Agricultural Stewardship Association Year in Review 2011-2012

Agricultural Stewardship Association

2011-2012 Highlights

Assisted eight local farm families with the protection of 2,015 acres of productive land to ensure its availability for future agricultural use.

Worked with conservationists and partners to offer a variety of educational programs for children, adults, and landowners giving them the opportunity to forge a connection to the land and develop a greater understand-ing of farming, forestry and land stewardship.

Fulfilled our responsibility to the community and the landowners who have protected their land by conducting site visits to each of the 80 properties con-served prior to 2011 to ensure the terms of their easements are being upheld.

Developed a new 5-year strategic plan to guide our conservation work through 2018

Tom Jilek, Chair, Board of Directors

Teri Ptacek, Executive Director

Dear Members and Friends of the Agricultural Stewardship Association

his annual report is dedicated to the visionary conservationists who protected their land in 2011-12 and the many people whose support made it possible. Across our region, we are seeing a greater number and diversity of people supporting farmland conservation. Food security, economic growth, the protection of natural resources and quality of life are issues that are motivating people to join the farmland conservation movement.

In FY 2011-12, members of our community came together to share their visions for our future and help ASA develop an ambitious new 5-year strategic plan. Families from the across the Capitol Region showed tremendous support during our campaigns to protect the Denison Farm and Quincy Farm. Through our programs and events, we worked with many talented partners and volunteers, shared the wonders of farms and nature with children and their families, and celebrated the traditions and heritage of our community.

To all of those who supported our work this year, we thank you for your vision, passion, hard work and generosity.

T

Quincy Farm, Easton

Quincy Farm, formerly known as Battleview Farm, is 49 acres of rich agricultural land located in Easton along the Hudson River across from the Saratoga National Historical Park. The farm has been in continuous agri-cultural production since 1777.

When it went up for sale, aspiring farmers Luke Deikis and Cara Fraver asked the Open Space Institute (OSI), a national conservation organization, for help. Acting as an interim conser-vation buyer, OSI purchased the farm from the Wright family at its appraised value. They enlisted ASA as their local partner, fronting the funds to purchase a conservation easement, and then sold the restricted property to Luke and Cara at its reduced agricultural value.

Responsible for covering half the cost of the farm’s protection, ASA se-cured funding from Castanea Founda-tion, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and through a public grassroots campaign. This rich, historic farm has been protected and Luke and Cara, a new generation of farmers, have started a CSA (Community Supported Agri-culture) business and sell their produce at the Ballston Spa, Glens Falls and Schenectady farmers markets.

Stewart Farm, Easton

Cliff and Janet Stewart own Autumn View Acres, a dairy operation they started as a young couple in 1959. The Stewarts raised six children on the farm and while they’ve seen their share of hardship, they have many fond memories of family life on the farm. Today they milk about 130 Holsteins and have another 100 young stock.

In 1999, the Stewarts protected 57 acres of their farm. Over the years their son Keith has taken on running the farm and now owns the cows and equipment and rents the land from his parents. He and his wife Sheri have four children of their own and are proud to be carry-ing on the family tradition.

Now approaching retirement, the Stewarts are planning to transition the land to Keith. Working with ASA and the Town of Easton, they were awarded funding from the New York State Farmland Conservation Pro-gram to protect their remaining 234 acres of land and finalized the farm’s conservation. When the time comes, Keith will be able to purchase the land at its reduced agricultural value. Cliff and Janet will be secure in their retire-ment and pleased that the farm they’ve worked so hard to build will continue to be a farm for generations to come.

Cannon Cattle Ranch, Baum Property, Pittstown

Matt and Peggy Cannon bought their farm in Pittstown in 1979 and named it the Cannon Cattle Ranch. They’ve made many improvements to the farm and grown the herd to about 115 milk-ing cows and 90 young stock. They’ve

Land ConservationThank you to the landowners who chose to make a tremendous gift to our community by protecting their land in 2011-12.

put a lot of hard work into building a successful family dairy farm and wanted to make sure it stayed a farm.

