STEUBEN COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) — The Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation
District received more that $500,000 from New York State to combat climate change by building a manure storage facility.

According to Governor Hochul’s Office, the state awarded the Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District $511,125 to work with a dairy farm to build a covered manure storage facility. The facility is expected to reduce methane production and water quality concerns by separating solids and keeping them dry and reducing the amount of manure in storage. The farm will be able to use the manure solids for livestock bedding, which will reduce the need for it to import bedding.

The funding for this project is from the seventh round of the Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program. This tax-funded grant program is part of New York State’s Agricultural Environmental Management framework and is meant to address the impacts of climate change.

“The Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program continues to provide real solutions in our battle to fight climate change and to provide protections to our farmers who face real hardship following the increasing number of severe weather events we have seen here in New York over the years,” said New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball.

Nearly $16 million went to 116 farms across New York State during the most recent round of Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program awards. The projects funded by these grants are managed by county Soil and Water Conservation Districts.