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Home My WebLink AboutAG Packet 2023-07-25 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 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 25, 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 7:00 pm 1. Farmers Round Robin – What’s happening on your farm? How the season is going/went? Issues/concerns? Announcements? 7:25 pm 2. Persons to be heard 7:30 pm 3. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates 7:40 pm 4. Ithaca Town Board (Bill) report / update 7:55 pm 5. Approval of minutes – March 28, 2023 8:00 pm 6. Discuss ideas for the next Town Board farm tour – Fall 2023 8:10 pm 7. Review Goal 2 and related recommendations from the Town’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan 8:25 pm 8. Other Business 8:30 pm 9. Adjourn Please call (607-273-1747) or email (msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us) if you cannot attend 1 Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee Meeting Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 6:00 pm In Person at Ithaca Town Hall (Aurora Conference Room) and via Zoom Video Conference Draft Minutes Members Present: Matthew Stalker (AJ Teeter Farm), Claire Forest (Forest Family Farm), Christianne White (Steep Hollow Farm). Lisa Ferguson (Laughing Goat Fiber Farm) via Zoom. Town Representatives: Bill Goodman (Town Board Member), Mike Smith (Senior Planner). Guests: Crystal Buck (CCE Tompkins Farmland Protection & Ag Marketing Coordinator), Leon Ginenthal (Der Rosenmeister Nursery). 1. Farmers Round Robin – What’s happening on your farm? How is the season going/went? Issues/concerns? Announcements? Matt reported a good calving season with a new bull on the Teeter farm and looking forward to productive hay crop. Leon reported some plants didn’t go dormant due to the warm temps and some began to leaf out early and a small bug problem as a result. Low prices noted for potting mix at Sauders. Hoop house is full of propagated material and shipment of wholesale roses is expected soon. Claire reported her organic raspberry farm growing continues, along with apples and peaches and hay fields are being utilized. Ash trees unfortunately are being harvested for firewood due to the beetle destruction. Christianne reported planning for spring field crops. Lisa joined in via Zoom later in the meeting and reported a perimeter fencing grant received from Soil and Water Department for her farm. Tree planting was also included in the grant to help with soil/pasture improvement. Many goat does are due birth soon and 4-H meetings have resumed for the 2023 year with potential increased membership. Sheering will begin when it warms up and her husband will be retiring from his full time job in June and will be home on the farm more. An open house is planned for May 13th on Laughing Goat Farm. Leon followed up with a Tree Book recommendation for Lisa and the committee (Tree Crops by J. Russell Smith). Louis Bromfield was also a tree book author that was recommended. 2. Persons to be heard: Crystal Buck introduced herself as the new Farmland Protection & Ag Marketing Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension. She lives in West Danby with a small homestead farm and has a background in Planning with focus on Agriculture. She noted being familiar with the County PDR program and Ag and Natural resource planning and outreach with local municipalities. 3. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates: Mike Smith reported a history note from the Town Supervisor on a town farm from the year 1753 in the South Hill area. There were inventories of the farm assets and different summaries of farm production items, shared for general fun historical fact information. Mike also reported on the recent Town of Ithaca Planning Board action approving the Site Plan and Special Permit for phase 1 of The Learning Farm project on Enfield Falls Road. He described the project proposal consisting of 10 yurts for farm education seasonal lodging, a commercial kitchen for preparation and processing the items grown as well as children’s area for education. Phase 2 will need additional 2 approval. Mike also updated that the proposed town solar law amendments are going before the town board for approval in April. One potential solar developer has expressed interest in applying for a proposed @33-acre solar project in the near future on Rt. 79. Full project details have not been submitted, however using sheep to maintain the vegetation was part of the initial plan. 4. Ithaca Town Board (Bill) report/update: Bill reminded the committee that this is his last year as Town Board member and likely his last meeting as the Ag committee due to being out of town on the next meeting date in July and the anticipation of having a new liaison town board member for the