HomeMy WebLinkAboutAG Packet 2023-01-31
Agriculture Committee Members and Associates (*)
A.J. Teeter Farm (Matthew Stalker, Chair), Casper’s Farm (Michael Casper), Forest Family Farm (Claire Forest), Indian
Creek Farm / Cummins Nursery (Steve Cummins), Ithaca Equestrian Center (Russ Wedemeyer), Laughing Goat Fiber
Farm (Lisa Ferguson), Steep Hollow Farm (Christianne White, Vice-Chair)
TOWN OF ITHACA
AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
6:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Aurora Conference Room
215 N. Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
(The rear entrance is handicapped accessible)
607-273-1747
Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person at Town Hall
or virtually via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/6750593272).
AGENDA
6:00 pm 1. Farmers Round Robin – What’s happening on your farm? How the season is
going/went? Issues/concerns? Announcements?
6:30 pm 2. Persons to be heard
6:40 pm 3. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates
6:50 pm 4. Ithaca Town Board (Bill) report / update
7:10 pm 5. Approval of minutes – November 29, 2022
7:15 pm 6. Other Business
- Recommendation of Chair and Vice-Chair for 2023
- Approval of the 2023 meeting schedule
7:30 pm 7. Adjourn
Please call (607-273-1747) or email
(msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us) if you cannot attend
TownofIthacaAgricultureCommitteeMeetingTuesday,November29,2022,6:00pmInPersonatIthacaTownHall(AuroraConferenceRoom)andviaZoomVideoConferenceDraftMinutesMembersPresent:MatthewStalker(AJTeeterFarm),ChristianneWhite(SteepHollowFarm).TownRepresentatives:BillGoodman(TownBoardMember),MikeSmith(SeniorPlanner)Guests:LeonGinenthal(DerRosenmeisterNurseryOwner)1.FarmersRoundRobin—What’shappeningonyourfarm?Howistheseasongoing/went?Issues/concerns?Announcements?Mattreportedthedroughtandvariabletemperaturesaffectedthehaycropaswellasthemothsaffectingtheappletrees.Thespringcalveshavebeenmarkedandthebeefsaleshavebeensteady.Themeatpigsaresold,themeatchickenharvestwassuccessful,andtheeggproductionfromthelayerscontinues.TheAppleHarvestFestivalonTheCommonswaswellattended,salesincludedciderandbakedgoods,notedinternethinderancewithelectronicpaymentswithvendors.Christiannereportedtherentalofherfieldstocropshassomereturnforthefarmer,theweatheraffectingthecropsome.BobcatandBeaversignsandsightingshaveoccurredaswellasthesoundsoftheGreatHornedOwl.2.Personstobeheard:LeonGinenthalofDerRosenmeisterNurseryintroducedhisbusinessonSevenMileDriveasaspecializingincold,hardy,diseaseresistant,antique,vintageandmodernroses.Hereportedtherosecropsandfruittreeshadsomediebackthisseasonduetovaryingtemperaturesaswellasthemothcaterpillar.Theheat,drought,publicwatercontents,shortagesonsuppliesandincreasedcostsofsupplies,shippinguncertaintyweresomeofthestrugglesnoted.Wildlifeintheareaseenongamecamerasincludedbear,fisher,andbobcats.TheFlockFingerLakesgroup(www.flockfingerlakes.conii)andYouTubechannelwasintroducedaswellastheJustaFewAcresFarmchannel(www.youtube.com/c/JustaFewAcresFarm?app=desktop)aslocalpeoplepromotingagricultureandhorticultureintheFingerLakesregion.VideosoftheAmabelandEcoVillageDevelopmentswereamongthefeaturesoftheFlockchannel.Thepurposeoftheconmitteewasdiscussedandtheoveralldropinattendanceandparticipationovertheyears.OnepurposeistohelpimplementTownAgriculturePlan.Theplanidentifiedgoalsandcouldbereviewedmorefrequentlyforguidanceandgoals.Allagreedthatsharingsupportandresourcesopportunitieshelpfulandtakingadvantageofsocialmediatoshareinformationishelpfulaswell.Somemembersagreedtoreachouttocurrentmemberswhohavenotbeeninattendanceforsometimetoseeifthereareotherwaystoencourageattendance.Keepingtheagricultureinterestaliveandappealingforthefuturegenerationswasalsonotedasaneed.3.Chair(Matthew)andCoordinator(Mike)reports/updates:MikeupdatedthecommitteeontheTown’sprogresswithupdatingthesolarlaw.ChangesintheAgzoneincludeincreasingthesizeupto35acresandincreasedrestrictionsanddesignconsiderationsbroughtinfromtheAg&Marketsguidancedocuments.MikealsomentionedthatwedidtheTownBoardfarmtourinOctoberandvisitedtwoCornellfarms(DilmunHillandtheOrchards)andtheSixMileCreekVineyard.1
4.IthacaTownBoard(Bill)report/update:Billupdatedthat2023ishislastyearwiththetownandhewillbetransfeninghiscommitteeandBoarddutiesastheyearprogresses.RecommendationsforTownBoardmemberrepresentativeonthecommitteewererequested.BillmentionedtheSouthHillTNDrezoningmovingalongaswellastheproposedTelecommunicationslawamendments-publichearingsandTownBoardactionisneededtofinalizethechangesandapublichearingwillbeheldpriortofinalaction.5.Approvalofminutes—July26th,2022.TheJuly26”,2022,minuteswereacceptedwithoneminorclarificationadded.6.OtherBusiness:BillwasthankedforhistimeanddedicationtotheTownandAgCommittee.TheChair/ViceChairrecommendationdidnotoccurduetolackofmemberspresentandthe2023Meetingschedulewasdistributed.7.Adjourn.Themeedngadjournedat7:18p.m.•Nextmeeting1/31/20236:00p.m.MinutesweredraftedbyPlanningAdminStaffAbbyHomer12/9/20222
PROPOSEDRESOLUTION:TownofIthacaAgricultureCommittee2023AgricultureCommitteeChairandVice-ChairRecommendationtoIthacaTownBoardJanuary31,2023Motionby:______________Secondedby:______________BEITRESOLVED,thattheTownofIthacaAgricultureCommitteerecommendstotheTownBoardthat_________________________beappointedasChairoftheAgricultureCommitteefortheyear2023,andANDBEITFURTHERRESOLVED,thattheTownofIthacaAgricultureCommitteerecommendstotheTownBoardthat_______________________beappointedasViceChairoftheAgricultureCommitteefortheyear2023.Avoteonthemotionwasasfollows:Ayes:Nays:Abstentions:
PROPOSEDRESOLUTION:TownofIthacaAgricultureCommitteeScheduleofMeetingsfortheYear2023AgricultureCommitteeMeeting,January31,2023Motionby:______________Secondedby:______________BEITRESOLVED,thattheAgricultureCommitteeoftheTownofIthacaadoptsthefollowingscheduleofmeetingsfortheAgricultureCommitteefortheyear2023.TheTownofIthacaAgricultureCommitteewillmeetondatesandtimeslistedbelow,intheAuroraConferenceRoomintheTownofIthacaTownHall.THE2023SCHEDULEISASFOLLOWS:January31(6:00p.m.)March28(6:00p.m.)July25(7:00p.m.)November28(6:00p.m.)Avoteonthemotionwasasfollows:Ayes:Nays:Abstentions: