Sullivan County foodshed considered

Columbia students take on farming

By FRITZ MAYER

FERNDALE, NY — The students from Columbia University’s Urban Design Program came from all over the globe, from such countries as China, Bulgaria, India, Pakistan, Peru and the United States, to hear about small-scale farming in Sullivan County.

They gathered at the CVI building in Ferndale on February 5 as the kick-off session of a project that will focus on county agriculture, and the possibility of enhancing the county’s role in providing sustainable, locally produced food for residents of New York City and others in the area.

Sullivan County planning commissioner Luiz Aragon addressed the group and showed that county

officials recognize the importance of maintaining a strong agricultural economic base and support projects such as the red meat facility in Liberty and a newly proposed creamery.

As of 2008, there were 384 farms in the county with a total acreage of 62,300. The economic value of agricultural products totals $82 million, with poultry and poultry products representing the largest category worth $22 million, and vegetables representing the smallest worth $1.8 million.

John Gorzynski, formerly an organic farmer who now calls himself an ornery farmer because of his disagreement with the standards allowed for organic certification, stressed the importance of the Green Market in New York City for the success of his farm. He noted that when he first drove his truck to the city in the early ’80s, he was apprehensive, and didn’t know if he might be robbed. But the Green Market was a huge success, and has expanded to 63 locations.

Mark Dunau, who owns a farm in Delaware County with his wife Lisa Wujnovich, said that his farm is also successful because of ties to the city; he sells his vegetables to high-end restaurants. He said that he specializes in greens and root vegetables because those are the plants that do well in the cool temperatures at his place, and with the soil he has.

In the weeks ahead, the students will study more about food production in Sullivan County and, ultimately, produce a publication on the subject similar to the one that was produced by the Urban Design Program on gas drilling last spring, and another one related to the New York Regional Interconnection power line in 2007.

“We’re going to miss you tremendously,” said UDC executive director Bill Douglass.

In other news, the UDC heard from William Rudge that the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is struggling to determine how to cope with proposed state budget cuts. Town of Highland representative Andrew Boyar asked Rudge for an estimate of the completion date for the agency’s review of its draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement. Rudge said that given the volume of comments received, a spring completion date is “unlikely.”

Dennis Demara of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) said that the agency has awarded nearly $19 million in grants throughout the commonwealth, including $36,200 for a comprehensive recreation, open space and greenway plan for two Wayne County, PA boroughs, Bethany and Honesdale, and two PA townships, Dyberry and Texas. A full list of grants, as well as information on the next grants workshop on February 18 is available at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

In addition, a new Northeastern Pennsylvania Bicycling and Hiking Map has been printed in partnership with PennDOT through a congestion mitigation grant promoting bicycle use. The map resulted from a landscape initiative working with various bicycle and trail organizations, as well as parks and recreation departments that analyzed where trail gaps are occurring. The DCNR website also has a new feature called “Explore PA Trails.”

In discussions related to gas drilling, Boyar urged fellow UDC representatives to learn all they can about gas drilling. “Without dispute, we’re getting more and more reports of problems,” he said. “It seems they grow every day. The more we learn about this, the better off we’ll be.”

Douglass announced that the UDC’s 22nd Annual Awards Ceremony will be held on April 25 at the Eldred Preserve in Eldred, and that Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther will be the keynote speaker.