committee’s November and final meeting of 2023. He updated the committee of the Town acquisition of a vacant portion of the former Cortright property in the Inlet Valley area with the intent to work with NYS and Tompkins County for the Black Diamond Trail continuation. One additional parcel remains in private ownership before the state can make the full extension of the trail. Economic development in that area is encouraged as well as continued recreational opportunities and agricultural related businesses. Bill noted the Town is working on the Environmental Impact Statement for the South Hill TND zoning as well as the final stages of the revised Telecommunications and Solar Laws. He encouraged the committee to review the YouTube recordings of the COC meetings with details related to the proposed and the concerns raised by the public. The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’ and Deyodi:ho:nǫˀ People and Tutelo Park event May 6, 2023 was mentioned as being held at Tutelo Park on Bostwick Road from 11:00a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Leon mentioned his involvement in the botanic trail and native plantings and trees in the park area. Westhaven Farm/EcoVillage was noted as possibly purchasing or helping to continue the nearby u-pick berry farm operations. 5. Approval of minutes – January 31st, 2023. The January 31st, 2023, minutes were approved as presented. Motion was made and seconded, all voted in favor of approval. 6. Other Business: -Recommendation of Chair and Vice-Chair for 2023. Motion was made and seconded that Matthew remain Chair for 2023 and Christianne remain Vice Chair. All members voted in favor of approval. -Approval of the 2023 meeting schedule. Committee members approved the remaining meeting schedule for 2023. Motion was made and seconded, all members voted in favor of approval. Christianne stated she reached out to a few current Ag committee members to promote attendance. Some noted difficult experiences working with town departments and boards hindering their attendance and participation. Examples were given of potential expansions and projects not moving forward due to various reasons. She recommended an Ombudsman or similar role to get to the root of the problems and regain a good relationship between farm businesses and the town boards and permitting departments. All agreed there are more new and welcoming staff in various departments now as well. One member suggested a public message could be put out by town leadership that progressive agriculture and improvements are supported as well as promoting the new agrotourism language in the Town Newsletter and website. Another suggestion was a continued message in the meeting minutes that notes the committee will help farmers through the town processes. Bill mentioned that the Codes Directors could come to a committee meeting if that would be helpful, if the members having problems were able to also 3 attend and were comfortable voicing the past issues. He was very supportive of a statement in the Town Newsletter regarding agriculture. [Note: the Town has designated Mike Smith as the primary contact at Town Hall for any agriculture related question or concerns, so please contact him with any questions/guidance/feedback on upcoming projects, ag committee, or general agriculture items.] Wedemeyer Farms passed the information that they have been busy working on upcoming NYS Special Olympics equine event and the website information would be shared with Mike. 7. The committee reviewed Goal 1- Promote the availability of locally grown foods and other agricultural products and related recommendations from the Town’s Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan. Mike shared the document on the big screen and noted this was 1 of 5 goals and recommendations from the town plan and would be a good place to begin the review with an additional goal/recommendation at subsequent meetings. There were columns added for Implementation, Responsibility and Status/Action for each recommendation within the identified goal. -Members agreed “fiber” should be added to the list under item 1C- Land based Ag products available for local consumption. The addition of “nurseries” was also recommended and agreed upon to add in 1-d after greenhouses. Possibly there will be a need to address/add Cannabis now as well within this document or wherever appropriate. The last part of the meeting was discussion of the gap between the public and farmers and how to bridge it. The PDR program was also briefly discussed and the open pasture space language within, one member noted that silvopasturing should be encouraged and allowed. Mike noted the easement language has been modified for the PDR project and does not include the requirement for the pasture to remain open. 8. Adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.  