Sparta Farms Protect Farmland With 57% Prime Soils
Sparta Farms is a fourth-generation dairy located in Groveland, Livingston County. This spring, 1,512 acres of prime agricultural land and valuable soil resources were protected by this farm in partnership with Genesee Valley Conservancy.
Currently managing the farm are Peter Van Arsdale and his daughter, Jeanette. Prior to that, Peter’s father, James Van Arsdale, expanded and modernized the farm with his partner Dick Popp.
Together, Peter and Jeanette have been working to continually improve the conditions on the dairy farm as new technologies and opportunities arise.
Like many dairy farms in New York, they produce high quality milk and strive to continually improve the quality of the milk and the quality of life of their dairy herd.
At Sparta Farms this goal has been pursued by building new barns with ideal ventilation and living conditions for the cows, implementing new technologies and practices intending to improve the health and comfort of the herd, and always striving to improve forage qualities and nutrition strategies to nurture highly productive cows that produce high quality milk.
This conservation project involved accepting the 9th, 10th, and 11th conservation easements in the town of Groveland by the Conservancy and the 114th, 115th, 116th easements accepted by the organization since its founding in 1990. The total land protected via Genesee Valley Conservancy is now 29,178 acres, just shy of the 30,000 acre milestone which is expected to be reached later this year.
The lands protected by this project include 57% USDA Prime soils, which help the farm consistently produce higher than average yields. Milk produced by the farm is made into a long list of products including butters and cheeses found on every grocery store in the region.
This farmland protection project was made possible by funding from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in the form of a ‘dairy transition’ conservation project. The ‘dairy transition’ project aims to support protecting farmland as part of an operations shift from one generation of owner to the next.
In this case, Peter Van Arsdale and his daughter, Jeanette, currently share the responsibilities of managing the dairy farm. Protecting the farmland that provides the basis for this operation will be a key element in ensuring future generations at this farm will have the land needed to continue a successful farm operation. While management style and products produced by Sparta Farms may change with any future transitions, a protected land base will ensure these highly productive soils can continue to provide a sustaining base for future ownership of this farm.
Lands protected as part of this project include over 9 miles of scenic road frontage which will remain as intact vistas of the rural, agricultural landscape, that defines Grovelands character and the broader Livingston County.
The lands protected include more than agricultural lands, there are 175 acres of class II wetlands on the property which provide important habitat, storm water retention and filtration. Class II wetlands are the second highest classification of regulated wetlands.
This project was the result of a collaboration between Genesee Valley Conservancy, Livingston County Board of Supervisors, Livingston County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, Town of Groveland 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 $33.5 million invested in protecting 18,791 acres of some of the State’s most productive agricultural lands, here in the Genesee Valley.
The Town Board of Groveland unanimously endorsed this project, as it fits within the long term plans for the community to retain a strong and viable base of agriculture to support the local economy.
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 29,112 acres.
The Conservancy presently has more than 11,000 acres of farmland protection projects in the works throughout the Genesee River watershed, as protecting high quality farmland remains of high importance for the organization.
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.