19 Recipients of Farmland Protection Dollars, Protecting More Than 5,000 Acres

Governor George E. Pataki today announced $16 million for 19 municipalities to help protect farmland from development through the Governor's Farmland Protection Program.

The Farmland Protection Program provides financial assistance to counties and towns to support local farmland protection plans. Once the State provides the requested funds, the municipality purchases the development rights on the farmland, which allows farm owners to utilize their equity in the land without selling the farm.

"The Farmland Protection Program has been extremely effective in protecting valuable farmland in New York State from development," the Governor said. "To date, we have committed nearly $56 million to preserve thousands of acres under this essential program, which not only protects land from development, but also helps promote farm viability and profitability. I am extremely pleased to announce the 19 recipients of the Farmland Protection Program, and look forward to seeing these farms continue to operate for generations to come."

The Farmland Protection Program is open to all counties in the State that have approved agricultural and farmland protection plans and other municipalities that have a local farmland protection plan in place. Proposed projects must preserve viable agricultural land, be located in areas facing significant development pressure and serve as a buffer for a significant ecosystem or habitat.

State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers said, "Agriculture is a $3 billion industry in New York State that extracts its value from the State's 7.7 million acres of farmland. This efficient and effective stewardship of a natural resource creates and retains jobs and economic activity for rural areas of New York. With programs such as Governor Pataki's Farmland Protection Program, New York will be able to maintain and grow the agricultural industry by protecting its land base from future development."

This year's round of Farmland Protection funding includes $4.4 million for projects on Long Island; $4 million for the lower Hudson Valley; $1.3 million for the upper Hudson Valley; $3.4 million for Central New York; and $2.7 million for Western New York. Another $250,000 will be awarded to various counties to create agricultural and farmland protection plans.

American Farmland Trust's Northeast Regional Director Jerry Cosgrove said, "These awards demonstrate New York's continued commitment to farmland protection. They also will enable the state to garner its fair share of the federal Farmland Protection Program dollars from the 2002 Farm Bill."

New York Farm Bureau President John W. Lincoln said, "New York Farm Bureau always has been, and will continue to be, supportive of efforts to preserve working agricultural landscapes. New York farmers own over seven million acres of land within this state. Preservation of their land benefits farm families, rural economies, and the environment. The continued protection of these lands is vital to the overall well-being of New York State."

A favored use of land by municipal planners and local leaders, agriculture requires comparatively little in municipal services. Farmers typically receive only 60 cents worth of municipal services for every dollar they contribute in taxes.

According to Cornell University, agriculture and its related services also hold some of the highest economic multipliers of any industry in the State. For example, for every new job created on a dairy farm, an additional 1.24 jobs are created and in dairy processing, an additional 4.72 jobs are created.

The $56 million Governor Pataki has devoted to the Farmland Protection Program will protect over 22,000 acres of viable farmland in the State.

Since taking office, Governor Pataki has also cut school property taxes for farmers up to 100 percent; reduced energy costs for farmers; slashed workers' compensation rates for farmers more than 25 percent; strengthened agricultural district laws; and introduced new marketing programs to promote homegrown products under the Pride of New York label.

A list of funded Farmland Protection projects is attached.

GRANT RECIPIENTS OF THE 2001-2002 FARMLAND PROTECTION GRANT PROGRAM

* * * * LONG ISLAND * * * *

Town of Southold (Suffolk County) $1,350,000 Any of ten eligible farms, totaling 355 acres, which produce potatoes, vegetables, sod, and grapes. The intrinsic rural nature of this town attracts visitors who desire the experience of agricultural vistas, open spaces and agri-tourist attractions.

Town of Riverhead (Suffolk County) $1,250,000 Two eligible farms, totaling 261 acres, which produce sod, potatoes and grains. This town contains most of the remaining farmland in the County and is working with the County, Peconic Land Trust and interested landowners to purchase the development rights on its remaining farmland.

Suffolk County $1,000,000 Any of thirteen eligible parcels, totaling 1,489 acres, which produce vegetables, horticultural crops, grapes, field crops, potatoes and wheat. The County currently faces intense development pressure, which has already consumed a large portion of the open space in the four eastern towns.

Town of Southampton (Suffolk County) $750,000 Any of three eligible farms, totaling 144 acres, which produce corn, vegetables, strawberries and potatoes. Preserving farmland helps protect this town's water supply by promoting water recharge and preventing degradation of the Town's sole source aquifer.

