist;

• Establishmentofminimumbufferareasbetweennewresidences,commercialorindustrialdevelopmentandagriculturaluses,andprotectionsforexistinghedgerowsbetweenuses .

Thedistrictalsorequiresthatnewnon-farmbuildingsbesitedinawaythathastheleastnegativeimpactonagriculturalsoilsandfarmoperations .Buffersofatleast200feetarealsorequiredbetweennewresidencesandagriculturalparcelsintheoverlay


district .Thebuffermustbeplaceduponpropertiesproposedforsubdivision .Additionally,majorsubdivisionsarerequiredtohave30-footvegetativebuffersthatarelocated20feetfromtheboundarywithanyagriculturalparcels .

• TownofKinderhook,ZoningCode(excerpt)

Setback RequirementsSetbackrequirementshelpguidethelocationofnewbuildingswithinapprovedbuildinglots .Setbackscanhelpreducethelikelihoodofconflictsbetweenneighborsandincreasethecompatibilityofnewdevelopmentwithsurroundinglanduses .Largesetbacksfromtheroadaresometimespromotedasameansofmaintaining“ruralcharacter .”Whileminimumsetbacksof100to200feetormorefromaroaddoensurealongersightlinetonewbuildings,theycanalsoencourageorevenrequirethatnewhousesbesitedinthemiddleoffarmfieldsratherthanontheedgeoffields .

C A S E S T U D YSkagit County, washington: Zoning CodeSkagitCounty’scoderequiresspecificdimensionalstandardsandsitingcriteriasonewbuildingsaresitedinamannerthatminimizestheimpactonfarms .SkagitCountyrequiresa35-footminimumfrontsetbackaswellasa200-footmaximumsetbackfrompublicroads .Thisrequirementisintendedtopreventthesitingofnewhousesinthemiddleofproductivefarmland .Thesitingcriteriastates,“ThesitingofallstructuresintheAgricultural–NaturalResourceLandsdistrictshallminimizepotentialimpactsonagriculturalactivities,”tobeachievedbysitingstructuresontheedgeofaproperty,eitheradjacenttotheroadoraninteriorlotline .

Thistypeofapproachworksespeciallywellwhenanewhomeissitedonpropertyadjacenttoanexistinghome .Byrequiringanewhometobeplacedincloseproximitytoanexistinghomeorhomes,thetowncanencouragetheretentionofthelargestareasoffarmlandandcreatebuffersbetweenhousesandnearbyfarmoperations .

• SkagitCounty,Washington,ZoningCode

Cluster ZoningTheclusteringofnewresidentialsubdivisionsencouragestheconcentrationofnewresidencesinaportionofapropertywhilekeepingapieceorpiecesofapropertyundeveloped .Thistechniqueisalsocalledconservationsubdivisionoropenspacedevelopmentdesign .Clusterzoningaimstoproducesubdivisionsthatretaincriticalfarmland,naturalareasandotheropenspaceswhileaccommodatingnewdevelopment .

Fromanagriculturalperspective,clustersubdivisionscanconcentratenewhousesinwoodsoronlessproductivesoilswhilekeepingmoreproductiveacreageavailableforfarming .Thiscanbeanappealingwayofkeepingthemostproductivecroplandavailableforfarmingwhileaccommodatingnewdevelopment .

However,importantissuesmustbedebatedwhenconsideringclustersubdivisionstandards .Somefarmlandprotectionsupportersquestionthecompatibilityofclustersubdivisionswithnearbyfarmoperations .TomDaniels,aprofessorattheUniversityofPennsylvania,describesclusteringinthefollowingway:“Theproblemwithclusterzoningisthatmostplacesthatuseitallowafairlyhighdensityofonedwellingpertwo[acres]oronetothreeorfiveacres .Atthosedensities,theresultislikelytobeclusteredsprawl .Moreover,theremainingfarmlandwillprobablybeusedforlow-valuecropssuchashaybecauseanimalagriculturewithitsmanuresmellsisnotverycompatiblewithnonfarmneighborsandtheirkidsanddogs .”8Communitiesconsideringclusteringasatooltoretainfarmlandwillneedtograpplewiththeseconcernsandintegratestrategiesforlimitingconflictsbetweenfarmersandnewnonfarmneighbors .Requiringappropriatebuffersandright-to-farmdisclosurenoticesaspartofthefinalsubdivisionapprovalmayhelpaddresstheseissues .

Additionalissuestoconsider:

• Willtheclusteringprovisionbemandatoryorvoluntary?

• Ifyouchoosethevoluntaryapproach,whatincentiveswillyouprovidetoencourageclustering?(Someincentivesmightincludeadditionalpermittedresidences,astreamlinedapprovalprocesswithreducedfees,orreducedroadfrontagerequirementsorroadstandards .)

• Whowillowntheopenlandthatcannotbedeveloped?


• Willyourequireaconservationeasementontheopenlandtokeepitpermanentlyavailableforfarming?

• Willtheclusteredresidencesrequirepublicwaterorsewer,todayorinthenearfuture?Ifso,canthisbeaccommodatedinawaythatwillnotacceleratetheconversionofadditionalfarmland?

C A S E S T U D YTown of Stuyvesant, Columbia County, New york: Zoning LawThetownofStuyvesantusesanincentive-basedapproachtoencouragetheclusteringofnewhousingandtheretentionofprimefarmland .Landownersproposingclustersubdivisionsonparcelsgreaterthan10acrescanreceiveadensitybonusofoneadditionallotforeach10acresofbuildablearea .Thedensitybonusisinadditiontothestandardnumberoflotspermittedunderthetowncode .Tobeconsideredaclustersubdivision,50percentoftheparcelmustbepermanentlyprotectedforconservationpurposesincludingagriculture,forestry,ponds,passiverecreationorrecreationalusessuchaswoodedparks,hikingtrails,bridlepathsorotheruseshavingalowimpactontheenvironment .Inaddition,iflandownersagreenottocreatebuildinglotsorotherdevelopmentonlandscontainingprimeorstatewideimportantsoils,theyareeligibletoreceiveanadditionalbuildinglotper10acresofprimefarmlandthatisproposedforpermanentconservation .

• TownofStuyvesant,ZoningLaw

C A S E S T U D YTown of Milton, Saratoga County, New york: Zoning CodeThetownofMiltonoffersan“openspaceincentiveoption”thatgivesthetownplanningboardtheabilitytoincreasethemaximumdensityinthetown’sR2zoningdistrictinreturnforpermanentopenspaceprotection .Theprovisionallowstheplanningboardtoincreasethenumberofpermittedresidencesby50percentonpropertiesgreaterthan10acresaslongas50percentoftheoriginallandbecomespermanentlyprotectedopenspace .ThetownmakesdecisionsaboutproposalsforopenspaceincentiveoptionsbaseduponitsRuralDevelopmentDesignGuidelinesandthetown’sdesiretoconserveopenspaceresources,includingexistingfarmsandlandsuitableforagriculturaluse .

• TownofMilton,ZoningCode(excerpt)

Incentive ZoningNewYorkStateTownLawSection261-bauthorizestownstoofferincentivesorbonusestodevelopersiftheyadvance“thetown’sspecificphysical,culturalorsocialpolicies .”Suchbenefitsmayincludetheprovisionofopenspace,affordablehousing,recreationalfacilities,daycareoreldercarefacilities,infrastructureimprovements,drainageimprovementsortheconstructionofculturalamenities .

Townsarefurtherauthorizedtoacceptpaymentinlieuofsuitablecommunitybenefitsiftheprovisionofsuchbenefitsisnotfeasibleorpractical .

Tobesuccessful,incentivezoningordinancesmustarticulateclearexpectationsforthebenefitsthatwillbereceivedbyboththedeveloperandthepublic .Bothsidesmustreceivesomethingofperceivedequalvaluetomakesuchasystemworkwell .

• NewYorkState,TownLaw,Section261-b,IncentiveZoning

C A S E S T U D YTown of Beekman, Dutchess County, New york: Zoning CodeThetownofBeekmanpassedanincentivezoningprovisionin2001 .Thelawauthorizesthetownboardtograntzoningincentives“topropertydeveloperstoencouragetheprovisionofcertaincommunitybenefitsoramenitiessuchasparks,openspace,publicactiveandpassiverecreationalopportunitiesandotherphysical,socialorculturalbenefitsoramenitiesthatareincompliancewiththetowncomprehensiveplan .”

Oneofthebenefitsthatcouldbeprovidedbyadeveloperincludesthe“permanentconservationofnaturalareasoragriculturallands .”Inexchange,adevelopercouldreceiveanincreaseinpermittedresidentialdensityorreductionsinrequirementsfornon-residentialdevelopment(decreasedminimumlotarea,setbacksorincreasedimperviouslotcoverage,floorarearatios,buildingheightsorotherstandards) .

Thetownlawfurtherdescribestheprocessandstandardstobeusedinevaluatingprojectsputforthforconsiderationunderthisprovisionofthezoninglaw .

• TownofBeekman,ZoningCode


Subdivision Ordinances

Subdivisionordinancesgovernthedivisionoflargerparcelsintosmallerpiecesofland .Theselawsprovideatownplanningboardwith

theauthoritytoreviewandmakedecisionsaboutproposedsubdivisionstoprotectpublicinterestsandtoensurethatnewsubdivisionsdon’tacceleratefloodinganderosion,trafficproblems,noisepollutionandothernegativeimpactstothetown .9

Subdivisionordinancesoftenrequireaplatorsketchthatdepictstheproposedlocationanddimensionsofnewroadsandlotsandotherlandscapefeatures .Thesefeaturesmayincludewetlands,floodplains,largetreesandothernaturalresources,orimprovementssuchasutilitylinesandeasements,archeologicalsites,sewers,sidewalks,streetlighting,etc .

Fromanagriculturalperspective,subdivisionordinancescanrequirethereviewofthepotentialimpactsofnewsubdivisionsonproductivefarmlandandnearbyfarmoperations .Theyalsocanstipulatedesignstandardsthathelpreducethepotentialimpactsofnewsubdivisionsonfarmsandfarmland .

• SouthernTierCentralRegionalPlanning&DevelopmentBoard,RuralDesignWorkbook

• HudsonValleyGreenway,SavingFarmlandwithDevelopment

Benefits of Subdivision Laws• Supportinformedtowndecision-making• Helplimittheimpactsofnewsubdivisionson

nearbyfarmoperations• Cansteernewdevelopmentawayfromproductive

farmland• Mayreducelikelihoodoffuturefarm/neighbor

conflicts

Drawbacks of Subdivision Laws• Maynotpreventfarmlandconversion• Havelimitedabilitytopreventfuturefarm/

neighborconflicts• Maybeopposedbylandownerswhodislikeland

useregulations

Subdivision Review ProcessThesubdivisionreviewprocessallowsatownplanningboardtounderstandaproposedsubdivision,itscompatibilitywithcommunityinterests,andpotentialproblemsthatmightbeposedbythesubdivision .Townscanusethisprocesstogatherinformationfromtheproposal’ssponsortobetterunderstandhowtheprojectmayimpactlocalfarms .However,toreviewsubdivisionseffectively,itisimportantthattownshavereviewcriteriaspecifictoagriculture .

Somecriteriathattownscanrequiredeveloperstoaddressinproposedsubdivisionapplications:

• Consistencywiththetown’scomprehensiveplan• CompatibilitywithNewYorkcertifiedagricultural

districtsinthetown• Identificationofgrowth-inducingaspectsofthe

projectthatmayrequireadditionalpublicservicesorhavefutureimpactsoncommunityinterests

• Analysisofpotentialimpactsto: – Prime,statewideimportantorother

productiveagriculturalsoils – Nearbyfarmoperations(withanemphasison

farmbuildingsandinfrastructure,particularlylivestock)andtheviabilityofcommercial


agricultureinthetown – Onandoff-sitedrainagepatterns,particularly

fieldtilingandditching – Historicstructuresandsites – Visualcharacterofthearea – Capacityofexistingroadways,fireprotection,

andotherpublicservicessuchaswaterandsolidwastedisposal

– Trafficgeneratedandcompatibilitywithlocalroadways

– Landvaluesandlandspeculation

Townsshouldalsorequirecopiesofagriculturaldatastatementsforlandusedeterminationsaffectingpropertywithin500feetofafarmoperationinastatecertifiedagriculturaldistrict .Noticeofintent(NOI)filings(forpublicprojects)canalsoberequiredtobetterascertaintheimpactsofprojectsproposedinagriculturaldistricts .NOIfilingsarereviewedbycountyagriculturalandfarmlandprotectionboardsandtheNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets(NYSDAM) .Townscanrequirecopiesofthesecommentstoobtainfurtherinsightintopotentialimpactsofproposedpublicprojectsonagriculture .

Subdivision Standards Subdivisionordesignstandardsintegratetheinformationgatheredaspartofthereviewprocesswithlandowners’interestsandcommunitypriorities .Ideally,theyensurethatproposedsubdivisionsarewell-designed,promotetheorderlydevelopmentofinfrastructureandmitigateenvironmentalimpacts .Subdivisiondesignstandardscanbeusedtosteernewdevelopmentorinfrastructureawayfromproductivefarmland .Theyalsocanrequirethatmeasuresaretakentopreventfutureconflictswithnearbyfarmoperations .

Locating New Infrastructure CreativelyOnestrategyforencouragingtheretentionofproductivefarmlandistoguidethesitingofinfrastructuresuchasutilitylines,drivewaysandservicelaterals .Utilitylinescanbeplacedonlessproductivelandorburiedbelowplowdepth .Drivewayscanbesitedontheedgeoffarmfieldsratherthanthroughthemiddle .Shareddrivewayscanbeusedtolimitthenumberofroadwaysthatbisectfarmfields .Townscanrequirethatservicelateralsareburied .

Siting New Residences Townscanhelpretainthemostproductivelandforfarmingbyencouragingthesitingofnewhousesinwoodedareasoronlessproductivesoils .Bysitingstructuresontheedgeofapropertyandnearexistingstructures,townscanhelpreducethefootprintofnonfarmconstruction .

Additionalconsiderationsshouldbemaderegardingtheproximityofnewhousestofarmbuildingsandtheproximityofinfrastructure(particularlylivestockhousing)toneighboringproperties,giventhedominantwindandweatherpatterns .Thethoughtfulsitingofnewhomesinareaslocated“upwind”fromlivestockhousingorinplacesscreenedfromprevalentwindpatternscanhelpreducecomplaintsaboutthesmells,soundsandsightsofnearbyfarms .

Anotherdesignconsiderationisthelocationofexistingfieldtilingandditching .Suchinfrastructureimprovementsdrainwaterfromfarmfieldsandincreasetheirproductivity .Newdevelopmentthatinterruptstheflowofwaterfromneighboringfarmpropertiesmaycreateheadachesforneighboringfarmersandimpacttheproductivityoftheirland .Townsshouldplannewsubdivisionsinawaythatiscompatiblewithexistingfielddrainagepatterns .

Fieldaccesstoneighboringfarmpropertiesshouldalsobeconsideredinsubdivisionplans .Subdivisionsthatsitenewhousesalongroadwaysandleavefarmlandwithrestrictedaccessmaysignificantlylimitopportunitiesforthelandtobeactivelyusedforagriculture .Thisisanimportantconsiderationgiventheincreasingsizeofcommercialfarmequipment,whichmayneedwideraccessroutes .

Reducedroadfrontagerequirementsandroad/drivewaystandardsareotherdesignincentivesforcreativelysitingnewhousesinwayscompatiblewithagriculture .Byreducingbuildingcostsandadministrativefeesorbyprovidingopportunitiesfornewhousestobecreativelysited,townscanencouragelandownerstoadopttowndesignprinciples .

However,the“flaglots”orothercreativesubdivisionsthatmayresultmustbecarefullysitedtomakesuretheydonotacceleratetheconversionoffarmland .SomeNewYorkcommunitieshavespecificallyprohibitedthesetypesofsubdivisionsbecausetheyhavebeenusedtodevelopfarmlandorother


undevelopedlandonparcelswithoutsufficientroadfrontage .Communitiesmustclearlystatetheirexpectationsandprioritiesinsubdivisionlawssothatcreativedesignapproachesdonothaveunintendedconsequences .Communitiesalsomustbesurethatthelanguageintheirdesignstandardsisnotvague,givinglandownersanddesignprofessionalscleardirectionastheydeveloptheirplans .Clear,concisestandardsalsobenefitplanningboardsbylimitingvariationsininterpretation,ensuringuniformapplicationandprovidingprotectionagainstsuccessfulcourtchallenges .

Conservation Subdivisions Conservationsubdivisionlawsaresimilarinconcepttoclusterzoningordinances .Bothconcentratenewdevelopmentoncertainpartsofaparceltoprotectkeyresourcesonotherpartsofaproperty .

Conservationsubdivisionordinancesoftendescribeanalternativesubdivisionprocessthatprioritizestheidentificationandprotectionofkeyresourcessuchasactivefarmland,wetlandsandwaterways,historicareas,wildlifehabitat,etc .Thisprocesscontrastswiththetraditionalsubdivisionapproachofsitingnewhousesandroadsfirstandthenidentifyingkeyresourcesthatwouldbeprotectedbyasiteplan .Byidentifyingkeyresourcesfirst,theconservationsubdivisionprocesscanbeusedtositenewhousesandroadsinamannerthatminimizesimpactstofarmlandandothernaturalresources .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Caton, Steuben County, New york: Subdivision RegulationsThetownofCaton’ssubdivisionregulationsincludeastep-by-stepconservationsubdivisiondesignprocessandclusterdevelopmentprovisionwiththepurpose“toencourageflexibilityofdesignandlandconservationandtodeveloplandinsuchmannerastopreservethenaturalandscenicqualitiesofopenlandswhilereducingtheconstructionandmaintenancecostsofinfrastructure .”

