2007 Lew-Lin Farm

In 2007, Farm City Day returned for it's 10 year anniversary to Lew-Lin Farm in Dryden, the site of the first Farm City Day. In 1998, the Tompkins County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board was searching for a host farm for a newly conceived event - Farm City Day, an opportunity for the public to visit a working farm and learn about Agriculture. Lewis and Linda Stuttle of Lew-Lin Farm in Dryden stepped forward and agreed to be the first to open their farm to visitors for a day, taking on faith that it would be a worthwhile experience. It was, and it is therefore quite fitting that this now-popular annual event returns to its roots on Lew-Lin Farm for its 10th year.

When Lewis and Linda Stuttle were married in 1963, they bought a 145 acre farm on Livermore Rd. was next to the home farm where Lewis and his parents had been farming since 1947. The Stuttle's raised their four children, Brian, Karen, Lee and Steven, on the farm. Three of the four Stuttle children and their families live in homes that border the farm property, including Steve and his wife Lisa, who now operate the farm with Lewis and Linda.

Today Lew-Lin Farms own 430 acres plus rent 100 additional acres to produce feed for their 550-600 registered Holstein milking cows and young cows (heifers & calves) that will become the future milking herd. Cows are milked two times a day. Milk is sold to Cortland Bulk Dairy Cooperative and sold in the NYC area. The average milk produced per cow per year at Lew-Lin farm is about 24,000 pounds.

The main crops grown at Lew-Lin Farm are 200 acres of alfalfa and grass hay, 220 acres of corn, and 165 acres of land fenced for pasture. In 1994, Lewis was one of the first area farmers to embrace rotational grazing when he converted his cropland to permanent pasture as a means of reducing labor, feed and fuel costs.

Stuttle's employ other conservation practices to save soil and protect water quality. Strip cropping, tile diversions, filter beds, crop rotation, integrated pest management and manure stored for use at planting are means for maintaining crop productivity while protecting the environment. Non-farm neighbors that surround the farm enjoy the open space and pastoral scenery with cows grazing and feel assured that the Stuttle family is doing all he can to protect the environment.

In 2006, Lew-Lin farm was selected for funding by the NYS Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program, which will cover up to 75% of the cost to purchase the development rights on the farmland. The result will be that Lew-Lin farm's acreage will be protected for farming in perpetuity.

Last updated September 25, 2015