Harvesting Opportunities in New York, November 20, Albany The second annual Harvesting Opportunities in New York: Growing Local Food Economies and Protecting Farmland conference will be held on November 20 in Albany. The business of growing and selling food is a major contributor to New York’s economy. Farms annually sell billions of dollars in products [...]
Last month, American Farmland Trust was awarded two Conservation Partnership Program Grants. The Conservation Partnership Program is a public-private partnership between the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Land Trust Alliance that invests in New York land trusts. “This program is unique in the nation,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens. “The [...]
New Bill Introduced to Help Beginning Farmers Find Land Finding new ways to help farmers, particularly beginning farmers, find a farm at an affordable price was a priority issue at American Farmland Trust’s No Farms No Food Rally. Assemblyman Bill Magee, Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee and Senator Patty Ritchie, Chair of the Senate [...]
Seven working farms in the Hudson Valley are now protected from development thanks to combined support from the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program, Scenic Hudson, Dutchess County, the Town of Red Hook, the Columbia Land Conservancy and the Dutchess Land Conservancy. 1,265 acres of farmland have been protected with conservation easements at a cost [...]
The Hudson Valley Food Hubs Initiative: Research Findings and Recommendations has just been released. The report explores escalating distribution of local foods, supporting farm economies and strengthening Hudson Valley regional food systems and communities through food hubs. The report is spearheaded by the Local Economies Project with a research team led by Sarah Brannen and Columbia [...]
