HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg Committee packet 2024-03-26
Agriculture Committee Members and Associates (*)
A.J. Teeter Farm (Matthew Stalker, Chair), Casper’s Farm (Michael Casper), Der Rosenmeister Nursery (Lee
Ginenthal), 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, March 26, 2024
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?
6:25 pm 2. Persons to be heard
6:30 pm 3. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates
6:40 pm 4. Ithaca Town Board (Rich) report / update
6:55 pm 5. Approval of minutes – January 30, 2024
7:00 pm 6. Review Goal 5 and related recommendations from the Town’s Agricultural and
Farmland Protection Plan
7:15 pm 7. Other Business
- Training / Educational Opportunities
7:30 pm 8. Adjourn
Please call (607-273-1747) or email
(msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us) if you cannot attend
Recommendation Implementation Responsibility Status / Actions
5-a Connect farmers with Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), and Farm Service Agency (FSA) for funding for buffers, etc.Ongoing TOI, TC, CCE - SWCD attended 11/27/12 & 01/28/2020 AC meetings
5-b Encourage ongoing relationships between farmers and resources such as Cooperative Extension and Soil and
Water Conservation District for farm management and sound farming practices Ongoing TOI, TC, CCE - SWCD attended 11/27/12 & 01/28/2020 AC meetings
5-c Connect farmers to resources for forest and woodlot management Ongoing TOI, TC, CCE, DEC
- AC meeting 01/29/13 - forestry discussion with handouts
and guidance documents -
11/29/2016 AC meeting CCE attended to discuss
woodland management and stewardship
5-d Advocate at the State level for increased funds to be allocated for farm conservation practices, farm management
and sound farming practices and for forest and woodlot management Ongoing TOI, NYS
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
Town of Ithaca Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan
Implementation Chart
Goal 5: Promote wise land use and waste management on agricultural land
õ
3/15/2024
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Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee Meeting
Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 10:00 am
In Person at Ithaca Town Hall (Aurora Conference Room) and via Zoom Video Conference
Draft Minutes
Members Present: Matthew Stalker (AJ Teeter Farm). Lee Ginenthal (Der Rosenmeister Nursery), Claire
Forest (Forest Family Farm), Christianne White (Steep Hollow Farm), Michael Casper (Casper’s Farms)
via Zoom.
Town Representatives: Rich DePaolo (Town Board Member), Mike Smith (Senior Planner) & Rod Howe,
(Town Supervisor).
Guests: Graham Savio & Taylor Dingman, Cornell Cooperative Extension. Dee Baptist, Fort Baptist
Farm via Zoom.
1. There was a short period of informal introductions and networking with light refreshments provided by
the town.
2. Farmers Round Robin – What’s happening on your farm? How the season is going/went?
Issues/concerns? Announcements?
Matt reported an early calf born on the Teeter Farm and plans to raise pork again, along with
tagging/cattle ID and awaiting the hay season. The farm has @36 head of cattle currently. He added the
value and pride felt in raising meat and the availability to sell on small scale locally.
Christianne noted attending a recent Youth Entrepreneurship Market (YEM) program and was reminded
how much youth need continuing education to where their food comes from. The cost of raising the food
is not as economical as it could be, however there are other benefits. Steep Hollow Farm sheep and
chickens seem content. The happy news on the farm is extended family returning to the area to invest
more time.
Leon reported that he has updated his rose nursery website to get ready for the spring along with labeling
with better outdoor labels. Preparing for the annual plant sale and open house in June.
Claire reported growing organic red raspberries, peaches, and pears on East King Road along fields for
hay. The weather prevented usual pruning of the berry bushes; the effect of the crop is unknown until
later in the season. A family member is also returning to her farm in the future to assist in planting and
helping as needed.
Michael reported from Casper Farms that fertilization of fields is occurring for the anticipated hay
planting season, organic corn is a possibility as well. The former hemp crop has been less profitable and
the major crop on the farm now is organic horse and cow hay. He appreciated checking in with the
committee and saying hello, his son also still assists on the farm.
3. Persons to be heard- Dee Baptist, Fort Baptist Farm reported winter rest season on their farm.
Anticipating spring contributions to the local community from the farm.
Graham of CCE updated a vacancy in staff with the master garden coordinator position. He explained the
current staff and their roles in the Ag division of Cornell Cooperative Extension. TC Food System Plan
was mentioned, funding for Conservation and Ag Easements, PDR (Purchase Development Rights), PPR
(Preemptive Purchase Rights) and Land Trust connections, along with Ag/Solar and County Ag districts
involvement. More information is available if needed from CCE.
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The topic of Ag/Solar was discussed further in that often the farmer is not the landowner and the ag
investment in the past and solar possibilities in the future are not always communicated between all
parties before the plans are already in place to change the use.
