BEGINNING FARMERS

Empire State Development, in consultation with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, is soliciting applications for the New York State New Farmers Grant Fund in an effort to support beginning farmers and encourage them to consider farming as a career, resulting in the growth of agribusiness within the state and the concomitant tax revenues for the state.

New York State has allocated $614,000 to be used to provide grants between $15,000 and $50,000 for up to 50% of project costs for beginning farmers who will materially and substantially participate in the production of an agricultural product within a region of the state. Beginning farmers must not have produced an agricultural product, as defined in the Agriculture & Markets Law § 328(2), for more than ten consecutive years prior to application. Projects are expected to be completed within a two-year contract term.

The following criteria must be met in order to be eligible to apply for funding:

• An applicant must be a commercial farm operation owning or leasing one hundred fifty acres or less located wholly within New York State;

• All owners of the farm operation must not have produced an agricultural product for more than ten consecutive years;

• All owners of the farm operation must materially and substantially participate in the production of an agricultural product grown or raised on the farm operation;

• Innovative agricultural techniques must be demonstrated including, but not limited to, organic farming, specialty crops, and environmental stewardship techniques and technologies; and

• The farm operation must be a legally formed business in New York State at the time of application.

The use of grant funds must be directly related to the production of an agricultural product grown or raised on a commercial farm operation including, but not limited to:

• Purchase or lease of machinery and equipment

• Construction or expansion of farm buildings

• Construction or expansion of farm systems such as trellis, drainage, and fencing

• Purchase of supplies such as root stock, seed, and fertilizer

Applications must be postmarked by January 28, 2015. Applicants can access the application form and instructions, guidelines, any amendments to these guidelines and additional information about the program on the ESD website: http://esd.ny.gov/BusinessPrograms/NewFarmersGrantFund.html

Additional information can be obtained by writing [email protected].