Atraditionalsubdivisionplancanbesubmittedformajorsubdivisions(fiveormorelots)onlyifitisdemonstratedthatatraditionallayoutwouldbemostbeneficialtothecommunityandcompatiblewiththesite .Otherwise,aclusterdevelopmentisrequiredthatretains50percentofthelandasundeveloped

openspace .Theordinancefurtherdescribestheprocesstobeusedfordevelopingthesketchfortheproposedsubdivision .Theseconservationsubdivisionstepsinclude:

1 . Identifyprimaryconservationareas2 . Identifysecondaryconservationareas3 . Identifypotentialdevelopmentarea4 . Locatehousesites5 . Alignstreetsandtrails6 . DrawinthelotlinesThisprocessmakesconservationthefirstpriorityinthesubdivisionprocessratherthanthelast .Theregulationsrequireapplicantstodevelopanimprovementsconstructionplanthatarticulatesthelocationofnewinfrastructure,thelocationofparksorotheropenspace,landscapingplansandotheraspectsofthesubdivision .

• TownofCaton,SubdivisionRegulations

BuffersBuffersareapopularstrategyforreducingconflictsbetweennewresidentsandnearbyfarmoperations .Buffersontheedgesofresidentialsubdivisionsaregenerallyassmallas30feettoaslargeas600feet .Theyarekeptundevelopedtoscreenoutthesights,soundandsmellsfromnearbyfarmoperations .Treeorshrubplantingscanberequiredtofurtherreducethemovementofdustandsounds .Fencingcanalsoberequiredtominimizetrespassingonnearbyfarmproperty .

Fornewsubdivisionsproposedonopenland—pastures,cropland,etc .—landscapingplanscanberequiredasaconditionoffinalsubdivisionapprovalwithoccupancycertificateswithhelduntiltheplanisimplemented .Treeplantingsandotherlandscapingimprovementscanthenhelpscreenairmovementandlimitconflictsinvolvingnearbyfarmpractices .

Inallcases,buffersshouldberequiredaspartofnewresidentialsubdivisions .Theyshouldnotrestrictfarmoperationsonneighboringproperties .Thispracticeallowsfarmerstoretainproductiveuseofasmuchoftheirlandaspossible,whileensuringthatanewsubdivisionisascompatibleaspossiblewithnearbylanduses .


Whilebufferscanplayanimportantroleinscreeningnewsubdivisionsfromnearbyfarms,itisunrealistictoexpectthattheywillpreventallfarmer/neighborconflicts .Somecommunitiestaketheadditionalstepofrequiringthatright-to-farmdisclosurenoticesarefiledwithfinalsubdivisionplansordistributedwithoccupancycertificatesfornewresidencesinasubdivision .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Easton, washington County, New york: Subdivision LawThetownofEastonhasamulti-stagesubdivisionprocessthatbeginswithapre-applicationconference .Atthisconference,theapplicanthastheopportunitytodiscussthesubdivision,thetown’ssubdivisionprocessandthecompatibilityoftheproposedsubdivisionwithEaston’scomprehensiveplanandagriculturaldistricts .Applicantsmustprovidetherequiredsubdivisionapplicationformsaswellasacopyofanagriculturaldatastatement(asrequiredbyNewYorkStateAgriculturalDistrictsLawforlandusedeterminationsaffectingpropertywithin500feetofafarmoperationlocatedinanagriculturaldistrict) .

Minorsubdivisions(fourorfewerlots)undergoatwo-stepprocess,whilemajorsubdivisions(fiveormorelots)haveathree-stepprocess .Theprocessforbothscalesofsubdivisionthenmovestosketchplanreview .Thesketchplanmustincludethelocationofthesketchplaninrelationtoagriculturaldistrictsandalsocontainstheagriculturaldatastatements .

Ifalandownersubmitsaformalapplication,theplanningboardmustdeterminewhethertheproposedactionissubjecttoStateEnvironmentalQualityReview(SEQR)reviewprocedures .Inmakingdeterminationsofsignificanceandidentifyingareasofenvironmentalconcern,theplanningboardreviewssubmitteddocumentsaswellasmapsoflandenrolledinagriculturaldistricts .Inaddition,thetownhasaddedtothelistof“TypeIactions”any“unlistedactionthatincludesanon-agriculturaluseoccurringwhollyorpartiallywithinanagriculturaldistrict…whichinvolvesthephysicalalterationofoneormoreacresand/orexceeds10percentofanythresholdestablishedforTypeIactionsinSEQR,whicheverislower .”

Forprojectsthatrequirethefilingofanenvironmentalimpactstatement,thetownofEastonrequiresanagriculturalelementwhentheproposedactionislocatedwithinorcontiguoustoanagriculturaldistrict .Theagriculturalelementrequiresadescriptionoftheshort-andlong-termimpactsonagriculture,alternativestotheproposedactionandmitigationmeasurestominimizeadverseimpactsonfarmenterprises .Inadditiontoathoroughsubdivisionreviewprocess,thetownofEastonstipulatesdesignstandardsorsubdivisionpoliciesthataresupportiveofagriculture .Theyinclude:• Utilitiesshouldgenerallynotbebroughtacross

agriculturalland .Ifnecessary,alternativesshouldbeconsideredincludingalternativeuserlocations,reroutingutilitylinesorsubsurfaceinstallationtoensurethatsuchfacilitiesarenotdamagedbyfarmequipment .

• Subdivisionsofmorethan12lotsshouldbephasedtosafeguardthequantityandqualityofgroundwater .Sixlotsshallbethemaximumnumberoflotsapprovedatanyonetime .

• Disclosurenoticesmustbegiventonewrecipientsoflandinasubdivisionapprovedbythetown .

• Drivewaysshouldnotbisectagriculturallandinamannerthatwilldisruptcroppingpatternsorremoveagriculturallandfromcropproduction .

• Fornewsubdivisionsofopenlandcreatingfourormorelots,thesubdividershallsubmitandimplementalandscapingplantoreducethetransmissionofnoise,dust,glareandotherundesirableeffectsfromneighboringproperties .

• Buffersshouldbeincludedinresidentialsubdivisionsasameansofreducingthelikelihoodofconflictswithnearbyfarmoperations .Bufferdistanceswillbedecidedonacasebycasebasisbutshouldgenerallybebetween30ftand600feetwide .Furthermitigationmeasuresmaybeconsideredincludingthereductionofthenumberoflotsintheproposaland/orthelocatingoflotsinamannerthatprovidesamoreprotectivebuffer .

• TownofEaston,SubdivisionLaw


Local Property Tax Reduction ProgramsCost of Community Services Studies

Farmlandisacriticalassetforfarmbusinesses .However,itspurchaseandmaintenancerequireasignificantinvestmentforfarmers .

Propertytaxesareanadditionalburdenforfarmersthatincreasethecostofdoingbusiness .Theycanalsocreatefinancialhardshipsforrurallandownerswhorentlandtofarmers .Inaworst-casescenario,highpropertytaxescanforcelandownerstoselltheirlandbecausetheycan’taffordtopaythem .

Theuseofpropertytaxestofundlocalservices,suchastownandcountygovernmentsandschools,canseeminequitablebecausefarmsandforestlandgenerallyreceivefewerlocalservicesthantheypayforthroughpropertytaxes .CostofCommunityServices(COCS)studiesconductedbyAFTandothersaroundthecountryhaveanalyzedlocalrevenuesandexpendituresbylandusetodeterminetheirimpactsonlocalbudgets .

COCSstudieshaveconsistentlyshownthatfarmandforestlandgeneratemorepublicrevenuesthantheyreceiveinpublicservices .Theselandsmaygeneratelesstaxrevenuethannewresidentialdevelopment,buttheytypicallycostcommunitiessignificantlylessinpublicservices .Bycomparison,residencesrequiregreaterpubliccosts,principallybecauseoflocalschoolexpenditures .Therefore,thenettaximpactoffarmandforestlandonacommunityispositivewhiletheneteffectforresidencesisnegative .

COCSstudiescanhelpdispelthemyththatconvertingfarmlandwilllowerlocalpropertytaxes .WhileCOCSstudiesarenotmeanttojudgetheoverallpublicgoodormeritsofanylanduse,theycanbeaneffectivetoolforacommunityinterestedinunderstandingtheimpactsofvariouslanduses .

• FarmlandInformationCenter,CostofCommunityServicesStudiesFactSheet

Thereareseveralstateprogramsavailabletohelpreducepropertytaxesonactivelymanagedfarmandforestland,including:

• AgriculturalAssessmentProgram• FarmBuildingExemptions• Farmers’SchoolTaxCredit• ForestLandExemptions• ReplantedorExpandedOrchardsorVineyardsTowneffortstosupplementstatetaxreliefprogramscanbeanimportantcomponentoflocalstrategiesthatsupportfarmoperationsandprotectfarmland .

Benefits of Local Property Tax Reduction Programs• Reduceoperatingcostsforfarmoperations• Helpbringpropertytaxesinlinewithpublic

servicesrequiredbyfarmandforestland• Arepopularwithfarmersandrurallandowners

Drawbacks of Local Property Tax Reduction Programs• Shiftpropertytaxburdentoothertaxpayersor

revenuesources• Donottypicallyprovidepermanentprotectionto

farmland• Canencouragelandspeculationbyreducing

carryingcostspriortoalandownersellingpropertyfordevelopment

Acting as a Resource for LandownersProvidinginformationaboutexistingpropertytaxreductionprogramsisonesimplewayfortownsandcountiestohelpreducethepropertytaxburdenonfarmersandrurallandowners .AvarietyoftaxreliefprogramsareavailableinNewYork,buttheycanbedifficultforlandownerstounderstand .TownscanactasaresourceforlandownersbyhavinginformationaboutavailableprogramseasilyaccessibleattownhallsandbypromotingtheprogramsintownnewslettersandontownWebsites .Suchasimpleeffortcouldhelpfarmersandrurallandownerssavethousandsofdollarsinpropertytaxeseachyear .


• AmericanFarmlandTrust,NewYorkAgriculturalLandownerGuide

Providing Appropriate Assessments for Farm Buildings and StructuresFarmbuildingsandrelatedstructuresareanintegralpartoffarmoperations .Sinceagriculturalstructureshaveuniquepurposes,theyoftencannotbeeasilytransformedforotheruses .Farmbuildingscanbeexpensivetoconstructbutoftendepreciaterapidly .Townsmayfinditchallengingtoestablishappropriateassessmentsforfarmbuildings .TownassessorsshouldseekspecialtrainingfromCornellCooperativeExtension,theNewYorkStateOfficeofRealPropertyServicesorotheragenciesabouttheassessmentoffarmstructurestoensurethatfarmbuildingassessmentsarefairandaccurate .

Adopting Agricultural Assessment Values for Service DistrictsNewYork’sAgriculturalAssessmentProgramprovides“usevalue”assessmentforactivelymanagedfarmlandmeetingtheeligibilityrequirements .Agriculturalassessmentallowsfarmlandtobetaxedforitsagriculturalvalue,ratherthanitsmarket(non-farmdevelopment)value .Enrolledpropertiesreceiveagriculturalassessmentfortown,countyandschooltaxes .

Thegoverningbodyofafireprotectionorambulancedistrictmayadoptaresolutionstatingthatagriculturalassessmentvaluesshouldbeusedtodeterminethetaxesleviedbythatdistrict .Suchameasureensuresthatfarmlandistaxedatitscurrent,non-speculativevalue,recognizingthatfarmlandgenerallyrequiresfewerpublicservicesandshouldbetaxedappropriately .

• NewYorkState,RealPropertyTaxLawSections483,483-aand483-c

• NewYorkState,OfficeofRealPropertyServices:

• AgriculturalAssessmentforRentalLandowners

• AgriculturalAssessmentForms • FarmBuildingExemption • FarmWorkerHousingExemptionForms • NewYorkState,DepartmentofTaxation

andFinance: • Farmers’SchoolTaxCredit • HistoricBarnsTaxCredit

Lease of Development Rights Leaseofdevelopmentrights(LDR)ortermeasementprogramsreducepropertytaxassessmentsonlandprotectedbytermconservationeasements .AuthorizedbySection247oftheGeneralMunicipalLaw,theseprogramshavebeenusedtostabilizefarmlandandotherundevelopedareasbyreducingpropertytaxassessmentsinexchangefortermdeedrestrictions .Suchprogramscanbeanimportantcomplementtoexistingpropertytaxreductionprograms,especiallyforpart-timefarmersorotherrurallandownerswhodonotqualifyforagriculturalassessmentandotherexistingprograms .

InNewYork,themostcommonformofLDRhasbeentownprogramsthatreducepropertytaxassessmentsby25to90percentforlandownerswillingtosignfive-to25-yeardeedrestrictionsonpropertymeetingminimumacreagerequirements .Theydonotpermanentlyprotectlandforfarming,buttheycanhelpstabilizebroadareasofacommunity,givingtownsandlandownersmoretimetodevelopotherfarmlandprotectionstrategies .Duetodifferingopinionsabouttowns’legalauthoritytoenactsuchprograms,sometownshavesoughtstateauthorizinglegislationthatclarifiedtheirabilitytodevelopanLDRprogram .

LDRprogramsoftendrawinterestfromlandownerswithsmallfarmacreagesorfrompart-timefarmers .Larger,commercialfarmersoftenarealreadybenefitingfromexistingstateandlocaltaxreductionprograms,suchastheagriculturalassessmentprogramandFarmers’SchoolTaxCredit .Whilefurtherpropertytaxreductionmaybeofinteresttofull-timefarmers,therestrictionsmayoutweightheadditionalbenefits .However,townLDRprogramsoftenhelptoretainrentedfarmlandandopenspacesthatserveasbuffersbetweenfarmsandnearbyresidences .Inthisway,LDRprogramscanbenefitallfarmersinagiventown .


• TownofElma,AuthorizingLegislation

Benefits of LDR• Helpsstabilizebroadareasofacommunity• Maybeattractivetolandownerspreferringterm

agreementstopermanentcommitments• Provides“breathingroom”forcommunities

experiencingrapidlandusechange• Reducespropertytaxburdenforfarmlandowners

whomaynotqualifyforagriculturalassessmentorotherstatepropertytaxreductionprograms

Drawbacks of LDR• Doesnotpermanentlyprotectland• Cancreatetheperceptionthatatownis

subsidizinglandspeculationandlandownerswillreceivea“windfall”attheendoftheterm

• Requirespropertytaxshiftorotherincentivesthatcanbeexpensive

• Requireson-goingmonitoringandenforcement

LDR OptionsSomelocalitieshaveexperimentedwithadditionalbenefitsorstandardstomakeLDRprogramsmoreattractivetolandownersand/orimprovetheireffectiveness .Forinstance,California’sWilliamsonActprogramhasa“rolling”ratherthanafixedterm .Thelengthofthetermcontinuestorollforwarduntilaparticipatinglandownerdecidestowithdrawfromtheprogram,atwhichpointthetermoftheagreementbeginstodecreaseuntilitexpires .Forexample,ifalandownersignsa10-yearrollingtermagreementin2000,the10-yeartermcontinuestorollforwardeachyear .Ifthelandownerindicatesthathe/shewishestowithdrawfromtheprogramin2005,thenthelandowner’stermcommitmentwouldendin2015(i .e .,theyearofwithdrawalnoticeplusthe10-yearterm) .

Otherprogramshaverequiredthattowngovernmentsreceivea“rightoffirstrefusal”authorityonpropertiesenrolledinLDRprograms .Thisgivesatowntherighttomatchpurchaseoffersonparticipatingproperties .Thisauthoritymaynotpreventthesaleofaproperty,butitcanprovideleveragetoatownifkeypropertiescomeupforsaleduringthetermoftheiragreement .

SeveralNewYorktowns,suchasSouthamptonandWarwick,haveinstitutedLDRprogramswithadditionalincentives:theexpeditionoflimiteddevelopmentproposalsonenrolledproperties,theretentionofcurrentzoningstandardsforenrolledpropertiesandgrant-writingassistancetohelpfarmersacquireagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentfunds .ByofferingincentivesthatmayinterestcommercialfarmersinLDR,townscanprovidetermprotectiontoadditionalfarmland .

Additional ConsiderationsLDRprogramsofteninvolvesimplerdeedrestrictionsthanPDRprograms,inpartbecausetownswanttoreduceprogramcomplexityandtransactioncosts .Thiscanbejustifiedbecausetheagreementsarenotpermanent,andsimpleprogramsaremoreattractivetolandownersandeasiertoadminister .However,townsmusthaveaclearunderstandingofthepermittedusesofpropertiesandtheactionsthatconstituteaviolation .Forinstance,canparticipatinglandownersbuildbarnsandotheragriculturalstructures?Cantheysubdividetheirproperty?Cantheystorevehiclesorotheritemsonlandsubjecttotheagreements?Byhavingclearpoliciesonsuchissues,townscanhelppreventfuturemisunderstandingsandmaketheprogrameasiertoadminister .

Townsalsoneedtodeveloppenaltiessignificantenoughtodiscourageviolationsanddispeltheperceptionthattheyaresubsidizinglandspeculation .Byhavingrelativelyminorpenaltiesfortheconversionofenrolledland,townsmayencouragemorepeopletoparticipateinLDRprogramsbutdolittletodiscouragethelossoffarmlandtonewdevelopment .TownLDRprogramswithoutpenaltyprovisionsmayfailtoachievetheirstatedgoalsorbesubjecttocriticismbytaxpayers .FundsgeneratedbyLDRpenaltiescanbededicatedtofuturetowneffortsthatpermanentlyprotectfarmlandandotheropenspace .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Perinton, Monroe County, New york: Conservation Easement LawThetownofPerintonestablisheda“ConservationEasementLaw”in1976 .ThelawdoesnotsetaminimumacreageforLDRenrollmentbutstipulatesthata“parcelmustbesuitableforfurther


developmentsothatthelimitationondevelopmentduringtheeasementtimeperiodprovidesabenefittothetown .”Inexchangeforcommitmentsoffiveto25years,thetownreducespropertytaxassessmentsonenrolledpropertiesby25to90percent .

• TownofPerinton,ConservationEasementLaw

• TownofPerinton,ConservationEasementforFarmingPurposes

C A S E S T U D YTown of Clifton Park, Saratoga County, New york: Conservation Easement LawIn1996,thetownofCliftonParkadopteda“ConservationEasementLaw”withtheintentofprovidingfor“theacquisitionofinterestsorrightsinrealpropertyforthepreservationofhistoricbuildingsandlandmarksandopenspace… .”Ownersofhistoricbuildingsorlandownerswithaminimumof15acresperlot(or7 .5acreseachforanytwoadjoininglots)canapplytothetown’sprogram .Inexchangefor15-to25-yearcommitmentstonotdeveloptheland,thetownreducesthepropertytaxassessmentsofparticipatinglandownersby80to90percent .

