How the Cooperative works

Movement of people from the city and suburbs to the rural areas has increased the price of land and caused parcelization of what were once large farms.  The Cooperative provides a means to re-aggregate and reuse old fields now left going to brush.  It then becomes feasible for the coop to sell biofeedstock to biofuel producers and use its vision to encourage sustainable means of production.

Aggregation also pools the income for all parcels making it possible for the coop as a whole to qualify all members for agricultural property tax assessments.  To meet tax requirements a qualifying parcel must have at least seven acres of open land and the gross average annual income of the Cooperative must exceed $10,000. 

Members

Requirements for membership:

1. •Initial $50 membership fee + $16 for soil test (The membership fee can be paid in donated work hours if preferred.  
   

2. •Own mowable fields: 7 or more acres
   

3. •Land located in Danby, NY  
   

Benefits

1. •Fields cleared
   

2. •Taxes decreased through agricultural assessment
   

3.    
   

Agricultural Assessment starts after the lease is signed and will be reflected in next year’s taxes beginning with 2011 School Tax, but affects both School tax and Town and County tax.  There is no penalty if lease is broken, unless development occurs on field.

Requirements for agricultural assessment (member has responsibility for filling out and delivering forms :

1. •Copy of Soil Worksheet form ADP1.   This form has to be registered with Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District which costs $35.   Need the tax parcel numbers, the # of tillable acres per parcel, number of acres of woodland if woodland is on the property.  Other questions just call and talk to Jon at 607-257-2340 there.  They will fill in the soil type.
   

1. •The above form plus the following forms must to registered with Tompkins County Department of Assessment office by April 1 of applicable year – for this season it will be by April 1, 2011.
   

2. •Download Danby Land Bank 5 year lease   
   

3. •Copy of Agricultural assessment form - RP-305 - of this only the section on page 1 that says “completed by applicant” and on page 3 a single line that says – “Name and mailing address of party to whom land is rented”  need be filled out.    As a response to the latter enter Danby Land Bank, 638 E Miller Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850.
   

To Learn More

The following participated in the second year of establishing the Cooperative:

Ben Altman

Candace and Alan Collmer

Brian Caldwell

Ted Crane and Pamela Goddard

Louis Derry

Sarah Elbert

Richard Erhrhardt

Dan Evett

Jonathan Joseph

Sharon Kaplan

Elizabeth Keokosky

Guillermo Metz

Ginny Miller

Russell Nitchman

Tony Nekut

Jim Reed

Tom Ricketson

Mike and Cory Rutzke

Mark and Deidre Silverman

David Weiss

Members