By MEG SCHADER, meg@wakerobinfarm.org

New York Agricultural Land Trust, a new organization dedicated to protecting land for the future of farming in New York, recently elected its initial officers and directors. The new board of directors includes farmers, representatives of agribusiness, and others associated with conservation and farm organizations.

The president of NYALT is Maureen Knapp, who owns Cobblestone Valley Farm in Preble. Maureen and her husband, Paul, operate a diversified organic farm that produces pastured meats. The Knapps preserved their family farm in 2000 by creating a conservation easement that is held by the Cortland County Agricultural Local Development Corporation.

Amanda Barber, manager of Cortland County Soil and Water District, was elected as vice president of NYALT. Her family operates a dairy farm in Cortland County, and they are actively involved with their local Farm Bureau and 4-H club.

Nancy Hourigan, owner of Hourigan’s Dairy Farm, in Elbridge, serves as secretary of the new organization. In addition to their dairy, the Hourigans grow more than 7,000 acres of crops in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties.

Jan Bitter, the treasurer for the new organization, has extensive experience in agricultural finance as Vice President at First Pioneer Farm Credit, in Homer.

Other NYALT board members include Karl Czymmek, a Senior Extension Associate with Cornell University’s Pro-Dairy Program, and Pam Moore, a dairy farmer from Nichols. Meg Schader, owner of Wake Robin Farm, in Jordan, also serves as a director, and the organization has been assisted through its initial stages by David Haight and Judy Wright, of American Farmland Trust.