Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that an additional $1.2 million in aid from the state's Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund (ACRF) will be distributed among 127 farms to help New York's agricultural communities recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Including the first two rounds of aid distribution that were announced on September 22, a total of 252 New York farms have now been granted over $3.7 million in funds for rebuilding efforts.

"This aid will provide immediate assistance to agricultural communities so farmers can begin the rebuilding process," Governor Cuomo said. "I have visited hard-hit farming areas and seen firsthand the damage to crops, fields, and property. We will continue moving quickly to distribute these funds so those affected by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee can recover as soon as possible."

Darrel Aubertine, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets, said, "This aid will allow work to begin as soon as possible to help our farmers recover from the devastating flooding. The recent storms did tremendous damage to New York's farmland and hurt our state's robust agricultural industry. Governor Cuomo created the Agriculture and Community Recovery Fund to help farms rebuild quickly, and together we will continue doing all we can to help New York's farmers get back on their feet."

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. Applications for funding will be accepted from County Soil and Water Conservation Districts within the eligible counties. Eligible counties are those that received a disaster designation for Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

The Soil and Water Districts will determine 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 sponsors within eligible counties may submit applications on a weekly basis. Applications will be taken until all available funds are awarded.

Project selection will be based on identified need and degree of loss and with consideration of the available funding for eligible counties. Recovery funds requested will be reviewed and approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets. The Commissioner may consult with the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, the agency that oversees policy and programs for New York’s 58 County Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The third round of aid distribution includes:

Albany County Soil & Water District – $34,425
Projects: Reconstruction of access roads, stream crossings, fence repair, and gravel deposition removal.

Farms:

Kevin Sisson	$ 13,200.00
Robert Rapp	$ 8,500.00
Windy Hill Farm	$ 9,725.00
Kenneth Crawford	$ 3,000.00

Broome County Soil & Water District - $36,000
Projects: Fence repair, stream bank stabilization, replacement of alternative water supply, and debris removal from cropland.

Farms:

Miller Farm	$ 12,000.00
Pauls Gardens	$ 12,000.00
Winsor Acres	$ 12,000.00

Chenango County Soil & Water District - $48,000
Projects: Access Road repair, debris removal, and streambank stabilization.

Farms:

Charles Blincoe	$ 5,000.00
Dan Gross	$ 5,000.00
Harold Anderson	$ 3,000.00
Daniel Schlafer	$ 11,000.00
Twin Pond Farm	$ 4,000.00
Hanehan Family Dairy, LLC	$ 20,000.00

Clinton County Soil & Water District – $10,750
Projects: Replace failed culverts and access road repair.

Farms:

Sunderland Farms	$ 2,500.00
Larato Farms	$ 6,500.00
Jackson Ranch	$ 1,750.00

Columbia County Soil & Water District – $64,000
Projects: Access road, stream crossing, fencing repair, debris removal from crop fields and stream bank stabilization.

Farms:

Doyle Mtn. Farm	$ 26,000.00
Klein's Kill Fruit Farm Corp.	$ 14,500.00
Robert Meyer Farm	$ 10,500.00
Buster Creek Farm	$ 13,000.00

Delaware County Soil & Water District - $21,280
Projects: Debris removal; fencing; access road replacement and repair, stream bank stabilization.

Farms:

James Hull Farms	$ 6,000.00
Dairy Smith Holsteins	$ 1,180.00
Felice Sulla & Jerry Raeder	$ 14,100.00

Dutchess County Soil & Water District – $19,139
Projects: Debris removal from pastures, access road repair, fence repair, downed tree removal and vegetative buffer planting.

Farms:

FW Battenfeld and Son	$ 9,639.00
Briggs Hollow Farm	$ 9,500.00

Essex County Soil & Water District – $18,000
Projects: Stream channel restoration, debris removal, fence repair, access road and culvert repair.

Farms:

Juniper Hill Farm	$ 8,000.00
D'Auria Farm	$ 3,750.00
Fledging Crow Vegetables LLC	$ 1,000.00
Mookies Wapti Farm	$ 5,250.00

Greene County Soil & Water District - $69,350
Projects: Debris removal, fence repair, grassed waterway repair.

Farms:

Crystal Valley Farm	$ 9,000.00
John Falke Farm	$ 34,500.00
Stoneledge Farm, LLC	$ 12,500.00
John J Farber Farm	$ 13,350.00

Herkimer County Soil & Water District - $13,000
Projects: Debris removal; access road replacement and repair, erosion and sediment control structures.

Farms:

Ronald J. Casler Farm	$ 7,000.00
Deanna Suchowij Farm	$ 6,000.00

Montgomery County Soil & Water District – $31,000
Projects: Gravel and debris removal from cropland, stream bank stabilization and vegetative buffer plantings.

Farms:

Stony Brook Farm	$ 4,800.00
McClumpha Brothers Farm	$ 10,200.00
Pine Farms	$ 16,000.00

Orange County Soil & Water District - $440,382
Projects: Access road repair and replacement, crop field restoration, debris removal, animal laneway repair, water control structure repair, water supply, and fencing repair.

