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Ulster County committee approves ‘Victory Garden’ pilot to bolster local food access
Summary
The county committee approved Resolution 244 to create a Victory Garden Preservation Program pilot aimed at expanding food access and resilience; sponsors proposed administration by economic development with Cornell Cooperative Extension support while county staff flagged budget timing and contingency constraints.
Ulster County’s committee on economic development on June 2 approved Resolution 244 to establish a Victory Garden Preservation Program pilot intended to expand local food access and community resilience.
The sponsor, Legislator Hewitt, presented maps, sample budgets and site sketches for potential pilot locations and said the program would help redeploy underused landscapes into edible, noninvasive plantings. “Simply removing the Japanese barberry and planting blueberries is a huge shift in the right direction,” Hewitt said, calling the proposal “groundbreaking” and noting bipartisan support among legislators.
Deputy Executive Lavelle cautioned that the program’s proposed timing and use of contingency funds would be difficult this year. “Currently, it's our understanding that the contingency is around 1,200,000, and we anticipate a request from DPW in the very near term for about $600,000 of that contingency to [cover] salt costs from this winter,” Lavelle said, adding the contingency request could limit funds available for new programs.
Committee members pressed for clarity on administration, oversight and metrics. Legislator Grossman, among others, asked who would define eligibility and audit spending; Grossman said the county needed a clear plan for selection, accountability and performance evaluation. Hewitt and supporters said Cornell Cooperative Extension is interested in partnering and that the program would include stipends for local knowledge keepers and a coordinator role rather than relying solely on volunteers.
Hewitt said he proposed increasing the program’s budget in follow-up work but also suggested keeping an initial figure at $100,000 while exploring a longer-term “food action fund” to sustain the effort. Legislator Donovan noted stipends for local knowledge keepers were a key reason she cosponsored the measure.
After discussion, a legislator moved and the committee voted by voice to approve the resolution. The resolution amends the 2026 Ulster County budget to authorize the pilot; the committee directed sponsors and staff to work out contract and administration details, including whether Cornell Cooperative Extension or the county’s economic development department would administer the program.
Next steps: sponsors will refine budgets and contract arrangements and return details to staff for implementation planning.
