State awards $14.7M for water-quality projects on farms

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that $14.7 million has een awarded to implement water-quality protection projects on 43 farms across New York. 

The funding was provided through the second round of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Waste Storage and Transfer System Program. It supports projects that will allow large livestock farms to better manage and store nutrients, such as manure, to protect ground water and nearby waterways, according to a release from the governor’s office. The program is part of the governor’s 

$2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, which invests in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects and other water-quality protections statewide.

Through the program, 50 waste storage and transfer systems will be installed on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permitted farms in 22 counties across the state. Grants will help offset the cost of construction, site preparation, and associated best-management practices. Funded projects will also help farmers meet the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s environmental requirements first announced in January 2017. 

The funding is being provided to County Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier, and Western New York regions. The districts applied for this funding on behalf of eligible farmers in the region. 

A list of funding being provided to the districts is available at: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/Press%20Releases/cafo-waste-storage-and-transfer-sys-r2-awards.pdf.

In December 2017, Gov. Cuomo announced $20 million had been awarded through round one of the program to implement water-quality protection projects on 56 farms throughout the state. The Department of Agriculture and Markets will launch a third application period for an additional $15 million in grant funding in 2019. 

“Environmental stewardship is an important part of farming in New York State and our Districts are critical to their success. Our farmers know that by caring for the land, the land gives back to us,” State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said in the release.

New York state has more than 500 CAFO farms, most of which are dairy farms with 300 or more cows. CAFOs can also include associated livestock operations such as beef, poultry, and equine farms. Grant funding for the CAFO Waste Storage and Transfer System Program is available over three consecutive application rounds, the release stated.