One visit to a local farmer’s market in downtown Syracuse in the summertime and something becomes clear amidst the crowds of people. We, as a community, value and enjoy the unique, homegrown products that our rural businesses have to offer. But the struggles that those local farmers face are not as well-known.
It was those challenges that inspired the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA) to join together with the New York State American Farmland Trust (AFT) and address the issues local farmers are faced with in their struggle to remain economically viable.
After a rural regional planning initiative conducted in the town of Cazenovia and its surrounding areas cited farmland protection as a priority of the area’s residents, CACDA decided to take action. Having worked well together in the past, the group partnered with AFT to share their expertise as they took on this challenge. Together, the groups identified why farms in Madison and Onondaga Counties are important to the region and how they are being challenged in these current times.
Local farmers are facing turbulent times, as the prices they are now getting on their products are the lowest they have seen in 30 years while the cost of doing business is steadily increasing. Such economic instability makes it very difficult for small family farms to remain profitable. Tough times like these make the idea of selling off some land to residential developers more tempting for farmers. Farmland is usually some of the most attractive to residential developers because it is easy to clear and the land is of high-quality. CACDA and AFT identified this as a risk that needed to be addressed before the area’s economy, agritourism, environmental conservation and personal health were detrimentally affected. "This is an issue that is relevant to everybody," said David Haight, NY Director at American Farmland Trust. "People are more concerned than ever about where their food comes from, our energy security and the economy. It doesn’t matter if you are in Syracuse City Hall or the grange hall of a rural community; these are issues that are relevant to everybody."
Together, the groups compiled a plan that addressed these issues by educating local officials, farmers and community residents to a degree that would ignite public action. The groups presented the plan to us for funding through our Community Grantmaking program. Impressed with the strength of their collaboration and action plan, $12,000 was awarded towards the initiative. "We were really excited about the promise this partnership held for the future of our local farms," said Peter Dunn, Community Foundation President and CEO. "Their plan incorporated each organization’s strengths in such a way that we knew they would be successful."
Now in its implementation phase, the project is well underway. On March 25th, the group held the Planning for Farms, Food and Energy in Central New York Conference in Liverpool. The audience of more than 175 people consisted of county officials, planning boards and farmers. The purpose of the gathering was to encourage local government to make agriculture a priority.
Topics during the day-long meeting included the economic impact of our farms and our farmlands as sites for renewable and sustainable energy production. Similar workshops will be conducted this year in Onondaga and Madison Counties for those who did not attend the conference. The planners behind these meetings hope that their message inspires community-based action in support of their cause.
To educate and inspire the general public to get behind this initiative, the group produced a publication, Local Farms – Resources Worth Protecting. The 50 page book, distributed to local rural residents, was written to increase understanding of what makes farming important to our area, both as a way of life and as a valued occupation. Topics include the economic driver farming serves to the region, examples of ancillary businesses that are affected by the success of the agriculture industry and the often unknown infrastructure costs non-agricultural development can have on a municipality. The book also emphasizes the importance farming holds in environmental health, water quality, wildlife and scenic landscapes. "We want people to understand there are real challenges and issues here," said Barbara Henderson, Executive Director of CACDA. "If people have the facts and are well-informed, they tend to make better choices, not only in the present but also in the future sustainability of their communities."
In the coming months and years, the group hopes that its message leads to a broader community understanding of what is really needed to preserve the area’s quality of life. "We are giving local people the education and tools they need," said Haight. "We think these will spur a lot of local action in support of local farms and farmland." For more information about the initiative, visit www.farmland.org