More than $1.3 million in grant funding is being awarded to farms in Delaware and Sullivan counties through a new agricultural innovation program tied to a 2023 environmental settlement involving a Delaware County manufacturing facility.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced the funding this week. The money comes from a settlement with FrieslandCampina Ingredients North America following repeated environmental violations at the company’s facility in Delhi.
The grant program is being administered by the Watershed Agricultural Council and will provide funding for 35 projects at 25 farms across the Catskills region. Officials said the projects are designed to support new agricultural technologies and practices aimed at improving efficiency, reducing pollution, and promoting sustainability.
According to the state, funded projects include precision agriculture equipment, soil health and cover crop management systems, and agricultural drones. Officials say the technology is intended to help farms reduce runoff, improve water quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and cut fuel and pesticide use.
The funding stems from a $2.8 million settlement reached in August 2023 after state investigators determined FrieslandCampina repeatedly violated state and federal environmental laws through air and water pollution releases at its Delhi facility. Half of the settlement money was designated for environmental and public health improvements in the surrounding region.
State officials said grant recipients were required to be in compliance with environmental regulations and projects had to demonstrate environmental or public health benefits in New York State.
