$508,000 would protect orchard land in Red Hook
Source: DailyFreeman.com, by William J Kemble
June 10, 2007
RED HOOK - Dutchess County lawmakers will vote Monday on a proposal to spend more than $500,000 in state, federal and local government money to protect the 82.13-acre Mead Orchards property in Red Hook from development.
A resolution to purchase a conservation easement on the property off U.S. Route 9 for $508,678 was unanimously endorsed by the county Legislature's Environmental Committee last week. Under the proposal, the state will contribute $381,509, the town and county will provide $114,670, and the federal government will give $12,499 to cover the cost of development rights.
Last October, the Red Hook Town Board agreed to a plan for the town to pay half of the $114,670 local share of the state Agricultural and Farmland Protection Implementation grant. In March, the county Planning Board recommended the Legislature pay the other 50 percent.
Under the proposed easement, 72.13 acres are available for crop and livestock production, 8 acres are either wooded or contain wetlands, and 2 acres are associated with an existing residence. The property, purchased by the Mead family in 2001, is adjacent to the original 100-acre farm, which itself was protected by a $290,000 conservation easement approved in 1998.
"The entire property, consisting of prime and statewide important farmland soils, has allowed them to double their acreage under production," the state said in the grant document, adding that the 82-acre site provides the potential for the family to open a retail farm stand on Route 9.
Mead Orchards LLC is owned by Sidney and Beth Mead, their son, Charles, and his wife, Linda. The family has owned the farm since 1916, when Sid's father, Gordon, purchased the farmstead.
"For most of the last 100 years, they have operated a wholesale orchard, concentrating on traditional orchard crops such as apples, peaches and pears," the grant document stated. "Over the last 20 years, they have diversified production to include many additional varieties of fruits, berries and cultivated ... crops like sweet corn, tomatoes, greens, squash and peppers."
Reached by telephone on Friday, Charles Mead said the family bought the 82-acre parcel to keep it from being developed.
"We're convinced that if we hadn't bought that when we did, that it would be developed in some fashion now that wouldn't be compatible with our farming operations," he said. "It's got some beautiful mountain views. It's got over 2,000 feet of road frontage on Route 9, which would lend it to being desirable to development."
Red Hook town residents voted 897-186 in October 2003 to establish a $3.5 million account for the purchase of development rights.
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