CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — According to state lawmakers, New York is losing farms and farmland at a rate much faster than the national average. From 2012 to 2022, the Empire State lost nearly 14% of its farms and 9% of its farmland. Many New York counties are promoting ways to preserve farmland, much of which is being converted to other uses — including solar, housing and other development.

In one Finger Lakes county, the stakes are high in preserving a way of life.

Seth Pritchard spends a lot of time in the cab of his John Deere 7215R. His family farm has been located in Ontario County for more than 100 years.  Pritchard farms 2,200 acres, growing corn and soybeans, mostly.

“There’s a lot of good farmland in New York,” said Pritchard. “Probably some of the best land in the country.”

In New York, there’s constant pressure from the outside. Pritchard says he gets a letter every two weeks or so from a solar company, inquiring about buying, leasing or renting his ground to put up solar panels. Developers pay a premium for farmland, driving the price up and making it harder for farmers like Pritchard to expand.

“For us to buy a piece of farmland, we have to be able to afford it,” he said. “And you talk about housing developments; they can come in and offer twice or more what we as a farmer can offer.”

Megan Gerlock can relate. The fifth-generation farmer grows cash crops and raises beef cattle on her family’s 425-acre farm.

“I think most have the same goal of protecting the viable farmland,” said Gerlock.

To do that, in 2018, Ontario County developed an Agriculture Enhancement Board. Farmers have since enrolled thousands of acres in a program that helps keep them farming.  

“The name of the game in terms of protecting farms and farmland and farm economy is keeping farms viable,” said Linda Phillips, senior planner for the county.

Phillips says among other things, county ag districts offer farmers different tax rates, provides limitations on eminent domain, and protects them from nuisance lawsuits for standard agricultural practices. Farmers can add land each year, and remove land every eight.

It's all part of a plan for farm viability in a region where agriculture also equals tourism.

“The rural character of communities in a huge quality of life thing,” she said, "and a big driver of the tourism economy.”

“From dairy to crops to even the vineyards, it is a huge revenue draw, creating lots of jobs,” said Gerlock.

Some farmers worry about the threat from solar technology. New York state is currently investing in ways to co-locate solar and existing farm operations, a term referred to as agrivoltaics. Cornell researchers are studying the viability of it. So far, the majority of co-located ag and solar projects involve sheep grazing around solar arrays.

“I think that there’s a place for them,” said Gerlock. “I don’t think it’s on viable farmland.”

“We see a lot of housing development right in this area that seems to just kind of squeeze on us,” said Pritchard.

It's one of a number of pressures from the outside as farmers try to preserve a way of life.

“It makes me nervous,” Pritchard said. “I would love to see this farm continue on.”