• TownofCliftonPark,ConservationEasementLaw

C A S E S T U D YTown of Southampton, Suffolk County, New york: Agricultural Overlay District and Agricultural Planned Development DistrictThetownofSouthampton,locatedontheeastendofSuffolkCounty,developedan“agriculturaloverlaydistrict”and“agriculturalplanneddevelopmentdistrict”(PDD)toencouragethebusinessoffarmingandprotectproductivefarmlandforagriculturalpurposes .

TheagriculturaloverlaydistrictdefinesprogrameligibilityandtargetstheprotectionofsomeofthemostproductivesoilsinNewYork .Parcelsofatleast10acreslocatedintheoverlaydistrictareeligiblefortheprogram .Parcelsenrolledina10-yearagriculturaleasementaresubjecttothefollowingstandards:

• Nodevelopmentotherthanusesrelatedtoagriculturalproductionarepermittedonthepropertyduringthe10-yearterm(unlessthelandownerappliesforandreceivespermissiontoterminatetheagreement) .

• Atleast150dayspriortotheterminationdate,thetownofSouthamptonwillexercisearightoffirstrefusaloptiontopurchasethedevelopmentrights(PDR)orfeetitletotheproperty .Ifthelandownerandtownarenotabletoagreeontermswithin30daysoftheoffer,thelandownermaydevelopthepropertyinaccordancewiththeagriculturalPDDrequirements .Athree-yearwindowisprovidedforsubmittalofadevelopmentapplicationconsistentwiththeagriculturalPDDconditions .

• Thelandownermaysubmitaletterofinterestduringthe10-yearperiodandrequestanappraisaltodeterminethePDRvalueontheproperty .Thetownwillmakeanofferin120daysandthelandownercanacceptorrefusetheofferwithoutviolationoftheagriculturalPDD .

• Duringthis10-yearperiod,thelandownerreceivesacommitmentthatthepermitteddensityofdevelopmentwillremainfixed .

• Thetownwillassistlandownersofenrolledparcelsinobtainingfederal,state,countyorlocalmoniesforagriculturalproduction,marketingandeconomicdevelopment .

Thistypeofprogrammaybeofparticularinteresttolandownersincommunitiesthatareconsideringchangesinthepermitteddensityofdevelopment,becauseLDRenrollmentwillfixdensityratiosforthetermoftheagreement .Inaddition,theprogramallowstownstostabilizebroaderareaswhileacquiringlocalfundstopurchasedevelopmentrightsordevelopingotherpermanentsolutions .

• TownofSouthampton,AgriculturalOverlayDistrictandAgriculturalPlannedDevelopmentDistrict


Purchase of Development Rights

PurchaseofDevelopmentRights(PDR),alsoknownaspurchaseofagriculturalconservationeasements(PACE),isa

voluntaryapproachtofarmlandprotectionthatcompensateslandownersforpermanentlyprotectingtheirlandforagriculture .Ingeneral,landownerspossessavarietyofrightstotheirproperty,includingtherighttousewaterresources,harvesttimberordeveloptheirpropertyconsistentwithlocalregulations .Someoralloftheserightscanbetransferredorsold .10

PDRprogramsessentiallypaylandownerstoextinguishtheirrightstodeveloptheirland .Landownersretainotherownershiprightstotheproperty .Thepropertyremainsonthetaxrolls,anditstaxablevalueshouldbebasedupontheseremainingrights .

PDRprogramsplaceadeedrestriction,commonlyknownasaconservationeasement,ontheproperty .Inmostcases,conservationeasementsarepermanentagreementstiedtothelandthatapplytoallfutureowners .Thesebindingagreementspermitspecificgovernmentagencies(federal,state,county,municipal)and/orqualifiedprivate,nonprofitorganizationstohavetherighttopreventnonfarmdevelopmentoractivitiesthatcouldinterferewithpresentorfutureagriculturaluseontheproperty .

Thegoalofagriculturalconservationeasementsistoprotectlandtohelpsupportthebusinessoffarmingandconserveproductivesoilsforfuturegenerationsoffarmers .Landsubjecttoanagriculturalconservationeasementcanstillbefarmedorusedforforestry,recreationandotherusescompatiblewithagriculturalactivities .Sinceagricultureisconstantlyevolving,agriculturalconservationeasementstypicallyprovideopportunitiesforfarmerstoconstructnewfarmbuildingsandfarmworkerhousingortochangecommoditiesorfarmpractices .

Ingeneral,thevalueofapermanentconservationeasementequalsthefairmarketvalueofapropertyminusitsrestrictedvalue,asdeterminedbyacertifiedrealestateappraiser .Forexample,ifthefullmarketvalueofaparceloffarmlandis$400,000,butthelandisworth$100,000whenprotected,thenthefarmerwouldtypicallybepaidthedifferenceof$300,000forsellingthedevelopmentrights .PDRispopularwithmanylandownersinpartbecausethepaymentisfinanciallycompetitivewithdevelopmentoffers .

• FarmlandInformationCenter,FactSheets – AgriculturalConservationEasements – FarmTransferandEstatePlanning – InstallmentPurchaseAgreements – PurchaseofAgriculturalConservation

Easements – PurchaseofAgriculturalConservation

Easements,SourcesofFunding – PACE:StatusofLocalPrograms2010 – PACE:StatusofStatePrograms2010 • NewYorkState,FarmlandProtection

Program • NewYorkStateDepartmentofAgriculture

andMarkets,ModelAgriculturalConservationEasement

• AgriculturalStewardshipAssociation,AgriculturalConservationEasement

• NewYorkState,EnvironmentalConservationLawArticle49Section3

Benefits of PDR programs• Protectfarmlandpermanently,whilekeepingitin

privateownership• Arevoluntaryprograms• Allowfarmerstotransformlandassetsintoliquid

assetsthatcanbeusedforotherpurposes• Canprotectavarietyofagriculturalandnatural

resources• Helpkeepagriculturallandaffordableforfarmers

Drawbacks of PDR programs• Areexpensive• Aredifficulttofundadequately;demandforthe

programsisusuallyfargreaterthanavailablefunds• Willnotprotectsomeimportantfarmsthat

choosenottoparticipate


• Arecomplexandtimeconsuming• Requireanongoinginvestmentoftimeand

resourcestomonitorandenforceconservationeasements

Issues to Consider in Developing Local PDR Programs PDRprogramscanbeanimportant“carrot”tocounterbalancethe“stick”oflanduseregulations .Thisisespeciallytrueincommunitiesexperiencinghighdevelopmentpressure,wherethereisaneedforfarmlandprotectionalternativesthatarefinanciallycompetitivewithdevelopmentproposals .PDRprogramscanallowcommunitiestopermanentlyprotectsignificantblocksoflandasaresourceforlocalfarms .Thisprotectedlandwillalsobeacommunityresource,providinglocalfood,ruralcharacterandcherishedsceniclandscapes .

However,PDRprogramsarenotapanacea .Theywillnotsolvealloftheproblemsthatchallengelocalfarms .Theprogramsareoftenexpensive,andPDRprogramimplementationtakesconsiderabletimeandrequiresspecificknowledgeandskills .

TownsdebatingwhethertostartorsupportaPDRprogramshouldconsiderthefollowing:

What types of land do you want to protect? How will you determine your priorities? DuetothevoluntarynatureofPDRprograms,landownerslargelydeterminewhichpropertiesendupenrolling .However,townscanbenefitfromhavingarankingsystem,maporotherplanthatguideslocalfarmlandprotectionpriorities .AlocalprioritizationstrategycanaddlegitimacytoPDRefforts,ensurethatlimitedpublicfundsarespentstrategically,andaddresslandownerorresidentquestionsabouttherationaleforprojectselections .

Thespecificityofarankingsystemwilldifferbycommunity .SomecommunitiesusetheircomprehensiveplanstohelpfocusPDRprograms .Othertownscreateapriorityrankingsystemandfarmlandprotectionmapthatrankseachfarmpropertyinthecommunity .Realistically,thecomprehensivenessandcomplexityofalocalstrategyshouldbebalancedbythecommunity’savailabletimeandresources .BecausePDRprogramstendtobelandownerdriven,propertiesidentifiedonlocal

mapsmayneverbeprotected .Townsthatspendyearsidentifying,prioritizingandanalyzingmayloseopportunitiesforactualfarmlandprotection .

How will projects be funded?ThisquestionpresentsoneofthemostsignificantchallengesfortownsthatwanttoestablishPDRprograms .Purchaseofdevelopmentrightsisattractivebecauseitoffersasignificantfinancialincentiveforlandowners .However,communitiesoftenarefacedwithsignificantlandownerinterestaswellasrisingrealestateprices .WithoutaconsistentsourceofPDRfunding,localprogramscanbestifledandmaymakeslowerprogressthanoriginallyanticipated .

SomeofthetraditionalfundingsourcesforlocalPDRprogramsinNewYorkinclude:

• NewYorkState,FarmlandProtectionProgram• UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)

NaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS),FarmandRanchLandsProtectionProgram(FRPP)11

• Townbonds• Townpropertytaxes• TownrealestatetransfertaxesAlloftheabovefundingsourceshavebenefitsanddrawbacks .Thestateandfederalprogramsprovidegrantstoeligiblegovernments,whichisanattractiveoptionforlocalgovernmentssincethegrantscanbringhundredsofthousandsofdollarstolocalprojects .Thedownsidetothestateandfederalprogramsisthattheyarecurrentlysignificantlyoversubscribedandrequirecost-sharefunds .

New york State Farmland Protection Program Establishedin1996,NewYork’sFarmlandProtectionProgramprovidesgrantstoeligiblecountiesandtowns(withapprovedfarmlandprotectionplans)topermanentlyprotectlandforagriculture .Thegrantscanprovideupto75percentofthefundsneededtopurchasethedevelopmentrightsonfarmlandandwillmatchalandownerbargainsaledollarfordollarupto87 .5percentofthecost .

AftertheNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets(NYSDAM)issuesarequestforapplications,proposalsarerankedandscored .Priorityisgiventoprojectsthatpreserveviable


agriculturallandinareasfacinghighdevelopmentorconversionpressure .Priorityalsoisgiventolandthatbuffersasignificantpublicnaturalresource .Someofthespecificevaluationcriteriainclude:

• Numberofacrespreserved• Soilquality• Percentageoftotalfarmacreageavailableforcrop

production• Proximitytootherconservedfarms• Leveloffarmmanagementdemonstratedby

currentlandowner• Likelihoodoftheproperty’ssuccessionasafarmif

ownershipchanges

Federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) The1996FarmBillestablishedFRPPtoprovidefundingtopurchasedevelopmentrightsonproductivefarmandranchland .FRPPprovidesupto50percentofafarm’sdevelopmentrightsvalue .However,thematching50percentofprojectfundsmustbeacquiredpriortosubmittalofanapplicationtoFRPP .The2008FarmBillsignificantlyincreasedFRPPfundingsothatalmost$200millionperyearcanbeallocatedperyearfrom2008to2012 .

• USDANRCS,FarmandRanchLandsProtectionProgramFactSheet

Town Funding Sources Ingeneral,localfundsprovidetheopportunitytoprotectsignificantblocksoffarmlandatascalethatcan’tbeachievedsolelythroughstateorfederalgrants .However,localtaxpayersmustpayforbondsandpropertytaxes .SomelandownerswillopposelocalPDRprogramsbecausetheydonotwanttosupportanexpensethatispaidforthroughpropertytaxes .

TownrealestatetransfertaxescanbeanattractivesourceoffundingforlocalPDRprograms,sincethefundsaregeneratedbythesaleofrealestate,notpropertytaxes .However,townsinNewYorkmustbeauthorizedbythestatetoenactlocalrealestatetransfertaxes .Such“CommunityPreservationAct”authorityhasbeenprovidedtosixtownsontheeasternendofLongIsland,oneinwesternNewYork,andselecttownsintheHudsonValley .

Who will administer projects? Who will hold and monitor conservation easements?PDRprojectsarecomplexandtime-consuming .Theyrequireexpertiseinrealestatetransactionsandanunderstandingofthenuancesofconservationeasements .Townsmustdeterminewhowillbeinvolvedingrantwriting,projectadministration,legalreviewsaswellason-goingmonitoringandstewardshipactivities .

TowngovernmentsoftencollaboratewithprivatelandtruststhatcanactaspartnersinPDRprogramimplementation .Alandtrustisanonprofitorganizationthat—asallorpartofitsmission—activelyworkstoconservelandbyundertakingorassistingdirectlandtransactions .Mostlandtrustsareprimarilyinvolvedinthepurchaseoracceptanceofdonationsoflandorconservationeasements .Workingwithlocalgovernments,landtrustscanassistinnegotiatingconservationeasementsandcompletingotheraspectsoffundedprojects .Inaddition,landtrustscanholdconservationeasementsandundertakeongoingmonitoringandstewardshipresponsibilities .

What are agricultural conservation easements?Ingeneral,aconservationeasementisalegalagreementbetweenalandownerandalandtrustorgovernmentagency .Conservationeasementsaretypicallyusedtopermanentlylimitusesofthelandinordertoprotectconservationvalues . Agriculturalconservationeasementsareonetypeofconservationeasement .Theytypicallylimitsubdivision,non-farmdevelopmentandotherusesthatareinconsistentwithagriculture .However,agriculturalconservationeasementsoftenpermitcommercialdevelopmentrelatedtoafarmoperation,suchastheconstructionoffarmbuildings .Whilesomeagriculturalconservationeasementsrequiresoilandwaterconservationplans,mostdonotrestrictfarmmanagementpractices,allowingfarmerstoadaptandchangepracticesasneeded .

Landownersretaintitletotheirpropertyandcanstillfarm,renttheirlandorusethepropertyascollateralforacquiringaloan .Farmersareusuallyallowedtolimitpublicaccesstotheirproperty,unlesstheyagreeotherwise .Someoftheimportantissuestoconsiderwhendraftingagriculturalconservationeasements:


• Easementpurpose .Theprimarypurposeusuallyinvolvessupportingthecontinuedagriculturaluseofthepropertyandprotectingproductiveagriculturalsoils .

• Constructionofagriculturalbuildings .Farmstypicallyneedflexibilityintheconstructionofnewfarmbuildingssothatexistingfarmscanadaptandnewfarmershaveopportunitiestogetintothebusiness .

• Residentialconstruction .Considerationshouldbegiventoallowingfortheconstructionoffarmworkerhousing .Inaddition,landownersmaybeinterestedinoptionsforlimitedresidentialconstructionforfamilymembers,etc .

• Non-agriculturalusessuchasforestmanagement,ruralenterprisesandrecreation .Non-farmincomeopportunitiescanhelpkeepfarmfamiliesprofitableandontheland .However,theimpactsofnon-farmactivitiesonthefarmoperationmustalsobeconsidered .

C A S E S T U D YTown of warwick, Orange County, New york: PDR ProgramThetownofWarwick’s1999ComprehensivePlanstronglyrecommendedtheestablishmentofalocalPDRprogram .In2000,amajorityoftownvotersapprovedaballotinitiativeauthorizingtheexpenditureof$9 .5millionfortheacquisitionofopenspaceanddevelopmentrights .

In2001,Warwickformallyreconstituteditsagriculturaladvisoryboardtooverseetheimplementationofthetown’sPDRprogram .Theboardischargedwithsolicitingapplicationsfromlandowners,educatinglandowners,monitoringenrolledproperties(ormakingprovisionsformonitoring),reviewingpermissionrequestsfromenrolledpropertiesandoverseeingotheraspectsoftheprogram .In2001,thetownalsoestablishedan“agriculturalandopenspacepreservationfund”withspecificguidelinesforitsuse,anapplicationrankingprocedureandaprocessforsubmittingapplicationstoNYSDAMforcost-shareassistanceonPDRprojects .

In2006,thetownadoptedtheCommunityPreservationProjectPlantoaddresstheissueofprotectingfarmland .AnoutgrowthoftheplanwastheCommunityPreservationProjectFund,whichgeneratesincomethrougha0 .75percentrealestatetransfertaxtopurchasedevelopmentrightsonagriculturalland .SincethenWarwickhasacquired,

orisintheprocessofacquiring,thedevelopmentrightson13farmsencompassing2,300acres .

• TownofWarwick,Code

C A S E S T U D YTown of Riverhead, Suffolk County, New york: Community Preservation Fund LawNewYorkStateTownLawSection64-EpermitsfivetownsinLongIsland’sPeconicBayregiontodevelop“communitypreservationfunds”thatprotectfarmland,naturalareasandotheropenspace .Thefivetowns,includingRiverhead,aregiventheauthoritytoenactuptoatwopercentrealestatetransfertaxwithproceedsgoingtothededicatedcommunitypreservationfund .Thetransfertaxcanonlybeenactedafteramajorityvotebythetownboardandalocalreferendum .Aportionofeachresidentialsalepriceisdeductedpriortotheapplicationofthetransfertaxtominimizetheburdenonaffordablehousing .

ThetownofRiverheadhasusedtheauthoritygrantedbythestatetoestablishitsownCommunityPreservationFundLaw .Thelawdefinesthepurposeofthetownfund,itsadministrationanddefinesproceduresfortheapplicationofthetwopercentrealestatetransfertax .Thelawfurtherdescribeshowthefundwillbeusedforlandconservationandstewardshippurposes .

FromApril1999through2010,Riverhead’sCommunityPreservationFundgeneratedover$33millionandenabledtheacquisitionofconservationeasementson1,700acres .Thisfundinghasbeencriticaltoconservationeffortsinanareaexperiencingextremelyhighdevelopmentpressure .

AccordingtothePeconicLandTrust,sincetheenactmentoftheCommunityPreservationFundLaw,6,000acreshavebeenprotectedinthePeconicBayregion .In2006,votersinallfivetownshipsapprovedareferendumtoextendthecollectionofthetwopercentrealestatetaxfrom2020to2030 .InApril2009,areferendumcallingforadditionalfinancialoversighttotheCommunityPreservationFundwasalsopassed .

