Orange County Land Trust to Host Film Screening and Panel Discussion on Issues Faced by New Farmers

Co-sponsored by Orange County Department of Planning, American Farmland Trust, Glynwood and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Orange County

Goshen, New York - Orange County Land Trust will host the screening of an award winning short film by Peconic Land Trust which addresses issues faced by new farmers, followed by a panel discussion on Thursday, March 14 from 7-9 pm at the Emergency Services Center, 22 Wells Farm Road in Goshen.

"Growing Farmers" is a film showcasing the Peconic Land Trust's work with new farmers on Long Island, and the issues these farmers face getting started in farming.  The film examines the struggles they face, the community they've created, and the future of farming on Long Island, with emphasis on the success of the Peconic Land Trust's "Farms for the Future" initiative and the creative solutions employed by the Trust to remove barricades to entry into the field of farming. The 17 minute film won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at this past fall's Hamptons International Film Festival.

Young farmers in the Hudson Valley face some of these same issues, particularly the difficulty finding a farm at a price they can afford. To address this, Orange County Land Trust has invited a panel of experts to lead a discussion following the film.  Moderating will be American Farmland Trust's New York Director David Haight with panel participants Janet Crawshaw, publisher of The Valley Table Magazine; Michael Sweeton, Supervisor of the Town of Warwick, and representatives from Glynwood, Cornell University Cooperative Extension Orange County, Peconic Land Trust,  as well as several young farmers.

“What we are hearing in the conservation community is that there is a crisis in farming,” said Jim Delaune, executive director of Orange County Land Trust.  According to Delaune, the most recent federal census of agriculture in 2007 found that the average age of farmers in New York State is about 56, up from 50 in the early 1980s.

“The USDA says we need 100,000 new farmers a year, every year to continue American food production at current levels.  Here in the Hudson Valley, there’s a new generation of young and beginning farmers who have a love for healthy, locally grown food, and are willing to work hard on the land.  What we want as a land conservation organization is to encourage a sense of place where sustainable farms are woven into our landscape and where our farmers are recognized as an integral part of our local economies.”, he said.
 But the fact is,” Delaune added, “it’s becoming harder to find affordable and available land for farming in Orange County.”

To register, contact Orange County Land Trust at (845) 469-0951 or e-mail info@oclt.org.

Since 1993, the Orange County Land Trust has helped protect 4,500 acres of land, including twelve working farms.  The Land Trust own and manages eleven nature preserves that are open to the public free of charge for outdoor education and recreation. For more information, volunteer opportunities and ways of giving, please visit www.oclt.org or call (845) 469.0951.