Chicken farm has neighbors clucking fowl in rural Southold

Plans for a startup poultry farm in Southold have raised a chicken-or-egg debate.

In a rural town with strong “right to farm” laws, some nearby homeowners are objecting to a proposal to build a farm with 6,000 chickens. They are citing concerns over pungent odors from chicken manure, dust, rats and groundwater contamination.

But the land, where a developer wants to build a 2,100-square-foot barn as part of a new pasture-raised egg farm, is permanently protected for agricultural use.

The residents say those protections shouldn’t outweigh their objections since the farm is the newcomer — not the neighbors. It has sparked colorful arguments about the region's identity as officials try to balance residents' quality of life with the town’s agricultural heritage.

“When you have 6,000 chickens, you’re going to have a pile of manure that’s going to attract rats, mice and flies,” John Reichert, 87, said in an interview. “The stench will be outrageous. … It would knock over a horse.”

Reichert, who lives about 60 feet from the proposed barn, said his main concern is potential health hazards.

The 16-acre property on Ackerly Pond Lane hasn't been farmed in about 50 years, according to a 2022 real estate listing. Town records show Grant Callahan, of Greenvale, filed the application for the steel barn. The application lists Callahan as an “authorized representative” for 2340 Ackerly Pond LLC, which purchased the property for $650,000 last May, according to Suffolk County land records.

The barn would be used to store equipment such as a tractor and electric fencing and also include an egg washing and packing area, town records show.

On LinkedIn, Callahan, a New York University student, lists himself as the founder of Rejuvenate Farms, an “organic egg farm on Long Island using rotational grazing, prioritizing humane care & practicing regenerative management.” He did not respond to requests to comment.

Supervisor Al Krupski, a fourth-generation farmer, said the neighbors' concerns are “absolutely understandable.” He has asked the town’s agricultural advisory committee to weigh in.

Krupski said part of farming is being a good neighbor.

“You try to minimize dust and noise and the typical nuisances, and you hope that your neighbors would do the same and be respectful of your operations,” he said in an interview.

'Right to farm' culture

Under town code, Southold is a “right to farm” community, which provides strong protections for agricultural practices, including plowing fields, spraying chemicals and raising animals. Town law acknowledges that these activities can be smelly, noisy and not limited to a traditional five-day work week. But the code says the nuisances are “more than offset by the benefits from farming to the community.”

Some residents said the number of chickens is “incompatible” with the neighborhood. Leslie Herrlin, Reichert’s daughter, said the use is more akin to an industrial egg factory and suggested the project be scaled back.

“We can’t move our homes,” Herrlin, 62, said in an interview. “He has 16 acres to relocate his operations, to downsize.”

Others want more environmental analysis about impacts to water quality.

“We’re going to leave all this poop on the ground. … Nobody’s done a study to say: Is this going to be bad for the groundwater,” Donald Bracken, 71, of Southold, said in an interview.

Neighborhood came first

Conflicts between farmers and neighbors are nothing new, said Tom Stevenson, of Orient, who runs an organic berry farm with his family.

“This situation is a little different in that the neighborhood is there before the farm,” he said in an interview.

Stevenson, 54, is a member of the town's agricultural committee. He said mitigating the conflict through scaled-back operations, relocating and screening the barn and addressing neighbors' concerns can help preserve agriculture in the region.

“Either you’re going to remain a farming town, or it’s over — shut the lights off,” he said.

The planning board is expected to continue reviewing the proposal at its next meeting on Feb. 9.