GHENT – The US Department of Agriculture has allocated $694,000 from its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to fund a training pipeline for farmers with up to seven years of experience as a means to either start their own farms or scale up existing operations.
“The training pipeline through Hawthorne Valley Association allows learning opportunities for aspiring and current farmers to build on or start their operations,” said Senator Kirstin Gillibrand. “This training pipeline for the Capital Region and Hudson Valley helps build on the critical role New York agriculture continues to play in the development and growth of the state’s economy. Beginning farmers face a unique set of challenges, and with this federal funding the Hawthorne Valley Association can provide them the training needed to succeed. It will also help bring innovative ideas to the industry and grow the Capital Region and Hudson Valley regional economies.”
The Hawthorne Valley Association is a not-for-profit organization that operates a 400-acre farm in Ghent.