HomeMy WebLinkAboutAG Minutes 2019-01-29 Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee Meeting
Tuesday,January 29 2019, 6:12 pm
Final Minutes
Members Present: Debbie Teeter, Christianne White, Lisa Ferguson, Russ Wedemeyer, Michael Casper
Town Representatives: Bill Goodman (Town Supervisor), Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
Guests: Robert Shields (Indian Creek Farm)
1. Janice Degni could not come;will come next time
2. Persons to be heard: none
3. Member concerns and announcements:
a. Debbie Teeter will be retiring February 27. Agstravaganza will not happen this year. A
date will be set for 2020. Someone will be found for Debbie's position at Cornell
Cooperative Extension by March/April.
b. Michael Casper passed out a new brochure for his farm and he provided an update on
his hemp crop from last year.
c. Lisa Ferguson mentioned she was applying to Ithaca Farmer's Market, again, $115 to
apply. They have a rule that all processing of product must take place within 30 miles;
trying to avoid crafters and present farmers. But she cannot get wool processed within
30 miles. She couldn't get in the winter market...the decision to accept her wouldn't
have taken place until February 4. She does have mittens, socks, and hats for sale at the
farm.
4. Chair and Coordinator reports:
a. Debbie explained the Taste of NY stores. Lisa asked if food and non-food products both
for sale? Heather,h27( crnllda is in charge and can offer vendors applications.
There is a store in Auburn, across from the courthouse. There is also a store in Geneva
and one in Binghamton. The one in Binghamton seems to be unmarked and poorly
marketed. The stores had to open quickly with less than two weeks' notice. Dates
seemed arbitrary and then the governor's office visited. Cutting boards with images of
the fingerlakes seem to do well. Juice or cider would do well.
b. Mike said the Town is progressing with purchasing the development rights for a 52 acre
farm property(Maria Mallon) on Bostwick Road, at the municipal boundary with Enfield.
The landowner leases the property to a landscape company that grows large spruce
trees for landscaping.
5. Town Board report: Bill Goodman reported that the DEC in Cortland does not actually want to
locate baited deer culling sites on farms;farms can get as many nuisance hunting permits as
they want, supposedly. It would be nice if they would issue permits in response to deer worm
damage to grazing animal flocks. The DEC representative offered to come to a future Ag
Committee meeting.The executive director of Farm Bureau will be hunting on Teeter property.
Firearms can be used at designated baited sites if there's a 500 foot setback. The Town is trying
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to identify good sites and define a management boundary within the Town. Lakeview Cemetery
may be one of the sites.
The Town is working on zoning. There will be zoning changes in the Inlet Valley. Stakeholder
meetings will be held. Areas now designated as light industrial or low density housing may be
changed to promote ag and tourism.
a. Debbie Teeter commented that she wished the Town would remove the deed
restriction in the fixed ratio zoning. The restrictive zoning is fixing a problem that does
not exist...Farm owners are not subdividing and selling land. Teeter son and daughter
want to build on the farm...they will subdivide those parcels out and have more latitude
on the land in Enfield. Even if it is tillable, because of the restrictions in the Town of
Ithaca. Noted that Town law might change in future but the deed restriction will remain
with the property forever. Why not just have the law and not the deed restriction?
b. Lisa Ferguson mentioned that she had received a letter from County Assessment
advising her that it might be to her advantage to combine two parcels and pay lower
taxes.
6. Approval of minutes:The November 27, 2018 minutes were accepted (moved by Lisa, seconded
by Debbie)
a. Lisa F. asked about the revolving loan or grant programs that we had discussed
previously. Someone should follow up with Jennifer Tavares at the Chamber of
Commerce.
b. TCAD had a revolving loan program. Bill Goodman is on the TCAD board. Farms might
qualify. Loans have been given for Ithaca Hummus and Ithaca Beer.
c. The Town cannot do grants. Grants would have to come from the State.
d. The Town is too high income to qualify for CDBG, Community Development Block
Grants. City of Ithaca does get some of this money.
7. Regular reports:Ag and Farmland Protection Board are working on a summit to be held
February 26. Strategies for climate-friendly farming. Soil health, livestock heat stress design,
extreme weather, diversifying enterprises, hemp growing will all be topics of discussion. What
difference does 2 degrees make?
Farm Bureau offers a scholarship for a college student. Farm Bureau also coordinates the Ag in
the Classroom program. Ag in the Classroom web site has links for recommended books.
8. Other Business: Lisa Ferguson needs electricity at her barn. She has been told it would cost
$7,000-$8,000 to get electricity to her barn. It takes her three hours to fill water containers with
a hose. She is considering solar panels to power a well. Soil and Water may have$for fencing
and well-drilling.
Some discussion of School Tax criteria. If somebody works off the farm, well, 60%of the
household income has to be just farm generated. Why not use ag assessment as a criteria?
Lisa Ferguson would like to partner with someone in 4H to offer a fiber 4H club. She will offer a
'lease' of a goat so a kid can train it and take it to the State Fair to show. She would like to see
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more visibility for fiber animals, especially her Angora Goats, at the State Fair. Half of what Lisa
Ferguson does at craft fairs is education.
Bill Goodman mentioned that we could always meet in the western part of the town at the
community space at Ecovillage. Members would all like to visit each other's' farms.
Russ has completed a new 23,000 square foot barn.
9. Adjourn: 7:28 pm
Minutes drafted by Christianne White.
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