Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced $5.5 million is now available to farmers and agricultural producers as part of two new grant programs. The awards are aimed toward farmland conservation, assisting farmers in identifying available land and ensuring that arable land is permanently protected from development and non-farm uses.

“Farming is one of the cornerstones of our community and extremely important to our local economy, traditions and way of life,” Hawley said. “Too often, farmers lose the ability to work the land due to environmental concerns or development, and these new grants will help protect our producers and ensure that family farms remain family businesses. I remain committed to giving our farmers a voice in Albany, and I look forward to advocating their concerns as we progress through this year’s session.”

More information can be found on the state’s Agriculture and Markets site and interested applicants can access grant information here. Applications will be processed until all funding for the program has been exhausted.

Hawley is the former owner/operator of Hawley Farms in Batavia and sits on the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee.