HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-02-11 Dryden Ag Advisory Committee
February 11, 2015
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Dryden Agriculture Advisory Board
February 11, 2015
Members Present: Evan Carpenter (Chair), Kim LaMotte, Joe Osmeloski, and Doug
Barton
Guests: Nancy Munkenbeck, Debbie Teeter
Board Liaisons: John Kiefer, Planning Board, Craig Schutt, Conservation Board and
Jason Leifer, Town Board
The meeting was called to order at 7:30PM
Review and approval of minutes from January 14, 2015.
J. Osmeloski moved to accept the minutes, D. Barton seconded the motion and the
minutes were unanimously accepted.
Review of the Farmer survey and the Landowner survey:
D. Teeter and the members reviewed the farmer survey that the Ag Committee created
and that she edited. She has also created a landowner survey based on the survey
from the Ulysses survey.
C. Schutt would like to know how big some of the farms are that might not all be in
Dryden. Farms like the Beck farm, the Sherman farm and the Space farm that might
only work 100 acres in Dryden but own and/or work land in other towns. It will be
beneficial to knowing the total extent of Ag.
J. Kiefer asked if the people getting the surveys will know what an ag and farmland
protection plan is.
D. Teeter thinks that they do, certainly the farmers will know what one is.
E. Carpenter indicated that maybe some of the smaller farms might not know. D.
Teeter offered to add a “mission statement” or statement of purpose to the surveys. J.
Kiefer read a goal from last year’s discussion regarding the plan that J. Nicholson
handed out last year: “promote continued agricultural use of farmlands in Dryden”.
N. Munkenbeck said she knows of other landowners that lease land to farmers. D.
Teeter suggested N. Munkenbeck send the names to the Deputy Clerk to be added to
the list of leasers.
J. Kiefer asked why only the landowner survey has questions about selling off house
lots? D. Teeter said she pulled the survey from the Town of Ulysses and that was one
of the questions on that survey. She said it can be add to the farmer survey or a
question about what will happen to the farm when the owners are gone.
E. Carpenter pointed out that the Landowner survey has a question regarding how
long they have owned the property. It is not on the Farmer survey.
The section that talks about the “lease of rights” has to do with the State offer to the 6
counties along the Pennsylvania border. Farmers can get up to $500/acre of land that
they promise to keep in agriculture for 25 years. It is compensation to those who
wanted to drill gas on their lands although the official reason is the desire to
keep/protect farmland.
N. Munkenbeck asked whether the surveys should go to the small hobby farms.
Dryden Ag Advisory Committee
February 11, 2015
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D. Teeter said they could get some of the smaller farms by looking through more
information. That led to a conversation regarding what size (acreage) or what amount
of profit a “farm” has to have to be considered a farm.
The group agreed to primarily target the farms and landowners that receive an ag
exemption.
D. Teeter is hoping to get the surveys back before the meeting on March 11th so she
can group some of the issues for discussion purposes. She proposed several different
methods to get involvement at the meeting including posting the biggest issues from
the surveys, having folks write their challenges on a poster board, small group
discussions, etc.
The Deputy Clerk will submit a press release and an advertisement to the Shopper
regarding the meeting on the 11th. The Committee agreed to provide pie and coffee at
the meeting.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Erin A. Bieber
Deputy Town Clerk