BETHLEHEM — To serve as a “bridge” while the town realizes its vision for the property, farmer Michael Stanton of Stanton Farms, LLC will work under a renewed lease for 216 acres of Bethlehem’s Historic Heath Farm, which it purchased for $3 million in 2023. 

Stanton had farmed the land under the property’s previous owner, Miltowne Plaza, and was given a lease from the town last year for $45 per acre so that the land would remain in use while the town works toward fulfilling the vision plan it released earlier this year.

In a memo that set up the town board’s original lease execution last March, Bethlehem Open Space Coordinator Lauren Axford explained that Stanton had been the only applicant for the lease in the two weeks that applications were accepted.

“The applicant understands that this lease agreement will serve as a bridge through 2024 until the Heath Farm Advisory Committee completes its vision plan and the Town begins to implement the vision for the properties,” Axford wrote at the time. 

Bethlehem purchased the 9-parcel, 307-acre property to preserve the land, which has been farmed continuously since at least the Revolutionary War, and has since developed a vision plan, published earlier this year by the Historic Heath Farm Advisory Committee, that fleshes out long- and short-term goals.

Each goal is meant to address in some way one of several “core issues” the vision plan identifies, namely: farmland preservation, agricultural education or other supplemental uses of farmland, developing regenerative farming practices and incubating next-generation farmers, climate resiliency, and community well-being. 

The goals would apply whether or not the town decides to remain the owner of the land. 

For instance, regardless of ownership, the plan suggests that the town have the land enrolled in the Albany County Agricultural District, which would provide indefinite farm protections.

Ownership

From there, if Bethlehem decides not to retain ownership, the work would then involve the town establishing protections on the land — which was sold to it for less than market value, according to a memo — and finding a responsible buyer. 

Benefits of a sale, according to the vision plan, include proceeds that can then be applied to other open-space initiatives, and, essentially, outsourcing the hard work of certain initiatives that are considered important but that would be too cumbersome for the town, such as creating farmworker housing out of existing structures. 

“The Town does not intend to be a landlord for residential structures,” the plan says. “However, housing is critical for both farmers and farmworkers. The availability of affordable housing in close proximity to the farmland should be kept in mind as the Town pursues the creation of any farmland access opportunities.” 

The town could also choose to sell just a portion of the land, and/or one of the two residential structures there, one located on Clapper Road and the other on Heath Drive. 

If Bethlehem were to keep those buildings, which are not occupancy-ready, the plan suggests that the town could conduct a structural assessment to figure out what would be needed to make them so, and find a partner-organization to deal with the administrative aspects of housing. 

The town is also currently working on stabilizing the Heath Barn and silo, which, the plan says, “could serve as a useful structure for future farmers, current farmers and community members.” 

The barn was constructed in 1840 and expanded significantly over the next century. 

The plan notes that the town could consider getting the barn added to New York State’s historic registry, though notes that it might not be eligible since parts of the original farmstead had been removed. 

Beyond housing, there are also a number of lease terms available to the town — such as a multi-year lease, long-term lease with the option to buy, a ground lease that allows the lessee to own infrastructure they create — along with options for who it leases to, whether it be one or several farmers, a not-for-profit, or public agency.

Partnerships

Establishing partnerships is likely key for the initiative’s success, the plan suggests, whether they be between the town and other entities, or between those using the land. 

The plan explains that, if the property were to become an agricultural incubator, several independent agricultural businesses could share equipment and infrastructure, allowing farm-owners to focus on their products with less concern for overhead and certain other costly business factors. 

And, if it were to become an agricultural center, with the large Heath Barn serving as a hub, farmers would have greater access to each other, and community members would have greater access to farmers. 

Concurrently, there could be educational opportunities for farmers and community members in terms of marketing, hobby farming, and more. 

“It would be ideal to partner with a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to manage the incubator program or agriculture center,” the plan says.

Creating strong connections between farms and the wider community can help promote agritourism, which benefits farmers by bringing potential customers from further away while also expanding the public’s awareness of agricultural services, the plan points out. 

The plan also says that partnering with veteran organizations would allow several of its goals to be tailored toward that population, and names several groups that are dedicated to the intersection of veterans and agriculture, such as Armed to Farm, and Heroic Food.

In terms of education, there are a great many organizations that the town could partner with, with the plan listing all nearby school districts, the New York State Museum, New York Urban Orchards, Bethlehem Historical Association, Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, and several others. 

Education could be key for local farmers to adopt new practices since, according to New York Regional Program Director for American Farmland Trust Linda Garrett in a presentation to the advisory committee, farmers can be reluctant to try new practices until they see how they work. 

A demonstration farm, for things like agrivoltaics (the cohabitation of agriculture and solar harvesting) and regenerative farming (essentially, farming in a way that preserves the health of the land), could be added to the property, the plan says. 

 The American Farmland Trust has suggested that 20 acres be dedicated to an agrivoltaic program on which the town collects lease payments, generating revenue for other projects.

Because the land once belonged to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, there’s also an opportunity for cultural heritage programs, with a tribal liaison having already offered educational materials. 

Community access

In addition to providing access to farmers and education, the Heath Farm offers the non-farming community recreational opportunities. 

Already, 10.5 acres have been identified as a parcel that can be combined with existing town-owned land to create a “passive recreation area for walking, gardening, or quiet contemplation that is easily accessible from residential areas,” the plan says. “A multi-use path and cross walk connection already exists, on the north side of Wemple Road.”

The plan goes on to envision several different sections of trail across the different parcels, along with “edible landscapes,” a sensory garden, community orchard, and a farm-centered exploratory area for children where they can safely investigate antique farming equipment. 

The plan recommends that the town work with its Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee to figure out different means of access, as well working with disability advocates who could weigh in on accessibility. 

Grants

Addressing the financial side of these various projects, the plan notes that the town already has secured $50,000 from the Nature Conservancy for various purposes, including as seed money for other grants. 

“The growing trend with both public and private funders, is to promote and encourage collaboration, and stakeholder involvement,” the plan says. “The conceptual ideas that the Town, HHFAC [Historic Heath Farm Advisory Committee] and potential partners have been discussing, hold collaboration and coordination as the core.” 

The plan does not refer to many specific grant opportunities aside from the Farmland Preservation Implementation Grant, but lists a wide variety of organizations that might offer some, such as the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Preservation League of New York State, and the New York State Historic Preservation Office.

Short-term projects

In the meantime, the plan lists short-term projects that are possible to be accomplished within 2025. 

These are enrolling the land in the Albany County Agricultural District, mowing a perimeter path around agricultural areas for walking, controlling invasive species, and re-establishing the Heath Farm community gardens. 

The Heath family had established a community garden in 1973, and had 260 gardeners participating before the family sold the farm in 1985.