Celebration planned for March 16
The Town of Parma Open Space and Farm Land Protection Committee along with Genesee Land Trust invite the community to join them to celebrate the permanent protection of Zarpentine Farms on Burritt Road as working farmland. This is the second farmland protection project that the Town of Parma and Genesee Land Trust have partnered on, the first being the Martin Farm in 2010.
The protection of Zarpentine Farms was made possible by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Program, through a competitive grant award to purchase the development rights on the 98 acres. The farm continues, but the land cannot be subdivided or developed into houses.
Funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, the Farmland Protection Program grant opportunity is available every two years. And if awarded, the process of completing the project can take an additional two to four years. The next grant round will be in 2020. In preparation, Genesee Land Trust and the Town of Parma will hold information sessions in fall 2019. The Town of Parma adopted a Farmland Protection Plan in 2009 that can be found on the town’s website.
The celebration with the excellent pancakes at Zarpentine Farms will be held on Saturday, March 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. Pancakes will be served from 1 until 2 p.m. Tours of the farm and, if weather allows, wagon rides will follow between 2 and 3 p.m.
Dress for the weather if planning to participate in the walk or wagon ride. It may be muddy and can be windy on the farm.
Tickets are $5 per person if purchased online from Genesee Land Trust before March 15. Go to www.geneseelandtrust.org and look for the Zarpentine Farms Celebration on the home page to buy tickets. Tickets at the door are $8.95 if not sold out.
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