The Weir Dairy Farm is the first farm in Rensselaer County to be protected in partnership with state and federal farmland protection programs. The 328-acre farm is located in the Town of Schaghticoke and has been protected by a permanent conservation easement held by the Agricultural Stewardship Association.

Bob Weir Jr. and Bob Weir Sr. manage the Weir Dairy Farm and milk 75 cows that produce over 145,000 gallons of milk each year. The project provided funding that enabled the Weir family to protect their home farm and purchase a key 52-acre parcel that neighbors the farm operation.

“We’d been renting the field next door for more than 30 years and always hoped to own it. It’s top notch, some of the very best land to be had in the state. Pouring concrete on it would have ruined it forever,” said Bob Weir, Jr.

The project was made by possible by a grant received by the Rensselaer County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board from the New York State Farmland Protection Program. The 2007-08 state budget, adopted during the last state legislative session, included $28 million for this program.

“Today’s announcement is an important step in our efforts to save our greatest natural resource for agricultural uses”, said Senator Joseph L. Bruno. “I would like to commend these groups that have come together to form a partnership that will help preserve farming for future generations in New York State.”

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said, “The Weir family, like so many of New York’s farm families, is committed to being stewards of their land. We are pleased that the Weir family has chosen to protect this tract of productive farm land that will benefit the region’s environment and quality of life for years to come.”

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) provided additional funding for the project.

Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, said, “Keeping productive land in farming is one of my most important priorities in Congress. As one of three Northeast members of the House Agriculture Committee, we are very busy advocating and assuring that Northeast Farms are a priority in the 2007 Farm Bill. It is my hope that this year we pass the American Dairy Farmer Protection Act and expand the FRPP funding so that more farmers can protect their land and invest in the future of their farms.”

The Agricultural Stewardship Association will hold a permanent conservation easement on the Weir Dairy Farm to insure that the land is always kept available for farming. To date, the non-profit land trust has helped landowners protect 7,079 acres of farm and forestland in Washington and Northern Rensselaer Counties.

“By partnering with The Conservation Fund, Rensselaer County and the state and federal government, we were able to help the Weirs secure a key piece of prime land that was threatened by development and conserve their farm in the process”, said Teri Ptacek, Executive Director of the Agricultural Stewardship Association. “It’s gratifying to see the positive outcome of this multilevel partnership.”

David Haight, New York State Director for the American Farmland Trust, added, “New York’s Farmland Protection Program and FRPP have provided critical funding to enable farm families like the Weirs to achieve their conservation goals. As more farmers step forward and wish to participate, we’ve got to expand state and federal investments in farmland protection to make this possible.”

The Agricultural Stewardship Association is a non-profit land trust dedicated to conserving farmland in Washington County and northern Rensselaer County. For more information about ASA’s work, visit www.agstewardship.org.