Senator Patty Ritchie and Assemblyman William Magee announced the recent passage of a Joint Resolution of the New York State Senate and Assembly commemorating the 20th anniversary of New York State’s Farmland Protection Program. Over the last two decades, the state’s Farmland Protection Implementation Grants program has provided $140,306,211 to permanently protect 59,150 acres of farmland on 222 farms in 29 counties across New York.
“When it comes to our state’s agriculture industry, available farmland that’s ready for cultivation is one of our most important resources,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Senator Patty Ritchie. “New York State’s Farmland Protection Program has played a key role in safeguarding our farmland, helping to ensure our hardworking farmers have access to undeveloped property, which they can use to grow the fresh foods we rely on. I’ve been proud to advocate for farmland protection, and am looking forward to continuing our efforts to make sure our farmers have the land they need to feed the people of our state, and beyond.”
“As the average age of our farmers increases, so does our obligation to protect the farmland of the state by preserving it for agricultural uses,” said Assemblyman Bill Magee, Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee. “Over the past 20 years, the Farmland Protection Program has been successful in establishing the permanent protection of over 59,000 acres of farmland. Keeping farmland in production benefits every New Yorker with access to fresh, local farm products, providing sustentation for generations to come, and helping to preserve our way of life in upstate New York.”
Farmland lies at the foundation of New York’s $39 billion farm and food economy and is a key resource in producing fresh, healthful foods grown from local farms. Yet, the State of New York has lost nearly 500,000 acres of farmland to real estate development since the 1980s – paving over an area equivalent to about 5,000 farms or 3 farms a week for the past 30 years. New research from American Farmland Trust has also shown that nearly 30 percent of New York’s farmers are over 65, suggesting that approximately 2 million acres of farmland will change hands in coming years.
“We greatly appreciate the leadership of Senator Ritchie, Assemblyman Magee and the State Legislature for the state’s Farmland Protection Program over the last 20 years. These funds can provide a financially competitive option for senior farmers who are seeking to retire but do not want to sell their farmland to a real estate developer,” said David Haight, New York State Director for AFT. “These investments can also make farmland more affordable for new farmers to purchase and start farming – it’s a winning proposition for the farmers of today, and tomorrow.”
Since 1996 New York State has awarded FPIG funds for the purchase of permanent agricultural conservation easements on farmland. Such deed restrictions enable farms to remain in private ownership but ensures that the land will always be kept available for farming. Currently, funding for FPIG is allocated from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.
In SFY 2015-2016, $35 million was allocated to farmland protection in the state budget – the most in the state’s history and the fourth largest annual state funding for protecting farmland in America. In SFY 2016-2017 a record appropriation of $300 million for the EPF included $20 million in funds for the Farmland Protection Program, an increase of $5 million over the previous year’s EPF.
The Resolution commemorates the important progress that has been made in New York to protect working farmland over the last two decades, and to thank the hundreds of farm families that have made a permanent commitment to keeping their land available for future generations of farmers.
“This program saved our family’s farm,” said Greg Meeks, of Meeks Farm, a dairy farm located near Fort Drum. “I work every day outside, and I want my sons and grandkids to have the farm. My wife loves this land and we don’t want to lose it to development.” Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust received $300,000 in state funds to purchase the development rights to 473 acres of the Meeks’ farmland last year. Matching funds came from the Army Compatible Use Buffer Program which seeks protect land from real estate development in the vicinity of Fort Drum. The Meeks plan to use the funds to convert their dairy farm to a more profitable organic operation, enabling them to avoid market fluctuations experienced by conventional dairy operations. “If my sons can see that dairy is profitable, they’ll keep on farming,” said Meeks.
“This is a win-win-win.” said Linda Garrett, Executive Director of Tug Hill Tomorrow. “Fort Drum’s training areas are being protected, which makes them more sustainable and more likely to survive the next round of base closures. With Fort Drum as the largest single-site employer in New York, this has a huge economic impact. The farm family wins because they can re-invest in their farm and pass it on to the next generation.”
“Through the state program, our community has protected over 900 acres of productive farmland and will soon close on another 600.” said Judy Gianforte, Conservation Manager for the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation. “These farms are a strong economic driver in the area, supporting over 100 vendors of farming supplies and equipment with their dairy and crop operations, as well as protecting prime fishing streams and helping to maintain local natural resources and soils through their use of the land.”
The Cazenovia Preservation Foundation was awarded FPIG funds in 2014 to protect 565 acres of farmland on Pushlar Farms, a dairy farm located in the Towns of Cazenovia and Nelson. “The State’s FPIG program is a valuable tool in helping to support family farms like ours in New York that are committed to a farming way of life in the long run,” said Adam Pushlar of Pushlar Farms. “The purchase of development rights on our farm helps assure that next generation farmers, like me, move into our future more financially secure.”