Money put back into ag budget - CNY Farms Blog - syracuse.com.
The state budget brokered by the Legislature hierarchy over the weekend added money to a number of agriculture programs. Some funding was restored for county fairs, promoting state wines, apples and maple syrup, and for farmland protection programs and the New York Farm Viability Institute, which is a farmer-led group providing grants for research and outreach education projects to help farms increase profits and provide models for other farms. "That's a real blessing," said John Lester, director of the Cayuga County Fair. "Oh thank God," said Mary Messere, director of the Madison County Fair. "Trying to come up with these funds from sponsors was just about impossible." County and youth fair boards use their state money to pay for ribbons or cash awards for contest and exhibit winners. Gov. David Paterson's original cut would have drained thousands from the fairs in Cayuga, Madison and Oswego counties and the Onondaga County Youth Fair. Cayuga County gets $5,000; Oswego County about $8,000 to $9,000; Madison County, $8,000; and the Onondaga County Youth Fair, $5,000.
