To the Editor:
I am writing to implore the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy to preserve Bender Melon’s rich agricultural history. A recent hike along their new Yellow Trail has shown that all but one of the remaining structures has been crushed.

It is a sad end to a once vibrant farm that contributed a great deal to local history. While it is wonderful that the property is being saved from development, it is also being stripped of its history. What remains on the property should be preserved.

The last remaining barn is in overall sound condition and, with a little repair work, would make a wonderful open-air pavilion with some picnic tables. Likewise, there are quite a few remnant pieces of farm equipment, some dating as far back as the 1800s. These should be displayed along the trail for visitors to better understand the agricultural history of Bender Melon.

An interpretive kiosk could highlight what these ingenious machines were and how they worked. In this way, visitors could truly appreciate the lives of the farmers who once toiled in these fields. Erasing these pieces of the past would be a gross misstep and a loss that cannot be undone.

Preserving Bender Melon's agricultural legacy is just as important as preserving its environment; indeed the two should go hand-in-hand.

Ryan Caruso

Altamont