RYDER FARM IN SOUTHEAST TO BE PROTECTED

From left: Kara Whelan, president, WLT; Henry Gibson and Julia Ryder, members of the Ryder family; Janelle Robbins, vice president of conservation, WLT; and Lori Ensinger, senior advisor, WLT

In partnership with the Ryder family and the state of New York, The Westchester Land Trust (WLT) has permanently protected Ryder Farm, the oldest working farm in Putnam County. Located in the town of Southeast, the farm is now preserved in perpetuity by a conservation easement, which ensures that Ryder Farm will forever remain free from nonfarm development and be reserved for continued agricultural use.
Established in 1795, Ryder Farm has been owned and operated by the Ryder family for nine generations. With more than 3,000 feet of frontage on Peach Lake, protecting this property has been a high priority for Westchester Land Trust due to development pressure. The conservation easement helps to protect drinking water quality, as the area drains into the Croton Reservoir system, which serves Westchester County and New York City.
Funding for this project was made possible by a $2 million grant from Round 18 of the Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program, a program of New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, as well as the generosity of the Ryder family, who sold the development rights at a discount to full value. The Ryder family will continue to own and operate the farm, with WLT holding the conservation easement in perpetuity.