Over 1,000 acres protected by Stein Farms in Genesee County.
Stein Farms in LeRoy has completed a significant farmland protection project on lands they own in Genesee County, placing four conservation agreements on their land in partnership with Genesee Valley Conservancy.
These agreements require that the land remains open and available for farming forever into the future. Covering over these soil resources with commercial, residential and industrial structures is no longer an option on this ground.
Two generations are behind this significant protection project. Parents Ray and Shelley Stein, their son Jerrod, and daughter Natasha, along with Ray’s brother Dale and his son Nathaniel all had a hand in ensuring their farmland was protected with this project.
A total of 1,002 acres in the town of LeRoy, Genesee County, are now protected by conservation agreements. The protected farmland is comprised of 68% USDA Prime soil and 17% NY State Important soil, highly productive soils producing crops each year.
The Farm
Stein Farms is a third-generation dairy that began in 1956 with husband and wife Louis and Jane Stein.
Louis Stein, the founding farmer, began as a cabbage farmer in Chili, NY. However, in the 1960’s Louis lost the farm when construction of Interstate 490 was built out across their lands, the farm was cut in half, bisecting his fields, paving over the acreage necessary for running a farm.
As a result, the family moved out of Chili to their present location in LeRoy to start over on new ground. This new ground came with two dairy cows and thus began the shift to the dairy business which remains the focus of the family’s business.
The ever-present reminder of losing their land was a major part of the decision to protect their farmland, ensuring they – and future owners - would not be displaced and forced to start over.
The farm has received numerous awards, including being named the Genesee County Farm of the Year from the Soil and Water Conservation District, as well as being recognized as the Genesee County Conservation Farm of the Year. With lands directly along Oatka Creek, and their farmland sitting uphill from this waterway, good conservation practices are vital for the family to ensure the farms impacts remain on the farm and they do not lose soil and nutrients into the creek, impacting the surrounding community.
While the farm grows all of the forages needed to feed their herd, more than 40% of the land they rely upon as a farm operation is rented ground from neighbors. This leased land is at great risk of being converted to non agricultural uses, and is one reason the family hopes their land protection efforts will inspire others in their community to take similar steps to protect productive farmland.
County’s First
The Stein Farms project was one of two pilot projects undertaken by Genesee Valley Conservancy in Genesee County as part of establishing a County-led farmland protection program to support land protection within the County. Similar programs have run successfully in Livingston and Wyoming counties for many years in partnership with Genesee Valley Conservancy.
Two years ago, the Conservancy was able to increase capacity of the organization to begin this new partnership with Genesee County. The Conservancy’s service area is the Genesee River watershed, which includes the eastern portion of Genesee County. Genesee County is uniquely positioned in that three local environmental organizations include portions of the County in their service areas.
Genesee Land Trust and Western New York Land Conservancy also service portions of the County. Based on a family’s farmland location, they will be paired to work with the appropriate not-for-profit. All groups similarly use the New York States Farmland Protection Implementation Grant to fund these farmland protection efforts, part of the New York State Environmental Protection Fund.
Interested Landowners
Farmland owners interested in learning about the County’s farmland protection program are invited to attend an upcoming workshop hosted by Genesee County on March 18 from 6:00pm until 7:30pm at the in the legislature chambers on the third floor of the Genesee County Old Courthouse.
This workshop will explain the conservation tool used, the eligibility requirements, the timeline and what this program would mean for a families farmland.
Summary
This conservation project involved accepting four conservation easements, including the Conservancy’s 172nd in its 36-year history, as well as the first in LeRoy.
This project was the result of a collaboration between Genesee Valley Conservancy, Genesee County Legislature, Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, Town of LeRoy and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
To-date, the farmland protection program of Genesee Valley Conservancy has resulted in over $56 million being invested in protecting over 29,242 acres of some of the State’s most productive agricultural lands, right here in the Genesee Valley.
Genesee Valley Conservancy works throughout the Genesee River watershed to protect high quality habitat, open space and farmland for the community. The Conservancy now oversees the protection of 40,868 acres.
Landowners in the Genesee River watershed interested in pursuing conservation options for their property, be it farmland, habitat, or a potential public nature preserve, should contact Genesee Valley Conservancy for more information.
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Genesee Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited non-profit conservation organization working to protect the habitat, open space and farmland in the Genesee River watershed. Over 40,868 acres of natural habitat and productive farm and forest land have been conserved by Genesee Valley Conservancy in partnership with private landowners. The organization also owns nature preserves open to the public for recreation and education. For more information visit www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org