SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Deihl Farm, a family-owned Sullivan County farm, is one of the recipients of a nearly $50-million total grant program from New York State to protect farmland. 

The farm was awarded $737875 for 154 acres of land with 74% productive soils. According to an announcement from the state, the funding will go through the Orange County Land Trust; the farm was identified as a dairy-cash crop hay-maple sap operation. 

Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday, October 20 announced that more than $48.5 million has been awarded to 43 farms across New York through its Farmland Protection Implementation Grants (FPIG) program. The funding supports the preservation of thousands of acres of viable agricultural land, comprised of predominantly productive soils. An additional $1 million is supporting additional staff capacity within New York’s land trusts to further support farmland protection efforts. 

“I am so proud that New York is a national leader in the protection of its farmland and support of its farmers. Over the years, we have carefully maintained and, during my administration, have grown the Farmland Protection program to continue to preserve our agricultural lands,” Hochul said. “Through the Bond Act, which we championed and New Yorkers approved, we have invested even more in our Farmland Protection program in this round, providing record funding to this monumental program to ensure our farmers can keep their land forever in agriculture and pass it on to their families, all while preserving our rural landscapes and the long-standing agricultural heritage New York is known for.”