SULLIVAN, COUNTY, NY — Once a year, the Sullivan County Legislature considers applications to approve new districts.

Melinda Meddaugh, Agriculture and Food Systems Issue leader with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, recently told the Sullivan County Planning and Human Resources Committee that agricultural districts are established through a NYS Agriculture and Markets Law but are coordinated at a county level. The districts protect farmland against nuisance lawsuits, overly restrictive laws, and certain types of eminent domain cases. The districts follow best management practices and consider public safety, Meddaugh said.

Sullivan County's agricultural districts.

Agricultural districts can cover a big geographic area and can be either grouped together or more isolated. Sullivan County has two agricultural districts, one that covers much of the river valley to the north and east of Tusten, and the other concentrated in the northeast, near Neversink and Fallsburg. Only active farms are eligible for the protections that come with being an agricultural district.

Meddaugh said the Cornell extension is “a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York, along with the County Agricultural Board.” The extension notifies municipalities of applications, gathers information, conducts property visits, and reviews applications to provide the legislature with recommendations and a final report.

For more information or to apply, visit https://tinyurl.com/38wuv2dv.