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Home My WebLink AboutAG Minutes 2025-11-25 Agriculture Committee Members and Associates (*) A.J. Teeter Farm (Matthew Stalker, Chair), Casper’s Farm (Michael Casper), Der Rosenmeister Nursery (Lee Ginenthal), Forest Family Farm (Claire Forest), Indian Creek Farm / Cummins Nursery (Steve Cummins), Ithaca Equestrian Center (Russ Wedemeyer), Laughing Goat Fiber Farm (Lisa Ferguson), Steep Hollow Farm (Christianne White, Vice-Chair) TOWN OF ITHACA AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Aurora Conference Room 215 N. Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 (The rear entrance is handicapped accessible) 607-273-1747 Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person at Town Hall or virtually via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/6750593272). AGENDA 6:00 pm 1. Farmers Round Robin – What’s happening on your farm? How the season is going/went? Issues/concerns? Announcements? 6:30 pm 2. Persons to be heard 6:35 pm 3. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates 6:45 pm 4. Ithaca Town Board (Rich) report / update 6:55 pm 5. Approval of minutes – July 29, 2025 7:00 pm 6. Other Business - Recommendation of Chair and Vice-Chair for 2026 - Approval of the 2026 Meeting Schedule - Training / Educational Opportunities 7:30 pm 7. Adjourn Please call (607-273-1747) or email (msmith@townithacany.gov) if you cannot attend 1 Town of Ithaca Agriculture Committee Meeting Tuesday, November 25, 2025, 7:00 pm In Person at Ithaca Town Hall (Aurora Conference Rm) and via Zoom Video Conference Final Minutes Members Present: Matthew Stalker (AJ Teeter Farm), Christianne White (Steep Hollow Farm). Claire Forest (Forest Family Farm) via Zoom. Town Representatives: Mike Smith (Senior Planner) Guests: Bradford Smith, Three Story Farm on West Hill. 1. Farmers Round Robin – What’s happening on your farm? How is the season going/went? Issues/concerns? Announcements? Matt reported for the A.J. Teeter farm is wrapping up for the year, the cows are being tagged and recorded. Tetanus vaccine has been hard to acquire and is a necessity on the farm. Pork processing will be in December. The Apple Harvest Festival went well, selling cider and other farm goods. There may be recommendations from vendors to consider moving the event back a couple weeks further when it tends to be cooler and more of a fall feel. Christianne reported Steep Hollow Farm is building the chicken flock back up after a bad prior year with fox. The field corn and sweet corn crop fields were harvested and cultivated or used for sheep pasture. She intends to become more active in public outreach related to the hemlock wooly adelgid to encourage early identification and treatment options. She attended a recent informative presentation with a NYS Hemlock Initiative representative who was able to see durability, hardiness and resiliency in the trees after treatment. These positive results will help maintain the species. Cayuga Lake Watershed Network is a local group she plans to connect with who partners with other lake water quality groups in the Finger Lakes region. CCE Agroforestry staff was supportive of the initiative and would like to be part of any hosting of programs or information sharing. Meeting guest Bradford Smith noted he is a Board member at the CCE who works with staff and offered Christianne needed any contact information if needed. Mike mentioned the town newsletter as a resource to share information with residents. Christianne was thankful to Bradford for his work on the CCE Board and to Mike for the information and suggestions and support in the matter. Matt asked about possible interest and involvement from forestry and other colleges for research and education. Claire Forest, Forest Family Farms noted concerns for the hemlock trees as well and is nearby to Buttermilk Falls State Park who received funding for treatment. She is interested in more information on treatment for her trees. The invasive Oriental bittersweet vine has been problematic on the farm, and the berry crop was harvest was minimal due to the early damage by deer fawns. Bradford Smith introduced himself as operator of Three-Story Farm, one of the four farms on the EcoVillage property. His primary crops are chestnut trees for the nut harvest. Hazelnuts have been planted and elderberries have been propagated. There is bee keeping and a small nursery 2 operation with hopes to grow and sell plants directly to other farms and consumers. A test run of a few sheep for vegetation control was done recently, education and experience was gained while helping a friend at the same time. He gave a brief explanation of the EcoVillage property and mission to encourage sustainable food production. West Haven CSA is another farm on the property as well as Kestrel Perch and Groundswell. Each farm was briefly described. His e-mail was given as scarecrow@gmail.com if members wished to contact him. Fort Baptist Farm CSA was noted by Christianne as having a summer CSA and a generous local donation of all winter CSA crops was made towards the food shortage, despite having lost federal funding. Reduced priced share options are being offered for 2026 to help households and local funding is being sought to keep things running. A grant was received from the county and a successful fundraiser; however, it is not enough to maintain the goal to support 50-75 household farm shares. The food shortage in general was discussed and awareness of pantry and other low or no cost food options as well as education. Rising store prices of beef was noted along with the increased costs to produce the food on the farm. Many must buy hay and feed therefore are limited to the size of the herd. Proper labeling of store meat is important for consumers if there are not local options to buy beef from a farm. 2. Persons to be heard- none. 3. Chair (Matthew) and Coordinator (Mike) reports / updates: Mike reported that the farm tours for the town board anticipated for 2025 were not able to take place due to conflicting availability of the farms involved and staff. Town projects in progress are securing the agricultural conservation easement on an 84-acre parcel in the Sheffield, Bundy and Hayts Road area of the town. This will provide development protection and is close to finalization. South Hill, East King, Chase Lane and Ridgecrest Rd. area has a 137-acre parcel that is being purchased by the town for a new preserve which is close to other protected land. A walking trail system has been maintained by the property owner for some time and will aid the town to more easily take it over for future public trail use and maintenance. The town received funding to add new parking and trail system to scenic overlooks within the Culver Road Preserve. Mike gave a brief location, description and history of the acquisition of the property with a previous grant and now the grant received for the construction of the parking and trails. Development in the town has been slow, little to no project review or planning board meetings. Some new interest could come in, and it is hopeful development will pick up in the new year. Claire added that she has continued frequent unwelcome inquiries about the development of a section of her farmland. 3 The progress Black Diamond Trail connection/extension was noted to be in the stage where the state purchases their portion of the three properties now owned by the town in the Inlet Valley area. The committee was favorable of the conservation easements and preserve purchases the town has made. 4. Ithaca Town Board (Rich) report / update on new liaison: There are two new incoming town board members and one of the two will be appointed in January to be the town board representative for the Ag committee. 5. Acceptance of minutes: Those in in attendance agreed that the July 29, 2025 minutes be accepted. 6. Other Business: Resolution-Recommendation of Chair and Vice Chair for 2026. Tabled in anticipation of a quorum at the next meeting. Resolution-Approval of the 2026 Meeting Schedule. January 27, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. was agreed to be the next meeting when the full schedule and recommendation of chair and vice chair will be presented again in anticipation of a quorum of committee members. Bradford was encouraged to and welcomed to attend along with anyone else in the community who would be interested. He receives the agenda e-mails and was supportive of the committee’s efforts to grow and communicate with the town staff. Claire noted a large family farm near hers that thankfully stayed in the family after the passing of the main owner and is owned and operated for crops and other agriculture now by a son-in law who keeps it going with his family (Colbert). This was in reference to there being many farms in the town who are not on the Ag committee but would be good assets. Training/Educational Opportunities-not discussed. 7. Adjourn. Christianne moved to adjourn the meeting, Claire seconded. The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. Minutes were drafted by Planning Admin Staff Abby Homer