Rising out of a deep rooted and meaningful legacy of conservation, Obercreek Farm’s current day operations and land protection efforts reflect the intention of the Reese family to continue their responsible stewardship of the land.
Alex Reese and Alison Spear made Obercreek their permanent home in 2006 and revived the farm operation in 2012. By partnering with young farmers, they began growing NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York) and USDA-certified organic fruits and vegetables, in addition to continuing leasing additional land to a local hay farmer. Soon, they set up a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation to distribute the produce to members, which is now also available online at obercreekfarm.com. The on-site Obercreek Farm Store sells fruits and vegetables grown on the farm, as well as a variety of produce from other local operations, and products including chutneys, pestos and pies. In 2017, Alex began Obercreek Brewery, selling beer on-site at their tasting room and on the brewery’s website, obercreekbrewing.com. Solidifying the family’s commitment to the land, the Reeses donated a conservation easement on 42 acres of the property in 2021, and this fall, the DLC was able to complete the preservation of an additional 143 acres of Obercreek Farm through the purchase of development rights, ensuring this vital urban farmland will remain viable for agriculture in perpetuity.
One of only a few agricultural properties still operating in the Town of Wappinger, its preservation helps maintain the agricultural heritage of Dutchess County. “This is a particularly exciting project for us because the farm is in a more densely populated area,” DLC President Becky Thornton explains. “We have an opportunity to conserve land in a neighborhood which may not have as many options for open space.” In addition to its importance as an urban 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. Approximately 85 percent of the property (over 120-acres) is covered by fertile agricultural soils, that take hundreds of years to create. In addition, the farm is located along the eastern banks of the Wappinger Creek, just upstream of its confluence with the Hudson River, making Obercreek’s preservation vital for safeguarding the quality of drinking water for more than 100,000 people.
“We owe a great deal to our partners and wish to thank the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for the funding provided through their Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program that helped make the preservation of the Obercreek Farm possible,” Thornton continues. “We also owe thanks to Dutchess County, which provided additional funding through the Dutchess County Partnership for Manageable Growth. We would not have been able to preserve this urban farmland which shores up the Hudson Valley foodshed without them.”
