Putnam County Abandons Farmers

For generations, Putnam County’s farms have been a vital part of our local economy, environment, and food security. But now, they are under attack—not by market forces or climate change, but by the very institutions that should be supporting them.

Two nights ago I attended the State of the County by County Executive Kevin Byrne. Mr. Byrne announced his support of farmers and his intent to host a round table intended to address crucial issues facing farmers and the towns.

However, recent developments reveal a disturbing trend of obstruction, deception, and outright hostility toward our farming community by both town and county officials, particularly in the county legislature.

We have reviewed hundreds of pages of documents, emails and more that show through unlawful denials, bureaucratic trickery, and stonewalling of public records, it appears that some in our county government are actively conspiring to push farmers out rather than help them thrive.

The Agricultural District Scandal: An Attack on Farmers

Putnam County has been part of the New York State Agricultural District program since 2003, a program designed to protect farmland and provide regulatory relief to farmers. Yet, in August 2024, after over 20 years of support, the County Legislature denied every single application for admission into the Agricultural District, even those that had been approved by the Agricultural District Board—a board that has now conspicuously been shut down entirely.

According to local farmers, this is the fourth consecutive year of farmers being denied admission.

The legislature’s excuse? A flawed 2003 county resolution, one that legislators themselves admit is open to multiple interpretations and could easily be fixed. But instead of fixing it, the five-member majority—Legislators Jonke, Ellner, Addonizio, Sayegh, and Birmingham—have refused to act, leaving farmers locked out of crucial protections.

A Legal Trap Designed to Crush Small Farms

To make matters worse, the Towns of Patterson and Southeast have started weaponizing town codes against farmers who apply for Agricultural District status. Sources claim that Town officials have suddenly issued bogus code violations—often on rules they have ignored for years—making it impossible for farms to qualify for Ag District protections.

This Catch-22 is a deliberate setup. Farms can’t get Ag District protections unless they clear the violations, but those violations shouldn’t even apply to them in the first place. By the time a farm fights the violations, it is already too late for that year’s application cycle.

One farmer described it to us best: “This is nothing more than an orchestrated takedown of our farming community.”

Transparency? Not in Putnam County.

Farmers and their advocates have fought back by filing Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests to uncover the truth. The response?

Silence. Delays. Missing documents. Altered records.

A formal investigation has been requested into potential document tampering by county officials, including:

• Missing records from multiple years (2003-2009, 2022-2023) on Agricultural District applications.

• Emails and communications about agricultural policy that have mysteriously vanished.

• Records that appear to have been altered before being released.

• The Ag District webpage was also suddenly taken down in February (but can be found via Internet Wayback Machine website).

  • The deadline for this year's Ag District applications is in April. With the webpage down, there's no way for farmers to apply or reapply this year

The question remains, why is the County seemingly refusing to release public records?

Case in Point: Patterson’s Abuse of Power

In Patterson, the obstruction is even more blatant. When Ridge Ranch owners Dan and Arielle Honovich requested their own property assessment records, they were seemingly met with lies, delays, and illegal denials.

According to them, the Patterson Assessor’s Office falsely claimed they needed to file a FOIL request—a requirement that does not exist under New York law. Even after escalating the matter, the Town continues to obstruct access to legally mandated records.

This is not just incompetence; this is seemingly willful misleading.

What’s Really Going On? Who Benefits from Driving Farmers Out?

The question everyone should be asking: Why is Putnam County seemingly trying to force farmers out?

• Is this about pushing development interests?

• Is someone trying to devalue farmland for future land grabs?

• Who stands to benefit if Putnam’s agricultural industry collapses?

We don’t have all the answers—yet. But what is clear is that Putnam County’s farmers are being sacrificed, and the officials responsible must be held accountable and be transparent with the Putnam County Taxpayers.

Take Action: Demand Answers and Stand with Our Farmers

Our farmers need support, not sabotage. Here’s how you can help:

✅ Attend town and county meetings—demand explanations and accountability.

✅ Support legal action—help farmers fight unjust denials and FOIL violations.

✅ Call your legislators and town officials—tell them to stop blocking farmers from the Agricultural District.

✅ Share this information—make sure your neighbors know what’s happening.

Putnam County’s farms are worth fighting for. We cannot allow political games, corruption, and backroom deals to destroy the agricultural heart of our community.

It’s time to demand transparency, fairness, and justice for Putnam’s farmers—before it’s too late.