Genesee County Farmland Protection Workshop

Genesee County farmers and farmland owners are invited to learn about the New York State Farmland Protection Implementation Grant (FPIG) program and the local pre-application process at an upcoming workshop hosted by the Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, in partnership with Genesee Valley Conservancy, Western New York Land Conservancy, and Genesee Land Trust.

The FPIG program compensates farmers for protecting the state’s most productive farmland through permanent conservation easements. Participation is completely voluntary. Land remains in private ownership and may continue to be farmed, with permanent restrictions on commercial, residential, and industrial uses on the protected land.

Interested landowners must attend a workshop prior to submitting a pre-application.

Registration is strongly encouraged, but not required: https://SaveGenCoFarms.eventbrite.com

The FPIG program, funded by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, reimburses farmers for up to 87.5% of the value of the development rights on eligible farmland. Three accredited land trusts serve Genesee County and are eligible to submit applications for this grant funding. All farmers wishing to apply must complete a pre-application with a participating land trust.

Pre-applications are evaluated by the land trusts based on factors such as development pressure, soil quality, and overall farm viability. The highest-scoring pre-applications will be invited to submit full applications to the state program. Pre-applications may also help eligible farms access other farmland protection opportunities.

For more information on the New York State Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program, visit:
https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AP/agservices/farmprotect.html

This event is supported in part by funding from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Land Trust Grants Program (Round 5).

When

Location

Genesee County Building Two, 3837 W. Main Street Rd., Batavia, NY, 14020, View Map