Patrick Grego / The New Pine Plains Herald
Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, the multigenerational producer based in Ancramdale, could expand into Ulster County under a proposal to become the anchor tenant of a new agribusiness center at iPark 87. The 200-acre mixed-use redevelopment is planned for the former IBM manufacturing campus in the Town of Ulster, just outside of Kingston.
The Ulster County Economic Development Alliance (UCEDA) voted Monday, March 23 to sign a nonbinding letter of intent with Ronnybrook Farm Dairy to establish operations at the future Ulster Agribusiness Center on UCEDA-owned property, according to a county press release.
Under the proposal, Ronnybrook would lease two buildings on the iPark East campus. An existing warehouse would be used for cultured dairy production, while a former powerhouse would be converted into a cold and freezer storage facility that Ronnybrook would manage on behalf of UCEDA.
“We’ve been interested for some time in exploring the possibility of locating production at iPark, and this opportunity feels like the right fit for our farm and our future,” Rick Osofsky, owner of Ronnybrook Farm Dairy said in a statement. “We share Ulster County’s vision for a strong and sustainable food economy and are excited about the County Executive’s proposal to manage a shared cold storage facility alongside our company’s own operations. We look forward to working with UCEDA and the County’s economic development team to move this project forward.”
The proposed lease includes approximately 21,700 square feet in the warehouse building, described as Phase 1, and 20,000 square feet in the former powerhouse, described as Phase 2. The lease would run for 10 years, with two five-year renewal options.
County officials said the project is intended to expand Ronnybrook’s production and distribution capacity, particularly for cultured dairy products, while also addressing a broader regional need for cold storage. Access to cold storage was identified as a priority in Ulster County’s 2025 Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan.
“We’re excited about this proposed partnership with Ronnybrook, which will advance the kind of forward-looking, sustainable economic development we are committed to in Ulster County,” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said in a statement. “The proposed Agribusiness Center aims to expand value-added production, diversify food and beverage manufacturing, and support shared services that strengthen the region’s farm economy.”
Joshua Stratton-Rayner, Ulster County’s director of economic development, said the added cold-storage capacity would help create conditions for small and midsize producers to grow.
“Expanded cold-storage capacity — one of the core functions Ronnybrook will help manage — is directly aligned with a priority recommendation of the 2025 Ulster County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan,” Stratton-Rayner said in a statement. “By co-locating processing, storage, and distribution infrastructure, we’re creating favorable conditions for small and mid-sized producers to grow and innovate.”
The letter of intent gives the parties 180 days to negotiate a full lease agreement. If an agreement is reached, occupancy would begin in phases after site preparation and build-out are complete.
Look into past contamination of those building. They couldn’t sell them because of this. The school district pulled out too .
At least Rick Osofsky is minding his own business for once