New York Attorney General Letitia James and the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced more than $1.34 million in grants to 25 farmers in the Catskills.
The grant program is the result of a 2023 illegal pollution settlement with Friesland over repeated environmental violations at its facility in Delhi.
The 35 projects across 25 farms in Sullivan and Delaware counties will focus on one of three categories: innovative equipment, soil health and cover crop management, and agricultural drones.
Connor Young, the Agricultural Program Manager at the Watershed Agricultural Council, said these projects are critical as farmers navigate building more resilient farms.
“Right now, it seems particularly hard, whether that’s fuel prices, access to certain materials, or even products that are necessary for what a routine production here might look like,” said Young. “These grants are really meant to facilitate innovation, of course, education, but farm efficiency, while also achieving an environmental goal.”
In August 2023, Attorney General James and the DEC reached a $2.8 million settlement with Friesland for releasing dangerous air and water pollution from its Delaware County facility. Half of the penalty was invested in public health and environmental protection efforts near Delhi.
The Watershed Agricultural Council will help the Office of the Attorney General to administer the grant program for farmers.
“New York’s farmers work from sun-up to sun-down to put food on our tables,” said James. “All too often, our farmers are the ones who feel the impacts of environmental degradation, toxic pollution, and climate change first. This new grant program will invest directly in New York’s farmers by helping them to adopt new technologies and practices to save money, reduce waste, and protect the clean air, water, and land that we all depend on.”
Farmers can receive up to $75,000 for the projects, and funds will be distributed to various farms, including dairy, cattle, and organic crop farms.
Image: Open landscape of a cattle farm in New York state (Photo Credit: Watershed Agricultural Council)