ALBANY – Approximately $30 million in state funding for ag improvement projects is up for grabs, and Assemblyman Clifford Crouch (R-Bainbridge) is encouraging local farmers to seize the opportunity.

The assemblyman announced last week that the state will award the grant money for conservation easement projects for dairy farms statewide.

Funds are to help dairy farmers diversify and update their farms to more modern operations. One objective, said Crouch, is to ensure land remains used for agricultural purposes.

Conservation easement project grants will be awarded to eligible dairy farmers who are transitioning ownership of a dairy farm, diversifying the overall farm operation, or converting to a non-dairy farm operation.