In Fiscal Year 2011-2012 the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, working with farmers, communities and private land trusts, was able to close on 19 farmland protection projects, paying out more than $13 million, with an additional $2 million approved for disbursement this month.

“We are encouraged that New York is once again investing in our farmers and protecting the land that we need for farming and growing food,” said David Haight, New York State Director for American Farmland Trust (AFT). “Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders have stabilized Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) dollars that are enabling the Department of Agriculture and Markets and local partners to make a significant dent in the backlog of farmland protection projects.”

For Fiscal Year 2012-2013, which began April 1, the state’s Farmland Protection Program has again been allocated $12 million from the EPF.  AFT estimates that at least 16 farms across the state are already on deck to close this year, with a total closing cost of approximately $16 million. 

Legislation has been proposed to grow the EPF by directing revenue from unclaimed bottle deposits into the fund. Though this measure was seriously considered during budget negotiations, the legislation ultimately was not included in the final 2012-13 State Budget and it will remain under active consideration during the remainder of the 2012-13 Legislative Session. Increasing funding for the EPF would increase money for conserving farmland, aiding farmers in protecting water quality and other important environmental programs.

According to AFT, at the end of Fiscal Year 2012-2013, approximately 25 farmland protection projects will remain in the backlog with estimated closing costs at just over $25 million. This is an enormous reduction in the once-daunting backlog of nearly $70 million of awards made to protect 60 farms. The large backlog was the result of disproportionate cuts to the EPF and the Farmland Protection Program. This project backlog has resulted in no new projects being solicited since 2008. 

Albert Marnes of Deep Roots Holstein Farm walking with his sons on farmland he is trying to protect through the New York State Farmland Protection Program.

New York’s Farmland Protection Program was established in 1992 under the leadership of then Governor Mario Cuomo to provide funds to towns and counties to develop community-specific strategies for strengthening business opportunities for local farmers and protecting farmland.  The program also awards funds to communities to purchase permanent conservation easements on working farmland. 

The state’s Farmland Protection Program provides funding to communities to purchase conservation easements on farmland, ensuring that the land remains available to grow food for future generations.  This voluntary program pays farmland owners for permanently protecting their land for agriculture.  Participating farmers are generally offered the difference between the fair market value of their land and its value if it is restricted.  A 2009 study by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found that many participating farmers use these funds to reinvest in their farm businesses by reducing business debt, buying new equipment, constructing farm buildings, purchasing additional land or establishing family retirement funds. 

Brothers Brian, Eric and Stuart Ziehm received funding from the New York State Farmland Protection Program to protect  their 343-acre Tiashoke Farm in the Town of Easton in Washington County and used the proceeds to re-invest in their dairy operation. Stuart Ziehm explains, “The money we received through the state’s farmland protection program has helped us build a modern, 300-cow free-stall barn with a special maternity area. This has allowed us to continue to grow our operation and has improved our calf care.”

The Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA), a regional land trust that works with farmers and communities in Washington and Rensselaer Counties to protect farmland, has assisted Deep Roots Holstein Farm along with many other farms throughout the process of protecting their farmland. “We currently have four great projects which have been awarded funding from the state’s Farmland Protection Program,” said Teri Ptacek, ASA’s executive director. “If the money becomes available this fiscal year and these projects are completed it would give these farmers an important opportunity to reinvest in their operations and act as a boost to our local economy.”

Since 1996, the Farmland Protection Program has awarded more than $173 million to protect more than 200 farms encompassing roughly 73,000 acres.  The program has been popular with farmers, but was subject to drastic budget cuts starting in 2008.  In 2008, the Farmland Protection Program was originally budgeted to receive $30 million from the state’s EPF.  By 2010, the funds available from the EPF to protect farmland had been reduced to $5.5 million. 

Saving farmland from suburban sprawl is critical to sustaining the state’s nearly $5 billion agricultural economy which employs more than 100,000 New Yorkers. Though farmland serves as the basic infrastructure for the state’s robust farm and food economy the state continues to lose farmland to development at a rate of one farm every 3 ½ days. Between 1982 and 2007, New York State lost 449,000 acres of farmland to development.

What’s more, both the Assembly and Senate are seriously looking at increasing funding for the Environmental Protection Fund in Fiscal Year 2013-2014 by redirecting revenue from unclaimed bottle deposits that currently goes into the general fund. The state collects approximately $115 million from unclaimed bottle deposits annually. If adopted, this proposal would phase revenue from unclaimed bottle deposits into the Fund over a four-year period. This new funding would be in addition to the Fund’s principal funding source, a state real estate transfer tax. The budget is due to be finalized at the end of March and the State Legislature and Governor Cuomo are actively negotiating the final budget now.

Currently the Senate and Assembly differ slightly on the mechanics for phasing Bottle Bill revenue into the Environmental Protection Fund. It is critical for supporters of the Farmland Protection Program to call Governor Cuomo and state legislators right now to tell them how critical increasing funding for the Environmental Protection Fund, which helps protect farmland from development, is to the business of agriculture!

What is the Environmental Protection Fund?

The Environmental Protection Fund was created by the New York State Legislature in 1993 to allow the state to invest in projects that protect the environment and enhance communities by preserving land, including farmland protection, managing solid waste, and providing for parks, recreation and historic preservation. The Environmental Protection Fund serves as the most significant source of funding for environmental projects in communities across the state. Recent research by the Trust for Public Land has shown that every $1.00 invested in the Environmental Protection Funds yields $7.00 in benefits for New York State residents. A recent statewide poll found that nearly 70 percent of New Yorkers believe that the state can have a clean environment and strong economy at the same time.

