Local food and Farmland Protection

I was looking at the article that Meghan posted about the blossoming of local food in the hudson valley and I couldn't help but put it in perspective with farmland, or the challenges in preserving, obtaining, or managing it in the hudson valley.
My farm is very much on the micro scale and I focus on selling my goat milk products and goat meat in the hudson valley... as a matter of fact the closer to home I can sell my products the happier I am. I know I won't get rich money-wise this way but over the years I have become very rich in loyal customers, working with other local farmers, and the knowledge that I am part of keeping farming alive her in the hudson valley. Something I have been learning about farming in the hudson valley over the past year is that conflict is becoming a regular part of many farmers' lives. Conflict with neighbors who want to live in the country but without some of the sights, sounds, and smells of the country. Conflict with small town officials who you would think want to preserve the agricultural heritage of the region but often bow to the pressures of the builders and owners of "mcmansions".
Farming in the hudson valley is not an easy calling in many cases. Besides the unpredictability of weather and the periodic arrival of blight and parasites, land prices have been rising steadily so if you want to purchase agerage you need a bucket full of money or downsize to a parcel that is more affordable. The location of properties can be a challenge given the development in the region over the past decade or so and, of course, taxes, taxes, taxes....even with the help of programs that give farmers a break on property taxes this is still a pricey area in which to own land. If the farmer has set up a nice little operation even considering the financial hurtles and neighbors decide they don't like it that little slice of hudson valley farming is at risk.
The New York state constitution protects the farmer's right to farm but the farmer must apply for inclusion in or purchase a property already included in a state agricultural district to benefit from this provision. The application process is overseen by the county where the property is located and the property must be determined to be viable farmland with a viable agricultural business in operation. Typically applications are only taken for inclusion once each year and inclusion in a district is for an eight year period at which time a request can be made to remove the property from the agricultural district. Once a farm is in an state agricultural district the state will mediate issues with town government in regards to local laws and will also try to work with farmers and neighbors when disputes arise.
So what about the hudson valley and farming? Local towns are often less than supportive of their farmers or have laws on their books that are unreasonably restrictive to farmers doing what they do. One thing that I have discovered personally is that often towns define farms as large plots of land (read 100 or more acres) and fail to acknowledge that the area is changing and so is the face of agriculture. If agriculture is going to remain a part of hudson valley life everyone has to open their minds to a new vision.... or an older one, where local folks produce farm products and sell locally giving neighbors the chance to know the source of the eggs in the frying pan and the tomato on the burger that came from cattle grazed nearby.
Currently three towns in Ulster county are working on farmland protection plans. These towns have received grant money to prepare these plans and hopefully better understand agriculture in each of the towns. The town that I live in is one of the towns working on a farmland protection plan. I have gone to meetings in regards to the plans and I have been disappointed to learn that the focus of town officials is more on the preservation of open space than actual farming. I have been directly affected by restrictive zoning laws and treated with hostility by town officials. I know I am not the only farmer experiencing conflict in these areas. I hope that the local food movement will create a broader understanding of the reality of farming here in the hudson valley and help foster better communication between farmer, customer, and local government.