Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, REF - Sag Harbor) announced that $2.3 million in funding is available through round four of the Climate Resilient Farming grant program for farmers in New York State. The grants will help farms reduce their operational impact on the environment and better prepare for and recover after extreme weather events. Since the launch of the program in 2015, a total of $5.1 million has been provided to 40 projects across the state, helping 70 farms implement critical projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy savings, mitigate water and soil quality concerns and increase on-farm resiliency to climate change.

The fourth round of grants is funded through the State's Environmental Protection Fund. They were authorized at a historic level, with $300 million approved in the 2018-19 State Budget. Moreover, the Assembly one-house budget proposal for 2019-20 includes $19 million for farmland protection, an increase of $2 million over the previous year.

Through the Climate Resilient Farming grant program, County Soil and Water Conservation Districts apply for the competitive grants on behalf of farmers. Projects can focus on reducing carbon footprints, saving energy, improving soil health, increasing irrigation capacity and emphasizing water management to mitigate the effects of drought, as well as heavy rainfall and flooding, on crops and livestock.

Examples of projects eligible for funding are:

• Methane reduction tactics, such as using manure storage covers and methane flares
• Water management practice systems consisting of stream bank stabilization, stream side forested buffers and irrigation water systems
• Soil health practice systems, including cover crop planting, conservation tillage and managed rotational grazing

The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets administers the Climate Resilient Farming grant program through its Land and Water Division, which works to protect New York's land and water resources through farmland protection, farmland conservation, and proactive environmental stewardship.