Our latest Rally brought together more than 100 individuals, representing 70 supporting organizations, and sent a powerful message to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Commissioner of Agriculture Darrel Aubertine, state legislators, and other New Yorkers. That message? We must strengthen our farm and food economy, protect farmland and the environment, and increase access to nutritious food grown in New York.  Many participants described the day as “the best No Farms, No Food® Rally yet.”

An Administration Committed to Supporting Farms

(L toR) Jeff Jones, Land Trust Alliance; Janet Thompson, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust; Fred Huneke, WAC; Stephen Kidd, Urban Garden in Harlem; Terry Wilbur, Oswego County Legislature. photo credit: Dietrich Gehring

Key state leaders underscored their commitment to strengthening New York’s farm and food policy. Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, along with state agriculture committee chairs Senator Patty Ritchie and Assemblyman Bill Magee, joined us at the Rally and spoke in support of our pro-farm agenda.

Robert Morgenthau, former Manhattan District Attorney and Special Counsel to American Farmland Trust, introduced Lieutenant Governor Duffy. In his opening remarks, Morgenthau, who owns a family farm in Dutchess County, explained the state’s commitment to farmland this way, “There’s bad news and good news. The bad news is that the state doesn’t have a lot of excess money around, and in past years the protection of farmland has not been a priority for the state. The good news is this administration is committed 100 percent to supporting farms.”

Lieutenant Governor Duffy, in his remarks, praised New York State agriculture. “Not only do we have the greatest state in the nation, but we have the greatest agricultural state in the nation. Agriculture is a $4.7 billion industry in the state. That is huge.”

Duffy was emphatic about Governor Cuomo’s support for agriculture. “He gets it, he understands, he listens,” said Duffy. The Lieutenant Governor also spoke of  his own personal interest in visiting farms and talking directly with American Farmland Trust, farmers and other supporters of New York’s farm and food systems, and about ways the state can help farmers build our farm and food economy.

Buy Local

Senator Patty Ritchie, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, told an enthusiastic crowd that “eating local matters.” Ritchie represents one of the largest-dairy producing regions in the state.  It includes Oswego and Jefferson Counties, as well as the western half of St. Lawrence County. Ritchie is working with the state Office of General Services and Governor Cuomo to look for ways to bring more New York-produced food to Albany.

Rally participant Bhavani Jaroff of Long Island, and host of the Progressive Radio Network’s iEat Green, recorded her show from Albany on the day of the Rally.  She stressed to listeners and those in attendance that New York must “allocate enough money to keep farmers from needing to sell their land to developers in order to retire, and to make it possible for them to transition their land to a new generation of farmers.” Jaroff went on to say, “We all need to eat, and if we want access to fresh, local, sustainably raised fruits, vegetables and dairy, we need to support our farmers.”

Building Relationships

It is imperative that the voices of pro-farming, pro-farmland advocates ring throughout Albany in the days immediately ahead, as New York State leaders negotiate a budget and review pieces of legislation key to farming’s future.

Visit our website, to see great photos and media stories about the No Farms, No Food® Rally 2012. We encourage you to share the images and articles on your own websites and through social media to help spread the No Farms, No Food® message!

The deadline for a final state budget is March 30, though Governor Cuomo is shooting to have it completed even sooner.  Be sure to sign up for our email updates, if you haven’t already, and we’ll keep you updated during budget negotiations and as legislation we support makes its way through the legislature.

Last but certainly not least, remember that developing relationships with your elected leaders is critical!  Invite them to your farmers market, CSA or land trust event. Ask them to meet your town board or food co-op or take a tour of your community. They must not ever forget—No Farms, No Food®!

We appreciate the support of Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, Senator Patty Ritchie, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Assemblyman Bill Magee, Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee who spoke at the rally in support of our agenda.

Lieutenant Governor Duffy was emphatic about Governor Cuomo’s support for agriculture as well as his own personal interest in visiting farms and talking directly with American Farmland Trust, farmers and other supporters of New York farms and food systems about how the State of New York can help farmers and build our farm and food economy.

The state lawmakers we met with were interested in our proposals for building the economy and creating jobs by encouraging more state agencies to buy New York produced food, and saving farmland—which forms the basic infrastructure for the farm and food economy–from development.

Our hope is that our collective voice will ring throughout the capitol in the upcoming weeks as New York State leaders work together to negotiate a budget. In the meantime, we must continue to work together to build long-term relationships with our elected officials to ensure that they place a priority on supporting farms, local food and farmland.

Please take a few minutes to extend a thank you to legislators and staff you met with on February 15^th, as well as to write to your own legislators. Thank them for listening and ask for their continued support for agriculture and local food in their budget recommendations.

Check out our website http://newyork.farmland.org/no-farms-no-food, to see great photos and media stories about the No Farms No Food® Rally 2012. We encourage you share the images and articles on your own websites and through social media to help spread the No Farms No Food® message!

We would love to hear about your experiences from the rally and what the day meant for you. Please send us your photos, videos and stories at newyork@farmland.org or through our Facebook page.

Finally, stay in touch with your elected officials. Invite them to your farmers market, CSA or land trust event.  Ask them to join your town board or food co-op for a meeting or a tour of your community.  We don’t want them to forget—No Farms No Food®!