State announces $4 million to help farms address impacts of climate change

ALBANY, N.Y. — Farms across New York state will receive state funding to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, enhance soil health, and promote energy savings.

Projects also increase irrigation capacity and emphasize water management to mitigate the effects of periods of drought on crops and livestock, as well as heavy rainfall and flooding. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Feb. 17 announced $4 million is being awarded through the climate-resilient farming grant program to help 80 farms across the state reduce their environmental footprints and prepare for extreme-weather events the state says result from climate change. 

New York State awarded grants to soil and water-conservation districts in the various counties on behalf of farmers in one of the following project categories: agricultural-waste storage cover and capture for methane reduction, on-farm water management, and soil-health management systems.

The projects selected will reduce greenhouse gases by an estimated 90,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or “as much as eliminating nearly 20,000 cars from the road,” the state contends.

Launched by Cuomo in 2015, the climate-resilient farming program supports the state’s agricultural sector in meeting its goals to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under the New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. 

Through five rounds of funding to date, the state has provided $12 million to assist farms across New York State. 

Funding awards 

Soil and water-conservation districts in various counties across Central New York, the North Country, and the Southern Tier were awarded funding to benefit farms in their respective areas.

In Central New York, $40,236 will help one farm in Onondaga County; $331,345 will assist four farms in Cortland County; $122,289 will aid one farm in Madison County; and $1,095,738 will help four farms in Cayuga County.

In the North Country, $75,496 will assist three farms in Jefferson County and $59,130 will aid two farms in Essex County.

In the Southern Tier, $175,715 will help three farms in Chenango County and $147,000 will assist three farms in Schuyler County. 

“Farms across New York are taking steps to mitigate the effects of climate change and improve their sustainability practices,” David Fisher, president of the New York Farm Bureau, said in the release. “This state investment will further establish New York agriculture as a leader in this effort.”