Farms:

Ronald Madura Farm	$ 14,125.00
B &B Farms	$ 9,750.00
S & SO Produce	$ 14,000.00
Fair-Lain Sod Farms, Inc.	$ 14,900.00
Harvest Queen Farm	$ 15,850.00
Brian Pawelski Farm	$ 2,208.00
Pioneer King Produce, Inc.	$ 4,525.00
Cheryl Rogowski Farm	$ 3,275.00
Pine Island Turf Farm	$ 70,545.00
Pawelski Farms	$ 3,303.00
Grodman's Farm	$ 4,000.00
Daniel Morgiewicz Farms	$ 950.00
Davandjer Farms	$ 7,400.00
Morgiewicz Produce Inc.	$ 8,038.00
Thorndale Farm	$ 3,500.00
Froehlick Farms	$ 3,815.00
Mikulski Farms	$ 4,250.00
Dagele Bros. Produce Co.	$ 32,275.00
Frankie's Produce	$ 22,900.00
Lichwick Farms	$ 9,150.00
Gregory Myruski Farms	$ 1,544.00
Hugh Farrish Farm	$ 390.00
James Bastek Farms	$ 5,475.00
D'Attolico Organic Farm	$ 300.00
Cavallaro Farms	$ 5,932.00
John & Stanley Rzeczkowski Farms	$ 200.00
John Ruszkiewicz Farms	$ 13,596.00
Lupinski Farms	$ 4,369.00
John D Madura Farms	$ 25,688.00
Pennings Orchard	$ 3,500.00
Sidoti Bros. Farm	$ 3,237.00
Lewis Myruski Farms	$ 7,770.00
Jados Farms	$ 18,700.00
Mary Tomaszewski Farms	$ 4,943.00
Pasquale Sidoti Farm	$ 9,205.00
Raymond Myruski Farm	$ 1,390.00
Richard Pawelski Farm	$ 2,590.00
Rick Minkus Farms	$ 13,530.00
Mist-E-Hill Dairy Farm	$ 2,600.00
Ronald Madura Farm	$ 5,828.00
Ronald Myruski Farm	$ 2,925.00
Ruan Jian Hua & Chan Fay Ngan Farm	$ 8,000.00
Russell Kowal Farms	$ 1,200.00
S+ SO Produce	$ 20,638.00
Steven Bogdanski Farm	$ 2,863.00
Scattered Acres Farm, LLC	$ 14,325.00
Thomas Sobiech Farm	$ 10,885.00

Otsego County Soil and Water District - $41,855
Projects: Stream bank stabilization, debris removal and critical area seeding, and access road repair.

Farms:

Graygables farm	$ 855.00
Liner Farm	$ 3,000.00
Rosebrook Elk Farm	$ 11,000.00
Gantner farm	$ 23,000.00
Stein Farm	$ 4,000.00

Rensselaer County Soil & Water District – $800
Projects: Fence replacement and repair; stream bank stabilization, debris removal, and access road repair.

Farm:

Terry Wasielewski Farm

$ 800.00

Saratoga County Soil & Water District – $2,500
Projects: Repair access road, and pasture restoration.

Farm:

Purintondale Farm

$ 2,500.00

Schenectady County Soil & Water District - $10,200
Projects: Debris and obstruction removal, and streambank stabilization.

Farms:

Walter Gifford Farm	$ 2,200.00
Windy Hill Farm	$ 8,000.00

Schoharie County Soil & Water District – $207,950
Projects: Debris removal including gravel piles, whole trees, buildings, fuel and propane tanks in crop fields; milk house waste treatment system replacement; fencing; access road replacement and repair’ stream bank stabilization; cover cropping; field repair, water control structure repair.

Farms:

Schoharie Nurseries	$ 29,200.00
Barber Family Farm LLC	$ 58,000.00
John Vanderwerken Farm	$ 36,250.00
James Buzon Farm	$ 7,000.00
Chris Lawton Farm	$ 8,000.00
Fox Valley Vail Farm	$ 22,500.00
Eleanor Reinhart Farm	$ 2,500.00
Rock & Pinkster Farm	$ 21,500.00
River Run Tree Farm	$ 6,000.00
Maurice Downs Farm	$ 3,000.00
Theresa Murphy Farm	$ 4,000.00
Mountain Valley Angus	$ 10,000.00

Tioga County Soil & Water District - $78,430
Projects: Debris and obstruction removal, vegetative buffer repair, streambank stabilization, manure storage evaluation, pump replacement, and fence repair.

Farms:

A & S Lloyd LLC	$ 11,600.00
Truman Farm	$ 8,400.00
Huizinga Farm	$ 7,000.00
Our Green Acres	$ 13,380.00
Johnson Farms	$ 6,000.00
Smith Farm	$ 7,500.00
Fargnoli Farms	$ 17,050.00
Spencer Farms	$ 7,500.00

Ulster County Soil & Water District – $102,589
Projects: Stream crossing for equipment repair, critical area seeding, irrigation system repair, fencing, orchard repair, debris removal, access road repair and cover cropping.

Farms:

Greiner Bros Farm Inc	$ 30,860.00
Pinegrove Ranch Inc.	$ 1,692.00
Woodcrest Farms	$ 4,734.00
Watswyck Farm	$ 1,170.00
J & B Trapani Co Inc	$ 27,095.00
J. A. M. of New Paltz, Inc	$ 10,736.00
Jaway Farm	$ 25,702.00
The Farm	$ 600.00

Washington County Soil & Water District – $27,500
Projects: Streambank stabilization, crop field restoration, alternative water supply repair, debris removal and riparian buffer replacement.

Farms:

Kilpatrick Family Farm LLC	$ 1,300.00
Ken Thomas Farm	$ 1,200.00
Camden Creek Farm	$ 2,000.00
Walkers LLC	$ 12,500.00
B J Farms	$ 10,500.00