ALBANY, N.Y. — Farms, food processors, and distributors in Central New York, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier, and the North Country are among 69 across New York state awarded a total of $8.5 million in state funding.
The funding comes from the New York State Grown & Certified Infrastructure, Technology, Research, and Development (NYS G&C ITRD) grant program, per the announcement from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
The program is helping agricultural operations purchase equipment and enhance infrastructure, supporting the use of “state-of-the-art practices” to bring New York State Grown & Certified food and beverage products to market.
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Agricultural operations include apple growers, vegetable growers, dairy processors, and craft-beverage producers.
“Congratulations to all the recipients of this terrific program, which is providing funding for much-needed infrastructure enhancements and equipment that support the innovative practices taking place today on farms and food businesses across the State,” New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said in the announcement. “These improvements will ultimately help our farms and agribusinesses meet the growing needs of the industry and consumer demand, including producing food that is grown and packed with food safety measures and environmental consideration top of mind, which is what the NYS Grown & Certified program is all about.”
Proposals were evaluated in two tracks: Projects under $50,000 and projects between $50,000 and $250,000.
The NYS G&C ITRD grant program was created to strengthen the businesses that produce, process, or distribute NYS Grown & Certified food or beverage products. This round of competition sought infrastructure and technology projects focused on distribution-capacity enhancement; processing and packaging; production automation and labor efficiency.
Administered by the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI), in coordination with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the NYS G&C ITRD grant program was included in round XII and round XIII of the state’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.
Recipients and funding
The state awarded $1.7 million to businesses in the Southern Tier and Western New York, including five farms and food businesses in the Southern Tier. The department didn’t list specific dollar amounts or grant recipients.
The state also awarded $1.7 million to recipients in the Finger Lakes and Central New York regions. They included four farms and food businesses in Central New York and 11 farms and food-processor businesses in the Finger Lakes.
In addition, a total of $2,550,000 was awarded to recipients in the Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Capital Region. They included six farms and food businesses in the Mohawk Valley and four farms and food businesses in the North Country.
