December News from the Watershed Agricultural Council

DECEMBER 2019

NEW WEBSITE THANKS TO WAC MICRO GRANTS

"In the beginning of 2019, the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) contacted us about a new micro grant. Its mission was to promote local economic growth by helping small businesses improve their marketing and advertising.

We knew we could benefit from a more robust and customizable online store to improve the user experience, increase online visibility and enhance online sales. In February, we were notified that we had been awarded $5,000 towards our project." - Tree Juice Maple Syrup

2020 AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE

The Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference will be held in Farrell Hall at SUNY Delhi on Thursday, January 9th, and features multiple learning tracks to chose from. The conference also features an event luncheon with a keynote speaker and a tradeshow featuring local agri-service providers (including WAC and Pure Catskills ). Click here for all topics included this year. We hope you will join us.

2019 ANNUAL REPORT

Vision, mission and strategic direction has been, and remains, critical to the core of the Watershed Agricultural Council.These values have paved our way to become an internationally recognized leader in the field of environmental conservation and watershed management. Read about program stories from the year here.

INTRODUCTION TO WAC'S CONSERVATION PROGRAM

On January 9th, at 10am WAC's Easement Program staff will host a tract at the Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference . Conservation Easements are one tool available in the NYC Watershed to help keep farmland operating for future generations. This workshop will focus on the basics of the WAC Agricultural Easement Program: eligibility requirements, acquisition steps, and the timeline for landowners to consider an offer.

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USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Help Agricultural Producers and Small Rural Businesses Develop New Products

The USDA Rural Development (RD) is accepting applications for grants to help farmers, ranchers and producer-based businesses nationwide develop new product lines.

The funding is being provided through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. VAPG grants can be used to develop new products from raw agricultural products or promote new markets for established products. Veterans, socially-disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small and medium-sized family farms and ranches and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given special priority.

The deadline to submit paper applications is March 10, 2020. Electronic applications submitted through grants.gov are due March 5, 2020. For more information on this grant program, visit USDA Rural Development For assistance in New York, call 315-570-2233.

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For more information on any of our programs, visit nycwatershed.org