Chefs for the Marcellus

Elizabeth Schula by Gentl and Hyers

We are pleased to welcome Elizabeth Schula of Saltie to our campaign.  Elizabeth is not just a passionate chef and restaurateur: she is also an aspiring farmer who has a personal interest in keeping New York State farmland frack free. She writes: “I want to thank you for what you are doing. I bought a farm near Cooperstown last year  … in the town of Middlefield, and after finding that one of our neighbors has a gas lease, became instantly active in our community. Middlefield was the first township in New York to enact local zoning to ban heavy industry (hydrofracking!), but the ruling is being challenged by a cattle farmer.  At Saltie, we are committed to using local ingredients, and much of our produce comes from the Marcellus region. I hope to be farming full time in the near future and bringing some of my own produce to New York City.” Fellow chefs and other food professionals, please join Elizabeth by lending your name to our campaign. 

Tune in on Thursday, April19, at 1:00 p.m., to hear Chefs for the Marcellus founder Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez discuss fracking and its impact on local agriculture. Joining her  on  The Farm Report —  a show  devoted to farming issues on internet-based Heritage  Radio, hosted by Erin Fairbanks — will be Greg Swartz from Willow Wisp Organic Farm and Luce Guanzini, a goat farmer from Tioga County. Luce recently wrote: “Our farm  is just 25 miles from the shale gas fields in Bradford County, Pa.  As such I feel that when New York State lifts its moratorium our township will be rapidly consumed by shale gas development.  The truck traffic alone will make it dangerous and difficult to continue raising goats.  Of course, if we are one of the unfortunate people whose potable water is lost to drilling we will be forced out of business.