Five Thousand Acres of Farmland to Be Protected Across Genesee Valley

Genesee Valley Conservancy has been awarded $12.8 million from the Department of Agriculture and Markets to protect 5,268 acres of some of the State’s very best and most productive farmland.

Nine specific farm projects are being funded by the Department of Agriculture and Markets this week which will protect lands across Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming counties.  The funding coming to the Genesee Valley represents 39% of funding spent across the entire state.

“We are very fortunate in the Genesee Valley to have highly productive farmland, great farmers, and robust support for farmland protection from county and town officials,” said the Conservancy’s Executive Director, Benjamin Gajewski.  “Receiving such a dramatic share of the State’s farmland protection investment is a testament to the importance and quality of the farmland here in the Genesee Valley.  These lands that feed us today, will continue to feed future generations, forever.” 

How Did It Happen

Genesee Valley Conservancy partners with Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming counties to seek farmers interested in land protection.  Farmers must attend an informational session to learn about the program and submit a local application to their county for review.  This application ensures their lands are eligible and appropriate for permanent protection.  Farms are ranked using factors such as soil quality, location of the project, investments into the farm, development threats, and succession planning.

The top-ranking farms then work with Genesee Valley Conservancy to submit a lengthy application to New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to demonstrate the viability and quality of the lands, showcase support for protecting the farm from the town and county, and document the conditions of the property that make it worthy of permanent protection.

How Is Funding Used

The funding awarded today is tied to nine specific farmland protection projects which the Conservancy applied for.  Funds will help the Conservancy cover the transaction costs and price of placing conservation easements on each farm.  To protect a farm, there is legal work, title review, and a boundary survey that need to be completed.  Funding is also used to pay the landowners for a portion of the value of the development rights being acquired and extinguished from the farm. 

While the awards are based on estimated project budgets, actual funds spent will be based on bidding out work to contractors and having an appraisal done to determine the value of development rights being acquired on each specific farm. 

The landowners of these farm projects must donate at least 12.5% of the conservation easement value in-kind as matching funds to the State awards, meaning these farms are being protected at a discount price below market value.  The nine projects to be protected will be donating more than $2.2 million in value as part of protecting their lands.

Brady Farm

For over 25 years, Brandon Brady has been farming the flats between the I-390 exit and Village in the Town of Mount Morris along Route 408, first with his father and now as the owner.  Brandon runs a cash-crop operation with seven employees and will protect 1,278 acres in Mount Morris, Livingston County with this project.  The lands included in this project boast a remarkable 90% USDA Prime soil.  These highly productive soils are under intense development pressure due to their proximity to the interchange and their flat and highly developable deep soils. 

Cottonwood Farms

Located in the Town of Pavilion, Genesee County, this project will protect 788 acres of agricultural lands that include nearly 3 miles of scenic road frontage.  This farm has operated for over 143 years.  Current owners Paul Tillotson (4th generation) and his son Jason Tillotson (5th generation) operate this dairy farm that has been certified organic for over a decade.

Doolittle Farm

William and Cynthia DooLittle purchased this land in 1941.  Much of this land is rented out to the neighboring Lawnel Farm, which is a dairy operation.  The DooLittle lands are critical support ground for the dairy, providing the needed additional room to grow crops to feed the dairy herd.  Corn, wheat, and hay are grown here in a rotating fashion.  The soils are 80% USDA Prime and the parcels are in the towns of Caledonia and York.

Har-Go Farm

This third-generation organic dairy farm was founded in 1956 by Harold and Rose Gould.  The name Har-Go came from the founder’s names.  The farm is now operating under the second and third generation leadership.  Parents John and Susan Gould and their son Stephen and his wife Jill sell products through their Buttermeat Co in the Village of Perry.  Located in the Town of Covington, Wyoming County and Town of Pavilion, Genesee County, this farm has over 4 miles of scenic road frontage and over 50% USDA Prime soils that will be protected with these 634 acres.

Locust Lane Farm

Dave and Brenda Dermody operate this farm which primarily raises beef cattle.  They also raise and sell registered Hereford Cattle and Belgian Draft Horses to breeders.  Located in the Town of York, Livingston County, 141 acres will be protected as part of this project, with over 90% USDA Prime soils.

Silver Haven Farm

This dairy farm is a 5th generation operation milking Jerseys and Holsteins.  Owned by Garrett Peters and Emily Richards, 562 acres of land will be protected by this project across the towns of Castile and Perry, Wyoming County.  This farm has 350 head in their herd and their lands to be protected directly expand upon neighboring protected farmland and are adjacent to Silver Lake State Park.

Woodvale Farm

Starting as a farm in Maryland, the family was forced to relocated to Pennsylvania, before again relocating to Perry, Wyoming County.  Residential development pressure encroached on their previous locations and threatened their ability to access the ground needed to run a successful farm operation.  Now located in Perry, in a community they identified as being farmer friendly, this project will protect 780 acres and nearly 8 miles of scenic road frontage.  This fourth-generation 850-head dairy is owned by brothers Don, Thomas and Damon Harwood, and cousin Jason Lorey.

Zornow Farm

Located along Honeoye Creek, this project will protect 458 acres of lands that have 76% USDA Prime soils and over 2.5 miles of scenic road frontage.  Owned by Ted and Marcia Zornow, the ground is leased to the neighboring Tri Acres Farm which is a crop operation in the Town of Lima, Livingston County.

Next Step

While securing this funding is a major achievement, the Conservancy now will be working with these individual farms over the next 18-24 months to ensure all the required work is completed to place conservation easements on the farmland.  Through these conservation easements, these valuable agricultural lands are forever protected and open for agricultural uses in the community.

Conservation easements allow the land to remain privately owned but put limits on subdivision and development to ensure the property remains in agricultural use and continues to contribute to the rural agricultural character of the region.

In Summary

These projects were supported by Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming counties, and by the towns of Caledonia, Castile, Covington, Lima, Mount Morris, Pavilion, Perry, and York.  These municipalities recognize highly productive farmland is critical to the local economy and the economic future of the region.  Each provided letters of support for projects within their jurisdictions.   

This is the 19th round of farmland protection funding awarded by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.  Genesee and Wyoming counties are all currently seeking applications for future rounds of funding.  Applications are available from each county which explain requirements and information needed about the lands to be protected.  Wyoming County applications are due June 14 and Genesee County applications are due July 12.  Livingston County just wrapped up an application round.  For more information on all three county programs you can visit: www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org/farmland  or contact the Conservancy for more information.

Genesee Valley Conservancy works throughout the Genesee River watershed to protect high quality habitat, open space and productive farmland.  The Conservancy oversees the protection of 34,058 acres.

Landowners in the Genesee River watershed interested in pursuing conservation options for their property, be it farmland, habitat, or a potential public nature preserve, should contact Genesee Valley Conservancy for more information.

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Genesee Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited non-profit conservation organization working to protect the habitat, open space and farmland in the Genesee River watershed.  Over 34,058 acres of natural habitat and productive farm and forest land have been conserved by Genesee Valley Conservancy with private landowners.  The organization also owns nature preserves open to the public for year-round recreation and education.  For more information visit www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org