More Aid for NY Farmers Affected by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee

Total of $4.5 Million Has Been Distributed to 353 New York Farms

An additional $851,553 in aid from the state's Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund (ACRF) will be distributed among 120 farms to help New York's agricultural communities recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Including the three previous rounds of aid distribution, a total of 353 New York farms have now been granted over $4.5 million in funds for rebuilding efforts.

"New York's farming communities were hit hard by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Irene, and this aid will help with the recovery process," said Governor Cuomo.

"I visited farms in the affected areas to view the damage first hand and assessed what could be done to help farmers get back on their feet. This aid from the ACRF will help agricultural communities rebuild and we will continue to ensure these recovery funds are distributed so that New York’s agricultural economy can continue to thrive.”

"Governor Cuomo created the Agriculture and Community Recovery Fund to help farms rebuild quickly from the devastating flooding. This money will allow work to begin as soon as possible to help New York's farmland recover and help our state's robust agricultural industry rebuild. Together we will continue doing all we can to help New York's farmers return to life as normal," said Darrel Aubertine, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The ACRF was announced by Governor Cuomo on September 3rd and will provide at least $15 million to rebuild communities and the agricultural industry in hard-hit areas.

The funds awarded to date are from the ACRF Conservation Program, which is designed to help farms recover, stabilize soils and stream banks, restore water control structures, and improve and protect water quality.

About the ACRF Conservation Program

The Conservation Program is administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in consultation with the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee.

The Soil and Water Districts determined land eligibility based on site inspections of damage. For land to be eligible, the Tropical Storms must have created a new conservation problem that, if left untreated, would: degrade the state’s natural resources; impact public drinking water supplies; present ongoing pollution risks to surface and groundwater; pose threats to production facilities; impair farm safety; affect the land’s productive capacity; or present challenges to farm production that would be too costly to implement without state assistance.

Eligible emergency conservation practices include, but are not limited to: debris removal; restoring fences and conservation structures; crop removal; land shaping and grading; and installation of vegetative practice, including cover crop. Eligible costs include: architectural and/or engineering services; consultant services; construction; and other direct expenses related to implementation.

Project selection is based on identified need and degree of loss and with consideration of the available funding for eligible counties.

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