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May 2016
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Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor
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Richard A. Ball
Commissioner of Agriculture
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April and May were fantastic months for the agricultural industry in New York, just in time to kick off the busy season for many producers across the state.
Funding was awarded in the Hudson Valley for farmland protection, Governor Cuomo announced a new revolving loan program for the Finger Lakes, and we launched the FreshConnect Food Box Program to help New Yorkers in every corner of the state access fresh, local produce.
Additionally, the Great New York State Fair is continuing to add national acts to their annual music lineup, and the beverage industry continues to shine with a new breweries and distilleries tour kicking off in the Bronx and a Hudson Valley distiller winning a national award in excellence.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Ball, Commissioner
Department of Agriculture and Markets
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$20M awarded through Hudson Valley Ag Enhancement Program 
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$20 million in grants has been awarded through the Hudson Valley Agricultural Enhancement Program, Governor Cuomo announced. The funding will help local farmers protect valuable, at-risk farmland from future development and maintain the land's use for agricultural purposes. This unprecedented commitment is the state's first-ever regionally targeted farmland conservation grant program, and will protect more than 5,600 acres of active farmland on 28 farms in seven counties through permanent conservation easements. Learn more
here.
David Haight, New York State Director for the American Farmland Trust, said, "Protecting fertile soil from being paved over is good not only for the farmers of today, but for tomorrow too. Helping farmers and their communities conserve irreplaceable agricultural land makes it possible for hundreds of new farmers to find a farm to call their own."
The Hudson Valley Agricultural Enhancement Program provides funding to local partners, such as municipalities, counties, soil and water conservation districts and land trusts, to help landowners in the region protect viable farmland from being used for purposes other than farming. Sixty percent of that land has been designated by Scenic Hudson as a priority to protect in the Hudson Valley/ New York City Foodshed, which helps feed millions of people in that area.
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Farmers save $23M thanks to Ag Land Assessment Cap
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Farmers across the state saw $23 million in savings over a two-year period as a result of the Agricultural Land Assessment Cap. First signed into law by the Governor in 2013, the cap prevents agricultural assessments from being increased by more than two percent per year.
In the seven years before Governor Cuomo implemented the farmland assessment cap, the base assessment value for agricultural lands nearly doubled. In the first year after its implementation, farmers saved $11 million. By 2015, that annual savings grew to $12 million. The Department of Taxation and Finance projects even greater growth in 2016. Learn more
here
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Rochester Public Market to renovate and expand
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Just announced: $500,000 for the FreshConnect Food Box Program
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The City of Rochester's Public Market will undergo an $8 million renovation and improvement project to expand its infrastructure, amenities, and architecture.
Rochester's city-run public market served the community since 1905 with vendors offering fresh produce, ethnic delicacies, specialty items, general merchandise and more right in the city's urban core. Learn more
here
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Governor Cuomo recently announced $500,000 in funding for the FreshConnect Food Box Program to bring healthy, fresh food options to underserved areas of the state.
The program will provide nutritious and locally grown produce at reduced rates to communities in the Finger Lakes and New York City, while working to connect farmers with new markets and drive growth in New York's agricultural industry.
In addition, more than $425,000 is available this year for the FreshConnect Checks program to expand the use of SNAP benefits at farmers' markets statewide. Learn more here.
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NY honey production up 9% in 2015
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New York State saw a 9 percent increase in honey production in 2015, maintaining its status as the top honey producer in the Northeast and putting the state in the nationwide top 10 for the first time in a decade.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 3.6 million pounds of honey produced in New York State in 2015 was a nine percent increase from the 3.3 million pounds produced in 2014.
New York beekeepers earned almost $10.6 million from their honey in 2015, an $1.2 million increase from the year before. Learn more here.
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Coming soon: new Foodlink Community Kitchen
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Three additional headliners slated for State Fair
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Construction has officially begun on Foodlink's new $4.6 million Community Kitchen,
Governor Cuomo announced.
The 28,000-square-foot space, soon to be filled with state-of-the-art equipment, will enable Foodlink, a non-profit organization in Rochester, to significantly expand its programs and services geared toward ending hunger in the region. The food hub's new community kitchen will work to build community health and nutrition and reduce poverty through targeted job creation in the culinary industry.
Governor Cuomo said, "Rochester's new food hub will leverage the unique resources of the region to increase access to fresh, healthy food and grow the state's economy."
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Pop star Kesha, Hip-hop artist Flo Rida and Canadian band Magic! are the latest acts announced to take the stage at the State Fair's Chevy Court this year.
Artists announced for this year include:
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.
- Kesha, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m.
- Magic!, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m.
- Toto, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m.
- Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers, Aug. 28 at 8 p.m.
- Air Supply, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m.
- Herman's Hermits, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m.
- Survivor, Aug. 30 at 2 p.m.
- The Commodores, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m.
- Macy Gray, Aug. 31 at 2 p.m.
- Flo Rida, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.
- Culture Club, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m.
- Chicago, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m.
Learn more about the Great New York State Fair
here.
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Commissioner Ball visits Hudson Valley Distillers
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NY Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball recently congratulated the Hudson Valley Distillers on winning the Best of Class Vodka award at the American Distilling Institute's 2016 Spirits Conference and Vendor Expo. The Clermont, New York- based farm distillery was honored for their Spirit Grove Vodka.
Commissioner Ball said, "We congratulate Hudson Valley Distillers on earning top prize at the American Distilling Institute's 2016 Spirits Conference and showcasing the very best of New York to the world."
Hudson Valley Distillers, owned by Tom Yozzo and Chris Moyer, opened its doors in 2013 and joins the growing number of craft beverage producers who are thriving as a result of Governor Cuomo's Craft New York Act, which allows producers the opportunity to conduct tastings and serve "by the bottle" and "by the glass," among other reforms. This spurred Yozzo and Moyer to renovate an existing building on their property and open the Cocktail Grove to provide tastings and sell their product. Learn more here.
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New Finger Lakes Ag Loan Program
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A new, $3 million revolving loan program is now available to assist the agricultural industry in the Finger Lakes region.
The "Growing the Agriculture Industry Now" Revolving Loan Program will provide loans to
new businesses who do not meet traditional financing organizations' underwriting standards, allowing them to get started. Learn more
here
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New brewery and distillery tour in the Bronx
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The Bronx will now be home to the new "Savor The Bronx Breweries & Distilleries Trolley Tour," which kicked off this past weekend. It will build awareness of the state's growing craft beverage industry and support the region's small businesses.
The Savor The Bronx Breweries & Distilleries Tour Stops:
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New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
10B Airline Drive, Albany, NY 12235
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