NEW YORK – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and Attorney General Letitia James today awarded more than $1.34 million in grants to support farmers in Delaware and Sullivan Counties. The Agricultural Environmental Innovation Grant Program is funded by DEC and Attorney General James' 2023 settlement with FrieslandCampina Ingredients North America, Inc. (Friesland) for repeated violations of state and federal environmental law at its Delhi, Delaware County facility. Administered by the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC), the grant program will directly reinvest the settlement funds in the Catskills by providing 25 farms with access to innovative agricultural technologies and practices. The projects selected for funding will demonstrate innovations that can increase efficiency and promote sustainability on New York farms, boosting economic, health, and environmental outcomes across the Catskills region.
“DEC is proud to partner with the Office of the Attorney General for this significant investment benefiting more than two dozen farms in Delaware County at a time when farmers nationwide are facing a severe financial crisis due to high production costs and volatile federal trade policies," said DEC Commissioner Lefton. "A healthy farming industry benefits all New Yorkers by boosting local economies and providing nutritious food to our kitchen tables. These funds, secured from a settlement related to numerous violations of environmental laws by FrieslandCampina, serve as a reminder that New York State holds polluters accountable for the damages they cause to our environment and ensures payments made to settle penalties are poured back into impacted communities.”
Attorney General James said, “New York’s farmers work from sun-up to sun-down to put food on our tables. All too often, our farmers are the ones who feel the impacts of environmental degradation, toxic pollution, and climate change first. This new grant program will invest directly in New York’s farmers by helping them to adopt new technologies and practices to save money, reduce waste, and protect the clean air, water, and land that we all depend on.”
Connor Young, Agricultural Program Manager at Watershed Agricultural Council said, “The Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) thanks Attorney General James and Commissioner Lefton for establishing and awarding grant funding in direct support of the Catskill farming community. WAC is excited to build on our decades-long partnership with farmers to advance innovative, practical technologies that support both environmental stewardship and farm viability. Alongside producers and collaborators like Cornell Farmers DataLab, this grant program will demonstrate how applied research, precision agriculture, and local expertise can strengthen working farms across the New York City watershed.”
In August 2023, DEC and Attorney General James reached a $2.8 million settlement with Friesland for releasing dangerous air and water pollution from its manufacturing facility in Delhi. The consent decree required Friesland to come into full compliance with environmental protection laws and pay a $2,880,000 penalty. Half of that penalty was directed to improving public health and environmental protection in and around Delhi.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) subsequently contracted with WAC to administer a grant program benefiting Delaware and Sullivan County farms to demonstrate the efficacy, water and air quality benefits, and economic viability of innovative farming technologies and practices. The WAC was chosen to administer the grant program based on its strong, established relationships with the farming communities in the Delhi area and extensive experience administering grant programs for farmers.
Today, Commissioner Lefton and Attorney General James are awarding $1,347,681 across 35 projects to 25 farms, including dairy, cattle, and organic crop farms. The grant program will provide farmers with up to $75,000, with the exact amount determined by each recipient’s proposal. Under the terms of the settlement with Friesland, funding has been awarded only to projects that address existing pollution concerns and demonstrably improve public health or the environment in New York state. Grant recipients were also vetted to ensure they are in full compliance with environmental regulations.
The funded projects fall into three categories:
Innovative Equipment and Precision Agriculture Technology, which increase efficiency and reduce the environmental impacts of farm operations through data-driven insights. Funded technologies include grazing collars that allow farmers to remotely manage and direct their cattle while protecting land from overgrazing, cow health-monitoring systems, precision corn planters, and other advanced equipment. These technologies help minimize waste, optimize water use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 22 projects totaling $913,934.79 were awarded in this category.
Soil Health and Cover Crop Management, which help farms implement new crop management techniques to improve soil structure and minimize runoff. The equipment funded in this category will help reduce erosion, retain soil nutrients, and protect water quality. Six projects totaling $219,366 were awarded in this category.
Agricultural Drones, which give farmers an efficient way to survey their land while saving on fuel costs. Drones allow large and small farms alike to minimize pesticide use by identifying blights, pests, or other problems with greater precision. Seven projects totaling $214,380 were awarded in this category
This grant program is the latest in New York’s efforts to support the State’s agricultural sector. In March 2026, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit to protect billions of dollars in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding for critical state programs that support farmers and families. In November 2025, Attorney General James secured $1.1 million for climate-smart agriculture from the world’s largest beef producer for misleading the public about its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. In June 2025, Attorney General James awarded $3.2 million in grant funding from her settlement with Bayer CropScience and Monsanto to support pollinator conservation efforts across New York. In February 2024, Attorney General James led a coalition in petitioning the federal government to implement a nationwide emergency extreme heat standard to protect farmworkers from heat exposure.
This matter is being handled by Environmental Scientist Joshua Crittenden, with support from Policy Advisor Peter C. Washburn, under the supervision of Deputy Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Morgan A. Costello and Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The Environmental Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
