PROTECTING WAGON WHEEL FARM

Scenic Hudson and the Orange County Land Trust have partnered to protect 58-acre Wagon Wheel Farm, located in the town of Goshen. The conservation easement, which was finalized on Tuesday, Aug. 29, keeps the farm in active agriculture and its high-quality soils permanently protected from nonagricultural development.
A family farm specializing in produce and hay located off Sarah Wells Trail in Goshen, the farm’s co-owner Jason Touw, who had been leasing portions of farmland since 2001 from Joan Kozareski, continued expanding operations along with his wife, and farm co-owner, Kristin Touw.
Upon Kozareski’s passing, the farmland was marketed for its subdivisional value, and local residents united in a show of strong support for the Touw family and sustaining local agriculture in their community.
In 2020, the beneficiaries of Kozareski’s estate ultimately decided to sell the property to the Touws, enabling them to continue operating their farming business and living on the land.
The farm was a priority of Scenic Hudson’s Hudson Valley-New York City Foodshed Conservation Plan, a blueprint for ramping up the protection of agricultural land to meet rising demand for fresh, local food in the region and city.
To fund the purchase of the conservation easement, Scenic Hudson secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s NRCS Agricultural Land Easement Program. Scenic Hudson provided 50% of the matching funds required by the grant, which came from the organization’s Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Hudson Valley Land Preservation Endowment. The Orange County Land Trust will hold the conservation easement in perpetuity.
The Touw family said, “We consider ourselves stewards of the land and are grateful for the organizations and community members that came together to make this project a success.”
Executive Director of The Scenic Hudson Land Trust and Land Programs Seth McKee said, “Conserving farms like Wagon Wheel has become even more critical as the valley faces mounting development pressures. …”
Orange County Land Trust Executive Director Jim Delaune said, “What makes the protection of Wagon Wheel Farm especially meaningful is the fact that saving the farm had become a rallying point for the community. Their collective voice and the perseverance of the Touw family ultimately took development off the table. …”
Wagon Wheel Farm is a family-operated hay, egg and produce business that strives to balance agricultural quality with environmental sustainability, preserve a way of life and maintain the rural bucolic character at the heart of Orange County. Its farmstand, located at 363 Sarah Wells Trail in Goshen, is open daily from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. For farmer’s market locations, events, and more information, visit https://wagonwheelfarmny.com/.
Scenic Hudson’s mission is to sustain and enhance the Hudson Valley’s inspirational beauty and health for generations to come. Motivated by the beautiful land and the extraordinary people of the region, it has six decades of expertise in conservation, land use, community-based advocacy and strategic planning to make the valley a better place to live, work and play for everyone.
The Orange County Land Trust is dedicated to protecting Orange County’s wild habitats, biologically diverse lands, and working farmland through conservation agreements with willing landowners.