Farm Bureau 06 Resolution

Whereas, 1. Farmland in Seneca County is increasingly threatened by conversion to residential development, 2. Seneca County Agriculture Enhancement Plans and NYS Ag & Markets Laws are intended to protect farmers from unplanned residential development that may harm their agricultural operations’ viability, 3. Farmers in Seneca County who have recently relied upon NYS Ag & Markets Agricultural Districts and Right to Farm laws to protect their interests have been ill served,

Be it resolved that the Seneca County Farm Bureau:

1. Calls urgently upon New York State Farm Bureau to work with NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets to re-evaluate Agricultural Districts Law and to clarify enforcement of the law and penalties for violation of these critical laws.

2. Encourages New York State Farm Bureau to create a model Local Right-to-Farm law for use by local municipalities.

3. Recommends a participatory state-wide process in which New York State Farm Bureau members can become involved in a dialogue about the tensions between, on one hand, fundamental property rights and retirement or near retirement aged farmers’ strategies to sell their land for development, and on the other hand, the need to protect dwindling farmland resources in Seneca County and across the state for future farmers.