Sep 26, 2026 · 19 min · 10 segments
In 2023, Ben and Lindsey Shute of Hearty Roots Farm bought 97 acres of farmland on Route 9 in Red Hook. Because the land had been farmed conventionally, they had to wait three years before anything…
So we've been talking about Hardy Roots Farm, but as you reported in your story, Claire, this is actually about more than just a farm.
How does the harvest fit into the town of Red Hook's larger effort to preserve farmland and the open space?
You know, the town of Red Hook has made farmland preservation and protecting its local food system a major priority.
And this property is a really tangible example of what that effort can look like.
Back in 2023, the town stepped in to help protect this land from development and ensure that much of it would remain in agriculture.
So seeing the veggie come out of the ground there felt like, you know, an important sign that those preservation efforts worked.
doing what they were intended to do by keeping farmland in farming and supporting the town's agricultural economy.
So speaking of 2023, is it possible just to give us a bit more detail on what happened with the Cookingham East property, how the town of Red Hook acquired it, how the conservation easement came into play, and then how the chutes ultimately ended up owning the farmland?
Yeah, good question, because there are definitely a lot of moving parts to it.
So in 2023, the town bought the roughly 110 acre Cookingham East property along Route 9.
And they had a few different goals in mind that they wanted to achieve with the land.
And then they also wanted to set aside a portion of the land for affordable housing development.
The farmland portion was then permanently protected from development through a conservation easement with the Land Trust, Scenic Hudson, and Dutchess Land Conservancy.
And then they also set aside a separate parcel of land, about 12 acres, for affordable housing, which was ultimately later sold to the housing organization, RUPCO, for a planned affordable housing project.
So we've been talking about Hardy Roots Farm, but as you reported in your story, Claire, this is actually about more than just a farm.
How does the harvest fit into the town of Red Hook's larger effort to preserve farmland and the open space?
You know, the town of Red Hook has made farmland preservation and protecting its local food system a major priority.
And this property is a really tangible example of what that effort can look like.
Back in 2023, the town stepped in to help protect this land from development and ensure that much of it would remain in agriculture.
So seeing the veggie come out of the ground there felt like, you know, an important sign that those preservation efforts worked.
doing what they were intended to do by keeping farmland in farming and supporting the town's agricultural economy.
So speaking of 2023, is it possible just to give us a bit more detail on what happened with the Cookingham East property, how the town of Red Hook acquired it, how the conservation easement came into play, and then how the chutes ultimately ended up owning the farmland?
Yeah, good question, because there are definitely a lot of moving parts to it.
So in 2023, the town bought the roughly 110 acre Cookingham East property along Route 9.
And they had a few different goals in mind that they wanted to achieve with the land.
And then they also wanted to set aside a portion of the land for affordable housing development.
The farmland portion was then permanently protected from development through a conservation easement with the Land Trust, Scenic Hudson, and Dutchess Land Conservancy.
And then they also set aside a separate parcel of land, about 12 acres, for affordable housing, which was ultimately later sold to the housing organization, RUPCO, for a planned affordable housing project.
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