County adds 279 acres to county-wide ag district in annual review

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature voted on Wednesday to add 278.95 acres to the county-wide agricultural district.

The county has an annual opportunity for landowners to request to be in the ag district. Once every 8 years there is a chance to be removed from the district. (In 2024, the county will send letters to all parcel owners in the district, giving them the chance to either stay or be taken out of the district.)

With the new acreage, the countywide district will go to 117,658.95 acres, about 47 percent of the county’s total land area.

The new additions include 48.20 acres on the north side on Route 31A in Barre, owned by Jesse and Andrea Farwell; 6.90 acres on the northside of West Countyhouse Road in Albion, owned by Jesse and Andrea Farwell; 87.23 acres on the south side of Lime Kiln Road in Barre, owned by Anna Shuknecht (Smith); 100.83 acres near Stillwater and Harris Road intersection in Carlton, on land owned by Tyler Baker; 0.78 acre on Thorpe Road in Barre, on land owned by Rodger Newbauld; 33.70 acres on north side on Route 31, west of Power Line Road in Albion, on land owned by Charles and Joseph Mathes; 0.76 acres and 0.55 acres on Kenyonville Road near Howlett Road in Albion/Gaines.

Last year the enrollment opportunity resulted in 137 acres added to the ag district. In 2019, there were 384 acres included and 116 more in 2018.