The Cannons rented support land from their neighbor Theresa Baum, who was also determined to protect her property from future develop-ment. Working with ASA, both were awarded funding through the New York State Farmland Protection Program and additional funds from Castanea Foundation covered some of the transaction costs. ASA was able to help the Cannons protect their 358 acres, and Baum her 33 acres.

Not only did conservation satisfy their shared desire to see the land re-main in farming, but it’s also given the Cannons the opportunity to purchase the land they’ve rented from Baum at its reduced, agricultural value.

Hooskip Farm, Petersburgh and Hoosick

The 714-acre Hooskip Farm is located along the Hoosic River on Indian Massacre Road in Petersburgh and straddles the Vermont state border. John and Mary McMahon named it for the Hoosic River and Skiparee Mountain, much of which is part of the farm. They wanted to keep the farm small and self-sustaining and today, John and his son Dan milk 115 registered Holsteins, raise almost all of their feed on the farm, harvest timber and provide enough fire-wood to heat their homes. John explains, “If it wasn’t for Dan taking over, I wouldn’t still be farming. The hours are long and it requires patience and good health. It’s not a job—it’s a way of life”.

The farm’s rich history and superb soils inspired John and his family to protect their land. They protected 371 acres in Pownell with the Vermont Land Trust and then worked with ASA and Rensselaer County to apply for funding through the New York State Farmland Protection Program to protect the adjacent 343 acres in Petersburgh. John has inspired a num-ber of neighboring farmers to protect their land as well. Including the por-tion of his farm in Vermont, there are now 1,492 acres that have been or are in the process of being protected in this rich river valley.

Jermain Hill Farm, White Creek

Alex and Marine Zagoreos bought Jermain Hill Farm with several partners in 1977. It’s a beautiful 319-acre farm that connects the Mount Tom State Reforestation Area to the Little White Creek. They fell in love with the farm and eventually bought out their partners.

Marine and Alex share an inter-est in birds and they manage some of their land for grassland and song bird habitat, leaving a few fields uncut until July when the nesting period is over. Alex said that an ornithologist who visited the farm recently counted 75 distinct species of birds including two golden eagles which they see regularly.

Alex has been active with a num-ber of conservation organizations and is currently chair of Audubon New York. He and Marine believe strongly in protecting the natural resources that make New York such a rich state. They made the important decision to donate an easement on their farm because, as Marine put it, “We love it so much that we want to make sure to leave something that won’t change much for our children, their children, or whoever’s children are here to take care of it.”

Clark Family Farm & Stearns Brothers Farm, Jackson, Petersburgh and Hoosick

As a third generation dairy farmer, Guy “Skip” Clark appreciates the value of good cropland. To support his fam-ily’s growing operation, Skip rented a rich, flat parcel of land on Route 313 just outside the village of Cambridge, which borders the Eldridge Swamp State Forest. He also rented land in Hoosick Falls, and Petersburg from the Stearns brothers. When both proper-ties came up for sale, Skip turned to ASA for help acquiring them.

The Castanea Foundation, ASA’s conservation partner, purchased both parcels. They continued to rent to Skip while they worked with ASA and Washington and Rensselaer counties to secure funding from the New York State Farmland Protection Program to conserve all 540 acres. The Whipstock Hill Preservation Society contributed additional funding to help with the protection of the Stearns’ farm. Conservation enabled Skip to purchase both parcels from Castanea at their reduced agricultural value.

Denison Farm, Schaghticoke

The 164-acre Denison Farm in Scha-ghticoke, owned by Brian and Justine Denison, is home to a 510-member CSA (Community Supported Agricul-ture) and provides great produce for the Troy and Saratoga farmers’ markets.

Brian and Justine are committed to mentoring new farmers and wanted to make sure their farm would be protect-ed and available for the next generation of farmers. ASA secured a majority of funding for the farm’s conservation through grants from the Federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, the Castanea Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The final portion of funding came largely from the farm’s many loyal customers.

