Silver Meadows Farm Protected

Russ Klein and his parents Stanley and Michele Klein worked with Genesee Valley Conservancy to ensure their fourth-generation family farm remains in agriculture. 

Four conservation easements placed on lands worked by Silver Meadows Farm in Castile and Perry will protect 562 highly productive Genesee Valley acres from the threat of subdivision and development forever!

Prime Soils

The quality of this farmland is outstanding.  Over 50% of these lands are classified as USDA Prime soil, the most productive soils around.  An additional 30% of these acres are classified as NYS important soils.  This was a key factor that made Silver Meadows Farm the #1 ranked farm in Wyoming County during the county’s selection process.

All in the Family

These lands were first worked by the Klein family starting in 1953 when John and Bernince Klein purchased lands with their son, Ron, and his wife Jackie.  These lands are now worked by Ron and Jackie’s son Stanley and wife Michele.  Stanley and Michele’s son, Russ, joined the farm in 2006 and is a part-owner. He is the fourth generation to own and work these lands.

Together, the father-son team of Stanley and Russ run this 200-cow dairy operation that produces milk and grows a variety of crops including all their dairy forages, wheat and oats, corn and corn grain, hay, and alfalfa.  These crops are used on their farm as well as sold to neighboring farms and local feed mills.

Photography: Genesee Valley Conservancy and © Rebecca Drobis for The American Farmland Trust

Investing in the Future

The Klein’s recently invested in a robotic milking parlor to increase the efficiency of the farm and improve cow-comfort.  Roughly half of the herd uses this new system, which allows cows to be milked when they choose, not based on a rigid schedule.  Some will be milked frequently throughout the day, other cows just once.  The system allows cows to make the decision themselves on when to be milked, improving their quality of life and comfort on the farm.

This robotic milking barn also requires less management and oversight from the farmers, which helps keep costs down and frees up time for their many other duties on the farm. 

What Else is On-Tap?

In addition to that glass of milk, you can start your day with some maple syrup produced by the Klein’s from the hills overlooking Silver Lake.  A reverse osmosis unit removes some of the water before the sap is transferred into a 24 square foot evaporator, and then is boiled down the rest of the way to make maple syrup.

The farm sells their maple syrup from their house and also in bulk to a few local businesses.  In conjunction with producing syrup, the farm uses a forest management plan to help manage their woodlots and commercial harvests.

Sunflower Field

Those who have driven around Silver Lake in the late summer are sure to have seen Russ’s nieces’ flower business—Silver Lake Sunnies.  Their roadside farm stand operates from late June through early September and sits in front of their field of sunflowers. 

In addition to the quality soils protected by this project, over four miles of scenic road frontage are protected, helping to maintain the rural character and scenic views that are so cherished in Wyoming County.

Silver Lake

Undeveloped lands around Silver Lake are rare.  Of the 7.4 miles of shoreline on Silver Lake, just two non-residential unprotected parcels exist: one of those two undeveloped parcels is now protected as part of this project.

In addition to the scenic benefits of open space and undeveloped lands along the shoreline of the lake, the Village of Perry relies on the lake water for their drinking water source.  Nearly 4,000 residents rely on these waters.  The farm has also protected lands further from the lakeshore along the Silver Lake Inlet, another important means by which water filters into the lake.

By protecting land and the natural water filtration system it provides, the costs and chemicals used to treat water by the Village can be reduced.

Community Impact

This project adds the 89th, 90th, 91st, and 92nd conservation easements accepted by the Conservancy overall, the 2nd conservation easement in the Town of Castile, and the 5th conservation easement in the Town of Perry.

How It Happened

In 2018, the Klein’s attended a farmland protection workshop hosted by the Wyoming County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board and Genesee Valley Conservancy to learn about conservation easements and the New York State grant program that funds these efforts.

The family decided to pursue the program and applied to the local Wyoming County selection process. This process pre-ranks interested farms so that the lengthy and competitive grant applications submitted to NYS are the best the region has to offer.  During the 2018 local ranking, the Silver Meadows Farm received the top ranking of all applicants.  Unsurprisingly, the project was subsequently awarded funding by NYS and their land protection project began.

This project was the result of a collaboration between Genesee Valley Conservancy, Wyoming  County Board of Supervisors, Wyoming County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, Town of Castile, Town of Perry, and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.  To-date, the collaborative effort between Genesee Valley Conservancy and local partners has resulted in over $20 million invested in protecting over 11,809 acres of some of the State’s most productive agricultural lands, located in the Genesee Valley.

In Summary

This project was supported by the Wyoming County Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board and the towns of Castile and Perry.  Both municipalities recognize highly productive farmland is critical to the local economy and the economic future of the region.  Genesee Valley Conservancy works throughout the Genesee River watershed to protect high quality habitat, open space and farmland for the community.  The Conservancy now oversees the protection of 21,945 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.