Inaddition,asofJuly2008threeothertownsinthePeconicBayregion—Southampton,EastHamptonandShelterIsland—enactedtaxexemptionpoliciesthatapplytofirst-timehome-buyersaswellascertainnonprofitcorporations .


• TownofRiverhead,CommunityPreservationActLaw

C A S E S T U D YTown of Clarence Greenprint and Town of Marilla, Erie County, New yorkThetownofClarenceexperiencedarapidlygrowingpopulation—a30percentincreasebetween1990and2000—anditsresidentswereconcernedoverlossofopenspaceandfarmland .TheseconcernspromptedpassagebyClarenceresidentsofa$12 .5millionbondactin2002 .

Subsequently,thetowndevelopedtheClarenceGreenprintwithamission“topreserveandprotectecologicallysignificantlandscapes,valuableagriculturalresources,aestheticbeauty,andtheruralcharacterofthetown,whilemaintainingastabletaxbaseandmanaginggrowth .”Sincethen,theWesternNewYorkLandConservancyhasworkedwithClarencetocontactlandowners,rankparcelsanddraftconservationeasements .Todate,802acresoffarmlandhavebeenprotectedeitherbyoutrightpurchaseorbyplacementofaconservationeasementontheland .

InthenearbytownofMarilla,farmersandmembersoftheConservationAdvisoryBoardwereconcernedthatsprawlingresidentialdevelopmentradiatingoutfromthecityofBuffalowouldleadtoconversionofsignificantfarmland .Thetownboardcommittedmoneyfromthetowngeneralfundtoleverageaddi-tionalfundingfromNewYorkStateandthefederalFRPPprogramtopurchasedevelopmentrightsonfarmland .Theselocalinvestmentsandleveragedfundshaveenabledthepermanentprotectionofmorethan770acresofagriculturalland .

C A S E S T U D YJefferson County, New york: PDR Feasibility Study FortypercentofJeffersonCounty’slandbasein2006wasinactiveagriculturaluse,and$106millionoffarmproductsweresoldbythecounty’sfarmers .TheeconomicsignificanceoftheindustryandthequantityoflandusedbyagricultureweredrivingfactorsintheAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionBoard’s(AFPB)decisiontoundertakeaPDRFeasi-bilityStudy .AWorkGrouprepresentingagricultural

organizations,thecounty,economicdevelopmentorganizations,andlanduseinterestsledtheprocessandhiredAmericanFarmlandTrusttoconductthestudy .Workgroupmeetings,publicmeetingsandone-on-onefarmermeetingsresultedinalistofrecommendationsforthecountytoimplementasitmovedforwardwithaPDRprogram .

Thecountyestablishedprogressivegoalsthroughthefeasibilitystudyincluding:

• Through2035,promotea“nonetloss”goalforlandinagriculturaldistrictsbyretainingapproximately187,000acresasacriticalmassofagriculturalland .

• Through2035,protect20percentofcurrentproductiveacreageforagriculture .

• JeffersonCounty,PDRFeasibilityStudy

C A S E S T U D YSuffolk County, New york: Farmland Protection Program SuffolkCountywasthefirstmunicipalityinthenationtopermanentlyprotectfarmlandbypurchasingdevelopmentrightsontheland .Sinceitsinceptionin1974,theSuffolkCountyFarmlandProtectionProgramhasprotected9,669acresofland,limitingitsusetoagriculturalproductionandcompatibleuses .Over$200millionofstate,federalandlocalmoneythroughgrants,appropriations,bondsandrealestatetransfertaxeshavefundedthesepurchases .

• SuffolkCounty,PDRApplication

• SuffolkCountyPublication,GreenhouseStructuresonProtectedFarmland,www .suffolkcountyny .gov/upload/planning/pdfs2/reports/2009/greenhouse_guidelines_08 .pdf

C A S E S T U D Ywashington County, New york: Land Trust/County Partnership for PDR Program WashingtonCounty’s1996AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlanrecommendedastudyofthefeasibilityofusingpurchaseofdevelopmentrights(PDR)asaneffectivetooltoprotectfarmlandinthearea .Subsequently,thefeasibilitystudyrecommendedtheuseofPDRandledtothecountypartneringwithalocal


landtrust,AgriculturalStewardshipAssociation(ASA),todevelopandadministeraPDRprogram .

PeraMemorandumofUnderstanding(MOU),thecountyandASAhavedesignatedthedivisionofresponsibilityforchoosingfarmsfortheprogram,writingapplicationstoNewYorkState,performingthetasksneededtocloseaprojectonceafarmisawardedmoneyandreceivingthemoneyfromthestatefordisbursementtothefarmer .

Forthepastfouryears,ASAhaspartneredwithRensselaerCountyinasimilarmanner .AnMOUdesignatesresponsibilitiesofthetwoentitiesandtheconditionsforASAtobepaidbyRensselaerCountyformanagingthecounty’sPDRProgram .Thepast13yearsofsuccesswiththesevaluablepartnershipshasresultedinover10,000acresofpermanentlyprotectedfarmlandinthetwo-countyregion .

• LandTrust/CountyMemorandumofUnderstanding

C A S E S T U D YCayuga County, New york: PDR ProgramSince2001,CayugaCountyhassecuredfundingtoprotect7,380acresofhighlyproductivefarmlandon13farms .FundingtoprotectthesefarmshascomefromtheNewYorkStateFarmlandProtectionProgramandthefederalFRPP .

Duetotremendousinterestfromareafarmers,theCayugaCountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtec-tionBoard(AFPB)establishedapre-applicationprocesstodeterminethefarmstosubmitforfund-ingeachyear .Earlyintheyear,farmerscanattendaworkshoptolearnabouttheprogramandthensub-mitapre-applicationtotheCayugaCountyDepart-mentofPlanningandEconomicDevelopment .TheDepartmentusesascoringformat,developedbytheAFPB,torankallpre-applicationsandsendsthoserankingsontotheAFPBforfinalselection .

• CayugaCounty,Pre-ApplicationforNYSFarmlandProtectionImplementationGrant

C A S E S T U D YFrederick County, Maryland: Critical Farms Program FrederickCountylaunchedtheCriticalFarms

Programin1995topreserveprimefarmlandandtohelpfull-timefarmerspurchasefarmland .Applicantstotheprogramearnmorethanhalfoftheirincomefromfarming,andnolessthan75percentoftheacreagetheywanttopurchasehastobezonedasagriculturalorconservation .Beforeapplyingtotheprogram,farmersmusthaveafarmundercontractofsale .

Onfarmsacceptedintotheprogram,thecountybuysafive-yearoptiononaconservationeasementfor75percentoftheappraisedeasementvalue .Theeasementvalueissetat70percentofthefairmarketvalue .Inexchange,farmersarerequiredtoapplytooneofMaryland’sstatePACEprograms .Iftheap-plicantissuccessfulinsellinganeasementtoeitherstateprogram,thefarmermustrepaythecountythefullamountoftheoptionprice .Ifthefarmerfailstoselltheeasementwithintheoptionperiod,thefarmermustrepaytheoptionamount,within60daysincludinginterest,orthecountyplacesaconservationeasementontheproperty .Becausethisprocessusuallytakesaboutfivemonths,thecountycanactquicklytoprotectimportantfarmsthatwouldotherwisebesoldfornonagriculturalpurpos-es .TheprocesstosellaneasementthroughaPACEprogramgenerallytakesfrom12to18months .

TheCriticalFarmsProgramreceives$250,000peryearthroughgeneralcountyrevenue .Thiscoversthecostofappraisalsandpersonnel .Whenconservationeasementsaresoldtothestate,reimbursementsfromthestatePACEprogramgobacktothecounty’sCriticalFarmsProgram .Atthebeginningof2010,FrederickCountyhadinvested$8 .1millionsincetheprogrambeganin1995andhadearnedback$3 .7million .Asof2009,theCountyhadassisted27farmerswithacquiring3,383acresoffarmland .Sevenofthosefarms,883acres,hadoptionstheyweretryingtoselltoastatePACEprogram .

• FrederickCounty,Maryland,OptiontoPurchaseAgriculturalLandPreservationEasement

C A S E S T U D YFrederick County, Maryland: Installment Purchase Program FrederickCountyhasbeenusinganInstallmentPurchaseProgram(IPP)toacquireeasementsonfarmlandsince2002 .TheIPPallowsthecountyto


leverageexistingfundstopurchasemoreeasementsthanthroughtraditionallump-sum-easementpur-chaseprogramsbyallowingthecountytospreadoutpaymentsover10or20years .TheIPPisusedonlyforeasementsthatthecountypurchasesindepen-dentlywithouthelpfromastatePACEprogram .

InstallmentPurchaseAgreements(IPAs)spreadoutpaymentsforconservationeasementssothatlandownersreceivesemi-annual,tax-exemptinterestoveratermofyears,typically10to20 .Theprincipalisdueattheendofthecontractterm .UnderFrederickCounty’sIPP,uponapprovalbythecountyandagreementbythelandowner,thecountyinvestsinaZeroCouponBondthatwillmaturetothefullvalueoftheeasementattheendofatermofthelandowner’schoosing .(Currentlythecountyisconsideringeliminatingtheoptionfora10-yearterminordertoextenditsbuyingpowerandtobetterleveragefunds .)

Interestpaymentsontheeasementvaluearemadethroughthetermandareexemptfromfederalandstateincometax .Attheendofthetermtheselleroftheeasementreceivesthefullprincipalamount,whichallowsfordeferralofcapitalgainstaxuntilthattime .LandownerscanliquidatetheirIPApriortotheendofanagreementorcantransferittoheirs .TheIPPisfundedfromrecordationtaxrevenues .Asof2009,94propertieson14,649acreshadbeenpreservedbytheIPP .

• FrederickCounty,Maryland,AgriculturalLandPreservationInstallmentPurchaseAgreement

C A S E S T U D y Boulder County, Colorado: Purchase of Land in Fee and Lease Agreements TheBoulderCountyParksandOpenSpaceDepart-ment’smissionincludespreservingopenspaceandprotectingnaturalandagriculturalresources .For30years,agriculturallandshavebeenprotectedbythecountybypurchasingdevelopmentrightsandplacingaconservationeasementontheland(thefarmlandstaysinprivateownership),orbypurchasingthefarmlandinfee .Thecountypreferspurchasingdevel-opmentrightsbecauseitislesscostlyanddoesnotrequirefuturemanagementoftheland .But,therearelandownerswhoprefertoselllandoutright .When

thecountydoespurchasethelandinfee,aconser-vationeasementisplacedontheland,and,inthepast,thelandwastheneithersoldorleased .Morerecently,thecountyhaschosentoretainownershipandleasethelandtofarmersinordertomaintainanavailableandaffordablesourceoffarmland .

Approximately175producersareonthewaitinglistforcounty-ownedagriculturalland .Afteraninformationalmeetingabouttheproperty,interestedindividualssubmitbidpackets,whichincludeadescriptionofhowtheyintendtousetheland .Thisreviewprocesshasensuredthatcounty-ownedagriculturallandisleasedtobona-fidefarmers .Mostofthecounty’sleasesarecrop-shareleases .Thecountyagreestopaysomeoftheexpensesupfrontinexchangeforashareoftheharvest .Crop-shareleasesrequireextensivedocumentationandtypicallydonotnetasmuchascashleases,however,thecountyofferscrop-shareleasestosupportlocalproducers .

Leasesareforoneyearwithtwoadditionalone-yearoptionstorenew .Duringthosethreeyearsthepropertydoesnotgoouttobid,allowingthetenantastablethree-yearplanningperiod .Onorganicfarms,thepropertygoesouttobidafterfouryears .Thecountyinvestsinandhelpstomaintainthepropertyandisabletofundinfrastructureimprovementsandgeneralmaintenancewithoutneedingtorealizeaquickreturnoninvestments .Inordertohelpthecountymeetthecommissioners’directivetoincreaseacreageoflandinorganicproduction,tenantswhoaretransitioningtoorganicproductionpay50percentlessinrentalpayments .Thesefarmerscanalsooptforalonger,five-yearlease .

Originally,fundingfortheprogramcamefromannualcountyappropriationsbutthenchangedtofundingfromsalesandusetaxes .Thisrevenuestreamhasbeenusedtobacktheissuanceof$280millioninbonds .In2009,$1millionofincomewasgeneratedfromcounty-heldagriculturalleasesthathelpedoffsetprogramcosts .Asofmid-2009,26,154acresofagriculturallandwereownedbythecountyandleasedtoproducers,andmorethan31,000acreswereprivatelyownedbutundercounty-heldeasements .

• BoulderCounty,Colorado,OpenSpaceLands,www .bouldercounty .org/openspace/about_us/acquisitions .htm


Transfer of Development Rights

Atransferofdevelopmentrights(TDR)programisanotherplanningtoolthatcanbeusedtogeneratefundsforfarmland

protection .Unlikepurchaseofdevelopmentrights(PDR)orleaseofdevelopmentrights(LDR)programsthatdependlargelyonpublicfunds,TDRprogramsestablishparametersunderwhichtheprivatesectorpaysforlandconservation .

TDRprogramsrequirethedesignationof“sending”and“receiving”areasinordertotransferdevelopmentfromonepartofacommunitytoanother .Sendingareasarethepartsofacommunitythatwillbethefocusoflandconservationefforts .Receivingareasarethefocusofmoreconcentrateddevelopment .ATDRprogramdefinesthelocation

oftheseareasandcreatesstandardsthatwillgovernthisdensitytransfer .

Whenappliedtofarmlandprotection,TDRprogramstransferdevelopmentawayfromagriculturalareastootherpartsofthecommunity .TDRprogramsworkbestinplaceswithlargeblocksofproductivefarmland,sinceitcanbedifficulttoestablishmeaningfulsendingareasinfragmentedfarmlandscapes .

Benefits of TDR Programs• Providealternatesourceoffundingtoprotect

farmland• ComplementPDRprogramsandother

conservationoptionsthatrelyonpublicfunds• Arevoluntary

Drawbacks of TDR Programs• Dependonrealestatemarketforlandprotection,

somusthavedemandfrombothsendingandreceivingareas

• Canbedifficulttoidentifyreceivingareasinterestedinandcapableofhandlingmoreintensedevelopment


• Requirestaffandresourcestomanageeffectively• Raisepropertytaxconcernsifsendingand

receivingareasareindifferenttaxingjurisdictions• Arecomplexprograms,takingtimetoexplainto

publicandlandownersNewYorkStateTownLaw261-astatesthatthepurposeofTDRprogramsis“toprotectthenatural,scenicoragriculturalqualitiesofopenlands,toenhancesitesandareasofspecialcharacterorspecialhistorical,cultural,aestheticoreconomicinterestorvalueandtoenableandencourageflexibilityofdesignandcarefulmanagementoflandinrecognitionoflandasabasicandvaluablenaturalresource .”

Thelawrequirestownstoidentifyspecificsendingandreceiving“districts”inaccordancewithacomprehensiveplan .Thetownboardmustprepareagenericenvironmentalimpactstatementpriortothedesignationoftheseareas .

LandinsendingdistrictsmustbepermanentlyprotectedbyconservationeasementsthatmeetthestandardsdescribedinNewYork’sEnvironmentalConservationLawArticle49Title3 .Townsmustdevelopcertificatesofdevelopmentrightsforindividualsorentitiesmakingtransfers;thecertificatesarethenrecordedwiththecountyclerk .

Statelawalsopermitstownstodevelopdevelopmentrights“banks”thatretainorselldevelopmentrights .Developmentrightsbankscanplayanimportantrole,particularlyinbeginningprograms .Itmaybedifficultforlandownersinterestedinsellingdevelopmentrightstofindcorporationsorindividualswhowanttobuydevelopmentrights .Atowndevelopmentrightsbankcanactasa“middleman,”acquiringthedevelopmentrightsfrominterestedlandownersandthensellingthemtodevelopers .

TDRprogramshavebeeneffectivefarmlandprotectiontoolsinotherpartsofthecountry .Todate,theyhavehadlimitedsuccessinNewYorkoutsideofamulti-townprogramthathasbeenusedtoprotectlandintheLongIslandPineBarrens .TDRprogramshavebeenachallengetoimplementinNewYorkbecauseofthestate’stownlevelplanningstructure,challengesindevelopingviablemarketsforthepurchaseandsaleofcredits,andthecomplexityofestablishingandrunningeffectiveTDRprograms .

TDRprogramsalsorequiretownstobefirmintheirapproachtovariancerequests .Developersmustbelievethattheyhavetopayinordertobuildathigherdensities,abeliefthatcanbedifficulttocultivateiftownsfrequentlyofferareavariances .ForTDRprogramstobeeffective,membersoftownleadership—includingthesupervisor,townboard,planningboardandzoningboardofappeals—mustunderstandandagreewiththeintentandrequirementsofaTDRprogram .

TDRstillhaspotentialinNewYork .Communitiesarelookingatallavailableoptionsforraisingfundsforlandconservation,includingopportunitiestoleverageprivatemoney .TobesuccessfulinusingTDR,townsmustdevelopabroadbaseofsupportforactionanddirectlyaddressthebarriersthathaveslowedtheuseofTDRinNewYork .

• NewYorkState,TownLawSection261 • FarmlandInformationCenter,Transferof

DevelopmentRightsFactSheet • ResourcesfortheFuture,HowWellCan

MarketsForDevelopmentRightsWork?

C A S E S T U D YTownofRiverhead,SuffolkCounty,NewYork:TransferofDevelopmentRightsLaw

ThetownofRiverhead’sTDRlawstatesthatitspurposeis“toimplementthelandusepoliciessetforthinthetownofRiverheadComprehensivePlanwithspecificreferencestothepreservationofagriculturallands,thesupportoftheexistingagriculturalindustryandthenecessaryandappropriateeconomicdevelopmentofthecommunity .”

Thelawestablishesthetown’s“agriculturalprotectionzoningusedistrict”asthesendingarea .Acombinationofresidentialandcommercialzoningdistrictsactasreceivingareas .Theordinancedescribestheprocessthroughwhichalandownercanapplytoselldevelopmentcreditstothetown(forpropertiesinthesendingarea) .Itfurtherexplainshowthe“preservationcredits”aretobeallocatedandestablishestheprocessfortheirredemptioninreceivingareas .

