Farm and Food Growth Fund

03/19/2026

At last week’s Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit in Albany FFGF President/CEO Todd Erling delivered Day 2 opening remarks and the FFGF team met with attendees and discussed FFGF projects. FFGF was a proud Gold Sponsor of the event which was hosted by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center and brought together dairy farmers, processors and stakeholders from across the region.

03/18/2026

Join the FFGF team for Virtual Open Business Hours on March 25, 2026 at 12:00pm Eastern to ask questions and learn more about the NYS Food and Fiber Processing Grant Program. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UhoJjMoITRK5HASKLrrNcg #/registration

03/04/2026

Please join us in welcoming Channon Greer to the FFGF team as our Grants Program Specialist. Channon will be working across all our grant programs providing administrative and program support and serving as coordinator for individual grant programs, facilitating activities and communications between grant applicants, grant awardees, staff, and consultants. Welcome Channon!

02/13/2026

Welcome Taylor Mignone to the FFGF and HVADC teams as our Business Services Manager.

Meet the newest member of the HVADC team. After working in commercial banking, Taylor Mignone was ready to work more directly with people — not just spreadsheets. As HVADC’s and FFGF’s new Business Services Manager, he’s doing just that. From technical assistance to grants and bridge loans, Taylor is focused on meeting agribusinesses where they are and supporting them for the long haul. Learn more about Taylor and his new role at HVADC: https://www.hvadc.org/news-22/gadget-review%3A-release-of-new-airy-pods

02/10/2026

Bring your questions about the NYS Food and Fiber Processing Grant to Open Business Hours on Wednesday, February 11 at 12:00pm Eastern. https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yu-b4FFbSZ-Y6tAUruV4IQ #/registration

01/29/2026

The Farm and Food Growth Fund is administrating the Food and Fiber Processing Grant Program for NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. The State’s investment will be transformational for our food system. It will provide new processing capacity to serve market opportunities and develop the infrastructure and processing capabilities to serve as a leader in the region.

We’re excited to share that $8.5 million is available through the Food and Fiber Processing Grant Program, a first of its kind program that will provide funding to ag operations to expand food and fiber processing capacity and increase local sourcing across the state.

The Farm and Food Growth Fund (FFGF) is administering this program on behalf of the Department. Funding is available for the construction and renovation of facilities, as well as the purchase and installation of equipment.

The deadline to apply for funding is April 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. Additional program details and the application are available at the Farm and Food Growth Fund website: https://ffgf.smapply.us/prog/ffgf_-_nys_food_and_fiber_processing_grant_program/

To learn more about how this funding opportunity will help position New York as a regional leader in the food and fiber industry, read the full release on our press room page (linked in our bio)!

01/15/2026

NYS Dairy Modernization Grant recipient Irish Settlement Farm is now able to install new equipment, including an 8,000 gallon bulk tank and new compressors. Their story was recently highlighted at New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball’s State of Agriculture Address at the 194th New York State Agricultural Society Annual Forum.

Take a look at how farmers Lee and Clayton O’Brien can install new equipment on their farm, including an 8,000-gallon bulk tank and two new compressors, than...

01/15/2026

The projects of the recipients of the NYS Dairy Modernization Grant program are starting to come to fruition, and there are so many stories to tell of farms being able to achieve efficiencies and savings such as this one from Merlau Brothers Dairy Farm. Congratulations on your progress!

12/16/2025

The Milk for Healthy Kids Act coupled with the state's $30 million funding of the NYS Dairy Modernization Grant Program Will help to bolster markets for our diary farmers.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is touting legislation passed by the Senate and House that would once again allow whole milk to be part of school lunches.

12/12/2025

Congratulations to FFGF Board Member Eric Ooms for receiving the 2025 New York Farm Bureau's Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award.

12/02/2025

We welcome Kirsten Harlow Foster to our Board of Directors and look forward to working with her to support our mutual missions.

Hospitality entrepreneur, community champion and the newest member of both the HVADC and Farm and Food Growth Fund Boards of Directors, meet Kirsten Harlow Foster. From building tourism in Sullivan County to revitalizing main streets to feeding 1,000 weekly through A Single Bite, Kirsten’s work proves that business and community impact to hand in hand. Learn more about her work in a recent HVADC Cultivator article at https://www.hvadc.org/news-20/hvadc-people%3A-