To the Editor:

I am writing in response to part of Ms. Dee Woessner’s letter to The Enterprise of April 27. Specifically, I am interested in Ms. Laura P. Martin’s comments concerning the proposed agricultural advisory committee for the town of Knox. Ms. Martin suggests that people are not qualified to serve on the committee unless they are “full-time” farmers. I would suggest that this opinion completely misses the point of such a committee and that such a requirement would hurt rather that help the town.

Agriculture and agricultural landscapes are valued in Knox. That was the overwhelming consensus of residents who responded to questionnaires and participated in comprehensive planning workshops a few years ago.

Another consensus was that the citizens of Knox want to see a commitment to business development by the town’s government. A farm, part-time or full-time, is a business — unless it’s a hobby. Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis correctly points out that conservation and business can go together in Knox. Indeed, they should.

And one of the most effective ways that conservation and business come together is through agriculture. Farms provide numerous “ecosystem services,” such as wildlife habitat; scenic vistas; and, often, groundwater purification. At the same time, farmers (both full- and part-time) contribute nearly $5 billion to the state’s economy each year; agriculture is one of New York’s most important economic engines.

So an agricultural advisory committee, through which farmers can get together and talk about how to make farming more profitable and sustainable in Knox, seems like a good idea to me. Cooperative Extension is a great resource but not a substitute for a town agricultural advisory committee.

Our extension agents are spread pretty thin — they serve three counties. I recently spent several hours at the extension office in Voorheesville, helping to lobby for the livestock program at Cornell, which has been reduced and may be lost completely (many extension staff think it is on the chopping block). Who knows where the extension will be next year? A more local group, focused on the needs of farmers in Knox, makes perfect sense.

This is a good time for economic development based on agriculture and agri-business. People are interested in having farms in their communities and in local food. There are lots of state and federal incentives for farmers, particularly for young and beginning farmers.

For example, if you are a state university student and agree to farm for five years, the state will forgive up to $50,000 of your student loans. The town could use that incentive to attract young people trained at the state’s ag colleges — we have six — to our community to begin farm businesses. And farm businesses create the need for support  businesses, like machine shops, feed and seed suppliers, and equipment sales.

Will all of this happen in Knox? Only if we figure out how to make it happen. That’s where an agricultural advisory committee can help. And, given the cost of an agricultural advisory committee to the town — zero, it doesn’t sound like a bad deal.

The thing that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck was the suggestion by Ms. Martin that people who are part-time farmers don’t belong on the town’s agricultural advisory committee. That just doesn’t make sense!

Seventy percent of the food produced in the world, and nearly 40 percent of the food produced in the United States comes from small farms. Studies conducted in Europe, South America, Africa, and the United States all agree that, while small farms feed the world, small-holder farmers usually can’t make ends meet solely on their farm’s income. Many, if not most small-holder farmers spend at least some time working off the farm.

George Washington was a farmer and he had a day-job. So did presidents John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Van Buren, T. Roosevelt, Truman, and Carter — all farmers; all part time!

Closer to home, Richard Ball, the commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is a great specialty crop grower -—he owns Schoharie Valley Farms. He has enormous respect within every sector of New York’s agricultural community. Commissioner Ball also owns the Carrot Barn, where he sells some of his produce.

But he also sells bananas and kiwi fruit at the Carrot Barn. I’m certain that he doesn’t grow those crops on his farm. He also sells beef, bacon, and eggs at the Carrot Barn, though you won’t find a cow, a pig, or a chicken coop at Schoharie Valley Farms. So even before he became the head of Ag & Markets, Commissioner Ball was getting some of his income from retailing groceries and other things that he sells at the Carrot Barn. He was not a full-time farmer. If Commissioner Ball lived in Knox, would we deny him membership on our agricultural advisory committee?

Jim Abbruzzese, owner of Altamont Orchards, is passionate about growing apples, and he produces many varieties, as well as berries and some vegetables. He also buys vegetables and other products for his retail operation. He also owns a golf course at the orchard, and a restaurant, and a catering business. These are not agricultural endeavors. So he is not a full-time farmer. But he is a great farmer and I have learned a good deal from him about the business of farming that has significantly improved my own farm business.

In Knox, we have superb farmers, some of whom, at various times, have taken work off the farm.  Should they be disqualified from contributing their time (free of charge) to the town’s ag advisory committee? Mark Weinheimer, one of the best and most dedicated growers I know, works for a foundation. His farm’s income stream is not completely from the farm that he manages. Would he be unworthy to serve on our agricultural advisory committee?

Part of my income comes from the University at Albany, where I teach courses and conduct research in agricultural ecology and the importance of our local foodshed. My wife is full-time on our farm, and I will be in September. Our farm meets the goals of our business plan and our family’s financial model.

I finish my 40 hours of work on our farm by Wednesday (and I don’t get the rest of the week off). Where do I fit — part-time farmer, or just a farmer with two full-time jobs? Anyone who would deny a person an unpaid position on an agricultural advisory committee because they are not a “full time” farmer (whatever that means) doesn’t understand farming.

The United States Department of Agriculture defines a farmer as someone who produces at least $1,000 a year in gross receipts from sales of agricultural products grown on their farm. That definition should suffice to determine whether or not someone is a farmer. The determination of who is qualified to serve on the Town of Knox Agricultural Advisory Committee should be based on what people can offer to the town, nothing more, nothing less.

Gary Kleppel

Longfield Farm

Knox