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A couple years ago I was looking at land near B'hampton NY. And I found 125 acres of farmland with a barn, 2 silos and a very old 1800s farmhouse (no heat, needed work) for 125K. It was in Marathon NY.
If you want farmland in NYS I suggest a broad area of: the I-81 corridor from B'hampton up to Syracuse, east to the mountains before 87, no further south than New Paltz. Towns like Cortland, Utica, Unidilla, Delhi, Walton, Canastota, Cazanovia and Oneonta come to mind. In some areas you can find land for rediculously cheap.
You do have to watch the taxes here. A lot of farmers in So. NY literally got taxed out of their land. I would suggest So. NYS like Ulster county but it is much too expensive IMO to maintain a farm unless you are really geared up for a fight to keep ahead. Though there are still some who do it around here, a lot of the big farms have subdivided and sold.
Having Ithaca/Syracuse for a market or the capability of shipping your products to the lower Hudson Valley would be a huge plus.
New York is not a farm-friendly state; particularly for small family farms. I know because my family has one.
Even though 2006 was a bad year for dairy farmers, we're still getting whacked with a 34% assessment increase! Income requirements for qualifying as a farm for tax abatement are quite high. The farmer must make at least $10,000 in gross sales from crops or animals produced on the land or $50,000 in gross sales on acreage under 10 acres. There is no credit for the first two years if the land has not been farmed before. You must be farming a minimum of 10 acres, and the land must be in a state-certified agricultural district.
If you raise livestock, be careful. Slaughterhouses get pressured by agribusiness not to take business from small farmers. You may have your stock ready to go but be unable to find anywhere to get them slaughtered.
This is a good site for the whole situation. Be aware that loss of your farm tax status can be devastating as New York property taxes are unreal. Pray you never have a bad year if you farm in New York. Also be aware that developers loathe ag districts as they help keep farm property taxes low thus allowing farms to stay in business. They spend money in Albany to get ag districts de-zoned when they want the land underneath it. As you may know, New York's government is run by what they call, "three men in a smoky room," and routinely qualifies as the most dysfunctional state government in the country. In that distinction we compete with our friends in Louisiana. Do not expect grass roots anything to make much of a difference in Albany.
Please go over everything over at the New York Farm Bureau. They're very helpful and can let you in on the latest happenings.
Last edited by Jason_Els; 05-16-2007 at 09:02 AM..
Are there any states in the US that could be called 'small family farm-friendly?' NY should be at the leading edge of small, sustainable & organic family-run agriculture, but of course leave it to big agribiz, developers and politicians to fight it any way they can!
move to geneseo NY small town 25min south of rochester 10,000 pepole visit there website http://www.geneseony.com/
ps: there is a lot of family farms in groveland ny right next to geneseo hope this helps.
There is a small farm/restaurant in my town that is organic (I think) and highly regarded. The farm is 100 acres and is certified organic. Here is the website: Elderberry Pond Country Foods
I currenty live in northern dutchess county in the town of Red Hook.we still have a some farms here but not half as many as we used to.There is a big demand for organic products in this area.Also Ulster county as well near woodstock .I would love to see more farms in this area too much development over the last 10 yrs.This area is very pro farmer and you would be welcomed.But land is very expensive in this area and taxes are high.Good luck with your search.
I grew up 5 miles outside Canastota, in a town called Clockville. Where I grew up, there were fields on all sides of our house. They grew sweet corn during the summer. After the season was over, cows grazed there. You would have to see it to appreciate it.
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Try Columbia or Northern Dutchess Counties
