New York Agriculture Grants

This program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants for projects that protect agricultural land and support the sustainability of New York's farming industry.

This program provides free soil testing for community gardens in New York State to ensure food safety and promote soil health by analyzing heavy metals and nutrients.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to government entities in New York State for projects that protect and restore stream corridors, promoting ecological health and community engagement.

This funding opportunity provides $5 million each to two eligible regions in New York State to improve school food infrastructure, promote local farm products in school meals, and support workforce development in related fields.

This grant provides financial support to dairy farmers and related organizations in the Northeast to improve farm operations, enhance milk quality, and address climate challenges.

This program provides free energy audits to eligible farms in New York to help them identify ways to save on energy costs and improve efficiency.

This program provides funding to Soil and Water Conservation Districts to help CAFO-permitted farmers improve manure management practices, reduce methane emissions, and enhance nutrient conservation.

This program provides free soil testing for community gardens in New York State to ensure food safety and promote healthy growth, targeting garden organizers and community groups.

This program provides funding to organizations that facilitate transportation for youth to county and local fairs in New York, promoting agricultural education and community engagement.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to private property owners in New York City for installing green roofs to help manage stormwater runoff.

This fund provides matching financial support to small and mid-sized New York farms for safety improvements and repairs, helping them create a safer working environment.

This program provides funding to New York State agricultural producers who meet food safety and environmental standards, helping them promote their products and increase sales.

This funding initiative provides financial support for projects that enhance the agricultural, forestry, and commercial fishing industries in the Northeast, focusing on education, marketing, and leadership development.

The Summer Meals Capacity-Building Mini-Grants program, funded by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, aims to significantly increase the number of children and youth in the City of Rochester who receive summer meals, as well as extend the duration of meal service. This program directly aligns with the foundation's mission by addressing critical community needs, specifically food insecurity among youth in a designated high-need area. The federally funded Summer Meals program (Summer Food Service Program) ensures that children 18 and under, particularly those near schools with high free and reduced meal eligibility rates, continue to receive nutritious food when school is not in session. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are children and youth aged 18 and under within the City of Rochester, a city designated as a high-need area. The program specifically targets those who would otherwise lack access to consistent meals during the summer months. The impact goals are to enhance the capacity of Summer Meals sites to serve more children and to offer meals for a greater number of days. By providing essential nourishment, the program contributes to the overall well-being and health of Rochester's youth, helping to mitigate the "summer slide" in nutrition and academic readiness. The program prioritizes several key areas to achieve its goals. This includes supporting the hiring of a Summer Meals Volunteer Coordinator or supplemental staff to boost site capacity. It also focuses on one-time capital purchases such as tables, chairs, coolers, and other refrigeration/dining equipment to expand service capabilities. Furthermore, the grant encourages one-time capital purchases of equipment or supplies that promote physical activity and fun, thereby enticing more youth to participate and increasing the overall reach of the program. The expected outcomes and measurable results include an increase in the total number of children and youth served by the Summer Meals program and an expansion in the number of days meals are provided. While specific quantitative targets are not detailed, the grant's focus on capacity building inherently aims for a measurable increase in program reach and service duration. The funding information indicates grants of up to $15,000, which will facilitate these capacity-building efforts. The eligibility criteria emphasize partnerships with existing Summer Meals sponsors (City of Rochester, Rochester City School District, or Foodlink) or organizations with LEA status, ensuring alignment with established food service networks. The foundation's strategic priorities are evident in its commitment to addressing equity and supporting youth in the community, with a clear theory of change that by strengthening the infrastructure and staffing of summer meal programs, more children will have access to vital food resources.

This program provides funding to Soil and Water Conservation Districts to help farms manage nutrient runoff and reduce methane emissions through various conservation practices.

This funding opportunity provides $10,000 to agricultural and horticultural organizations, as well as county extension service associations, to enhance advertising, promotion, and educational efforts for annual fairs and expositions, ultimately boosting public engagement and awareness of agriculture and domestic arts.

The Farm and Food Growth Fund (FFGF) administers a portion of New York State’s Department of Agriculture and Markets USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program. This program, funded by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021, aims to enhance, grow, and improve the mid-channel of the food supply chain within New York State. The overarching mission alignment is to expand each state’s middle-chain capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural food products, excluding meat, poultry, cannabis, animal food and forage, fiber, and wild-caught seafood. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are New York State agricultural producers, processors, groups of producers and processors, nonprofit organizations, local government entities, tribal governments, and institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals that bring producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment for middle-of-the-supply-chain activities. The impact goals are to increase the supply of New York-sourced food products available in New York and regional markets, benefit multiple producers and markets, and support the development of new value-added products. The program prioritizes infrastructure development to expand business capacity for processing, aggregation, storage, and distribution. Specific focuses include targeting infrastructure projects to the dairy, fruit and vegetable, and organic industries. Another key priority is to create greater market access to intermediaries like food hubs, aggregators, wholesalers, and distributors, with the goal of increasing local food sales to institutions such as schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities. Expected outcomes include expanded processing capacities, modernized equipment and facilities, increased packaging and labeling capabilities, enhanced worker safety, and greater storage space, including cold storage. The program also seeks to develop and install climate-smart equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases water use efficiency, and improves air/water quality. Measurable results would involve an increase in New York-sourced food products in local markets, a greater number of businesses with expanded processing and distribution capacities, and an increase in local food sales to institutions, ultimately strengthening the resilience and efficiency of the state's food supply chain.

The Tompkins County Tourism Capital grants aim to foster significant investments in projects that attract visitors, such as theaters, museums, trails, and other major cultural and recreational attractions. The program's mission aligns with enhancing tourism infrastructure and experiences within Tompkins County, New York, thereby supporting the local economy and community development. This grant is provided by Tompkins County, signaling a public sector initiative to strategically invest in the region's tourism assets. The target beneficiaries include nonprofit organizations designated as 501(c)3, municipalities within Tompkins County, and Farmers Markets. The impact goals are to support new construction, renovation, and unique permanent installations that serve or promote tourism. Expected outcomes include the expansion or enhancement of existing facilities and the creation of new visitor-generating attractions, ultimately increasing tourism revenue and engagement in the county. Measurable results would be evidenced by the number and scale of new or renovated facilities, increased visitor numbers to funded projects, and the economic benefits generated. The program prioritizes capital investment projects valued at $75,000 or higher, contributing up to one-third (33%) of eligible costs. These eligible costs encompass land acquisition, building construction and renovation, acquisition of furnishings, equipment, permanent exhibitions, and design services. Additionally, the grant supports feasibility studies that lead to capital investments, including concept-level design, cost estimates, and business or tourism plans for capital projects. The focus is on tangible, long-term improvements that will sustainably promote tourism for a minimum of five years. Supported activities from past projects highlight the breadth of this program, including the Dryden Rail Trail, Stewart Park Inclusive Playground renovation, Discover Cayuga Lake’s charter boat for eco-cruises, Tompkins Center for History and Culture buildout, and visitor amenities for the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. This demonstrates a strategic priority of fostering diverse attractions that cater to various visitor interests, from outdoor recreation to cultural heritage. The underlying theory of change is that by investing in high-quality, sustainable tourism infrastructure and experiences, Tompkins County will attract more visitors, leading to economic growth and a more vibrant community.

This grant provides funding to dairy processors, associations, packaging manufacturers, and educational institutions in the Northeast to support innovative projects that improve processing and packaging in the dairy industry.

This program supports climate technology innovators in New York State by providing mentorship and resources to help scale hardware solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote decarbonization.