Public Encouraged to Submit Feedback
KINGSTON, NY - The Ulster County Government has released the draft 2024 Ulster County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan, a comprehensive roadmap for sustaining and enhancing agriculture in Ulster County, and seeks public feedback on the Plan to help shape the future of our region’s agricultural landscape.
The primary objective of the draft Plan is to address the challenges facing agriculture in the County while capitalizing on opportunities to ensure the economic viability, sustainability, and resilience of the agricultural sector. The Plan can be found on the Participate Ulster website at participate.ulstercountyny.gov/ag-protection-plan.
The 179-page document is the result of an extensive and collaborative planning process that engaged farmers, landowners, local governments, agricultural organizations, and the community-at-large. The Plan contains a wealth of data, analyses, maps, and resources that underpin the recommendations and strategies put forward, and includes a detailed examination of the internal and external factors that affect agriculture in Ulster County.
The Plan focuses on the economic aspects of the County's agricultural sector, including current trends, issues, and opportunities, and provides an in-depth analysis of farm types and products, sales revenues, markets, production costs, and profitability. It also examines the physical characteristics of farmland in Ulster County and the need to adapt to changing environmental conditions, particularly those brought about by climate change.
The Plan also highlights the importance of infrastructure to support agricultural operations, including processing, distribution, transportation, and farmworker housing.
“Protecting and stewarding our agricultural resources is vital to Ulster County's economic well-being and future food security, and the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan plays a central role in our efforts to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of farming in our county,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, who chaired the Senate Agriculture Committee when she served in the State Senate. “This draft plan is the result of considerable stakeholder input and hard work, and we’re pleased to present the full draft to the public for review and comment."
More information on the Plan, along with a copy available for download, can be found at https://participate.ulstercountyny.gov/ag-protection-plan. Comments can be submitted at the bottom of the Participate Ulster page, or by emailing Burt Samuelson at bsam[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us through January 31, 2025.
Prior to the 2024 draft Plan, the County’s last such plan was released in 1997 and can be viewed here: https://ulstercountyny.gov/planning/agriculture/farmland.