CSA members Matt and Dana Kopans explained why they supported the campaign. “Just about everyone who joins a CSA knows the reasons to support local farming: it helps build community, it strengthens the lo-cal economy, local food tastes better, etc.  But we support local farms for two very specific reasons - our twins, Zack and Eden.  Watching our kids grow up so quickly it’s very clear that what we feed them is, in a very literal way, making them who they are.  In this economy, our family, like so many others, needs to invest carefully, and we want to do whatever we can to ensure that Zack and Eden grow up healthily and in a healthy com-munity.  ASA and the Denisons are helping us to do both.”

Land Conservation Continued

As the number of protected properties grows, so does ASA’s responsibility to steward them and ensure that the conser-vation goals set forth in the easement are being upheld. In 2011-2012 ASA’s stewardship team worked with landown-ers to conduct site visits to all 80 (11,665 acres!) of our previously conserved properties.

We also prepared to apply for accreditation through the Land Trust Alliance (LTA), a national organization which sets standards and practices for more than 1,700 land trusts across the country. The application process requires a thorough review of all of our existing easements, policies and practices to ensure they meet the highest standards. Receiving accreditation will strengthen our organization as it grows and reassure the public, and the landowners

who have entrusted us with their easements, that our land protection efforts are permanent.

Through our stewardship program we offered several programs to assist landowners in the stewardship of their land. We partnered with the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehabilitation Center to host a Barn Owl and Kestrel Pest Management workshop at the conserved Steel Farm in Kingsbury. We worked with the Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District to give landowners an over-view of all of the federal grant and contractual agreement programs designed to protect agricultural land and wildlife. We also partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension, Rensselaer Land Trust and the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance to offer forest owners a workshop on succession planning.

Stewardship

ASA continued to expand its out-reach and education efforts to offer a wide variety of programs for kids, families and landowners as well as three major public events. We built on the success of our Farm Photography for Kids program,

offering kids aged 7 to 16 the opportunity to visit 6 diverse, local farms where they learned the fundamentals of photog-raphy from professional photographers. Their photos of pigs, sheep, cows, chickens, tractors and trucks were displayed in a special exhibit at the Washington County and Schaghticoke fairs. Naturalist Howard Romack led a family nature walk on Joslin Lane Farm in Buskirk and mycologist Sue Van Hook took about 50 fungus fans in search of wild mush-

Outreach and Education

rooms on the conserved Sanders property in Salem. ASA held its annual dinner with special guest, New

York Times editor Verlyn Klinkenborg, in April. In July we teamed up with Saratoga P.L.A.N. to host our second annual Tour de Farm bicycle ride through the agricultural landscapes and historical sites surrounding the Saratoga National Historical Park. 253 riders helped raise approxi-mately $8,500 for farmland conservation at the event. ASA also celebrated the 10th anniversary of its signature Landscapes for Landsake art exhibition in October. Host Larry Sconzo, artist Harry Orlyk, and conservationist Barbara Glaser were honored for their part in the show’s success. Artists generously donated 50% of the proceeds from the sale of their work and local businesses sponsored the event in support ASA’s conservation efforts.

TeMPOrariLYREVENUE AND ADDITIONS TO NET ASSETS UNreSTricTed reSTricTed TOTaL

Program Support

Gifts and contributons 111,000.65 111,000.65

Program income 20,972.00 20,972.00

Project support 34,000.21 34,000.21

events, net of expense 28,801.64 28,801.64

Grants 117,293.75 54,585.00 171,878.75

Other 116.49 116.49

capital Support

contributions, grants & pledges for easement acquisition 665,452.00 665,452.00

investment income and reserves

Gifts and contributions to stewardship and defense funds 84,900.00 84,900.00

interest on cash & cash equivalents 9,770.45 9,770.45

change in fair value of remainder interest in real property 406,944.00 406,944.00

realized gains and losses on investments 1,086.36 1,086.36

Unrealized gains and losses on investments 17,494.12 17,494.12

340,535.67 1,211,881.00 1,552,416.67

NET ASSETS RELEASED FROM RESTRICTIONS 676,990.00 -676,990.00

TOTAL REVENUE AND ADDITIONS 1,017,524.67 534,891.00 1,552,415.67

EXPENSES AND REDUCTIONS IN NET ASSETS

Program services 833,991.00 833,991.00

Management and support 78,426.00 78,426.00

Fundraising 33,539.00 33,539.00

TOTAL EXPENSES AND REDUCTIONS 945,956.00 945,956.00

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS 71,568.67 534,891.00 606,459.67

