To the Editor:
Is it just me, or does this promotion of “agri-tourism” seem like a backdoor way to let developers do whatever they want on land they otherwise couldn’t build on?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Library defines agritourism as “a form of commercial enterprise that combines tourism with agricultural production and/or processing to attract visitors to a farm, ranch, or other agricultural operation, and to entertain and educate the visitors while generating income for the farm, ranch, or other agricultural operation.” [agricultural] Business owner.”
This definition seems to have been distorted by vested interests to prioritize the construction of “luxury resorts” and maintain minimal agricultural activity nearby. Instead of providing a supplementary source of income for existing farmers, hotels will usurp real agricultural land use and cause it to become blighted.
All of the latest proposed changes and amendments to this bill, no matter what the authorities claim, are directly connected to helping real estate developers rather than helping farmers. Land and water are precious and we cannot allow greed to continue to rob us all of our natural resources and further pollute our ecosystems.
If authorities want to support real agritourism, they would support existing farmers, ensure their environments remain clean, promote farmers and their produce, and increase public transport options for everyone. Where do you think hotel and luxury resort guests will park their cars? You will see farmland literally paved over instead of “protected”. Show me an agritourism farmer who currently owns a 250-room “luxury resort” with hundreds of cars constantly parked on farmland, spraying exhaust fumes on the crops! Also, tell me how he or she deals with the massive amounts of wastewater and greywater generated by tens of thousands of guests every year! Where does this imaginary “agritourism resort” exist? (Hint: it doesn’t exist. No matter what anyone claims, building a resort will only reduce the total area of arable land.)
But did you know Long Island is already thriving in agritourism without needing to pass new laws to build hotels and resorts? What else can you call the vineyards and year-round events throughout Suffolk County? How about farms that offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships? Have you ever experienced traffic jams as tourists flock to fall harvest festivals? Have you heard of farm-to-table restaurants?
Mark what I say: if the town passes any version of this real estate bill, the only ones who will benefit are the developers and their torch-carrying political buddies. The genie will not be put back in the bottle.
Michael Caprio
Brookhaven
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