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Before a three-year program ended in August, 57 new and established farmers across Nassau and Suffolk counties were awarded a total of $1 million to help pay for necessary improvements and equipment, diversify crops and meet safety and regulatory standards.
“Everyone wants to do best practices, but it comes with a price tag to do it right that often can’t be met,” said Jessie Marcus of the Peconic Land Trust, a Long Island farming preservation nonprofit, which distributed the funds. She noted that 10 South Fork agricultural and aquacultural farms benefited from the program.
Ms. Marcus said that capital investments can be burdensome for farmers who have to closely watch their overhead so that crops can be planted and what’s harvested can be sold.
The program—known as the Farmers for the Future Capital Program, or the Long Island Agricultural Capital Equipment Grant Program, and funded by a grant from the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council through the state’s economic development program, Empire State Development—reimbursed farmers for 20 percent of their expenditures, up to $50,000.
Wölffer Estate Vineyard purchased two new tractors to jump start a composting program. Also, the Sagaponack estate bought a new cultivator, which can help reduce the need for herbicides, and winemaking equipment, including new stainless steel tanks.
“The process of applying for the grant was straightforward and manageable, especially having guidance from the Peconic Land Trust,” said Wölffer CFO Lara Brown. Farmers were pre-approved to receive a reimbursement before making the investments, which ranged from tractors, to deer fencing, refrigeration, irrigation and green-energy upgrades, to name a few. Each purchase and project needed to be completed in one year.
“At the best times, farmers were able to know the next day if their investment was approved,” Ms. Marcus said.
The program incentivized farmers to invest more than $5 million in total, which Ms. Marcus said grows local production and helps Long Islanders access local products.
“On the East Coast, the only way we can compete against the wines being imported from all over the globe is through quality,” said Wölffer winemaker Roman Roth. “For us, finding the right balance between tradition and innovation is key to Wölffer’s success. Having access to grant money enables us to secure the newest equipment so we can help guarantee we have what it takes to make world-class wines.”
Ms. Marcus noted there will be a similar program rolled out by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets by the end of the year.
on Sep 17, 2018