It could be below freezing. Wind might be bending the tops of tall trees. Or, a thick fog may hang in the air.
It really doesn’t matter to Leroy Peck.
Every morning after breakfast, Leroy gets on his John Deere tractor and heads out to care for the 180 acres that comprise his farm…the Peck Farm on North Brickyard Road in Van Buren, New York.
In the spring, 82-year-old Leroy drives his tractor to his large potato field to put in seeds. He’ll clear trees, chop firewood, or groom trails in the forest year round. For a short break in any season, he’ll drive up a steep hill to take in his favorite view of the Carrier Dome.
“This is my job: to maintain the land and get it ready for the next chapter. I’m very diligent in keeping up with the land,” explains Leroy.
“This is my job: to maintain the land and get it ready for the next chapter. I’m very diligent in keeping up with the land,” explains Leroy.
That next chapter is one that Leroy just recently began. He took steps to safeguard the future of his farm by donating a permanent conservation easement to the New York Agricultural Land Trust (NYALT).
Basically, this easement ensures that the Peck Farm is legally protected from development, which threatens farmland here in Onondaga County and all throughout New York State.
In fact, according to the American Farmland Trust, over 250,000 acres of farmland were lost between 2001 and 2016. That puts New York State in the top 20 states most threatened by loss of irreplaceable agricultural land.
Life and Land Intertwine at Peck Farm
Leroy has lived at the Peck Farm since birth, just like the ten generations of Pecks before him. His earliest memory is helping his father cut wood in the expansive 40-acre hardwood forest on the property.
Like the land itself, logging is a tradition that has been passed down through the family since the farm began in 1813. That’s when two Peck brothers purchased 500 acres for $2,700.
Over the years, the size of the Peck property gradually decreased as land was sold off. The original farmhouse is on a separate parcel, but the Peck Farm still includes barns, out buildings, and the tenant house – where Leroy lives today.
“I am proud to say that my parents never sold off any of our land. I haven’t either, despite many offers over the years,” said Leroy.
“I am proud to say that my parents never sold off any of our land. I haven’t either, despite many offers over the years,” said Leroy.
Leroy won’t sell the Peck Farm to developers because it’s more than a plot of land to him. It represents his life – and legacy. Plus, he’s seen farmland disappear around him over the years and he’s determined to protect his farm from the same fate.
That’s why the NYALT Farmland Preservation program is so important to him.
Where Does the Farmland Go?
Leroy blames the loss of local farmland on many factors. First, it’s what he laments is the “unchecked greed for the almighty dollar.” He has seen neighboring farms bought up by developers, and changed forever. The natural forests or open fields are disfigured and lost for good.
Second, Leroy has witnessed the transformation of the dairy industry in Central New York: from many smaller farms into a handful of larger operations.
“At one point there were dozens of farms in the Town of Van Buren, including many dairy farms. Today, there are three,” lamented Leroy.
“At one point there were dozens of farms in the Town of Van Buren, including many dairy farms. Today, there are three,” lamented Leroy.
Leroy’s own dairy operation was one of the many that closed. He had to shut it down in 1989 as the dairy industry was struggling.
“It was tough to stop. I had started the dairy operation in 1958 with six Holstein cows which soon became a healthy herd of about 30 cows. I had built a milkhouse and an addition to the barn. It was a thriving business for three decades, but it didn’t make sense to continue,” explained Leroy.
Leroy was able to keep the farm going by leasing land to local farmers and selling cash crops. He continued rebuking offers to buy his land and turn it into everything from a subdivision to a massive garbage facility.
At the same time, Leroy took some time away from the farm…
Adventure and Travel Tempt, But There’s No Place Like Home
After his dairy business shuttered, Leroy took off for a new adventure – literally. He began flying lessons and soon purchased his own plane. As a veteran of the National Guard, Leroy attended many airshows nationwide.
Leroy’s wanderlust grew and he took a 5th wheel camper to visit friends and relatives everywhere from Florida to Ohio, Michigan to Plymouth Rock where his ancestors had arrived on the Mayflower.
While Leroy found travel to be exciting, it didn’t compare to the sense of home, responsibility, and belonging he felt at the Peck Farm:
“That’s why I’m doing everything I can to protect it.”
The Best Option for Leroy and Other Likeminded Farm Owners: Farmland Preservation
Leroy had always hoped to sell his farm to an aspiring dairy farmer. He realized that’s unlikely to happen now – although he notes that “farming always has its trends, things go up and down.” So Leroy began searching for other ways to keep his land safe from non-agricultural development.
Leroy had heard positive things about the NYALT farmland protection program from other folks in the Central New York agricultural community, like John and Nancy Hourigan, and Sharon and Gary Slate of Clover Hill Farm – also in Van Buren. The Slates recently donated a permanent conservation easement on all 83 acres of their farm to NYALT.
“NYALT has a good reputation among the farming community. I also learned that the Onondaga County Agriculture Council had helped farmers like me, by reducing some of the fees needed to put farmland into an easement,” said Leroy.
“NYALT has a good reputation among the farming community. I also learned that the Onondaga County Agriculture Council had helped farmers like me, by reducing some of the fees needed to put farmland into an easement,” said Leroy.
The Council has a program that helps offset some of the costs associated with establishing the easement, such as a survey, appraisal, and legal fees.
Leroy soon began the easement process with guidance from his friend and neighbor, Catherine Cooley along with the team at NYALT. The paperwork was wrapped up by Thanksgiving 2020.
Leroy takes great comfort in knowing that the Peck Farm will remain free from development – forever. He thinks of this fact as he goes about his daily life on the farm on his trusty tractor.
“It was my chance to do the right thing – to save my land. And that’s exactly what I’ve done,” concluded Leroy.
