Saratoga PLAN, a nonprofit conservation
\norganization, will purchase the 166-acre Pitney
\nFarm on West Avenue in Saratoga Springs
\nand convert it into a “community farm.”<\/p>\n
The organization said the land is one of the
\nlast remaining active farms within city limits.
\n“The site lends itself to all kinds of agricultural
\npursuits and community activities,” said
\nMaria Trabka, executive director of Saratoga
\nPLAN.<\/p>\n
“The fields, woods and creeks offer
\nplenty of space for an agricultural training
\nprogram for beginning farmers, incubator
\n‘farmettes’ for apprentice-level farmers,
\ncommunity gardens, plots for pick-your-own,
\nan arboretum and nursery of native and nut
\ntrees, and hiking trails.”<\/p>\n
She said PLAN is developing the concept
\nof a “community farm,” a place where people
\nare welcome to participate in a variety of
\nways. The farm is near Saratoga Springs High
\nSchool, the YMCA, Saratoga Spa State Park
\nand the planned Greenbelt Trail.<\/p>\n
“This project will really be a place for
\npeople and keep the ‘country in the city’ for
\nthis town which desires to remain a ‘city in
\nthe country,'” she said.<\/p>\n
Kathy Pitney, spokesperson for the family
\nselling the land, said “if this effort is successful,
\nit will ensure that the farm that has
\nbeen in our family since the late 1800s will
\ncontinue to be a vital agricultural resource
\nfor the city of Saratoga Springs and Saratoga
\nCounty. This initiative is fully in keeping with
\nour forbearers’ commitment to responsible
\nstewardship and community service.”<\/p>\n
Conservation of the Pitney Farm has been a
\npriority of the land trust organization and the
\ncity over two decades. The site was identified
\nas an open-space asset in both the original
\n1994 open-space plan for the city and the
\nupdated plan adopted in 2002.<\/p>\n
PLAN officials said the family has been
\nsteadfast in their resolve that the land would
\nnever be developed and would always be
\navailable for agricultural purposes. Saratoga
\nPLAN has agreed to ensure that the family’s
\nwishes for the farm to remain a farm will be
\nupheld.<\/p>\n
The farm has been in the family for over
\n150 years. Over time, the land has been used
\nas a truck farm growing vegetables for the
\nformer Pitney Hotel on Grand Avenue, the
\nPitney’s Meadow Dairy Farm, and a horse
\nboarding operation. The farm field was even
\nused as the first airplane landing strip in the
\ncity at one time. It is currently being leased
\nto a local egg operation for growing feed corn.<\/p>\n
Saratoga Institute, another nonprofit
\norganization that nurtures new nonprofits during the start-up phase, is partnering
\nwith Saratoga PLAN and the farmers and
\nwill serve as the umbrella organization for
\ndeveloping the plans for phasing in the uses
\nand programming for the community farm.<\/p>\n
“We are delighted to assist in devising a
\nviable, sustainable plan for creating a community
\nfarm. We anticipate that many individuals,
\norganizations, institutions, and local
\nfarm businesses will want to partner on this
\nexciting project. Over the next year, we will be
\ngathering input through a facilitated process
\nto bring out ideas and construct a feasible
\nplan of action,” said Barbara Glaser, founder
\nand board member of the Saratoga Institute.<\/p>\n
Officials said it will take a broad coalition
\nof partners and donors to help finance the
\npurchase of the land, as well as to develop
\nviable complementary programs for use of the
\nland. In order to create a reliable foundation
\nfor investing in the different components of
\nthis project, protecting the land with a conservation
\neasement is an essential requirement
\nfrom the outset.<\/p>\n
The 166-acre tract of land is separated
\ninto three main sections, a 12-acre portion
\non West Avenue where the house and barns
\nare located, a 119-acre tract on West Avenue
\nsouth of the former rail line where the county
\nwater and sewer lines run underground, and
\na 35-acre wooded tract west of the railroad
\ntracks. Parts of the property fall under different
\nzoning regulations. Rowland Hollow
\nCreek borders the property and becomes
\nGeyser Creek before continuing on its way
\nto Saratoga Spa State Park.<\/p>\n
Officials said the land was recently appraised
\nat a fair market value of $2.4 million
\nfor its highest and best use. The Pitney family
\noffered to donate approximately 25 percent of
\nthe value and sell the land to Saratoga PLAN
\nfor roughly 75 percent of its value.<\/p>\n
A substantial Stewardship Fund will
\nalso need to be raised to care for the land
\nin perpetuity. Estimates for the additional
\nexpenses are still being calculated and PLAN
\nwill embark on a capital campaign to raise the
\nmonies needed for the project. The purchase
\nis expected to close in the fall.<\/p>\n
“This is a big undertaking, but one that
\nmany people are ready to rally around to bring
\nto fruition,” said John Munter, chairman of
\nthe board of directors for Saratoga PLAN. “We
\nfeel confident that the community will come
\ntogether and get involved, contributing in the
\nmany ways they can, to make this farmland
\nacquisition a reality and a permanent asset
\nfor the enjoyment of everyone today and in
\nthe future.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Saratoga PLAN, a nonprofit conservation organization, will purchase the 166-acre Pitney Farm on West Avenue in Saratoga Springs and convert it into a “community farm.” The organization said the land is one of the last remaining active farms within…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,115],"class_list":["post-16596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news","tag-business-news","tag-saratoga-springs"],"yoast_head":"\r\n