Sullivan: "... food that sustains us ..."

RED HOOK – Ten farms in Dutchess and Columbia counties have been afforded special protections and their acreage will be added to a growing list of conservation easements in the Hudson Valley.  Scenic Hudson and the Dutchess Land Conservancy Monday made the announcement at Northwind Farms in Red Hook.

Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said the goal is to maintain farming to boost the economy and protect the rural nature of the involved communities. “These efforts help us ensure an historic victory toward creating a sustainable food shed for the region,” Sullivan said.

The newly protected properties encompass 700 acres currently being used in farming for produce, dairy or meat. In addition, one of the sites offers year-round horse boarding and training services.

Sullivan noted farms are a backbone of the area economy.

“They are contributing the food that sustains us on a daily basis. It puts food on those great farmers’ markets and grocery stores and in our restaurants,” he said. “It gives us food security so we know where that food comes from. It hasn’t traveled across the entire country 1,000 miles. It hasn’t come out of a factory farm. It has come from farmers right in our community.”

USDA New York State Conservationist Astor Boozer said the federal government has allotted $1.8 million dollars of the $3.6 million dollar total price tag. Scenic Hudson awarded $1.2 million with the remaining $615,000 dollars coming from the Town of Red Hook.  

Eight of the farms involved in this latest transaction are in Red Hook – the Northwinds Farm; Three Pond Farms which is part of the Mead Orchard, Migliorelli Farms and sells produce to 40 supermarkets in the state; Missing D Farm, which raises poultry, rabbits and goats; Trezza Farm, which sells hay to local farmers; Panorama Farm, which features horse boarding; as well as the Sturges and Karpinski acreage which are leased to surrounding farms.

Two farms in Columbia County were also granted easements which provide the owners with capitol rather than having the lands subdivided for private and commercial projects.

They are the O'Neal Farm in Clermont, which features organically raised livestock and the Diehl Farm in Germantown where grapes, hay and straw are produced for sale locally.

Northwinds Farm owner Rich Biezynski said farms are vital “They contribute strongly to our economy and also continue an agricultural way of life that has long been part of our communities."

Red Hook Supervisor Sue Crane said her town has been a pioneer championing farmland preservation. "Our town contains one of the largest concentrations of prime agricultural soils in the Hudson Valley.”