Orange County will spend $1.3 million for more open space

Weiss farm in Warwick among four properties Warwick — Linda and Donald Weiss are happy to know that the farm they love so much will never be turned into a condominium complex. They were among the guests of honor Wednesday morning when Ed Diana, the Orange County executive, made public the county’s intention to spend more than $1.3 million to preserve open space. Forty-six acres of farmland in Warwick will be preserved for future generations because the Weisses agreed to sell the county the development rights to their land. They will receive $189,280 in exchange for their agreement, which is legally binding, never to develop the land. But they will continue to own the land, and they will continue to farm it. They may sell their property, but the new owner must either farm it or leave it open. Talking about the beauty and peace of their farm, Linda Weiss said, “We feel it’s important to share that with others. We don’t ever want to see it developed.” The property has been a farm since 1840 and includes the original house. The Weisses bought the house and farm in 1996 and raise beef, pork, and eggs there. Since embarking on its open space plan in 2005, Orange County has awarded $8.7 million to a total of 26 projects. County officials decide which projects to fund based on their value to protecting drinking water, fostering recreation, and linking open spaces, among other criteria. The county also places great value on agribusiness and so found the Weiss farm to be a good fit. Diana, in his announcement, stressed the county’s commitment to preserving agriculture. “People may not realize this, but farming is still the number one industry in Orange County,” he said. Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton agreed. “It’s encouraging that people still believe in farming,” he said. Although a county project, the open space grants require the backing of the towns in which the properties are located. The Weiss farm is also valuable in extending open space already established. The farm is attached to the 34,350-acre Waywayanda State Park, located in the Highlands region of New Jersey. The farm actually totals 118 acres situated in two states. Its 72 acres in New Jersey have also been approved for purchase-of-development-rights funding in that state, Linda said. Another project to win funding is the McNeill farm in Chester, the setting of Tuesday’s press conference. The 149-acre farm will connect Goosepond Mountain State Park with Chester Commons Town Park. The county will chip in $400,000 to help the Trust for Public Land buy the property, which will then be transferred to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and become part of the state park. Keith’s Farm, an historic 88-acre farm in the Town of Greenville that raises organic vegetables, received $262,500 in county funds. The 215-acre Kirby Farm in the Town of Wawayanda, in operation since 1876, received $483,625.