Farmer Pete Ambrose is relieved that former race car driver Ernie Irvan and his wife, Kim, dropped a lawsuit that he says could have put him out of business. But he’s not sure the matter is done. The Irvans, who live next door to the Ambrose Family Farm, filed a civil suit last month against Ambrose and his business, Rockland Avenue LLC. Ambrose owns and operates a 130-acre “community supported agriculture” farm, known as a CSA. That’s a type of farm where people purchase a “share” at the start of a growing season and then pick up a supply of fruits and vegetables each week. Kim Irvan said Friday that she and her husband, a Daytona 500 winner, dropped the lawsuit, but they don’t want to comment on the matter until next week. The lawsuit would have left it up to a judge to decide whether Ambrose’s farm violated the covenants of the Selkirk Property Owners Association, of which Ambrose and the Irvans are members. The association’s covenants, which govern the use of the land, prohibit retail and commercial activities but allow generally accepted farming practices. The Irvans’ position is that having people pick up shares at the farm, and running a U-pick berry business in April and May are commercial activities; Ambrose’s position is that they are basic farm practices.(Post and Courier)(12-16-2009)
