Town of Amherst Agricultural Plan

The Town of Amherst was looking to protect the remaining agricultural land was still left in the north portion of the Town, and find ways to support agricultural businesses. Wendel needed to address the current development pressure pushing north (both residential and solar), existing family farms, a burgeoning interest in “hobby farms” as well as agri-tourism and new crops such as hemp.

This plan was unique in that it focused on two strategies: the first one was to protect existing agricultural land, and the second strategy shows agricultural lands as not only a physical asset to the community but also an important contributor to the local economy.

The plan included extensive involvement with a large committee and group of stakeholders. Wendel performed a survey of agricultural needs and interests amongst Town residents, performed an economic assessment of the current state of agriculture in the Town, and reviewed current zoning regulations. The final product included recommendations and an implementation plan. Identifying agriculture as an economic asset as well as a natural asset adds another layer of value to these lands.

The unique approach proved to be a successful hybrid model for the farmland protection plan, which received a 2021 “Best Practice” Award from the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association (NYU APA).