First Farmland Preservation Sign unveiled in Warwick

Warwick - Eleven years ago, many were lukewarm about the idea and quite a few were dead against it. Although local dairy farmer Tunis Sweetman was aware that farmland preservation had been successful in Long Island, he recalled that when the idea was first proposed in this area, local farmers were hard to convince. In those days, development rights, now also funded by the County, Town and home sales, were purchased through a New York State program. On June 25, 1998, the Sweetman Farm became the first to sell its development rights. On Thursday, October 25, at the Tunis and Sharon Sweetman Farm on County Route 1, the Orange County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board in cooperation with the Town of Warwick, Town of Montgomery and several property owners unveiled the first Farmland Preservation sign in this area. “If it’s a good idea it deserves to be copied,” said Town of Warwick Councilman Leonard DeBuck. He explained that New Jersey and Pennsylvania had already used signage to identify farms that had given up development rights and were helping to preserve open space. DeBuck explained that through a joint effort of the Orange County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, the Warwick Town Board and Supervisor Michael Sweeton, the Montgomery Town Board and Supervisor Susan Cockburn, along with individual property owners, signs to identify protected farmland through the Orange County Open Space Fund will be erected on all preserved properties. “As Orange County experiences rapid growth,” he said, “maintaining its rural character and open space is important to our constituents. Identifying these properties allows the residents to witness the endeavors made in preserving open space throughout the community. These preserved lands add value to the community and allow future generations to enjoy the character that makes Orange County a desired area in which to set down roots.” In the next few months a total of 21 signs will be erected on farms throughout the County. In addition to the Sweetman Farm, those in Warwick include the John Baird Farm, Bellvale Farms, Borderland Farm, Brady Farm, Lewis Farm, Lowland Farm, Mabee Farm, Miller Farm, Janiak-Myruski Farm, Raynor Farm, Sayre Farm and Wisner Farm. “We’ve come a long way,” smiled Tunis Sweetman.