We have special rebroadcasts of "Connections" today.
First hour: Is the local housing market starting to cool?
Second hour: How local farmers are working to keep their land farmland forever
You might have seen the headlines proclaiming that the long-awaited cooling of the housing market has finally begun. Is that true in Rochester and Western New York? The hot market has gone on longer than many experts expected. Our guests update us on whether buyers or sellers have the advantage now. Our guests:
- Mark Siwiec, team leader of Mark Siwiec and Associates
- Tysharda Thomas, associate broker with New 2 U Homes LLC, and co-chair of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors Black Caucus
- Kristin Vanden Brul, broker associate with REMAX Plus
Then in our second hour, some local farmers are working with regional land trusts in order to ensure their farmland will be farmland forever. As longtime farmers age and retire, questions arise as to what happens with their land. Owning land is becoming more cost prohibitive for young farmers, and sometimes, the land is purchased by developers who use it to build homes, rather than farms. Stonecrop Farm in Rush recently collaborated with the Genesee Land Trust on a process that will ensure its land remains farmland forever. This hour, we discuss that process and we hear about the current land issues facing farmers in New York. Our guests:
- Ruth Blackwell, owner of Mud Creek Farm
- Greg Hartt, co-owner of Stonecrop Farm
- Lorna Wright, deputy executive director at Genesee Land Trust
