$5.5M In NY State Farmland Protection Grants Is Available

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than $5 million in two new state grants is available for farmland protection efforts in New York.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that a total of $5.5 million will be available to help preserve farmland and protect it from development and conversion into non-agricultural uses.

The Democrat says the funding will "preserve our agricultural landscape and help ensure the strength of our food supply for current and future generations of New Yorkers."

More than $62 million in state funding has been invested in 82 farmland conservation projects since 2011. Another $20 million will be available later this year, while the governor's state budget proposal released this week includes an additional $20 million for the program.