NET ASSETS, beginning of year 245,120.00 773,349.00 1,018,469.00

NET ASSETS, end of year 316,688.67 1,308,240.00 1,624,928.67

Statement of Activities, March 31, 2012

Uses of Funds

Uses of Funds

FUNDRAISING$33,540

MANAGEMENT & GENERAl$78,415

PROGRAM/ EASEMENTS PURChASED

$497,733

PROGRAM/ GENERAl $336,269

4%

8%

53%

36%

Statement of Financial Position

FOUNDATIONS $370,33824%

INVESTMENTS/ OThER $28,467

FOUNDATIONS $370,338

Sources of Funds

INDIVIDUAl/CORPORATE

$679,104

GOVERNMENT $474,507

24%

2%

44%

31%

ASSETS

cash and cash equivalents 403,497.22

contributions receivable from:

Program-related activities 48,752.86

remainder interest in real property 700,000.00

Pledges and grants receivable 43,843.64

investments, at fair value 448,081.90

Furniture and equipment, net 4,189.80

Other assets 7,387.14

1,655,752.56

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Liabilities

accounts payable and accrued expenses 30,825.14

30,825.00

Net assets

Unrestricted 316,689.00

Temporarily restricted 1,308,240.00

1,624,929.00

Total liabilities and net assets 1,655,753.00

Thank You!We gratefully acknowledge our members who gave $500 or more between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012. We also thank our many other supporters whose gifts play a crucial role in our success but whose names are too many to list.

Board of Directors 2011-2012 Mary Ellen Williams Chair, Greenwich

Tom Jilek Vice Chair, Salem

Tara Nolan Treasurer, Eagle Bridge

Stephan Deibel Secretary, White Creek

Art Brod Poestenkill & Easton

Gene Ceglowski Rupert, Vermont

Thomas Christenfeld Easton

Megan Galbraith Cambridge

Phil Gitlen Easton

Dave horn Easton

Seth Jacobs Argyle

Alyssa J. McClenning Northumberland

Cynthia Parillo Pittstown

Katherine Roome Greenwich

Erica Sellar Ryan Greenwich

Justin Stevens Greenwich

Margaret Stokowski Granville

Stuart Ziehm Cambridge

ASA StaffTeri Ptacek, Executive Director

Renee Bouplon, Associate Director

Chris Krahling, Project Manager

Janet Britt, Easement Steward

Meegan Finnegan, Senior Manager of Communications and Programs

Sarah Kane, Administrative Assistant

Foundationsanonymous (1)castanea Foundationcharles r. wood FoundationThe community Foundation of the Greater capital regionGordon FoundationThe Hedbring FoundationHorowitz Family Foundation, inc.Mccarthy charities, inc.Nordlys Foundation, inc.The Peter and carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, inc.The Pew charitable Trustswhipstock Hill Preservation Society, inc.

Governmenterie canalway National Heritage corridorNew York State conservation Partnership Program*New York State council on the arts decentralization Program**rensselaer countyTown of eastonTown of Schaghticoke

Cream of the Cropanonymous (8)ackley & ross Funeral Homecarolina eastern-Vail, inc.Nan and Tom carrollThe chazen companiesStephan and Gina deibelearthsharealexander ewing and winnifred SenningPhilip Gitlen and Melody MackenzieLiz Gordon and Thomas christenfeldMargaret and david HornJohn Stokowski & SonsJuniper Farmruth and Sandy LambJosh Levy and Pam MagnusonMaryann McGeorge and Susan SandersonThe McGraw Hill companiesOwl Pen BooksThe Phantom LaboratoryKathy and Hugh roomePhil Sweeneyrupert Veterinary clinicSaratoga casino and racewaySelect Sothebys international realty

daniel and Hideko StoneTop chef Masters 3John UmlaufBill and Sarah wadewhiteman Osterman & Hanna LLPalexander and Marine Zagoreos

