New York Agricultural Land Trust (NYALT)

NYALT has works with the New York State Farmland Protection Program, administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, to fund farmland protection projects. Funding from the program pays for up to 75% of the costs of a farmland protection project.

NYS application: Currently, applications to the State program must come from either the town or county in which your farm is located. Each town or county has a process for selecting the applications they will submit to the state. If you are interested in the program, please contact your Town or County Farmland Protection Board for guidance as to how the process works in your area.

Applications are created by the landowner, often with the assistance of a consultant. In the future, NYALT will have the staff and capacity to assist in drafting these applications. However, at this time, our staff is busy with project implementation.

NYALT application: You also will need to complete a short application for requesting NYALT to work with you and hold your conservation easement. We can provide you with an updated application form. Please contact Maureen Knapp, Interim E.D., if you are interested in this.

New York State currently awards funds on a regional basis, with the state divided into five regions: Long Island, Hudson Valley, Eastern, Central and Western New York. Farms in each region compete against one another for funding. Farms are ranked according to how well they meet certain criteria that can be combined into three main categories: Farm Quality, Farm Viability and Farm Context.

The quality of the farm is determined by looking at soil quality, water availability and the quality of the farm products generated. Viability is determined by looking at the longevity of the farm operation, which is determined by whether a succession plan is in place, and the potential markets available for farm products.

Finally, farms are looked at in the context of where they are located in relation to other features. Does the farm also protect a significant habitat or act as a buffer to a natural resource? If the farm is located near other protected farmlands, will it create a block of protected farmland? Does protecting the farm help implement a locally adopted conservation or agricultural protection plan?

Demand for the New York State farmland protection program is high – typically there are twice as many applicants as there is funding each year. The likelihood of funding depends on how well your farm meets the criteria described above. NYALT is currently working with 16 landowners to conserve 10,000 acres of farmland with NYS farmland protection grants.

If your farm is awarded funds, it will likely be three to four years before the project is complete and you receive your money, given the current state process. Farmland protection is not an immediate cash solution. These projects are complex real estate transactions requiring many steps along the way. NYALT has strong relationships with experts in the field and will navigate this process as quickly as possible on your behalf.

Farmland protection projects can be thought of as complex real estate transactions. NYALT will work with you to determine the details of the conservation easement and the supporting easement land plan. The State farmland protection grant covers up to 75% of these costs, depending on the size of your project grant.

As part of the process, your farm property boundaries, and any reserved farmstead complexes, will be surveyed. NYALT will also need to work with you to commission an appraisal to determine the value of the conservation easement. A title report will also be commissioned by NYALT to determine if there are any title issues that could affect the conservation easement.

A “baseline documentation report” will be completed by NYALT to document the property at the time the easement is closed. NYALT’s board and staff are trained in this work and will help guide landowners through this process, every step of the way.

The New York State farmland protection program has requirements to allow for existing gas leases, as long as they are compatible with farmland protection.

NYALT recommends that, before you sign a new gas lease, you consult with your attorney, as well as NYALT, to ensure that the terms are compatible with your conservation goals.