Thecreditallocationdiffersforeachzoningdistrict .Forexample,the“hamletresidentialzoninguse


district”permitsalotyieldasdeterminedbytheplanningboardwithamaximumdensityofonelotper40,000squarefeetoflandarea .The“businesscenterzoningusedistrict”permitsadensityyieldof1,500squarefeetoffloorareaperpreservationcredituptoamaximumof0 .3floorarearatio .

TheplanningboardisgiventhecompleteauthoritytoadministertheTDRProgram .Itoperateswiththeassistanceofthetownplanningdepartmentstaff .

• TownofRiverhead,TDRLaw

C A S E S T U D YTown of warwick, Orange County, New york: Zoning Code and the Transfer of Development RightsAccordingtothetownofWarwick’szoningcode:

“Thetransferofdevelopmentrights(TDR)makesitpossibletolimitdevelopmentinonearea(calledthe“sendingdistrict”)wherethereisanimportantresource,suchasactivefarmlandorsignificantopenspace,andtransferthosedevelopmentrightstoanotherarea(calledthe“receivingdistrict”)wheretherearelittleornoimpedimentstohigherdensity,suchasareasadjacenttotheTown’sthreevillagecenters,wherepublicwaterandsewerareavailableorplanned,orintheTown’sfivehamlets,wherecentralservicesareavailableorhavethepotentialtobecomeavailable .”

Thetown’szoningcodeestablishesaprocessbywhichdevelopmentrightscanbetransferredfromparcelsenrolledinthetown’sAgriculturalOverlayDistricttospecificzoningdistrictsidentifiedbythetown’scomprehensiveplanasfuturesettlementareas .Thecodealsopermitsthesendingofdevelopmentrightstoparcelsinvillageswithinthetown .Suchintergovernmentaltransfersrequireapprovalbybothtownandvillagegovernments .

Thecodealsostipulatesaformulafordeterminingthedevelopmentrightsavailablefortransfer .Parcelsenrolledinthetown’sAgriculturalOverlayDistrictcanusethehigherdensityallowedbythetown’s1989zoningcode(ascomparedtothelowerdensitypermittedbythecodeupdatedin2001) .

C A S E S T U D Ywarwick Township, Pennsylvania: Transfer of Development Rights LawThetownshipofWarwick,Pennsylvania,hasenactedaTDRprogramthatdesignatesitsagriculturalzoneasasendingareafordevelopmentrightsandallocateseachfarmintheagriculturalzoneoneTDRcreditforeverytwoacresoffarmland .FarmerscanvoluntarilyselltheseTDRcreditstothetownatfairmarketvalue .Subsequently,thetownwillsellthemtodevelopersinterestedinbeingpermittedtoincreaseimpervioussurfacecoverageinthetownship’scampusindustrialzone(thetown’sreceivingarea) .

WarwickTownshiphasspent$100,000dollarsontheprogram,andLancasterCountyhasinvested$2 .7million .Sincetheprogram’sinceptionin1993,over280TDRshavebeensoldandalmost2,000acreshavebeenpermanentlyprotected .

• WarwickTownship,Pennsylvania,TDRLaw

C A S E S T U D YTown of Lysander, Onondaga County, New york: Transfer of Development Rights LawIn1991,thetownofLysanderadoptedaLandUsePlanthatrecommendedtheuseofTDRandPDRasasmartgrowthmanagementstrategy .In2004thetownconductedaTDRfeasibilitystudyfocusingonthepotentialprotectionofthreefarms .Thefollowingyear,thetownwasawardedjustover$1millionfromtheNewYorkStateFarmlandProtectionProgramtoimplementthefirstphaseoftheprogram .

AsofJuly2010,thetownwasworkingoncompletingthefinalstagesofsecuringaconservationeasementonthethreefarmsidentifiedinthefeasibilitystudy .Developmentrightswillbepurchasedonthesefarmswiththestatefundsandsubsequentlysoldatpublicauction .Theprogramisdesignedtobeself-sustainingaftertheinitialdevelopmentrightssale .

• TownofLysander,TDRLaw

• www .townoflysander .org CodeoftheTownofLysander


Agricultural economic Development

Farmsarebothalanduseandbusiness .Agriculturehasbeentheanchorforcommunitiesthathavedependeduponfarms

forgenerationsasthefoundationoftheireconomy .Farmsoftenspendmostoftheirmoneyatotherlocalbusinesses,whichresultsinfurthereconomicactivity .AccordingtotheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA),farmsinNewYorksoldmorethan$4 .4billioninfarmproductsandspent$3 .5billionin2007onbuyingseed,animalfeed,fertilizer,fuel,electricandothersuppliesandservices .

AgriculturealsocontributesdirectlytoNewYork’seconomythroughtheeconomicimpactofthesale,processinganddistributionofagriculturalproductsandservices .Agriculturecontributesindirectlytoothereconomicsectors,suchasthetourismindustry,whileaddingtothequalityoflifeofstateresidents .

Holy Cow!The Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence estimates that the annual economic impact of dairy farming is $13,737 per dairy cow.12 At this rate, the economic impact of New York’s 619,000 dairy cows is $8.5 billion annually!13

Establishingpoliciesandprogramsthatsupporttheviabilityoffarmscanhaveadirecteffectonthestrengthoflocaleconomies .Agriculturaleconomicdevelopmentcomesinmanyformsandcansupporttheviabilityofmanytypesoffarms—largeand

small,conventionalandorganic,commodityanddirectmarket .Strategiesmustbetailoredtolocalconditionsandfrequentlyupdatedasthefactorsinfluencingthefarmeconomyarediverseandcandifferdependinguponlocation,commoditiesandothercircumstances .

Agriculturaleconomicdevelopmentatthelocallevelcanbechallenging .Manyforcesatstate,nationalandinternationallevelsaffecttheviabilityoffarming .Issuessuchaslowmilkprices,cheapimportsofapplejuiceconcentrate,nationalimmigrationpolicyandothermajorchallengesfacingagriculturearedifficulttodirectlyaddresslocally .

However,localgovernmentscanhaveanimportantinfluenceontheviabilityoffarminginNewYork .Countiescansupportlocalfarmsbycreatingasupportivebusinessenvironmentandstrategicallyassistingfarmsandrelatedbusinessesinpursuingnewopportunities .Examplesoflocalactivitiesmayincludestaffingforagriculturalprograms,holdingfarmevents,publicizingthebenefitsoffarms,encouraginglocalfoodpurchasesandsupportinglargereconomicdevelopmentprojectswithafocusonagriculture .

Includingagricultureincountyplanningeffortscanhelpensurethatinfrastructuredevelopmentandotherlarge-scaledevelopmentdoesnotadverselyimpactfarms .Additionally,celebratingagricultureaspartofacommunity’sorregion’sheritageaswellasitscurrentidentitycaneducateandinformconsumersaboutwhatisrequiredtoproducetheirfoodandfiber .

Benefits of Agricultural Economic Development • Increasesprofitabilityoffarms• Maintainsactivelyfarmedland• Improvesoverallconditionoflocaleconomies• Strengthenson-farminvestmentdecisions

Drawbacks of Agricultural Economic Development • Takestimetorealizeincreaseinfarmprofitability• Maynotreadilyengagemainstreameconomic

developmentinterests• Doesnotpermanentlyprotectfarmland


Business Planning and DevelopmentBusinessplanningisamustforanyonebeginningorlookingtostrengthenabusiness .Toooften,newfarmersforgetthat,althoughfarmingrevolvesaroundraisingplantsoranimals,itisabusinessandshouldbetreatedaccordingly .Countiescanhelpbypublicizinggeneralbusinessplanningcoursesorofferingtrainingsdesignedspecificallyforfarmers .Newfarmersandtransitioningfarmersparticularlybenefitfromdevelopingabusinessplantoguidedecisions .Trainingscanalsobespecifictoatypeoffarmingthatmaybeprevalentinthecountyorthatmayrequirespecialconsideration .

C A S E S T U D YSouthern Maryland, Farm viability Enhancement Grant Program In2000,Marylandinstitutedavoluntarytobaccobuy-outprogramtotransitionfarmersoutoftobaccoproduction .InsouthernMaryland,anagriculturaldevelopmentcommissionwassetuptoassistfarmerswiththetransition .OneprogramdevelopedbythecommissionwastheFarmViabilityEnhancementGrantProgram(FVEGP)whichprovidesbusinessplanningassistancetotransitioningfarmers .FarmerswhodevelopplanscanapplyforFVEGPgrantfundstoimplementportionsoftheirbusinessplan .Grantsrangefrom$20,000to$40,000 .Farmersreceivingagrantmustagreetoatermeasementkeepinglandinagriculturalproductionfora10-to20-yearterm,withtermlengthtiedtothedollarvalueofthegrant .

Atotalof26farmshaveparticipatedintheprogram,and,asof2009,ithadprotected19,000acresoffarmlandwithtermeasements .Becausetheprogramisregionalinnature,thebusinessplanningresourcepeopleinvolved(fromCooperativeExtension,universities,businessplanners)arevariedandgivefarmersastrongpoolofexpertsfromwhichtolearn .

• SouthernMaryland,FarmViabilityEnhancementGrantProgramAgreement

• SouthernMaryland,FarmViabilityEnhancementGrantandAgriculturalUseCovenant(termeasement)

C A S E S T U D YGenesee valley/Finger Lakes Horse Farm Business School, New york CornellCooperativeExtensionofOntarioCountyannuallyoffersaseriesofbusinessmanagementworkshops,trainingsandnetworkingeventsforpart-timeandfull-timehorsefarmowners .Whilethefocusisonbusinessmanagement,theseriesisspecifictoaspectsofthehorseindustry:boarding,breeding,training,casualhorseownership .Taughtbyfarmprofessionals,collegefacultyandCornellCooperativeExtensionspecialists,theseriesofferstrainingaboutequinelaw,liability,insurance,horsetourism,labormanagement,appraisalsandhorsebusinessmanagement .

• GeneseeValley/FingerLakesHorseFarmBusinessSchool,http://cceontario .org/temp2 .asp?id=horse-farm

C A S E S T U D Y Jefferson/Madison County, New york: Dairy Profit Teams In2007,theJeffersonCountyAgriculturalDevelopmentCorporationreceivedfundingfromtheNewYorkFarmViabilityInstituteandtheNewYorkStateCenterforDairyExcellencetoimplementapilotprogramon14dairyfarmsinJeffersonandMadisoncounties .Eachfarminthepilotassembledateammadeupofsomecombinationofbanker,feedsalesperson,veterinarian,nutritionist,CooperativeExtensioneducator,herdspersonandfarmowner .Theseteamsadvisedbusinessplanningdecisionsandassistedwithestablishingmeasurablegoalstoincreaseproductivityandprofitabilityonthefarm .Twelvejobswerecreatedonthese14farmsduringthepilotphaseand80percentoftheparticipatingfarmsincreasedprofitabilityandon-farminvestment .Thesuccessofthepilotledto$24,000offundingfromtheJeffersonCountyIndustrialDevelopmentAgency(IDA)toinstituteafullcounty-wideprogram,andledtodevelopmentofastatewidedairyprofitteamprogramofferedbytheCenterforDairyExcellence .

• Jefferson/MadisonCounty,DairyProfitTeams,www .nyfvi .org/default .aspx?PageID=2272&ProjectID=33,www .nyfvi .org/default .aspx?PageID=2354


Marketing ProgramsAspublicinterestinpurchasinglocalfoodcontinuestoincrease,countiescanhelpfarmersmeetthisdemandbyencouragingdirectmarketopportunities .Inrecentyears,NewYorkStatelawhasbeenamendedtoallowon-farmsalesofwineandliquorwhentheyareproducedonsite .Theselegislativechangeshavecreatednewvalue-addedmarketsforfruitandvegetablefarms .

Anindicationofthegrowinginterestinlocallygrownandproducedfoodsisthedocumented16percentrisefrom2009to2010inthenumberoffarmersmarketsintheU .S .Countiescansupportfarmersmarketsbyprovidingflexibilityinhealthcodesforfoodtastingsandotheractivitiesthatattractcustomerstothemarket .

Marketingprogramscantakemanyforms .“Buylocal”campaignscaneducateconsumersaboutthebenefitsofpurchasinglocalfoodandcanhelpidentifyfarmstands,farmersmarketsandothervenuesthatselllocalproducts .Countiescanassistfarmerswithmarketinglogisticsandadvertisingorattractnewfarmerstoacountytobuildacriticalmassoffarmsandfarmerstomaintainindustrystrength .

C A S E S T U D YJefferson County, New york, and Northern and Central New york: Come Farm with Us TheJeffersonCountyAgriculturalDevelopmentCorporationlaunchedits“ComeFarmWithUs”programtopromoteJeffersonCountyfarmsandencouragebuyersfromoutsidetheareatorelocateandfarminthecounty .Farmsforsalearelistedontheorganization’sWebsitealongwithcontactinformationforbuyerfollow-up .SincetheWebsite’sinception,over20newfarmshavebeenattractedtothecounty .Informationaboutfinancialresources,borrowingoptionsandbusinessplanningtoolsareincludedontheWebsiteaswell .

AfewyearsafterJeffersonCountybegantheprogram,ComeFarmWithUsexpandedtoincludeanadditionalsevencountiesinnorthernandcentralNewYork .Wellover65farmsconnectedtotheprogramhavetransferredownership .AdvertisinghasoccurredthroughouttheNortheastandincludesaninternationaleffortinCanadaandtheNetherlands .

• JeffersonCounty,www .comefarmwithus .com

• ComeFarmwithUs,www .comefarmwithus .org(8counties)

C A S E S T U D YLoudoun County, virginia: Office of Rural Economic Development LoudounCounty,Virginia,25milesfromWash-ington,D .C .,formedtheOfficeofRuralEconomicDevelopment(OfficeofRED)in2001,adivisionofthecounty’sDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment,todevelopagriculturalmarketingandagritourismprogramsinthecounty .TheOfficeofREDassistsfarmerswithfarmbusinessplanning,developsfarmtoursandguidestofarmproducts,andpromotesthecounty’swinetrailandequestrianindustry .

The“LoudounFarms”Websiteisthefocalpointforinformationaboutagritourisminthecounty .CollaborationbetweentheOfficeofRED,LoudounConventionandVisitorsAssociation,LoudounValleyHomeGrownMarketsAssociation,andPiedmontEnvironmentalCouncilhaveledtosignificantgrowthinagritourismanddirectmarketingoffarmproducts .From2001to2007totaldirect-to-customersalesofproductsgrewby525percent,accordingtotheOfficeofRED .In2008,nearly200,000touristsvisitedLoudounwineriesandfarmersmarkets .

• LoudonCounty,Virginia,AgritourismBrochure

• LoudonFarms,www .loudounfarms .org

C A S E S T U D Y New York State: County Bounty Programs

ColumbiaCountyBounty’smissionisto“promoteandsupportnetworkingconnectionsbetweenlocalagriculturalproducersandculinarybusinesses .”Itpro-videslocalfoodandfarminformationviaaWebsite,databaseandmap;hostsaTasteofColumbiaCountyBountydinner;linkschefswithfarmers;andpro-moteslocalfoodtoconsumers .ThissuccessfulmodelhasbeenreplicatedinotherHudsonValleycounties .

CentralNewYorkCountyBountyisdedicatedtogettinglocalfoodtoconsumersintheregion .


MemberfarmsrelaytoBountystaffwhichproduceandfoodproducts(madefromatleast25percentlocalfoods)areavailableforsaleeachweek .StaffuploadthisinformationontotheBountyWebsite,andcustomerscanplaceordersonlineandhavethemdeliveredtotheirdoorsteporpickthemupatacentraldistributionsite .Thisprogramisfundedbyanumberoffoundations,countyeconomicdevelopmentdepartments,CooperativeExtensionoffices,andtheNewYorkFarmViabilityInstitute .

• ColumbiaCounty,www .columbiacountybounty .com

• CentralNewYorkbounty,http://cnybounty .com/about_us .php

C A S E S T U D YNew york State: Pride of New yorkThePrideofNewYorkProgramwasdevelopedbytheNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets(NYSDAM)toencouragethesaleofagriculturalproductsgrown,andfoodproductsprocessed,withinNewYork .Theprogram’smembershipincludesfarmersandprocessors,retailers,distributors,restaurantsandrelatedculinaryandsupportassociations .

• PrideofNewYork,www .prideofny .com

Developing Market and Processing InfrastructureCountyeconomicdevelopmentagenciesassistindustryandbusinesseswithfinancing,sitedevelopment,infrastructure,andtaxes .Agriculturecanbenefitfromthesamesupport .Communitiesthatfacilitateagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentprojectscaptureboththevalueoftherawfarmproducttothelocaleconomyandthevalueofprocessingthatproductlocally .Andwiththeseprojects,countiesalsoimprovethelong-termviabilityoftheirfarms .

C A S E S T U D Y Eden, New york: Eden valley Growers Cooperative Forover50years,thehighlysuccessfulEdenValleyGrowersCooperativehasmarketedvegetablesand

flowersgrownbyitsmemberfarms .Inthelate1990s,EdenValleyGrowerswasinneedofavacuumcoolertoimprovepost-harvestqualityandthemarketabilityoftheirproduce .Cooperativemembersorganizedameetingwithlocalandstateelectedofficials,CornellCooperativeExtensionandCornellUniversityDepartmentofAgriculturalEngineeringstaff .

AnagreementwasreachedwherebytheEdenValleyGrowerspaid$125,000towardthecoolerpurchase,andtheErieCountyandNiagaraCountyIDAssharedtheremainingcost,withErieCountypaying$85,000andNiagaraCountypaying$40,000 .Withinthenextfiveyears,thereverseamountsweretobespentbythetwocountiesonanotherjointagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentproject .ItwasalsoagreedthatthevacuumcoolercouldbeusedbyanyNewYorkstategroweratthesamecostastoanEdenValleyCooperativegrower .

AfewyearslatertheErieCountyIDAsharedtheexpenseoftwoadditionalcoolerpurchaseswithEdenValleyGrowers:ahydrocoolerandanaircooler .TheserelativelylowinvestmentsbythecountyledtoimprovedproductqualityandallowedtheCooperativeanopportunitytoincreasemarketshare—anelementforsuccessneededbyanytypeofbusiness .

