April 11th, 2019
By David Haight
AFT Awards Over $91,000 to Help a New Generation of Farmers in the Hudson Valley
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – American Farmland Trust (AFT) announced $91,272 in grants to seven partner organizations in the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network to support their work with farmers looking for land and retiring farmers or landowners who wish to keep their land in farming.
The Hudson Valley Farmlink Network is a partnership of 17 organizations, coordinated by American Farmland Trust, offering the Hudson Valley Farmland Finder website, training and networking events, and one-on-one assistance for farmers and landowners. Launched in 2014 with primary support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network has helped more than 150 farmers find land.
“Finding a farm or passing your farm on to a new generation can present huge challenges, and often includes deeply personal decisions,” says David Haight, Vice President for Programs/New York State Director for AFT. “These funds will build capacity for our Hudson Valley Farmlink Network partners to offer training and direct assistance to help farmers searching for land, and farmland owners who want to see their land stay in agriculture.”
“The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is proud to partner with American Farmland Trust to help enable the transition of farmland to the next generation of farmers in New York by supporting the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network,” says Danielle Levoit, Program Officer for the Environment at DDCF. “Access to farmland is critical to ensuring that farmers and agriculture can thrive in the Hudson Valley and beyond.”
Since 2014, AFT has awarded $349,000 to Hudson Valley Farmlink Network partner organizations. This year’s grant awardees include: Agricultural Stewardship Association, Columbia Land Conservancy, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation, Saratoga PLAN and Westchester Land Trust.
A summary chart of Hudson Valley Farmlink Network partner grant awards and project descriptions can be found here.
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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families.