Creek Iversen, the founder of Seed Song Farm, wants the world to know that, like Mr. Twain before him, rumors of his death are greatly exaggerated. Death of Seed Song Farm, that is, which was what quite a few readers took away from local headlines mistakenly announcing the multi-faceted enterprise's imminent demise.

Seed Song sits on 215 acres of fields, wetlands and forest tucked away from the commercial hubbub along Kingston's Ulster Avenue to the east, the banks of the Esopus to its west. A 501(c)(3) organization now in its 10th year, its mission statement states it seeks to “nurture reverence for land and food that it provides and incorporate the arts to understand how plants, animals and elements of farm and wilderness shape and strengthen us.”

In addition to a preschool program and a summer camp with a major outreach to local low-income and immigrant youth, that mission has taken the form of a year-round calendar of public events, including maple sugaring, music festivals, crafts and skills workshops and the occasional bonfire.

Speaking with Kingston Wire outside Seed Song's farmhouse this week, their farm stand packed with baskets of this year's bumper crop of tomatoes, Iversen acknowledged that the citations are not without substance but said he has been trying to address them.

The news flash, which will come as a relief to Seed Song's many local supporters, is that as of Tuesday, the county's complaints have been addressed. As described in Iversen's email to County Public Health Director Eve Walter and other officials:

Hi Eve, Tim, James, and Laura,

Here is my current statement for the press and my farm community, please let me know if there is anything you disagree with or want me to change/omit. I'm planning to provide to press at 2 p.m.

"Seed Song Farm Owner Creek Iversen met productively with County Department of Health officials to discuss some misunderstandings about the farm's labor pool and housing situation, and to jointly craft action plan items, some effective immediately, to resolve remaining county concerns.

Steps include:

* Applying for a labor camp permit for migrant farmworkers (a category in which one resident staff may qualify)

* Removing unused camping units

* Additional tidying of the site

* Re-locating the lodging arrangements of the handful of resident staff and volunteers

* A joint meeting with Town of Ulster, Ulster County officials, and the Seed Song Farm owner is being scheduled, to learn what additional steps might be needed to address town concerns.

Based on the implementation of the action plan, Seed Song Farm remains open for sales of their chemical-free produce, and its partner Seed Song Center remains open for the last week of its popular Farm, Nature and Arts Summer Camp program.

The interested public is welcome to join some of our staff at the Farm Store at 160 Esopus Ave., Kingston for free coffee/tea, healthy farm refreshments, lively conversation, and walks through the farm on Saturdays at 10 a.m. More information at SeedSongFarm.org"

Thanks,

Creek

Iversen had hoped to meet today with Town of Ulster Supervisor Jim Quigley but, he told Kingston Wire, Quigley's office directed him to the town's building department.

The bottom line is that there's more to come. But for now: Seed Song lives.