• EdenValleyGrowersCooperative, www .edenvalleygrowers .com/index .php3

C A S E S T U D Ykingston, Ulster County, New york: Farm to Table Co-packers FarmtoTableCo-packersisacontractpackagingfacilityintheHudsonValleyofferinganincubatorkitchenforproductdevelopment .AssistancewithcreatingthekitchencamefromtheHudsonValleyAgribusinessDevelopmentCorporationandtheSmallBusinessDevelopmentCenterofKingston .Thefacilityisabenefittolocalfarmerswhocantakethenextstepandprocessandselltheirfarmproductsthemselves,orhavereadymarketswithotherswhoaredoingsolocally .Withaprocessingline,bakery,testkitchen,refrigerationspaceandmultipleloadingdocks,thefacilityisversatileenough toofferarealadvantagetolocalentrepreneurs .

• FarmtoTableCo-packers,http://farm2tablecopackers .com


C A S E S T U D YGenesee County, New york: Genesee valley Agri-Business Park Twohundredacresof“shovel-ready”landinGeneseeCountyareactivelybeingmarketedtofoodprocessors,agri-businessfirmsandbio-energyfirms .Theagri-businessparkislocatedneartheO-AT-KAMilkPlantinBataviaandofferssignificantprocessingcapacityfortheabundantrawagriculturalproductsavailableinwesternNewYork .Priortobeingdesignatedanagri-businesspark,thelandwasfarmed .RemovingthelandfromproductionwasconsideredareasonabletradeinordertoincreaseagriculturalprocessingcapabilityandcreateanadditionalmarketforwesternNewYorkfarmsproducts .Municipalwaterandsewerareavailableonsite,aswellasgasandarailline .GeneseeCountyindicatesthatthisisthefirstagri-businessparkofitskindinNewYorkdedicatedsolelytoagriculturalprocessingandrenewableenergydevelopment .Ownedbyapublic–privatepartnershipbetweenaffiliatesoftheGeneseeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCenter(GCEDC)andFarmCreditEast,theParkisadministeredbytheGCEDC .

• GenesseeValleyAgri-BusinessPark,www .gcedc .com/pdf/industries/agri_business .pdf

C A S E S T U D YBurlington County, New Jersey: Community Agricultural CenterOverthepast25years,theBurlingtonCountyFarmlandPreservationProgramhaspermanentlyprotectedover50,000acresoffarmland .In2004,theBurlingtonCountyCommunityAgriculturalCenterwasestablishedtofurtherexpandeffortstoprotectviablefarmlandandsupportfarms .

TheCommunityAgriculturalCentergoalsareto:“supportthelocalagriculturaleconomybycreatingnewmarketsforlocalproducers,fosterawarenessandappreciationofthebenefitsprovidedbyagricul-turallandandtheimportanceofprotectingit,andtoprovideresidentswithasourceforfresh,healthyandaffordablefood .”IncludedattheCenterareafarmersmarket,communitygardenandCommunitySup-portedAgriculture(CSA)farm .

TheCenterislocatedonaprotectedfarmwitharet-rofittedbarntoaccommodatethefarmersmarketandpreservedfarmstructuresforhistoricalpurposes .Sixty

communitygardenplotsarerentedeachyearwithagrowingwaitinglist,andplansareunderwaytodevelopanothercommunitygarden .TheCSAsells200sharestolocalresidentsandthefarmersmarkethasgrownfromnineto17farmvendors .Thecollaborativeeffortsofthecounty’sdivisionsofFarmlandPreservation,Parks,andCulturalAffairsandTourismhavecreatedsuccessfortheCommunityAgriculturalCenter .

• BurlingtonCountyCommunityAgricultureCenter,www .co .burlington .nj .us/pages/pages .aspx?cid=631

C A S E S T U D YCayuga County, New york: Saratoga Cheese SaratogaCheese,astart-upspecialtycheesemanufacturingplant,isbuildinga$41millionplantinCayugaCounty,NewYork,inthemidstofaplentifulsupplyoflocalmilk .TheCayugaCountyIDAwasinstrumentalinguidingtheprocessandprovidingincentivestoSaratogaCheesetolocateinthecounty .Itassistedwithlocatingland,makingsurethatinfrastructureneedsoftheplantwereavailable,andactedasaconduitforstateandfederalfundsforplanninganddevelopment .OneofSaratogaCheese’sstatedcompanyvaluesis“stabilizingandraisingtheincomeofdairyfarmersbyprovidingthemwithavalue-addedmilkmarket .”Fordairyfarmersintheregion,thisreadymarketforfluidmilkwillboosttheirabilitytoselltheirproduct .

• SaratogaCheese,www .saratogacheesecorporation .com/

C A S E S T U D YJefferson County, New york: Great Lakes Cheese Plant Adams,NewYork,helditsfirstCheddarCheeseFestivalinthesummerof2010incelebrationofthegrandopeningofthenewlyexpandedGreatLakesCheeseCompanyplant .Themilkfrom40,000cowsinJeffersonandeightnearbycountiesiscontributingtoa$600millioneconomicimpactintheregion .Thirteennewjobswerecreatedwiththeplantexpansion .

• GreatLakesCheeseCompany, www .greatlakescheese .com


C A S E S T U D YColumbia County, New york: Golden Harvest Farm vodka Distillery AddingvaluetotheapplesgrownatGoldenHarvestFarmmeantamendingstatelawtocreateafarmdistillerylicensesothatvodkaandotherspiritscouldbeprocessedandsoldon-siteatthefarm .TheHudsonValleyAgriBusinessDevelopmentCorporation’s(HVADC)“IncubatorWithoutWalls”programlocatedthenecessarycapitaltobegintheproject .Thestillwaspurchasedwith$50,000fromtheequipmentloanfundoftheColumbiaEconomicDevelopmentCorporation,andafewyearslaterthefirstbottlesof“Core”vodkawereavailableforsale .Withfruitfromothernearbyfarms,additionalspiritsarebeingproducedandsoldlocally .Andasanaddedbonus,theseinnovativeproductshaveattractednewcustomerstoGoldenHarvestFarm’sretailstore .

• HarvestSpirits,www .harvestspirits .com/index2 .html

• HudsonValleyAgribusinessDevelopmentCorporation,www .hvadc .org

New Farmer ProgramsNewfarmersarenecessaryforagriculturetocontinueinanycommunity,andnewfarmerscomefromavarietyofbackgrounds .Somearethenextgenerationofafarmfamily,whileothersareyoungandnewtoagriculturebuteagertomakealivingbyfarming .Newfarmersmayalsoberetiredorsecondcareeradultslookingtotryanewandrewardinglifestyleandjob .

Countiescanassistnewfarmerswithlocatinglandtobuyorlease,trainingpeopleinproductionand/orbusinessmethods,andassistingwithfinancingoptions .Inareaswithconsumersclamoringforlocallygrownfoods,newfarmersmaybeinterestedinstartingnichefarmbusinessesonsmalleracreagesanddirectmarketingtheirfarmproductstourbanresidents .Countyassistanceinestablishingthesetypesoffarmscanmeanthatfarmlandnearurbanareasremainsactiveandprovidesneededgreenspaceandfresh,localproduce .

TheCornellSmallFarmsProgramadministeredbyCornellCooperativeExtension,offersahostofresourcesandeventstosupportsmallfarmers .Its

Websitehasinformationandlistscourseofferingsofinteresttosmallfarmers .

• CornellSmallFarmsProgram, www .smallfarms .cornell .edu

C A S E S T U D YColumbia County, New york: Farmer–Landowner Match Program Inordertoassistnewandexistingfarmerswiththeirsearchforaffordablelandtofarm,theColumbiaLandConservancy(CLC)beganafreelocalprogramtomatchfarmersandagriculturallandownerstopeoplesearchingforlandtofarm .Thisprogrambeganinearly2009andtodatehasresultedinsixconnectionsbetweenfarmersandlandowners .

Peoplelookingforlandandthosewithlandavailablesubmitatwo-pageapplicationtoCLC .AdatabasetracksallavailablelandandpotentialfarmersviaIDnumbers .InterestedpartiesareabletoreceivecontactinformationfromCLCbyprovidingtheIDnumber .

Theprogramalsooffersfarmlandleasingworkshopsandtrainingsatwhichparticipantslearnhowtosuccessfullynegotiatealease .

• ColumbiaLandConservancyFarmer–LandownerMatch,ApplicationForm,

www .clctrust .org/farmer_landowner_Match_Application .htm

• Farmlandleasinginformationandsampledocuments:www .landforgood .org/leasing/resource .php

C A S E S T U D YChatham County, North Carolina: Growing Small Farms ChathamCounty’s“GrowingSmallFarms”programprimarygoalistoincreasefarmingprofitabilityandsustainabilitythroughimprovedmanagement,productionandmarketing .TheChathamCountyAgriculturalExtensionAgentmanagestheprogramandhasdevelopedaWebsiteforsmallfarms,hostsworkshops,makes200–250farmvisitsperyear,andparticipatesinlistservestosharevaluableinformation .

TheWebsitehasgrowntomorethan300pagesandreceivesmorethan200,000visitorseachmonth .


Anaverageof70peopleattendeachworkshopthatisoffered .Inboth2007and2008,80percentofprogramparticipantsincreasedfarmincomethroughneworexpandedfarmenterprises,productionmethods,ormarkets .

• GrowingSmallFarms,www .ces .ncsu .edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/index .html

C A S E S T U D YNew york, New york: New Farmer Development Project TheNewFarmerDevelopmentProject(NFDP)originatedin2000inNewYorkCitytohelpimmigrantswithfarmexperiencelocateandoperatetheirownfarmsinnearbyareasofNewYork,NewJerseyandPennsylvania .Morethan130immigrants,fromcountriessuchasColumbia,DominicanRepublic,Ecuador,andMexico,havegraduatedfromNFDP’sLaNuevaSiembratrainingprogramandsellfarmproductsatover40farmersmarkets;16graduatesandtheirfamiliesnowownfarms .TheNFDPwasfoundedbytheNewYorkCityGreenmarketandCornellCooperativeExtensionbutnowincludesnumerousotherpartnersandfunders .

• NewFarmerDevelopmentProject,www .grownyc .org/greenmarket/nfdp

Renewable Energy NewYork’sagriculturaleconomyisconstantlychanging,solocalagriculturaldevelopmentprogramsneedtoexploreinnovativeopportunitiestoincreaseprofitability .Renewableenergygenerationisanewandgrowingavenueforfarmstoremainviable .Countiescanserveanimportantrolebyeducatingfarmersabouton-farmenergygenerationandefficiencyopportunities,assistingrenewableenergybusinesseswithlocatingandestablishingrenewableenergygenerationfacilities,andservingasalinkbetweenenergybusinessesandthefarmcommunity .

Regulationsforon-farmenergyproductionandlargerscalecommercialwind,gasandotherenergygenerationareextensive .TheNYSDAMoffersguidanceaboutsitingandmitigationstandardsforenergygenerationandtransmissionprojects .

• NYSDAM,GuidelinesforReviewofLocalLawsAffectingSmallWindEnergyProductionFacilities

• NYSDAM,ConstructionProjectsAffectingFarmland,www .agmkt .state .ny .us/AP/agservices/construct .html

C A S E S T U D YTown of Perry, wyoming County, New york: Cooperatively Managed Methane DigestersThetownofPerryhasoneofthehighestconcentrationsofdairycowsinNewYork .Dairyfarmsareamajorforceinthetown’seconomy,andtheyhelpdefinethelandscapeandqualityoflife .Atthesametime,thefarmsproducelargeamountsofmanure,andtheodorhasleadtoconflictsbetweenfarmersandresidentsofthevillageofPerry .

Thetowndecidedtoassistlocaldairyfarmsindevelopingon-farminfrastructurethatcouldprocessdairymanureandgenerateelectricityforfarmstouseandsellbacktoelectriccompanies .ThetownworkedwithWyomingCountyCornellCooperativeExtensiontoconductafeasibilitystudythatevaluatedwhethertodevelopalarge,shareddigesterortobuilddigestersonindividualdairyfarms .

ThetownthenhiredagrantwritertodevelopandsubmitgrantapplicationstotheNewYorkStateEnergyResearchandDevelopmentAuthority(NYSERDA)andtheUSDA .Awardsof$833,000fromNYSERDAand$285,000fromUSDAwereusedtoconstructadigesteroneachoftwodairyfarms .Aplantobuildashareddigesteriscurrentlyonhold .

Intotal,thetownspentapproximately$20,000forgrantwritingandprojectmanagementservicesaswellasthetownsupervisor’stimeinoverseeingtheproject .Thisinvestmentwilllikelybepaidbackmanytimesover .Thelocaldairyfarmsbenefitfromthenewon-farminfrastructurethathelpstoreduceelectricitycostsandassistswithmanuremanagement .Inaddition,thenewmethanedigestershelpreducemanureodorsanddecreasethelikelihoodofconflictbetweenthefarmsandnon-farmneighbors .


C A S E S T U D YCayuga County, New york: Community Methane Digesters Asof2010,CayugaCountyhadtwodifferentcommunitymethanedigestersindevelopment .TheCayugaRegionalMethaneDigesterFacility,managedbytheCayugaCountySoilandWaterConservationDistrict(SWCD),isunderconstructionandwillbethefirstmunicipalregionaldigesterintheU .S .touseahydraulicmixingtechnology—atechnologythathashadalonghistoryinEurope .

Oncethedigesterisfullyoperational,manurefromlocalfarmsandotherorganicwasteproductswillbetransportedviatrucktothedigesterattheSWCDoffice .Thedigesterwillprocess39,000gallonsofmanuredailyandproducebiogasthatwillbeusedtogenerateelectricityfortheSWCDheadquarters,theCayugaCountyPublicSafetyBuildingandtheCayugaCountyNursingHome .Liquidfertilizerandcompostedsolidsarebyproductsthatwillbereturnedforuseontheparticipatingfarms .It’santicipatedthattheelectricitycostsavingstothecountycouldbeashighas$100,000annually .

TheCayugaCountyDepartmentofPlanningandEconomicDevelopmenthassupportedthedevelopmentofasecondcommunitydigesterthatwillcollectbiogasfromanetworkofindividualfarmmethanedigesters .Biogaswillbetransportedtoasingleindustrialsitethroughagaspipeline .Electricitywillbegeneratedfromthecollectedbiogasandwillbeusedtoattractfoodprocessingplantsandotherindustrialventurestothearea .

• CayugaRegionalMethaneDigester,www .co .cayuga .ny .us/soilcon/articles/spring09news .pdf

C A S E S T U D YOrleans County, New york: western New york Energy LLC, Ethanol Plant ThefirstethanolplantbuiltintheNortheastwasestablishedintheTownofShelby,OrleansCounty,in2007 .TheOrleansCountyIDAwasinstrumentalincoordinatingtheplant’ssiting,includingacquiringlandadjacenttoarailspur,managingremediationofthatland,applyingforandmanaginggrantsforroad

reconstruction,negotiatingwithtaxingauthorities(county,town,andschooldistrict)fortaxincentives,receivingEmpireZonedesignation,andservingasleadagencyfortheStateEnvironmentalQualityReview(SEQR)process .

Thevalueofthisplanttotheagriculturaleconomyhasbeensignificant .Twentymillionbushelsofcornareprocessedannually,withatleast30percentcomingfromwesternNewYork,resultinginfuelgradeethanol,distillersgrains(thataremarketedtowesternNewYorklivestockproducersforfeed),crudecornoilthatismanufacturedintobiodiesel,andfoodgradecarbondioxidethatisusedforbeveragecarbonationandotherfooduses .

• WesternNewYorkEnergyLLC,www .wnyenergy .com

Agricultural Economic Development Specialists Professionalstafftoleadagriculturaleconomicdevelopmenteffortsareimportantresourcesforsupportinglocalfarms .Anagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentspecialist,orsimilarstaffperson,canmanageeffortstoimplementacountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlan,assistwithbusinessplanningandmarketingeffortsandhelpoverseeotherprogramstostrengthenthefutureforfarmandfoodbusinesses,suchasafarmlandprotectionprogram .Multi-countyorregionalpositionsareanoptionformakingsuchpositionsaffordableandeffective .

C A S E S T U D Y Agricultural Development SpecialistsAfterthecompletionoftheWayneCountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionPlanin1998,theCountyBoardofSupervisorsfundedanagriculturaldevelopmentspecialisttoserveasthepointpersonforplanimplementation .Sincethattime,theagriculturaldevelopmentspecialisthasspearheadedtheprotectionof3,400acresoffarmland,developmentofanIDAmicroenterpriseloanprogramandregularhostingofagriculturalevents .Currently,theagriculturaldevelopmentspecialistisworkingwiththeWayneCountyAgriculturalDevelopmentBoardtoupdateitsAgriculturalDevelopmentPlanforthenextdecade .


In2000,theJeffersonCountyBoardofSupervisorsprovided$100,000fortheestablishmentofanagriculturalcoordinatorpositionandanagriculturaldevelopmentcommitteeto“assistintheretention,growth,andpromotionofJeffersonCounty’sagriculturalindustry .”TheyworkedtogethertoestablishtheJeffersonCountyAgriculturalDevelopmentCorporationthatprovidesguidancetotheagriculturalcoordinator .

Alsoin2000,SaratogaandWashingtoncountiesjointlyfundedanagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentposition .Thecountiesmatched$25,000thatwasawardedfromtheNYSDAMFarmlandViabilityProgram .Thestatesenatorsrepresentingeachcountysecuredanadditional$10,000eachtofundtheposition .Theagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentspecialistsplitshis/hertimebetweenthetwocountiesandhasanofficeineachcountybutisemployedbyCornellCooperativeExtension .

• Saratoga–WashingtonCounty,AgriculturalEconomicDevelopmentEducator

• WayneCounty,AgriculturalDevelopmentSpecialistPositionDescription

• JeffersonCounty,AgriculturalCoordinatorpositiondescription,www .comefarmwithus .com/AgCorrJobDescription .htm?B3=Ag+Coordinator+Job+Description

Roles for TownsTownscanplayimportantrolesinimprovingtheviabilityoflocalfarms .Whiletownsfrequentlyhavemorelimitedeconomicdevelopmentresourcesthancountygovernmentsorstateagencies,theycanhelppromotelocalfarmproducts,encourageopportunitiesforfarmerstoselldirectlytolocalconsumersandsupportotheragriculturaleconomicdevelopmentinitiatives .