Benefactorsanonymous (5)The adirondack Trust companyMr. James alcottatticus communicationsMatthew and Phoebe Benderdouglas and Linda Bischoffarthur Brod, Jr.cargillGordon chaplinJohn and Sue coreyFarm credit eastBertram Freed and caroline eastmanalbert H. GarnerGlens Falls National BankJames and cheryl GoldTerry Griffin and Peter demingFrederic Guiledenene HisgenKenneth and d. Nancy JohnsonBarbara and Ken KaufmanKc consultingMineke and andrew KnappMatt Kopans and dana Gliserman-Kopansrussell and elizabeth LacroixJoan and By Laphamcarol and douglas LeithSusan Lepler and Michael ForceMitch and doris LevinnLewis waite FarmTupper LimbertMargaret MeathMoses FarmNolan + dickinson, cPas, PLLcJack and cynthia ParilloTeri Ptacekdon Pompliano and Kathy Taylordon and Lois Porterwilliam ralston and Joan Bleikamprobert reilly and alexandra StreznewskiSally and Jeff SmallStewart’s ShopsStirling Brook FarmsTd Bank, Nacarlos Torreselizabeth Lynne Van Nestwiley BrothersTim and Kathleen wileyMary ellen williamsanne and ethan winterMichael and Katherine Zdeb

In Kind Services catherine LittellSpoonful catering Susan SandersonGary Stine

Volunteers Lynda and Michael armstrongStacey arnoldMark BeauharnoisJohn and Gigi BeginKaren BilowithLynn BittnerJim BogueJay and Judy BridgeNancy Browndr. Paul ByronBob cheney and cambridge VOScaJeff cookclem and Mary dee croweJohn and Minette cummingsBrian dansinKim davidsonMaggie denisonSirrell Fielcathy FirmanBetsy and Mary Footeelizabeth GormleyJohn HandJon Harrisdorothy HarropML Healychristine and Matthew HofferJennifer JenningsJudith and ivan KazenPam KeniryJohn Kettlewelldavid KievitJana Kingevan Lawrenceed and Millie LawrenceKim LittellJennie LyttleQuimby Mahoneyamy Maxwell and Salem Future Farmers of americadiane McGlauflinrobert and Bliss McintoshBeth Meerannie Millerrandy O’dellBob Odesscliff Oliverchristina PuertoLisa randlesLeah remingtonJohn rockwellSteve romeroJim ruhlcolleen SacalaJim Schanzrachel Skelliedick SkellieMonique and Jamie Smithrenee St. JacquesJulia StokesKatie StoneKristin willifordJessica ZiehmBen Zipperer

*The New York State conservation Partnership Program is administered by the Land Trust alliance and funded through the environmental Protection Fund ** administered locally by the Lower adirondack regional arts council

You can help ensure a future for agriculture in our community

Make a bequest Leave a gift of land or other property to ASA in your will.

Honorary or memorial giving A meaningful way to honor a friend or loved one while making a gift to future generations.

Volunteer Give your time and talents to help with outreach events, membership mailings, professional and technical matters.

Be a Conservation Leader Protect your land and its conservation values.

Give monthly Provide a reliable stream of support for land conservation.

Become a member of ASA Help your neighboring farmers protect their land and your source of local food.

Gift memberships Giving on behalf of friends and families is a great way to show you care about them and your community.

Give through your workplace Ask your employer about matching gifts or workplace giving through EarthShare.

14 Main Street, Suite 100 || Greenwich, NY 12834 || tel 518-692-7285 || fax 518-692-7720 || asa@agstewardship.org

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Agricultural Stewardship Association

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Protecting our community’s working landscape of farms and forests, connecting people to the land, and promoting a vibrant future for agriculture in the region.