Graham or Crystal Buck plan to attend most of the annual Town Ag committee meetings on behalf of
CCE.
Taylor introduced herself as the 4H Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Tompkins County.
She will work with youth in the area and comes in with an Ag background. After school lessons at Belle
Sherman elementary school are beginning and the plan is to hatch fertilized chicken eggs in the classroom
and overall ag education in the urban setting.
Rod Howe, Town Supervisor, shared his ag family background and his interest in active local agriculture
continuing in the Town of Ithaca. He noted his enjoyment at the annual farm tours and offered support to
the committee.
4. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates:
Mike updated that the annual Deer Management program is starting up February 1st and will run on 8
different sites throughout the end of March. He noted a few calls from solar developers for different
parcel possibilities in the area however no new applications have been filed. The two new applications for
the Towns Conversation Easement program have had appraisals done on the parcels and the Town Board
will decide to move forward or not with the applications. 3 current easements for agriculture and 2 for
wetlands exist in the town to date.
5. Ithaca Town Board (Rich) report / update:
Rich DePaolo did not have further updates that were not already covered. Training funding was discussed
and possible town sponsorship, while the town supervisor was also in attendance. Rich stated he felt it
was a good investment. Rod concurred. Mike added that the Planning Director discussed allocating up to
$600 from the Planning training budget line this year to cover some classes as a start. Rod asked for a
listing of programs and costs to gauge the budget discussion as well for the future.
Christianne commented that cost share of educational opportunities is a wonderful gesture of support to
the committee, and she wondered about treatment of hemlock trees in the area as a conservation effort.
The hemlock trees line the stream banks and are being damaged by an insect and the costs to treat them
are high. Public funding for private land tree preservation is not generally readily available, however there
is a large need to preserve the stream banks in the Inlet Valley area. Christianne will follow up with the
Town Conservation Board and Lee recommended an area of Cornell University to research mitigation
measures to preserve the hemlock trees.
Rich and Rod thanked the committee for the meeting and were excused from the meeting.
The committee agreed that possibly having someone come in from CCE or another educational institution
for questions related to stream bank maintenance and tree preservation, liquid manure runoff mixing into
the streams, etc. would be helpful.
6. Acceptance of minutes – November 28th, 2023. Claire moved, Lee seconded. 5 Ayes
The November 28 2023, minutes were approved.
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7. The committee reviewed the recommendations under Goal 4- Encouraging public understanding
and involvement. Implementation, responsibility and status/action columns were added for each
recommendation as reviewed for Goals 1,2 & 3 previously.
The brochure designed in 2014 with the Town’s right-to-farm law was passed out to the Committee. This
was the action of goal 4-I and the committee agreed this is helpful to be passed out with building permits
applications on land in and adjacent to ag zones. Mike will follow up on the continued availability and
distribution of the brochure as the town has moved to an on-line permitting system. Paper copies should
be available at the Town Hall as well.
Goal 4-a was emphasized. The committee asked Taylor from CCE how the Town Ag committee could
support her and the 4H program education piece in the Town? She did not mention a specific way for the
committee to help at the moment since early on in the process, but she may need volunteers or field trip
locations and other resources as she progresses in her role. Active Ag Committee member, 4H leader and
goat farmer Lisa Ferguson was mentioned when Taylor expressed her goals to revive the goat program
locally at 4H Acres also. Claire mentioned getting a good relationship with the school guidance
counselors to encourage and guide students towards agriculture-based college opportunities as well.
Goal 4-h and the need for heightened public awareness of fireworks and livestock was brought up, and
asked if permits are required and what restrictions are in place. Possibly a Town Newsletter plug would
help. Drone shows and non-sound fireworks were mentioned as alternative displays.
4-K-The committee asked if there is a low-cost way for every farm or nursery in the town to receive an
identification sign to post at their property for public awareness of local agriculture. The number of 24
was mentioned as current town farms and or nurseries. The existing historic markers were noted and Mike
would look into costs and quantity of farms/nurseries whom would want to have a sign posted.
8. Other Business: training/educational opportunities -Mike mentioned that there is funding this year if
one or two active committee members had a training or educational opportunity they were interested in.
They would just need to report back to the group with an informational summary.
Matt would be interested in a farming economics topic-for more knowledge on the numbers/cost side to
the farming operation. Christianne recalled the Small Farms program having an Econ class in the past.
Dee Baptist thanked the committee for her attendance as a guest and reminded members of the local
(Coddington Road) farm CSA opportunity they offer. She looks forward to attending more committee
meetings in the future.
Next meeting March 26, 2024 6:00 p.m.
9. Adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 11:28 a.m.
Next agenda: review remaining/last goal (#5) of the Ag & Farmland Protection Plan.
Minutes were drafted by Planning Admin Staff Abby Homer