Assemblyman Santabarbara has announced today that more than $1 million has been awarded to farmers across New York State through the New Farmers Grant Fund and Veterans Farmer Grant Fund. Jean and Alexander Stabinski, in Montgomery County, will receive $16,157 in grant funding to purchase equipment used to increase hay bale production and improve efficiency.

“Here in the Mohawk Valley, hardworking farmers are at the heart of New York's history of a thriving agriculture,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara, who is a member of the New York State Assembly’s Agriculture Committee. “This funding will not only help support those who have sacrificed so much for this country, it will also attract new farmers to the industry and ensure the sustainability of New York State’s agriculture industry.”

The New Farmers Grant Fund assists new and early-stage farmers, and the Veterans Farmer Grant Fund supports farms owned and operated by military veterans. This is the first year the Veterans Farmer Grant Fund has been offered.