Empire State Development and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets are offering $1 million in funding to assist early-stage farmers through the New York State New Farmers Grant Fund.

The program, in its fifth year, has awarded $3.27 million to nearly 90 farms throughout the state to expand their operations and improve their profitability.

The $1 million fund will provide grants of up to $50,000 to assist with up to half of eligible project costs. To qualify, all farm business owners must be within the first 10 years of having an ownership interest in any farm business, and the farm must have a minimum of $10,000 in income from sales of products grown or raised on the farm.

Eligible project costs include the purchase of machinery, equipment, supplies, and the construction or improvement of agricultural structures.

Applications and guidelines for the New Farmers Grant Fund are available online at https://esd.ny.gov/new-farmers-grant-fund-program. The deadline for submission is Jan. 25, 2019.

The Department of Agriculture and Markets launched a New and Beginning Farmer One Stop Shop in 2017. The web-based resource helps new and beginning farmers connect to the resources and services that can help their businesses thrive. Information can be found online at https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AP/BegFarmers/NewFarmersResources.html.

New York State is home to 36,000 farms that are top producers of more than 30 commodities, including apples, grapes, snap beans, maple products and dairy. New York's dairy industry is the largest sector of the state’s agricultural industry, accounting for approximately one-half of its on-farm production, support services and value-added products.