More than $48 Million Awarded to 43 Farms to Protect More than 16,000 Acres of Agricultural Land, $1 Million to Support Building Staff Capacity within New York’s Land Trusts
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that more than $48.5 million has been awarded to 43 farms across New York through its Farmland Protection Implementation Grants (FPIG) program. The funding supports the preservation of thousands of acres of viable agricultural land, comprised of predominantly productive soils. An additional $1 million is supporting additional staff capacity within New York’s land trusts to further support farmland protection efforts. The announcement comes as the State celebrates the 30th anniversary of its Farmland Protection program.
“I am so proud that New York is a national leader in the protection of its farmland and support of its farmers. Over the years, we have carefully maintained and, during my administration, have grown the Farmland Protection program to continue to preserve our agricultural lands,” Governor Hochul said. “Through the Bond Act, which we championed and New Yorkers approved, we have invested even more in our Farmland Protection program in this round, providing record funding to this monumental program to ensure our farmers can keep their land forever in agriculture and pass it on to their families, all while preserving our rural landscapes and the long-standing agricultural heritage New York is known for.”
The Governor announced in December 2025 that a record level of funding, $67 million, was available through the Farmland Protection Implementation Grants (FPIG) Program to help farmers across New York protect valuable and at-risk farmland. This is the highest level of funding being offered in the program's 30-year history, which received a boost from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. The Farmland Protection program supports perpetual agricultural conservation easements to preserve New York’s farmland, promote sustainable farming practices, and ensure the long-term viability of the State’s agricultural industry.
Today’s announcement was made at Heer Farm in Onondaga County where State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball joined the Heer family, representatives from the New York Agricultural Land Trust, a number of land trusts from across the State, and state elected officials to celebrate an award supporting the protection of 230 acres of farmland on the more than 100-year Heer Farm. So far, through this round of funding of the FPIG program, 16,005 acres of agricultural land will be protected on 43 farms. More than $15 million is still available and will be awarded on a rolling basis.
Round 20 of the Farmland Protection Program is making funds available to projects aligned with the State's key priorities, including food security, climate resilience, and source water protection. Notably, eligibility criteria include 11 categories, such as field crops, livestock and livestock products, agroforestry, and farmland access initiatives. These categories address ongoing challenges faced by new and beginning farmers, as well as retiring farmers, by improving access to farmland and promoting diverse agricultural operations.
As part of the funding awarded, nearly $6.4 million was allocated to nine of the State’s economic development regions. New this round, the maximum award for projects also increased to $3 million. Round 20 continues the one-time incentive payment of 10 percent of the value of the agricultural conservation easement being required for projects that meet climate resilience or source water protection goals.
Since the Farmland Protection Program launched three decades ago, it has grown and changed, while maintaining its core mission to ensure that farmland is forever used for agriculture. The program has seen the streamlining of the application process and awards of grants, implementation of the first-ever regionally targeted round of the program, and historic levels of funding. The program also saw advancements that allowed the Department to be responsive to the specific needs of the industry, helping farms that were facing challenges from low dairy prices, trade disputes, increasing debt, changing consumer preferences, and climate change.
Today, the Farmland Protection program continues to grow, making a lasting impact on New York’s farmers and the agricultural industry with more than 144,760 acres of New York farmland preserved through completed conservation easement projects, totaling more than $355.8 million on 473 farms.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Today’s announcement is of true significance for New York State agriculture and for the entire state, as we celebrate 30 years of the State’s Farmland Protection program, the preservation of 145,000 acres of farmland, and the addition of these awards for the protection of another 16,000 plus acres of productive soils. New York has long put a priority on agriculture and the protection of its land, and today we are highlighting all that this program stands for: that land is forever dedicated to agriculture, providing opportunity for our next generation and for new and beginning farmers, protected from development pressures, and preserving open space for our communities. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to this program and to our partners at DEC for the support through the Bond Act, which is allowing us to reach even more land trusts and farms. If this wasn’t reason to celebrate enough, our Staff Capacity Grants Pilot Program awards are also exciting news, bringing funding to our land trust to build and grow their staff support of these critically important projects.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “This $50 million in awards, bolstered by the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, directly helps farmers, our environment, and consumers enjoying locally grown food by permanently protecting critically important farmland across the state. DEC applauds Governor Hochul’s continued support for the Farmland Protection Implementation Grant and the ongoing partnerships helping our farmers and agricultural communities continue to thrive.”
In addition to the FPIG funding, the Governor also announced that an additional $1 million is being awarded to six land trusts as part of the state’s first Farmland Protection Staff Capacity Grants Pilot Program. The program was announced in the Governor’s 2025 State of the State to increase capacity within New York’s network of community-focused land trusts and local governments. The program supports local agricultural and farmland protection goals by helping project partners hire their initial project staff or add staff to accelerate farmland protection projects and protect New York’s farmland for future generations. The awarded land trusts are:
- Genesee Valley Conservancy
- Saratoga PLAN
- New York Agricultural Land Trust
- Orange County Land Trust
- Western New York Land Conservancy
- Agricultural Stewardship Association
Approximately 20 percent of the state's land area, or nearly 7 million acres, is farmland. The Department’s Farmland Protection Program provides financial assistance to counties, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, and land conservation organizations to facilitate farmland protection activities aligned with local agricultural and farmland protection plans. The most frequently funded activity is the purchase of agricultural conservation easements on individual farms through the FPIG program. Additionally, the program awards funding to land conservation organizations to support other implementation activities, including amendments to local laws affecting agriculture, option agreements, and covering transaction costs for donated agricultural conservation easements.