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Tompkins County funds continuation of Farms & Food Access work as pilot grants show early leverage
Summary
The legislature approved a contingent-fund appropriation to continue funding the county's Farms & Food Access initiative, which helped farmers apply for external grants; participants included farmers across the county and 25% identified as BIPOC.
The Tompkins County Legislature unanimously approved on June 17 a contingent-fund appropriation to continue funding the county's Farms & Food Access work (FFFA), a program that county officials and the Food Policy Council said helped farmers secure grant opportunities and technical support.
Legislator Randy Brown, a sponsor of the resolution, said the county initially provided $40,000 in 2024 but only carried forward a portion of those funds into 2025; the new appropriation continues the program through the remainder of the year. Brown said the pilot effort helped farmers across the county submit grant applications and connect with resources.
"There were farmers in Trumansburg, Dryden, Danby, Freeville, Caroline, Groton, Ulysses," Brown said, and about 25% of applicants were BIPOC. He said the program also helped applicants navigate the large number of available grants and identify those they qualified for.
Legislators said the pilot has leveraged additional opportunities. Committee comments referenced that the county-supported work helped identify roughly $800,000 in potential grant opportunities as of April, though awards remain subject to external review.
Nut graf: The continued funding preserves a county-supported outreach and grant-assistance function for local farms, intended to improve equity of access to state and federal program dollars and to strengthen local food systems.
Details: The original $40,000 allocation in the 2024 budget was partially expended; this contingency appropriation extends support for the program and for continued application assistance and outreach. Program leaders told the legislature they will continue to collect outcomes and report back.
Next steps: County administration and the Food Policy Council will continue grant outreach, assist farmers in applications and report outcomes to the legislature.