Next meeting 7/25/2023 7:00 p.m. Minutes were drafted by Planning Admin Staff Abby Homer Recommendation Implementation Responsibility Status / Actions 2-b On the Town’s website, include links to educational resources, services, business loans, and programs that support farmers Short / Ongoing TOI - created ag webpages - summer 2012; updated in 2022 with new website 2-c Review and revise regulations pertaining to structures to accommodate farm operations (e.g. Sprinkler Law, use of rough-cut timber, property-maintenance law)Medium TOI, AC - discussed rough-cut lumber usage at 11/19/2013 AC meeting, Director of Code Enforcement attended to answer questions - no revisions required 2-e Explore mechanism for listing agricultural lands available for lease or purchase for agricultural uses Medium TOI, TC, CCE - CCE set up Finger Lakes Landlink, which is now replaced by American Farmland Trust's directory (https://nyfarmlandfinder.org/) 2-j Revise Zoning and other Town Laws to encourage on-farm sustainable energy production Medium TOI, AC 2-k Encourage shared farm infrastructure development (storage and processing facilities, slaughter and processing facilities, mobile market, locations for CSA drop-off and pick-up, etc.)Medium / Ongoing TOI, TC, CCE, AC 2-o Review and revise the Town’s Commercial, Light Industrial, and Agricultural Zones to ensure that the necessary agriculture-related businesses would be permitted, and to encourage those types of businesses to locate in the Town of Ithaca Medium / Ongoing TOI, AC - Town allows temporary farm stands in LI Zone (02/08/16) - AC created list of Ag related businesses (2016) - added agritourism and seasonal farm lodging facility uses to the Ag Zone (2022) 2-a Work with other organizations to promote short-term property-tax abatements for new startup farming operations and for the initial plantings of crops that take multiple years until first harvest Long TOI, TC, NYS 2-f Connect farmers with existing funding programs, or pursue the development of programs, for subsidizing fencing (including deer fencing), lime, drainage tile, and the restoration of barns and other old agricultural buildings Long TOI, TC, NYS, CCE, SWCD - ongoing - email farmers of available programs as they become available - SWCD attended Ag committee mtg to discuss their programs (2020) 2-n Implement or advocate at the State or County level, a grant or revolving loan program to assist farmers who are putting land back into active agriculture Long / Ongoing TOI, TC, NYS 2-d Work with towns that have adjoining agriculture lands to write consistent zoning and other regulations Ongoing TOI, CCE, TCCOG 2-g Assist farmers in exploring new farming and marketing ideas and opportunities Ongoing TOI, CCE, AC, TC, NYS, SWCD CCE represetatives have attended Ag Committee mtgs on different topics (using social media to support farm sales, hemp opportunities, livestock yield and price calculator, woodland management, etc.) 2-h Identify under-utilized farming and forestry resources in the Town Ongoing TOI, TC, CCE, DEC 2-i Participate in regional efforts promoting sustainable biomass for energy production Ongoing TOI, TC, NYS, CCE, AC 2-l Work with State, Tompkins County, and Town highway officials regarding speeding, safe movement of domestic animals across roads, and other traffic issues Ongoing TOI, TC, NYS 2-m Encourage and support intergenerational transfer through inheritance, sale, or lease of agricultural properties to future generations of farmers. Educate farmers (e.g., through the sponsoring of seminars) about farm transition issues, estate planning, and related issues Ongoing TOI, TC, CCE, AC NY Farmnet representative attended an Ag Committee mtg (2018) Goal 2: Retain and encourage a diversity of viable farm types Town of Ithaca Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan Implementation Chart õ 7/7/2023 Implementation Legend: Short-Term (0 - 1 years) - Recommendations that could be implemented immediately, within the first year. Medium-Term (1 - 5 years) - Recommendations that could be implemented following the completion of short term items. Long-Term (5 - 7 years) - Recommendations that are important but would take considerable more time to research and implement. Ongoing - Recommendations that are to be incorporated into the ongoing activities of the Town Departments, Boards and Committees. : Identifies recommendations that are critical to supporting agriculture in the Town. Responsible Organization / Agency: AC = Town of Ithaca Agricultural Committee CCE = Cornell Cooperative Extension DEC = New York State Department of Conservation NYS = New York State SWCD = Soil and Water Conservation District TC = Tompkins County / Tompkins County Farmland Protection Board TCCOG = Tompkins County Council of Governments TOI = Town of Ithaca õ 7/7/2023