TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — Sunny Hunny Farms will grow following approval of plans for an on-site farm store selling goods produced by the nursery and apiary.
“We are trying to contribute to the economic engine of the town as a whole, to the county, and doing it in a sensible, sustainable way that's good for the environment,” Tracy Robbins-Garrison said Wednesday.
Sunny Hunny Farms, owned by Robbins-Garrison and her mother Violet Robbins, will open a seasonal farm store at the roughly 18-acre farm at 344 Robb Road in a monitor-style barn about 150 feet back from the road.
The nursery with an apiary for beehives produces fresh cut flowers, potted plants, fruits, vegetables, honey and other bee products mainly sold at area farmers markets and some regional shops until now. The farm store will provide customers direct access to goods produced there.
The Planning Board readily approved the plans after Town Attorney Charles Schwartz confirmed the project is allowed at the site in a residential zone and a New York State Certified Agricultural District. Town law permits farm operations in any zoning district on parcels in certified agricultural districts.
“You’re entitled to uses attendant to normal agricultural things,” Schwartz said. “There are a lot of things that the law allows for zoning … among them is a farm store.”
The finding crushed objections from next door neighbors on either side of the property over the project they described as a “retail store” rather than a farm operation.
Robert Wojturski, a town resident and owner of Natural Bridge Farm, defended plans for the fellow farm operation, which he said will be low-traffic generating based on his experience.
“When you move into the country, you’re moving into the country,” Wojturski added. “That is all agricultural area up there.”
Nevertheless, Robbins-Garrison said steps have been taken to address neighbors’ concerns by moving beehives towards the rear of the property near an on-site water source further away from homes and a pool next door, in order to discourage the bees from visiting.
A privacy fence is also expected to be installed within a few weeks to screen the store from the neighboring properties. Robbins-Garrison estimated the cost at $17,000.
The store is expected to operate during the growing season from May through October with days and hours to be adjusted to meet demand. It will only be open during daylight hours.
The barn that will house the farm store was built last summer with space for cold storage, a staging area for farmers markets, a kitchen and a bathroom. National Grid recently installed utility poles at the site, which had been holding up interior finishing work.
An 18-kilowatt solar system solely intended to power the farm store without the use of fossil fuels is targeted for installation next year. Agricultural plant waste is expected to be processed and mulched on site away from the barn as part of the operation’s sustainable practices.
Sunny Hunny Farms earlier this year was among 16 businesses selected for the Montgomery County Microenterprise Grant Program. Grants of $5,000 to $35,000 were awarded to small businesses with five or fewer employees as part of the initiative supporting the local economy.
“They recognize that we are a budding business worthy of support,” Robbins-Garrison said. “There is an economic benefit to the county and to everyone.”
