WAC Launches $1.35M Grant for Innovative Farm Tech

By Blake Jackson

The Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) is introducing a one-time competitive grant program designed to support farms in adopting innovative equipment and technologies that improve air and water quality while enhancing farm operations.

The Agricultural Environmental Innovation Demonstration Program (AEIDP) will provide a total of $1.35 million directly to farms for on-farm projects that demonstrate measurable environmental benefits and practical applications of new technologies.

Funded through an environmental settlement in the Town of Delhi and coordinated by New York State Attorney General Letitia James and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the program reinvests resources into the agricultural community.

It aims to foster experimentation with cutting-edge tools, promote knowledge sharing, and advance sustainable farming practices across the region.

Funding is available in three categories, with farms eligible to apply for up to one project per category:

• Soil Health & Cover Crop Equipment - $200,000 available, with grants up to $50,000 to support no-till and cover crop management technologies.
• Agricultural Drones & Drone Services - $300,000 available, with grants up to $50,000 for drone purchases or custom drone service credits for agricultural applications.
• Innovative Equipment & Precision Ag Technology - $847,000 available, with grants up to $75,000 for advanced tools such as GPS guidance, variable rate systems, sensors, and automated equipment.

WAC will partner with Cornell University’s Farmers DataLab to support project monitoring, evaluation, and outreach, ensuring that lessons learned are shared widely.

The program will be formally launched at the Catskill Regional Agricultural Conference on January 9, 2026, at SUNY Delhi, with an early-bird informational workshop.

A second session will take place on January 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Conservation Center in Walton. Selected projects will undergo a three-year demonstration and monitoring period, after which the equipment will become fully owned by the participating farms.

Full application details and materials will be available on the WAC website.

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