JORDANVILLE – A 2,000 cow dairy farm proposal targeting acreage near
Weaver Lake had six neighboring residents up in arms at last week’s
town of Warren planning board meeting.
The project in question was proposed by Ted Ingerson, of New
Hampshire, according to Warren Planning Board Chairman Ken Empey, and
the proposed site is located in the east end of the town of Warren, on
Ostrander Road.
Residents neighboring the 150 acre parcel on which Ingerson is
seeking to put a dairy farm oppose the plan because of concerns
regarding quality of life and environmental issues.
The plan currently calls for 1,000 milking cows and 1,000 calves and heifers, Empey said.
At last week’s meeting, board members repeatedly reminded residents
that the planning board has authority to make recommendations to the
town board, and that they do not have the final say on whether or not
the project will be approved.
“The (Department of Environmental Conservation) will have final say on it,” Empey told the residents.
“They’re the lead agency.”
“As of this morning (Ingerson) has not been in contact,” said
Planning Board Secretary Virginia Wolfe, who went on to say that it was
her gut feeling the project would not come to fruition.
When residents questioned her reasoning she noted that there is a
lot of legal requirements and permits that go along with a dairy farm,
especially one as large as this one.
“It is a huge project,” agreed board member George Hula.
“This is 200 yards from my house,” said resident Jeff Gardner.
“My concern is, does he have enough ambition to try for 500 (cows)?
“Five hundred is just as bad as 2,000.”
The flow of tractor trailers, water runoff contaminating the
Susquehanna River, Weaver and Youngs lakes, then eventually Otsego Lake
were main concerns voiced by the residents. KOA campground owner Larry
Shelby said “I’m out of here if this goes through. It will ruin me.”
An operation this size will use “60 to 80,000 gallons of water a day,” said resident Steve Andrechek.
“That’s 30 million a year – that’s the size of a little lake – gone, turned into urine.”
“Every drop of water from his place will flow right into Cooperstown,” Gardner added.
Gardner also questioned the allowable cow per acre ratio, which
Wolfe said “depends on the type of cow, the breed, whether they will
raise their own forage and grain, but that usually it’s about two to
three acres in this area.”
“One little acre is an ecological disaster,” Andrechek said.
When Gardner questioned why Ingerson would choose this area, Empey replied, “I guess he likes the neighborhood.”
“Well he won’t when he meets his neighbors,” Andrechek countered.
Board members recommended the public express their concerns to the DEC, and ask about upcoming public hearings.
Neither Ingerson or the DEC attended at the meeting.
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