Landowner Appreciation
The Stoddard Hollow String Band kicked off the evening with some great old-time tunes. On a chilly afternoon in late September, Otsego Land Trust hosted a party at Cornfield Hall in Fly Creek to honor our conservation easement donors and property owners.
After the hiatus of the pandemic years, we were thrilled to gather our landowners once again to share food, drinks, music, and conversation. Most importantly, we were able to mark and celebrate their generosity in stewarding more than 11,000 acres of preserved field, forest, and stream that add to the beauty and quality of life of our region.
We are always pleased to honor our easement donors and property owners for setting Otsego Land Trust on the path toward climate and food resilience.
For my own part, I have walked every one of these properties, some of them year after year, and what I love most of all is the visible imprint of their owners. I’ve had so many memorable and touching conversations, as landowners describe their dreams for their land, their projects completed or conceived of, their struggles and victories, the stories of how they came to that particular place, of how they have made it their own.
I’ve seen how landowners will linger a bit longer in a particular spot, place a hand on a wall, or pause along a path to take inventory of tasks yet to complete. At these intimate and fleeting moments, I get a glimpse of the people behind the pretty views: the stewards who have poured their love and generosity and essence into these lands. The legacy they leave is immeasurable.
The highlight of the evening was spending time with our amazing group of landowners.
Some were among the original conservation easement donors, others had purchased already-protected land during the last few years. And our easements come in all sizes. Some are as large as Earle, Cindy, and Jim Peterson’s 1,100-acre Greenwoods Preserve, or as small as the 1.7-acre Heathcote property, owned and managed by Fynmere Partners, or the 2.7-acre park in the middle of the town of Worcester, donated by Larry Delong.
When everyone had full plates in front of them, Gregory Farmer, Otsego Land Trust’s executive director, laid out the Conservation Challenge: the State of New York has tasked organizations like ours to help protect 30% of the land area in the state by 2030. That is the minimum required in order to blunt the worst effects of climate change, safeguard clean air and water, and maintain enough arable land to feed our region. Currently, in Otsego County, only 5.6% of the land is protected. Rising real estate prices make purchasing land unaffordable, so conservation easements on private land are the best and most efficient tool available.
Ellen Pope from Otsego 2000 and Dr. Cindy Falk, SUNY Oneonta professor and local historic preservation expert, joined us at the event to share information and set up appointments with landowners. Ms. Pope explained New York State’s new barn tax credit, and Dr. Falk displayed historic county atlases while answering landowners’ questions about structures on their properties.
The excellent fare included flowers from Art Farm Flowers, tacos from Greenane Farm, homemade hand pies from Pam Diliberto, and beverages from local purveyors.
Cornfield Hall, a charming dance and social event spot built in 1928, is managed by the Cornfield Hall Society, Inc., and was made available through Amy Kukenberger.
Many equally lovely and historic buildings, barns, and agricultural structures remain throughout the county, and Otsego Land Trust is working to help landowners find resources to maintain or restore them.
By May Leinhart