Sometownsownfarmlandthattheychoosetoleasetofarmers .Thiscankeeplandaffordableforallfarmsandcanbeparticularlybeneficialtonewfarmerswhomaynothavethefinancialresourcestopurchaselandtobeginfarming .Aconservationeasementcanbeplacedonthelandtoensurethatitwillalwaysbeavailableforagriculturaluseinthetown .

Additionally,townscanensurethatlocalzoningcodesandotherregulationsarenotoverlyrestrictiveoffarmsandrelatedbusinesses .Oldercodesandlawsmayseverelyrestrictfarmerslookingtogrowfoodingreenhouses,developfarmstandsormarkets,processlocalfoodsortakeotherstepstoenhancetheirprofitability .

• FarmRentalAgreementChecklist • FarmlandTenureandLeasing • ManagingTenant–LandlordRelationships • PeconicLandTrustfarmlandlease

• LandLeasing,www .landforgood .org/leasing/resource .php

C A S E S T U D YSouthtowns of Erie County, New york: Sowing the Seeds for Southtowns AgribusinessInsouthernErieCounty,sevenmunicipalities—fourtownsandthreevillages–formedtheSouthtownsCommunityEnhancementCoalitiontocollaborateonsharedopportunities .Thecoalition’sfirstundertakingwasatourismstudyandstrategythatidentifiedagritourismasaprimeopportunityfortourismdevelopment .

TheSouthtownsCoalitionsubsequentlycontractedwiththeUniversityofBuffaloRegionalInstitutetosurveyfarmersintheirregiontogaugeinterestinagritourismbusinesses .ThiseffortresultedinSowingtheSeedsforSouthtownsAgribusiness:AnAssessmentofFarmsandaPlanfortheFuturethatincludesanactionplanforagritourismdevelopment .Thefirststepinimplementingtheactionplanwastherecentreleaseofabrochure,Agritourism(AndMore)intheSouthtowns,whichidentifieslocalfarms,farmmarketsandpublicvisitofferings,aswellasothertouristdestinations .

• Agritourism(AndMore)intheSouthtowns


Infrastructure Planning

Infrastructureplanningcanbeusedtosupportthefarmeconomyandsteernewdevelopmentawayfromfarmlandintoexistinghamletsandvillages .

Likeotherindustries,farmsandagribusinessesrequireaccesstowell-functioningandaffordableinfrastructure .Farmsareenergyintensivebusinesses .Accesstoaffordableelectricityandotherfuelsreducesfarmoperatingcosts,therebyimprovingfarmprofitability .

Theagriculturalindustryalsodependsonsoundroadsandbridgestomovemachineryandtosendandreceiveshipmentsofproducts .Manyfarmshipmentsaresentbytractor-trailer,requiringtransportationinfrastructurethatcanhandleheavy

loads .Publicdrainagesystems,suchasroadditches,alsoprovideimportantbenefitstofarms .Well-manageddrainagesystemshelpmovewaterfromfields,improvingtheirproductivity .

Atthesametime,townscanhelpdirectnon-farmdevelopmentintohamlets,villagesandcitiesbyplanningthescaleandlocationofneworexpandinginfrastructure .Transportation,waterorsewerinfrastructureallowsfordenserdevelopmentpatternsandoftenreducesthecostofnewdevelopment .Someinfrastructureexpansionintofarmingareasmayencouragetheconversionoffarmlandandsendthesignalthatagriculturehasalimitedfutureinagivenarea .

Benefits of Infrastructure Planning• Cansupportfarmbusinessviabilityandreduce

farmcosts• Isanon-regulatoryapproachforsteering

developmentawayfromfarmland


• Supportsfiscallyresponsibleapproachtocommunitydevelopment

Drawbacks of Infrastructure Planning• Failstopreventdevelopmentthatdoesnotrequire

publicinfrastructure• Maybecompromisedbyinfrastructureextensions

for“healthandsafety”• Requireson-goingpoliticalcommitmenttobe

effective• Requiressignificantconstructionandon-going

maintenanceexpensetoprovideinfrastructureneededbyfarms

Agricultural Infrastructure NeedsThemodernagriculturalindustryreliesonthedependablemovementoffarmproductstomarkets .Farmgoodsareoftenperishable,sotheirqualitymaydiminishortheymaybecomeunusableifdeliveryisdelayedforhoursordays .Inparticular,dairyfarmsrequiredailyaccesstomilktrucks,year-round .Delaysinsnowplowingcanpreventmilktrucksfromaccessingfarms,forcingfarmerstodisposeoftheirmilk .Suchalosscanhurtafarm’sbottom-lineandabilitytoremainprofitable .Farmsalsorelyontheefficientdeliveryofproductsfromserviceproviders .

Thefollowingaresuggestedactionsfortownsinterestedinsupportingtheinfrastructureneedsoflocalfarms:

• Makesurethatroadsandbridgescanhandlethesizeandweightofmodernfarmvehicles,includingdumptrucks,tractortrailersandotherlargecultivating,sprayingandharvestingequipment .

• Postsignsontownroadsfrequentlyusedbyfarmvehiclesanddistributeinformationalmaterialaboutthepresenceoffarmvehiclesontownroads .Bytakingaproactiveapproachtoreducingconflictsbetweenfarmvehiclesandothermotorists,townscanpreventaccidentsandsavelives .Formoreinformationandeducationalmaterialsaboutslowmovingvehicles,contacttheNewYorkCenterforAgriculturalMedicineandHealthat800-343-7527,ext .239,orwww .nycamh .com .

• Provideinfrastructure(water,sewer,electric,

roads,rail)inappropriateareastoencouragefoodprocessing,renewableenergyoragribusinessdevelopmentthatwillhelpsupportandretainfarmsbyprovidingmarketsforlocalfarmproducts .

• Makesnow-plowingneardairyfarmsalocalpriority,sincedelayedplowingforfarmerscanleadtothelossofperishableproductsandimportantincome .

• Workwithlocalfarmers,economicdevelopmentorganizationsandotherstounderstandandaddresstheelectricityneedsoflocalfarms(especiallythree-phaseelectric) .Alsoengagefarmersinevaluatingalternativeenergyproductionsystemsincludingwindpowerandmethanedigesters .

• Activelymaintaintownditchingsystemssothatfarmfieldshaveadequatedrainage .Workwithtownplanningboardstoensurethatfieldtilingandditchingsystemsaren’tdamagedbynewdevelopments,whichcouldreducetheproductivityofnearbyfarmland .

Steering Non-Farm Infrastructure Away from Priority Farming AreasGrowth-inducinginfrastructure,suchasmajorroadwaysandwaterorsewerlines,canacceleratetheconversionoffarmlandifnotcarefullysitedandmanaged .Townsandcountiescanhelpretainfarmland,byfocusinginfrastructureinhamlets,villagesandcities .Thisisalsoafiscallyresponsibleapproachtomanaginglimitedlocal,stateandfederalbudgets .Theextensionofinfrastructurethroughoutatownorcountyrequiressignificantup-frontconstructioncostsanddemandscostlyon-goingmaintenance .Byfocusingsuchinfrastructureawayfrompriorityfarmingareas,townscanhelpmaintainlowertaxesandreducethreatstofarmland .

Ifnon-farminfrastructureneedstobeextendedthroughfarmingareas,stepsshouldbetakentomitigatethepotentialnegativeimpactsonnearbyfarmlandandfarmoperations .Suchstepsmayinclude:

• UsingtheAgriculturalDistrictsprogramNoticeofIntentprocesstohelpguideroad,waterorsewerdecisions;


• Establishinglateralrestrictionpoliciesonnewwaterorsewerextensions;

• Developingmitigationfeesdesignedtoprotectfarmlandnearnewnon-farminfrastructure;

• Constructingtrafficcalmingmeasuresonruralroadwaystoreduceaccidentsbetweenfarmmachineryandvehicles;

• Creatingoverpasses,tunnelsorotheraccesssystemsforfarmvehiclestoensurecontinuedfarmaccesstofieldsbisectedbymajorroadways .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Marilla, Erie County, New york: waterline RestrictionsIn1996,thetownofMarillaadoptednewwaterlinerestrictionsinitszoningordinance .Thenewpolicyrestrictstheconstructionandconnectionofwatermainlateralsandserviceconnectionstolessthanfourinchesinthetown’sagriculturalzoningdistrict .Thisnewpolicygreatlylimitstheconstructionofmajornewsubdivisionsintheagriculturalpartoftown,steeringlargerdevelopmentsawayfromfarms .

C A S E S T U D YTown of Easton, washington County, New york: Infrastructure StandardsThetownofEaston’sSubdivisionLawinstitutesseveralinfrastructurestandardsintendedtoensurecompatibilitybetweennewdevelopmentandthetown’sfarmoperationsandinfrastructurecapacity .Therequirementsinclude:

• Subdivisionapprovalsstatethatthetownhasnoresponsibilitytobuildormaintainanewwatersupplyormaintainsewagefacilitiesforanewsubdivision;

• Utilitylinesshouldnotbebroughtacrossfarmlandtonewsubdivisions .Ifnecessary,utilitylinesshouldbeburiedtobelowplowdepth;

• Subdivisionsofmorethan12lotsshouldbephasedtosafeguardthequantityandqualityofgroundwater .Sixlotsarethemaximumnumberoflotsapprovedatanyonetime .

C A S E S T U D Y Genesee County, New york: Smart Growth Plan In2001,theGeneseeCountyLegislatureadoptedaSmartGrowthPlantominimizetheimpactsofadditionalgrowthanddevelopmentthatwouldotherwiseoccurasaresultoftheextensionofwaterservice .

Thecountysetupaprocessinwhichitworkedwithtowngovernmentstoidentify“developmentareas”withinthecounty .Thecountycommittedtoprovidingpublicwaterwithintheseareasfromthecounty-fundedportionsofthecounty’swatersystem .Accesstothecounty-fundedportionofthecountywatersystembypropertiesoutsideofthedevelopmentareaswouldbecontrolledtoensurecompatibilitywiththecounty’ssmartgrowthobjectives .

Oncegeneraldevelopmentareasweredelineated,countystaffmetwithrepresentativesofeachmunicipalityandthepublictoreviewtheplanandthedevelopmentareas .InputfromthesemeetingswasintegratedintothefinalplanadoptedbythecountyLegislature .TheSmartGrowthPlanfurtherdescribesasystemforreviewingrequestsforhook-upsoutsideofthedevelopmentareasandforbi-annuallyreviewingthelocationofdevelopmentareasandtheoverallplan .

TheGeneseeCountySmartGrowthPlanisoneofNewYork’sbestexamplesofacommunityproactivelyplanningfornewdevelopmentwhileplacingahighpriorityonfarmlandprotectionandsupportingitsagriculturalindustry .Thecloseintegrationofthecounty’sinfrastructureplanwithitsagriculturaldistrictsprogramandothercountyprioritieshelpsreducethelikelihoodthatnewinfrastructurewillacceleratenon-farmdevelopmentandcreatefutureconflictsforfarmoperations .

• GeneseeCounty,SmartGrowthPlan2010ReviewReport

• GeneseeCountySmartGrowthPlan,www .co .genesee .ny .us/dpt/planning/smartgrowth .html


Food and Health Policies

HealthandnutritionissuesareofincreasingconcernfortheAmericanpublic .Forexample,accordingtothe2007National

HealthandNutritionExaminationSurvey,obesitynowaffects17percentofallchildrenandadolescentsintheUnitedStates—tripletheratefromjustonegenerationago .14Americanchildrenareataheightenedriskforelevatedbloodpressureandcholesterol,diabetesandbecomingobeseadults .Childobesityalsohasarealfinancialimpactwithanannualcostestimatedat$3billion .

Improvingtheavailabilityoffresh,healthy,localfoodsisabeginningstepinaddressingtheseconcerns .Expandingtheavailabilityofnutritiousfoodscanalsocreatenewopportunitiesforlocalfarmerslookingtogrowthesefoods .AsNewYorkisanationalleaderintheproductionofmorethan20fruits,vegetablesanddairyproducts,thereareabundantopportunitiestogrownutritiousfoods .

Protectingfarmlandcanbeacriticalelementoflong-termfoodsecurity,ashigh-qualitysoilsareneededtogrowfood .AccordingtoarecentCornellUniversitystudy,NewYork’s7millionacresoffarmlandcouldfeedonly6millionpeople—roughly30percentofthestate’spopulation .15Thus,landresourcesareacriticalconstraintinprovidinglong-termfoodsecurityforNewYorkers .

Asmallbutgrowingnumberoflocalgovernmentsareestablishingfoodpurchasingpoliciesthatencouragebuyinglocalfoodforuseinpublicinstitutions .Othercommunitiesareworkingtore-establishlocal“foodsystems”thatwillhavethesamepositiveresult—anincreaseintheavailabilityofhealthy,localfoodandgreatermarketopportunitiesforlocalfarmers .Foodsystemsareaholisticapproachtodescribingtheprocessesinvolvedinfeedingpeople:growing,harvesting,processing,packaging,transporting,marketing,consumptionanddisposaloffood .

Benefits of Food and Health Policies • Increaseavailabilityofnutritious,localfoods• Improveeconomicviabilityoflocalfarms• Addressagrowingpublichealthconcern

Drawbacks of Food and Health Policies • Donotpermanentlyprotectfarmland• Canbedifficulttochangefoodpurchasingand

distributionsystems• Canbechallengingtosourcelocalfoodswithtight

publicbudgets• Maynotchangeeatinghabits

C A S E S T U D Y New york State Council on Food Policy In2007,theGovernorcreatedtheNewYorkStateCouncilonFoodPolicy(NYSCFP)byExecutiveOrder .Thecouncil’smembershipiscomposedof21membersappointedbytheGovernor,includingagencyleadersfromthedepartmentsofAgricultureandMarkets,Health,EmpireStateDevelopmentCorporation,OfficefortheAging,Education,andtheConsumerProtectionBoard .

TheNYSCFPwascreatedtosupportagricultureandensurethatallNewYorkershaveaccesstosafe,afford-able,nutritiousfood .Fourkeyareaswereidentifiedbythecouncilforfurtherresearchandexamination:


1 . Maximizeparticipationinfoodandnutritionassistanceprograms

2 . Strengthentheconnectionbetweenlocalfoodproductsandconsumers

3 . Supportefficientandprofitableagriculturalfoodproductionandfoodretailinfrastructure

4 . Increaseconsumerawarenessandknowledgeabouthealthyeatingandimproveaccesstosafeandnutritiousfoods

• NewYorkStateCouncilonFoodPolicy,www .nyscfp .org

C A S E S T U D YAlbany County, New york: Local Food Purchasing Policy In2009,theAlbanyCountyLegislatureunanimouslypassedaresolutiontaskingtheAlbanyCountyPurchasingAgenttopurchaselocalfoodproductsforAlbanyCountyResidentialHealthcareFacilitiesandtheAlbanyCountyCorrectionalFacility .ThetargetforfoodproductstobepurchasedfromlocalsourcesistobesetwiththeassistanceoftheNewYorkStateCommissionerofAgriculture .TheAlbanyCountyLegislaturecitedeconomic,environmentalandhealthconcernsasrationaleforthispolicy .

• AlbanyCounty,LocalFoodPurchasingPolicy

C A S E S T U D Ywoodbury County, Iowa: Local Food Purchasing and Organic Food Procurement Policy WoodburyCounty’s“LocalFoodPurchasePolicy”isintendedtoincreaseregionalincome,offerincentivesforjobcreation,attracteconomicinvestmentandpromotethehealthandsafetyofitscitizens .Thepolicyhastwoprincipalelements:apropertytaxrebateforfarmersconvertingfromconventionaltoorganicfarmingpracticesandamandatethatthecountyshouldpurchaselocallygrownfood,withpreferencegiventoorganicallygrownfood .TheOrganicsConversionPolicy,adoptedbeforetheFoodPolicy,providesacommitmentof$50,000peryearfromthecountyforfiveyearstofundproperty

taxrebatesforfarmerswillingtoconvertfromconventionaltoorganicfarmingpractices .

TheLocalFoodPurchasePolicyhasthepotentialtoshift$281,000inannualfoodpurchasestoalocalfarmer-operatedcooperative,whichshouldspurincreasedproductionandprocessing .Localfoodisdefinedasfoodgrownorraisedwithin100milesofSiouxCity,Iowa .Thecountyischargedwithdeterminingtheaddedcostofpurchasinglocally,ifany,andcomparingthattothefinancialbenefitstothelocalagriculturaleconomyandofpotentiallylowerhealthcosts .

• WoodburyCounty,LocalFoodPurchasePolicy

C A S E S T U D YMissoula County, Montana: Food and Agriculture Coalition ACommunityFoodandAgricultureCouncil(CFAC)wasestablishedinMissoulaCountyin2005toprovideanumbrellaorganizationforgroupsdedicatedtoworkingtowardalocalfoodsystem .TheCFACpromotessustainableagriculturethroughproactivepolicyadvocacyandworkscloselywithboththecityandcountyonlanduseplanningdecisions .

TheCFAChastwostandingcommittees:theLandUseandAgriculturalViabilityCommittee,whichfocusesonpoliciesaffectingcountyfarmandranchlands,andtheFoodAccessandConsumptionCommittee,whichischargedwithworkingwithfarmersmarkets,strengtheningfarm-to-restaurantconnectionsandpromotinglocalfoodsconsumption .TheFoodAccessCommitteehasestablishedanEBTsystematcountyfarmersmarkets,whilethecountynowincorporatestheLandUseCommitteeintothesubdivisionreviewprocesswhenpotentialconversionofagriculturallandsexists .

