Ulster farmland protected with grant funding

MARBLETOWN – The allocation of $20 million in funds to preserve farmland in the Hudson Valley was announced Tuesday in the Town of Marbletown.
State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, Richard Ball announced the funding at Davenport Farms. Davenport is a family run farm that used a similar program to keep 63 acres in the family farm. They partnered with Scenic Hudson, Open Spaces Institute, and Ulster County.
The Hudson Valley Agricultural Enhancement Program is designed to help farmers in the Hudson Valley region protect valuable, at-risk farmland from future development and maintain the land’s use for agricultural purposes only.
The Program helps farmers buy out the development rights on land and put an easement on it to keep it forever farm, said Ball.
“The state is able to be a great facilitator of this because we are able to come up with the lion’s share,” Ball said. “And then the land trust or the municipality, or the community, or a private entity can come in as say we’ll finish the deal, but the incentive and the ability to get it started come from the state.”
Seth McKee, Land Conservation director for Scenic Hudson, noted that in an area that is known for its rural character and agriculture this is a great thing.
“Securing the land base helps to protect our food supply,” McKee said. “It supports local economic development. Agriculture remains one of the Hudson Valley’s top industries with an annual economic output of $800 million. It also safe guards the rural character of our region. Our rural character is one of the key drivers of tourism in our region which is a $4.75 billion industry.”
Protecting the farmland also protects streams, wetlands and wildlife.
Tuesday’s $20 million in funds is in addition to $17.6 million already allocated for agriculture protection.
“The combination of those funds puts New York, I think, fourth in the nation in terms of a state’s commitment to preserving farmland,” Ball said. “Suddenly we’re in the leadership in preserving farmland.”