HomeMy WebLinkAboutAG Minutes 2018-11-27 Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee Meeting
Tuesday, November 27,2018, 6:07 PM
Final Minutes
Members Present: Debbie Teeter, Michael Casper, Lisa Ferguson, Christianne White, Sharon Tregaskis
Town Representatives: Bill Goodman (Town Supervisor), Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
Guests: Robert Shields (Indian Creek Farm), Bradford Smith (Three Story Farm)
1. Persons to be heard: none
2. Member announcements: Lisa asked for an update on the Deer Management Committee. Bill
reported work is moving forward with additional resource members/specialists to develop plan details
and figure out how to find hunters, etc.They will be looking for bait and hunt sites, so let Mike or Bill
know if you'd like this on your farm. Hunters currently hunting your land can participate, as long as they
are cleared through the Sheriff's Office.
3. Chair and Coordinator reports: Debbie inquired if the group would be interested in bringing someone
in to a future meeting to talk about industrial hemp. Debbie Teeter plans to retire from Cooperative
Extension by the end of February 2019.
Mike reported the Town got a grant for work on the South Hill Recreation Way, which will fund invasive
removal along the trail and replanting with native trees and shrubs. Also, the owner of a 52-acre parcel
on Bostwick Road at the intersection with Sheffield has expressed interest in selling the development
rights;the parcel is currently being used by a landscaper/nursery grower. The Town does have funding
for that; $100,000 per year is budgeted in Parks, Recreation, and Open Space for purchases like this.
4.Town Board report:Town Supervisor Bill Goodman reports that progress is being made to extend the
Black Diamond trail along the east side of the Inlet Valley. The Town will buy land from the Eddy's;the
back part of the farm stand property. They are aware that land is prone to flooding. The town is
working with the State park on this project.
Regarding the Inlet Valley economic development feasibility study, one recommendation is to change
the zoning from light industrial and low density residential to something new. Rezoning would be done
to encourage business, especially agricultural and tourism related. New zoning language will be
developed. The consultants will hold another stakeholder meeting.
More rezoning activity, in East Hill Plaza, the 96B East King Road area, and the West Hill
hospital/Linderman Creek neighborhoods will convert to form-based zoning. The Town will be
entertaining comments.
The Town is working on short term rental regulations, (esp re. AirBnB). Unhosted rentals need to be
regulated, with no more than 29 days in the calendar year unhosted. The glamping at La Tourelle was
allowed after a law was enacted to allow them to do what they are doing. The Town wants to
discourage people from buying a house in order to run AirBnB. The rental should be in the owner's
primary residence. There will be a phase-in time to allow people to convert to a long-term rental. The
problems that have been reported are noise, parties, late night activity, and lack of parking. There have
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been concerns on the West Shore that a property has become an event center for weddings, generating
more traffic than the site can tolerate. Neighbors characterize it as 'sneaky commercial development.'
Residents of Renwick Heights have been extremely vocal about the undesirable short term rentals in
their cul de sac.
5. Approval of minutes:The minutes from January 30, 2018, March 27, 2018 and July 31, 2018 were
accepted.
6. Recap of the October 191"Town Board Farm Tour:The farm tour was a success, although not all Town
Board members were able to attend. The Three Story farm was included, based at Ecovillage. Bradford
Smith,Julia Nelson, and Lisa Ripperton, from all three neighborhoods at Ecovillage. They are focused on
restoration agriculture, so a farm may be economically viable and environmentally sound. They focus
on perennials, to provide food but require low impact human effort. They are restoring pasture, and
using berms to create water management. They have plans to plant 3000 seedlings: chestnuts,
hazelnuts, and butternuts. They will be cover cropping and bringing in sheep in the spring. It is hard to
find stock for American Chestnut hybrid stock so they will be planting Chinese Chestnuts.
Lisa Ferguson mentioned that her goats love honeysuckle (invasive) and she has interest in living fence
made of willow. She recommends hot pepper spray to deter rabbits from gardens.
Tree Gate Farm, owned by Sharon and Dean, grow turmeric and ginger in hoop houses. Thor Oechsner,
who grows organic grains, leases some of their land. Sharon mentioned that the Town sometimes make
decisions that seem uninformed or capricious regarding codes. Perhaps we could look into how other
communities handle set back issues, for example, to make sure our rules are reasonable.
The Suwinski Farm encompasses some 400 acres between Rt. 79 and Bundy Road, with barns and a
riding arena, horse-drawn carriage trails throughout the woods. They have provided the Finger Lakes
Land Trust with a conservation easement on their property.
Casper's Farm has grown hemp and is facing all the challenges of what to do with a new product; how to
dry it, process it, etc. The 2018 federal Farm Bill will be important when it comes to the hemp
market...will it be allowed to cross state lines? He is restricted as to where he can sell his product. He
bought seed from Oregon. There are many pop up CBD corporations popping up in a confusing market.
Ag Committee members asked about the possibility of setting up a tour of the farms for farmers. It
would be nice to see what other farms are doing.
7. Regular reports:The Farmland Ag Tour for County and local officials was a success, accompanied by
Future Farmers of America. Visits were made to Moores, If Only Farm, Marlondale, Phelps Dairy Farm,
Matoon Farms manure storage, discussion of manure injected into soil as being better environmentally,
and less subject to run off.
Tompkins County Farm Bureau is discussing the farm school tax credit. How do people become eligible?
Also, they are discussing criteria for grants and ag assessment. Farm Bureau is seeking support from the
County Legislature for draft legislation so it can be taken to State Senator Jim Seward.
Reminder to farms to turn their ag assessment forms in.
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There may be$for cover crops from Soil and Water.
Lisa Ferguson asked about a revolving loan program for farmers, or even better, a grant program.
Access to low interest loans can facilitate purchase of farm equipment.
8 Other Business:
- Recommendation of chair and vice-chair for 2019 - Debbie Teeter will stay as Chair of the Ag
Committee, Lisa Ferguson as Vice-chair. (moved by Christianne, seconded by Lisa)
- Approval of the 2019 meeting schedule—Approved 2019 meeting schedule. (moved by
Sharon, seconded by Lisa)
9. Ad00ourn: 7:25 pm
Minutes drafted by Christianne White.
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