• MissoulaCityandCounty,JointResolutionestablishingtheCommunityFoodandAgricultureCouncil


C A S E S T U D YNew york City: Health Bucks Since2005,theHealthBucksprogramhasbeenadministeredbyNewYorkCityDistrictPublicHealthofficestoencouragefruitandvegetablepurchasesbyfoodstamprecipients .Individualswhospend$5worthoffoodstampsatafarmersmarketreceivea$2HealthBuckcouponthatcanbeusedtopurchasefruitsandvegetablesatspecificfarmersmarketsinthecity .HealthBuckscanbetrackedthroughserialnumbersbacktotheoriginatingfarmersmarket,community-basedorganizationorsite .TheparticipatingfarmersmarketvendorsandcommunitygroupsaretrainedtocollectandredeemHealthBucks .TheHealthDepartmentmonitorsallparticipatingsitesthroughouttheseasontoensuretheprogramisfunctioningproperlyandprovidesalistofsuggestedpracticestopromotehigherredemptionrates .Programsupportersinclude:theNewYorkStateDepartmentofHealthandDepartmentofAgricultureandMarkets,HumanResourcesAdministrationandcommunity-basedfarmersmarketsandorganizationsparticipatingintheHealthBucksprogram .

• NewYorkCity,HealthBucksMapofParticipatingMarkets,www .nyc .gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cdp/cdp-health-bucks-map .pdf

C A S E S T U D YOrange County, New york: Gleaning and Food Security Program TheOrangeCountyGleaningandFoodSecurityProgramhelpsharvestthousandsofpoundsofproducethatisnotmarketableduetophysicalblemishesfordistributiontopeopleinneedinOrangeCountyandotherareasoftheHudsonValley .Volunteersareorganizedtofieldglean,packageandtransportfruitsandvegetables .Freshvenisonisalsoprovidedbyfarmerswhohaveacquiredlandownernuisancepermitstolegallyshootdeerontheirfarms .Agroupofvolunteerstransportsthecarcassestobutchersanddistributesthedonatedmeat .ThegleaningprogramisfundedthroughtheHungerPreventionandNutritionAssistanceProgram(HPNAP)throughagranttoCornellCooperativeExtensionforprogramcoordinationandadministration .

C A S E S T U D YCayuga County, New york: Local Foodshed Mapping TheCayugaCountyPlanningDepartmentassistedthetownsofIraandCatowithdevelopmentofajointcomprehensiveplanin2008 .Anoutcomeofthisprocesswasthecreationofaninteractiveonlinemapthatincludesthelocationofagriculturalsuppliers,fooddistributors,wholesalers,retailersandthefarmsthatproducefood .Farmersandagriculturalbusinessownersareencouragedtoidentifytheirlocationonthelocalfoodshedmap .Thisisthefirstphaseofalargerefforttointeractivelymaptheseentitiesacrossthecountytoeducateresidentsandpolicy-makersaboutwherefoodiscomingfromandwhereitisgoinginanefforttobetterinformpublicpolicies .

• CayugaCounty,LocalFoodshedMapping,http://co .cayuga .ny .us/townofcato/agplan

74


educating the Public About Agriculture

Agenerationortwoago,mostAmericanseitherhadarelative,closefriendorneighborwhofarmed .Today,lessthan2percentof

thepopulationisinvolvedinagricultureandmanypeoplehavenevervisitedafarm .

Farmtoursandeventsareonewaythattownsandcountiescanhelpeducatethepublicaboutagricultureandagriculturalpractices .Including

publicofficialsintheseevents,andevenholdingseparatetoursandeventsforthem,hastheaddedvalueofeducatingcommunitydecision-makers .Policy-makerswhohavevisitedfarms,talkedtofarmersandunderstandthevalueoffarmsaremuchmorelikelytotakeintoconsiderationthepotentialimpactthattheirdecisionscanhaveonfarming .

Benefits of Educating the Public About Agriculture • Provideopportunitythatmanypeoplewillnot

haveotherwise• Informpolicy-making• Buildpublicanddecision-makerssupportfor

agriculture• Increaselocalconsumerbasefordirectmarket

farmoperations• Improvefarmviability


Drawbacks of Educating the Public About Agriculture • Istimeconsumingforfarmersalreadyunder

significanttimeconstraintswhentheweatherisgood—theidealtimeforfarmtoursandevents

• Raisessafetyissueswhenhavingthepublicvisitfarms• Maypresentfarmsasentertainmentandnot

necessarilyshowcasefarmsasbusinesses

C A S E S T U D Y Ontario County, New york: Agriculture’s Adventure Trail web Site In2003,theOntarioCountyAgriculturalEnhancementBoard,OntarioCountyTourism,CornellCooperativeExtension,andtheCountyDepartmentofPlanningpartneredtodevelopanAgventurebrochurehighlightingagricultureinthecountyandidentifyingagriculturalenterprisesofinteresttovisit .Fromthebrochure,aWebsitewasdevelopedtoexpandtheamountofinformationofferedandtoreduceprintingandupdatingexpenses .Thecountyhasdedicatedapproximately$11,000to$12,000totheproject,includingdevelopmentofthebrochure,Webdesignandupkeep .Thepartnershaveprovidedin-kindservicesaswell .ThiscomprehensiveWebsiteincludesinformationonfarmersmarkets,seasonalproduce,farmsandagritourismeventsinthearea,farmawardsandprograms,resourcesforstartingfarminginthecounty,informationaboutthelandandclimateofthearea,andimportantagriculturalFAQs .

• OntarioCounty,NewYork,AgricultureAdventureWebsite,www .fingerlakesagriculture .com

C A S E S T U D Y Saratoga County, New york: Sundae on the Farm Since1996,SaratogaCounty’s“SundaeontheFarm”hashostedthousandsofpeopleeachJunewhoareeagerforanopportunitytovisitareal,workingfarm—anopportunitynotmanypeoplereceive .CornellCooperativeExtensionofSaratogaCountyleadsavolunteercommitteeofrepresentativesfromthecountyFarmBureau,AmericanFarmlandTrust,

thehosttownandhostfarm,andothersinplanningtheevent,whichislocatedatadifferentfarmeachyear .Attendeestakeahaywagonridetourofthefarm,visitagriculturalexhibitsandafarmersmarket,enjoyspecialchildren’sactivitiesandeatfood—especiallyicecreamsundaes!Thankstosupportfromagriculturalorganizationsinthecounty,the3,000peoplewhoattendannuallydonotpayafeetoparticipate(thereisachargeforfood) .Theannualoperatingbudgetfortheeventisapproximately$5,000 .Agriculturalorganizationsandfarmsinthecountyalsodonatetheuseoftractors,wagonsandotheritemstomaketheeventpossible .

C A S E S T U D YGenesee County, New york: Decision Makers Tour Since1989,theGeneseeCountyChamberofCommerceAgriculturalCommittee,incollaborationwithCornellCooperativeExtension,theSoilandWaterConservationDistrict,andthecountyFarmBureau,hashostedthe“DecisionMakersTour”ofGeneseeCountyagriculturalbusinesses .Localofficials,farmers,studentsandthepublictakebusestofarmsandagribusinessesinthecountytolearnaboutagriculturalissuesthataffectthecommunity .Thetouralsoshowcasestheimpactsthatlocaldecisionshaveonagriculturalbusinesses .Approximately100peopleattendeachyear .Theeventisfundedbythecollaboratingorganizations .

• GeneseeCounty,DecisionMakersTourItinerary

C A S E S T U D YTown of Clifton Park, Saratoga County, New york: Farm Fest For18years,theTownofCliftonParkhashosted“FarmFest”—afallweekendwhenthepublicisinvitedtovisithostfarmsfortours,demonstrations,entertainmentandfood .ThetownofCliftonParkandsponsoringbusinessesprovidefinancialsupportforthesefreefarmevents .“FarmFest”isafun,inexpensivewayforfamiliestoenjoyfallactivitiesonfarms,learnaboutthedifferentkindsoffarmsthatoperateinCliftonPark,andexperienceabitofthetown’sheritageandcharacter .


C A S E S T U D Y wyoming County, New york: Pride of wyoming County Agricultural Dinner and Good Neighbor Award Eachspring,theWyomingCountyChamberofCommercecoordinatesthe“PrideofWyomingCountyAgriculturalDinner”tobringfarmersandtheirneighborstogethertocelebratelocalagriculture .Over70localbusinessesandorganizationsprovidesupportforthedinner .CornellCooperativeExtensionandthecountyFarmBureausponsorthe‘GoodNeighborAward’thatisgiventoacountyresident(s)involvedinthecommunitywhopresentsapositiveimageoftheagriculturalindustry,demonstratescivicresponsibility,andpursuesresponsibleenvironmentalpractices .Pastwinnershavebeeninvolvedinagriculturalorganizationssuchas4-HandtheHolsteinAssociation,engagedthenon-farmingcommunitythrougheducationandhands-onactivities,anddemonstratedenvironmentallyfriendlyfarmingtechniques .

C A S E S T U D Y Chautauqua County, New york: Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association Inlate2004,thenonprofitConcordGrapeBeltHeritageAssociationwasformedtopromotetourismandagriculturaleconomicdevelopmentintheLakeEriegrapegrowingregionofWesternNewYorkandNorthernPennsylvania .Withover30,000acresofgrapevineyardson840farms,sixmajorjuice/wineprocessorsandover20wineries,thisareaisthelargestgrapegrowingregionintheU .S .outsideofCaliforniaandWashington .TheLakeErieConcordGrapeBeltisa60-milelong,few-mileswidestripalongtheEasternLakeErieshoreline .

Twoyearslater,statelegislationwaspassedthatdesignatedtheareaasNewYork’s19thHeritageAreaandthefirstwithanagriculturalemphasis .Withinfouryearsoftheoriginallegislation,aManagementPlanwasrequiredtosecurepermanentdesignation .This130-pagereportwassubmittedtotheStateOfficeofParks,RecreationandHistoricalPreservationin2010 .

TheConcordGrapeBeltHeritageAssociationisresponsibleformanagingtheHeritageAreaandforoverseeingimplementationoftheManagementPlan .TheAssociation’sbudgetissmall,$25,000–$35,000,andhasbeenfundedthroughgrantsandamembershipofapproximately150 .AvolunteerExecutiveDirectorandBoardpresentlymanagetheAssociationwithnopaidstaff .

Currently,aConcordGrapeDiscoveryCenter,designedtoboostagritourisminthearea,isnearingcompletionofPhase1,whichwasfundedwithanupstaterevitalizationgrantof$1 .05million .Another$500,000mustberaisedtocompleteworkontheCenter .SignagealongtheNYSThruwaywilldirectvisitorstotheGrapeDiscoveryCenteronceitisoperational .

• ChautauquaCounty,NewYork:LakeErieConcordGrapeBeltHeritageAssociation,www .concordgrapebelt .org


Pulling It All Together

Communitiesinterestedinsupportinglocalfarmswillneedtoevaluatealloftheavailabletoolsandthenselecttheonesthat

fitbest .Thebenefitsofanygivenoptionmustbeweighedagainstthedrawbacks .Thiscan,andlikelywill,beachallengingprocess .Thesedecisionsmustregularlyberevisitedasfarmingandthebroadereconomyandlandscapeinwhichitexistscontinuetorapidlyevolve .Thefollowingguidelinesareforcommunitiesengagedinevaluatingthetoolsforsupportingthebusinessandlanduseneedsoffarms .

No single tool will solve all of the challenges that New york farmers face . Farmsmustdealwithacomplexarrayofchallenges—fluctuatingpricesforfarmproducts,risingbusinesscosts,laborconcernsandcompetitionforlandamongothers .Nosingletoolwillbeabletoaddressalloftheneedsoflocalfarmers .Communitiesshoulddevelopapackageofpoliciesandprogramsthatcomplementeachotherandaddressdifferentagriculturalconcerns .

The appropriate mix of tools differs by community .NewYork’sagriculturalindustry,communitiesandlandscapesaretremendouslydiverse .Thisdiversityisoneofthestate’sstrengths,butitmaymakeitdifficulttoreplicatethepoliciesusedinonetownorcountyinanothercommunity .Townsandcountiesmustevaluatetheirownprioritiesandcircumstancestoselectthetoolsandpoliciesthatbestfittheirneeds .

Communities are often most effective when “sticks” are balanced with “carrots .”Regulatorypolicies,or“sticks,”havedistinctadvantages .Theyarecomparativelyinexpensivetoimplement,canbeadoptedfairlyquicklyandcanaddresscommunityinterests .However,regulationsalsomayplaceasignificantburdenonprivatelandownersandtheirpersonalrights .Manycommunitiesfindthatamixofregulatorypoliciesandincentive-basedprogramsismosteffectiveinbalancingcommunityandprivateinterestsandachievinglong-termsuccess .

An ongoing commitment is required to be successful .Localplanningrequiresanongoingcommitmentofresources .Landusetrends,marketsforfarmproductsandothercommunitycircumstanceswillcontinuetochangeovertime .Thisongoingchangewillrequirecommunitiestoregularlyupdateplans,considernewprogramsandhaveadialoguebetweenfarmersandlocalgovernments .Thislong-termcommitmentoftime,energyandresourcescanbedifficultbutwillbenecessaryinorderforcommunitiestofindsuccess .

Local planning should be supported by state and federal policies .Eventhemostcommittedlocalgovernmentswillnotbesuccessfulinsupportingtheirfarmswithoutcomplementarystateandfederalpolicies .Stateandfederalpoliciesregardingagriculture,landuse,transportation,trade,immigrationandotherpoliciescansignificantlyinfluencefarmviabilityandlocallandusetrends .Communitiesshouldmaketheirlocalprioritiesandpoliciesknowntostateandfederalofficialsandseektheirassistanceinsupportingthem .


endnotes 1KirstenFerguson,JeremiahCosgroveandTeri

Ptacek,ActionGuide:AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionforNewYork,(SaratogaSprings,N .Y .:AmericanFarmlandTrust,1999),10 .

2NYSDAM,LocalLawsandAgriculturalDistricts:GuidanceforLocalGovernmentsandFarmers.AvailableontheCDthataccompaniesthisGuide .

3JamesPeaseandRobertE .Coughlin,LandEvaluationandSiteAssessment:AGuidebookforRatingAgriculturalLands,SecondEdition(Ankeny,Iowa:SoilandWaterConservationSociety,2001) .

4NYSDAM,LocalLawsandAgriculturalDistricts:GuidanceforLocalGovernmentsandFarmers.AvailableontheCDthataccompaniesthisGuide .

5BroomeCountyAgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionBoard,AgriculturalPlanningGuidelines.October2001,12 .

6AmericanFarmlandTrust,SavingAmericanFarmland:WhatWorks(Northampton,Mass .:AmericanFarmlandTrust,1997),50 .

7AmericanFarmlandTrust,SavingAmericanFarmland:WhatWorks,59 .

8TomDaniels,WhenCityandCountryCollide:ManagingGrowthintheMetropolitanFringe .(Washington,D .C .:IslandPress,1999),219 .

9JohnNolon,WellGrounded:PrimerforLocalOfficialsandCitizens(WhitePlains,N .Y .:PACELandUseLawCenter,1998) .

10FarmlandInformationCenter,PurchaseofAgriculturalConservationEasementsfactsheet(2008)andKirstenFerguson,JeremiahCosgroveandTeriPtacek,ActionGuide:AgriculturalandFarmlandProtectionforNewYork,(SaratogaSprings,N .Y .:AmericanFarmlandTrust,1999),26–30 .

11Formoreinformationabouttheseprograms,seeDavidHaight,DianeHeldandDorisMittasch,NewYorkAgriculturalLandownerGuide(SaratogaSprings,N .Y .,2009) .

12PennsylvaniaCenterforDairyExcellence,CashCowBrochure,2006 .

13NationalAgriculturalStatisticsService,2009NewYorkAnnualSummaryBulletin,p .40 .

14TheChildhoodObesityEpidemic:ThreatsandOpportunities,CenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention,www .cdc .gov,September2010 .

15ChristianJ .Peters,,JenniferL .WilkinsandGaryW .Fick,TestingaComplete-DietModelforEstimatingtheLandResourceRequirementsofFoodConsumptionandAgriculturalCarryingCapacity:TheNewYorkStateExample(Cambridge,England:CambridgeUniversityPress,RenewableAgricultureandFoodSystems,2007)22(2),145-153 .


ResourcesAmerican Farmland TrustFarmland Information Centerwww .farmlandinfo .org(800)370-4879

New york Officewww .farmland .org/newyork(518)581-0078

American Planning AssociationMetro Chapterwww .nyplanning .org(646)963-9229

Upstate New york Chapter www .nyupstateplanning .org/

Cornell Community and Rural Development Institutewww .cardi .cornell .edu(607)255-9510

Cornell Cooperative Extensionwww .cce .cornell .edu

County and Regional Planning Agencieswww .dos .state .ny .us/lg/lut-county_planning_agencies .html

Land Trust Alliance of New yorkwww .landtrustalliance .org/community/northeast/northeast(518)587-0774

New york Farm Bureauwww .nyfb .org(800)342-4143

Ny FarmLinkwww .newyorkfarmlink .org(800)547-3276

Ny FarmNetwww .nyfarmnet .org(800)547-3276

New york Planning Federationwww .nypf .org(800)366-6973

NyS Agricultural Mediation Programhttp://nysamp .com/(866)669-7267

NyS Association of Countieswww .nysac .org(518)465-1473

NyS Association of Townswww .nytowns .org(518)465-7933

NyS Department of Agriculture and Marketswww .agmkt .state .ny .us(800)554-4501

NyS Department of State, Division of Local Government Serviceswww .dos .state .ny .us/lgss/index .htm(518)474-4752

NyS Department of Taxation and FinanceTaxpayer Assistance Bureauwww .tax .state .ny .us(800)225-5829

NyS Office of Real Property Serviceswww .orps .state .ny .us(518)591-5232

NyS Soil and water Conservation Committeewww .nys-soilandwater .org(518)457-3738

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Servicewww .ny .nrcs .usda .gov(315)477-6504

no farms no food®

77% of America’s fruits, vegetables and dairy products are grown near metro regions, on farmland that is in the path of development. In New York, a farm is lost to development every three and a half days. Losing this land threatens our ability to grow local food, protect our drinking water and keep local economies strong. America’s farms produce so much more than food.

Join American Farmland Trust in supporting New York’s farms.Visit www.farmland.org/newyork

or contact (518)581-0078•[email protected]

American Farmland Trust greatly appreciates the generous support of the following individuals and organizations that made it possible to create this new resource for towns and counties in New York:

AmericanAgriculturistFoundationNewYorkStateDepartmentofAgricultureandMarketsTheEstateofWendyJoanShadwellAnd the MembersofAmericanFarmlandTrust