* * * * LOWER HUDSON VALLEY * * * *

Town of Warwick (Orange County) $1,757,138 Two adjoining dairy farms, totaling 473 acres, which also grow alfalfa, corn and hay. These two farms, together with an adjacent protected dairy farm, comprise a highly scenic farm valley of over 800 acres adjacent to the Village of Warwick and situated over a critically important drinking water aquifer. Orange County is one of New York State fastest growing counties.

Town of Montgomery (Orange County) $750,128 A 231-acre dairy farm that rents an additional 900 acres to support its dairy operation and sale of corn and hay. The property to be protected borders the Village of Walden and has been used in agricultural production since the early 1700's.

Ulster County $744,375 Four contiguous farm parcels, encompassing 380 acres of bottom-rich farmland, which produce sweet corn and kidney beans. These fourth-generation farms are adjacent to the Esopus Creek and are in the viewshed of the Shawangunk Ridge, which contains over 40,000 acres of protected lands.

Town of Crawford (Orange County) $496,467 A 144-acre Dairy of Distinction, which has been in continuous operation for over 100 years, produces over 2.5 million pounds of milk each year and rents an additional 800 acres of land in the area. The farm is an important buffer to the nearby Shawangunk Kill, which has been listed in the State's Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Program.

Town of Stuyvesant (Columbia County) $261,000 A 249-acre dairy operation that together with several other farms in the area, comprise nearly 2,000 acres of protected farmlands in the town. The Town is working with the Scenic Hudson Land Trust to help buffer the farm from several nearby subdivisions.

* * * * UPPER HUDSON VALLEY * * * *

Town of Stillwater (Saratoga County) $976,200 A 391-acre parcel, part of a 680-acre operation consisting of 70 percent prime agricultural soils, grows turfgrass, sod, corn and alfalfa. The farm is bordered on three sides by the 3,200-acre Saratoga National Historical Park and contains nearly a half-mile of frontage along the Hudson River. The Town is working with the Open Space Institute to complete this project.

Washington County $338,025 A 373-acre dairy farm with custom feed production, milks 700 cows that produce over 15 million pounds of milk annually. The operation leases an additional 1,000 acres to sustain its high level of production, and provides a buffer to the Taconic Ridge, an important area for a large variety of wildlife.

* * * * CENTRAL NEW YORK * * * *

Town of Macedon (Wayne County) $1,129,096 Two farms, totaling 563 acres and in close proximity to several parcels of protected land, will create a block of over 2,000 acres of protected farmland. Macedon is located in an area designated by the American Farmland Trust as being the eleventh most threatened farmland region in the United States.

Cayuga County $1,026,075 A 680-acre cash grain operation, which produces wheat, corn, oats, soybeans, sweet corn, peas and other vegetable crops. This 100-year old family farm is located south of the City of Auburn, which is experiencing increased residential growth in its outlying areas. The County is working with American Farmland Trust to complete this farmland protection project.

Onondaga County $648,555 A 232-acre dairy farm, in continuous operation for over 80 years, is located southwest of Syracuse and helps create a block of over 2,400 acres of protected farmland in the County. The County is working with American Farmland Trust to complete this project.

Cortland County $603,750 A 395-acre crop farm, consisting of 355 acres of prime agricultural soils, grows corn and hay, and rents an additional 400 acres to sustain its operation. The County Soil and Water Conservation District named the owner of this farm Conservation Farmer of the Year in 1986.

* * * * WESTERN NEW YORK * * * *

Town of Webster (Monroe County) $1,206,037 A 373-acre dairy farm, which produces corn, wheat, oats and hay. This third-generation farm, started 80 years ago, is located in the second fastest growing town in Monroe County. Protecting this farm is the first step in a $20 million open space plan proposed by the Town.

Town of Penfield (Monroe County) $815,250 A 210-acre Dairy of Distinction that rents an additional 350 acres, grows wheat, oats, soybeans, corn and hay, and produces 3.5 million pounds of milk annually. Located outside of Rochester and experiencing heavy development pressure, protection of this farm is the first of several properties that the Town plans on protecting in the future.

Town of Marilla (Erie County) $375,000 Any of three eligible parcels comprising 363 acres of land, which produce field crops, vegetables, dairy products, nursery stock and hay. Located 11 miles east of Buffalo, urban sprawl is an urgent issue and the protection of these eligible parcels is part of a larger effort to protect nearly 2,700 acres of productive agricultural lands in the Town.

Town of Amherst (Erie County) $272,849 Two farms, totaling 74 acres, have grown row crops, vegetables and hay for more than 150 years. These farms, surrounded by several other protected farms, create a seamless fabric of nine protected farms totaling nearly 400 acres in the Town.

* * * * * * * * *

County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Planning $250,000

TOTAL FUNDING $15,999,945

2002 Press Releases