Accord Farmer Katherine DeWitt Appointed Ulster County’s New Farm Czar
By Staff on October 9, 2026 in Economy, News
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger has appointed Katherine DeWitt, a lifelong farmer raised on a dairy farm in Accord, as the county’s new agricultural services program administrator. DeWitt will oversee programs supporting local farms, expanding agricultural production, and strengthening the farming economy. She brings extensive experience in agriculture, including seven years with DairyNZ in New Zealand, where she aided farmers in improving operations and implementing sustainable practices.
“Katherine’s knowledge and practical experience, deep farming roots in Ulster County, and strong relationships with local partners make her an exceptional fit for this role,” Metzger stated.
DeWitt, who continues to manage her family farm alongside her father, succeeds Deborah DeWan, who recently retired. Her new position will focus on implementing Ulster County’s 2025 Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, which aims to improve long-term farm viability.
“As a farmer from a multi-generational farm that has diversified in order to adapt to the changing agricultural landscape, I’m deeply familiar with both the hardships and rewards of farming,” DeWitt expressed. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Department of Economic Development, working with Jen Metzger, farmers, and agricultural stakeholders to support fellow farmers in the community I am so proud to call home.”
DeWitt will be stepping into a turbocharged local farm industry thanks to tens of millions of dollars in investment from Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation. Ulster County has also enhanced its own support for agriculture, awarding funds for infrastructure improvements, crop diversification, energy efficiency, and climate resilience to local farms while establishing a revolving loan fund for equipment, modernization, and sustainability.
The county’s approximately 486 farms generated $105.5 million in agricultural product sales in 2022, nearly double the amount recorded five years earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent Census of Agriculture.