The DLC is excited to share the news of the preservation of the Obercreek Farm in the Town of Wappinger, NY. The permanent protection of Obercreek not only safeguards 143 acres, but also ensures that vital urban farmland will remain available for active agricultural production and continue to bolster the food security of the Hudson Valley. The conservation of Obercreek Farm means that it will continue to serve the community through local organically grown produce, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, and a thriving farm store.
The Obercreek Farm has been in family ownership since the 1850s and is one of only a few active agricultural properties still operating in the Town of Wappinger, making its preservation pivotal. Its conservation will help to maintain the agricultural heritage and ecological diversity of Dutchess County and the surrounding region. By protecting the farm, its owner and the DLC are also supporting sustainable farming practices that contribute to the health of our environment and the vitality of our local economy.
In addition to its importance as a working farm, Obercreek contains a great deal of biological and geological diversity. Located in the Upper Hudson basin, the farm boasts a high level of plant and wildlife diversity across a landscape that contains agricultural and grassland habitats. Songbirds and butterflies of many species thrive in these locales, which are crucial to their feeding and breeding habits. Additionally, the property lies on the banks of Wappinger Creek, an important tributary to the Hudson River, so vital to the region as the source of drinking water for more than 100,000 Hudson Valley residents. The rich soils that make the Obercreek farm so fertile lie atop till left behind as glaciers retreated from the region 18,000 years ago and have supported agriculture in the area for centuries.
Protection of such a crucial farm happens first and foremost through the conservation-minded care and foresight of its owner, for which the DLC is grateful. We also wish to thank the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for the funding provided through their Farmland Protection Implementation Grants that helped make the preservation of the Obercreek Farm possible. We also owe thanks to Dutchess County Planning, which provided additional funding through the Dutchess County Partnership for Manageable Growth.
