So let me get this right. In 2012 Goshen spent over $30,000 of taxpayer money to carry the pitchfork for one disgruntled farm abutter who wanted to get a local farmer out of town. This case was unsuccessful and it was closed without prejudice. Contrary to recent suggestions, the case ended with NO restrictions against Cosimo Ferrante’s farming activities. Goshen did not then and does not yet have any process in place for permitting farms.
Flash forward three years. Same abutter discovers that same farmer has actually continued to operate his farm, HillTown Grazers. Abutter, incredulous that this farm exists, picks up his pitchfork and starts a new anti-farmer campaign. This includes contacting customers with slanderous comments, calling press and making new vague complaints to the town. Apparently, several town board members acknowledge not even knowing this farm was still in operation.
As for accusations made to the papers and to the Health Board in the past few weeks that “animals have been getting out again”, the past has shown us that that this abutter does not hesitate to sound alarms to police, town boards, animal control and press when suspecting animal trespass. Now, however, we’re to believe a vague insinuation of trespass despite the fact that there is NO record of any incident with any of these agencies. None. Hum.
So… let’s think about this a bit. Three years- no smell, no noise, no rodents, no wandering animals, no issues… apparently not even an awareness by the abutter or most of the town that this farm is even in operation next door. This is a farm we’re going to now describe in the papers as a piggery “problem”? This is worth sharpening our pitchforks and spending MORE town time and resources AGAINST? Really?
Perhaps three years of successful operation tells us that this farmer just may be doing something right and possibly even good for our community. Perfect, probably not, but he is a local resident working to develop a viable farm business in our Right to Farm Community. Many in our community understand the need to support local farmers who are working harder than most to keep their livelihoods going. Thank you for the current “Keep Farming in the Hilltowns” initiative and thank you to all those that find ways to support local food producers.
Prompted by this latest campaign, the Goshen Board of Health has begun to develop a piggery permit process. This could perhaps be wise for a town to have in place but not if it’s being initiated and developed as a punitive process, a newly sharpened pitchfork, designed to regulate this particular farmer out of our community. If the town chooses to light torches with the fuel of this individual’s latest incendiary approach it will certainly lead to the burning of more town tax dollars and resources.
Let’s instead have real conversations about how our farms can operate safely and successfully in our communities. Let’s use all the resources we can muster to SUPPORT our farms and to help them problem solve and grow. And please… let’s start by supporting the farms that we have.
Thank you,
Tracy McQuade
Flash forward three years. Same abutter discovers that same farmer has actually continued to operate his farm, HillTown Grazers. Abutter, incredulous that this farm exists, picks up his pitchfork and starts a new anti-farmer campaign. This includes contacting customers with slanderous comments, calling press and making new vague complaints to the town. Apparently, several town board members acknowledge not even knowing this farm was still in operation.
As for accusations made to the papers and to the Health Board in the past few weeks that “animals have been getting out again”, the past has shown us that that this abutter does not hesitate to sound alarms to police, town boards, animal control and press when suspecting animal trespass. Now, however, we’re to believe a vague insinuation of trespass despite the fact that there is NO record of any incident with any of these agencies. None. Hum.
So… let’s think about this a bit. Three years- no smell, no noise, no rodents, no wandering animals, no issues… apparently not even an awareness by the abutter or most of the town that this farm is even in operation next door. This is a farm we’re going to now describe in the papers as a piggery “problem”? This is worth sharpening our pitchforks and spending MORE town time and resources AGAINST? Really?
Perhaps three years of successful operation tells us that this farmer just may be doing something right and possibly even good for our community. Perfect, probably not, but he is a local resident working to develop a viable farm business in our Right to Farm Community. Many in our community understand the need to support local farmers who are working harder than most to keep their livelihoods going. Thank you for the current “Keep Farming in the Hilltowns” initiative and thank you to all those that find ways to support local food producers.
Prompted by this latest campaign, the Goshen Board of Health has begun to develop a piggery permit process. This could perhaps be wise for a town to have in place but not if it’s being initiated and developed as a punitive process, a newly sharpened pitchfork, designed to regulate this particular farmer out of our community. If the town chooses to light torches with the fuel of this individual’s latest incendiary approach it will certainly lead to the burning of more town tax dollars and resources.
Let’s instead have real conversations about how our farms can operate safely and successfully in our communities. Let’s use all the resources we can muster to SUPPORT our farms and to help them problem solve and grow. And please… let’s start by supporting the farms that we have.
Thank you,
Tracy McQuade