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Chipping Away at the Farmland Protection Backlog

By New York Staff | Published: February 8, 2012

Chris and Curt Gillette on their farm in Town of Jersualem, Yates County with Keuka Lake in background.

Chris and Curt Gillette on their farm in the town of Jersualem, Yates County, with Keuka Lake in background.

Governor Cuomo has held the line at $12 million in funding for New York’s Farmland Protection Program in his Executive Budget Proposal for fiscal year 2012-2013. This is the same amount he proposed last year, which was supported by the legislature. Although a far cry from the $30 million the program received in 2008, it is a big improvement. During the height of the budget battles in 2010, the program’s available cash was slashed to a mere $5.2 million—not nearly enough to address the backlog of $70 million in farmland protection funds that had been awarded to 61 farm families. As we head into budget negotiations this month, the project backlog has been reduced to $46 million but we still have a long way to go.
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Governor Cuomo Holds the Line on Farmland Protection Funding

By New York Staff | Published: January 20, 2012

In his executive budget, released yesterday, Governor Cuomo has proposed to keep funding for New York’s Farmland Protection Program at last year’s level of $12 million. This funding is part of the Environmental Protection Fund, which Governor Cuomo has proposed to fund once again at $134 million.

Governor Cuomo’s budget proposal sustains funding for protecting farmland from being lost to development, along with dollars for many other key state agriculture programs. His support aids the Farmland Protection Program’s recovery from the disastrous cuts that occurred under Governor Paterson’s administration, which reduced the program’s funding by 80 percent.
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Posted in Agriculture and Environment, Farmland Protection, Local Farms and Food, New York Policy | Tagged environment, farm policy, Governor Cuomo, local food, No Farms No Food | Leave a comment

Owasco Lake Conservation Blueprint

By New York Staff | Published: January 12, 2012

The Owasco Lake Agricultural Conservation Blueprint, which we developed in partnership with the city of Auburn and neighboring communities, is now available online. Owasco Lake, located in Central New York, is a small Finger Lake with a large watershed—nearly 205 square miles in size—that provides the drinking water for the city of Auburn. The actions recommended in the Blueprint will help the agricultural community take proactive steps to improve water quality in Owasco Lake while strengthening the economic viability of farming in the watershed.

Posted in Agriculture and Environment | Tagged Central New York, farm, farmland, Owasco Lake, water quality | Leave a comment

Transitioning Farms to the Next Generation in New York

By New York Staff | Published: January 12, 2012

Thirty percent of farmers in New York state are over the age of 65. They manage nearly two million acres of farmland and forest—nearly one-third of all the farmland in the state. More than 100 people, representing 50 organizations, attended our forums in the Hudson Valley and Western New York recently to discuss the issue of transitioning farms to the next generation. Participants tackled the dual challenges of helping the senior generation pass down their farms while assisting a new generation in securing land and succeeding in farming.

Posted in Farmland Protection, Local Farms and Food | Tagged American Farmland Trust, beginning farmers, Central New York, farmland, Hudson Valley, land transition | Leave a comment

New York: A Year of Progress

By New York Staff | Published: December 8, 2011

At year’s end, we often reflect on the many challenges and successes of the past year. In New York, we are thankful for the tremendous impact that farmers, citizens and others have made to support local farming and the production of local food.

Across New York state, a movement is forming. People are coming together who care about jobs and our farm and food economy. They want to make it possible for more New Yorkers to have fresh fruits, vegetables milk and other products grown on local farms. And, New Yorkers are increasingly conscious that we need to stop losing farms to residential and commercial development. Here are a few examples of our work in 2011 as part of this growing No Farms No Food® movement:
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Posted in Agriculture and Environment, Farmland Protection, Local Farms and Food | Tagged environment, farm policy, farmland protection, local food, No Farms No Food, water quality | Leave a comment

Chipping Away at the Farmland Protection Backlog

Governor Cuomo Holds the Line on Farmland Protection Funding

Owasco Lake Conservation Blueprint

Transitioning Farms to the Next Generation in New York

New York: A Year of Progress

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