Land Trust Connects Eager Farmers With Fallow Land

A budding program developed by Westchester Land Trust can connect farmers in search of land with landowners seeking someone to farm it.

The Farmer/Landowner Match Program, which was discussed at length during a Land Trust potluck Local Land/Local Food meeting Monday night, would benefit
people like Thomas McAliney, who has seen a boom in antibiotic and hormone- free cattle in high-end northeast restaurants in recent years.

McAliney, who now lives in Brewster, was working at a restaurant in Boston when he first became acquainted with Brandt Beef, a family-owned beef
producer that raises antibiotic and hormone-free cattle in Brawley, Calif. Through a series of events, McAliney wound up working for the beef company.

He attended the Land Trust meeting "based on the fact that I've seen so much support here," he said.

There's a much greater demand for this type of beef in restaurants in the east compared to California, said McAliney, so he's researching possible places to expand the farm in the east.

A challenge in finding the land is a somewhat common "not in my backyard" mentality, he said, but they would start on a smaller scale with less than
300 cattle.

Brandt Beef also touts its own sustainable business practices, employing crop rotation to grow alfalfa for feed and waste composting. The company
also uses flood irrigation to attract native birds that feed on unwanted insects; releases ladybugs into the fields to combat aphids; and uses
burrowing owls to mitigate field pests.

Meeting attendees were provided with documents detailing landowners looking for farmers, as well as farmers looking for land to lease.

For instance, one farmer is looking for two acres in Westchester for beekeeping and mixed vegetables. On the other hand, a Yorktown landowner with 53 available acres wants someone to farm livestock, which could be ideal for someone like McAliney.

He and other attendees of the packed meeting heard from farmer Mimi Edelman, who, with her partner Eileen Zidi, has been farming on a landowner's plot for a year. The landowner, Lew Sparks, pointed out that the land is part of a conservation easement with the Land Trust.

Edelman now has three acres of an 80-acre "slice of Heaven" on Croton Lake Road, and said she is exploring three other land negotiations.

She stressed the importance of open communication with landowners, including intentions, equipment and infrastructure, and the farmer's approach to
the land. She also mentioned the importance of maintaining the parcel, or any other simple means of displaying gratitude to the landowner.

"They need to know, too, that you appreciate the relationship," she said. "Even if it's just leaving vegetables on their doorstep."