News from New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets

For more information contact: Jessica Chittenden, 518-457-3136

Media Advisory~Protecting Farmland In The Hudson Valley

Wednesday, February 27 at 11:00 am at Town Hall in New Paltz

ALBANY, NY (02/26/2008; 0929)(readMedia)-- New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker will announce nearly $372,000 in funding to help 16 towns in Upstate New York develop local agricultural and farmland protection plans. This announcement is in addition to the nearly $500,000 announced last month for local farmland protection plans, bringing the total amount provided this year to $862,445 for 37 towns statewide.

New York State has an effective Farmland Protection Program that has allocated more than $144.5 million out of the Environmental Protection Fund for farmland protection implementation projects, assisting local governments and their project partners in 26 counties to help protect 50,400 acres on 241 farms. The announcement on Wednesday will highlight the planning aspect of the Farmland Protection Program. This is the first year that the State is providing funding to towns for farmland protection plans; only counties have been eligible in the past.

All media are welcome and encouraged to attend.

WHO: New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker State and Local Legislators, Farmers and Farmland Protection Advocates

WHAT: Protecting farmland in the Hudson Valley – $372,000 in planning grants

WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 11:00 am

WHERE: New Paltz Town Hall, 1 Veteran’s Drive, New Paltz, NY 12561 Directions: Take exit 18 off the NYS Thruway. Turn left over Thruway then turn onto Rt. 299 West. Turn right onto Rt. 32 North. Go ¾ mile, Town Hall will be on the right. It’s a white building up and off the road. 845-255-0100

For more information regarding the announcement, please contact Jessica Chittenden with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at 518-457-3136 (office) or 518-527-3949 (cell).

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