The Catskill Chronicle

Photos by Carol Montana

LIBERTY, NY (August 13, 2013) – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Congressman Chris Gibson, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, were in Sullivan County on Friday to push for passage of the Farm Bill, including an extension of the Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zone designation for Sullivan County and the Town of Wawarsing (Ulster County) that was part of the Senate version of the reauthorization.

The measure would extend a designation that helps give the region priority access to federal funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help grow the local economy and revitalize rural communities. Sullivan County has seen much benefit from the REAP designation, and in 2012 and 2013,  communities and organizations received over $485,000 in federal investments.

“New York’s rural communities have felt some of the very worst of this economic downturn – just the latest in a string of years, if not decades, that have been tough on rural families and businesses,” Senator Gillibrand said. “When our rural communities suffer, our entire state suffers. But I know that our rural communities are home to some of our hardest workers and the best that New York has to offer – from our family farms, to manufactures, to innovative small businesses. When we invest in rural families and businesses, we can re- energize local economies, help attract new businesses and new jobs, and get back to enjoying all that life in rural communities has to offer.”

“My top legislative priority for the fall is getting a farm bill enacted into law.  It is essential not only for our farmers, but also for our rural communities that we have policies in place, like the REAP designation, that support their future.  I have put a focus here in Sullivan County, with an office and a staff that are dedicated to helping Sullivan County succeed.  I am proud to join with Senator Gillibrand in this effort and appreciate her continued commitment to getting this Farm Bill done for our New York communities,” said Congressman Gibson.

Established in 1999, REAP Zone designations allow disadvantaged rural areas to gain preference for USDA funding. The Sullivan-Wawarsing REAP Zone is one of five special economic development zones in the US designated in the Farm Bill. The designation stimulates local economic and community development by prioritizing grants awarded by the USDA.  Projects seeking funding through the USDA can get a boost in their eligibility if the proposals meet criteria established through a REAP benchmark system.

Organizations and communities throughout Sullivan County have worked together to take advantage of this important designation. For example, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County (CCE) and the Liberty Community Development Corporation (Liberty CDC) teamed up to create the EaT Kitchen that will become part of Sullivan County’s food hub and incubate new food-industry and agriculture related economic activity. It will support start-ups and connect small food entrepreneurs with the local agricultural community and enable them to scale up to larger facilities and production levels. The facility will also host nutrition and cooking skills classes for the general public with the goal of improving public health and food education in an economically distressed county of New York State. As demand for fresh, healthy, locally grown food grows it will ensure that Sullivan County has a dedicated facility where the output of the local agricultural community can be transformed by local entrepreneurs into food products that find their way onto the shelves of the small-scale retailers on Main Streets.

Recent projects that received federal funding in part due to the REAP designation include sewer system upgrades and new wastewater treatment plants in Monticello and Woodridge; heating and air conditioning system for the Headstart Center in Monticello; grants to create a red meat processing facility in Liberty and purchase dairy processing equipment; funds to develop a transportation plan and a jobs action plan. The most recent project to receive REAP supported USDA funding is a food hub that will connect local farm products with area restaurants. As part of this project, the Sullivan Cornell Coop Extension received a grant for a commercial community kitchen that will work with food hub participants to develop and promote local products.

In addition to the Liberty Community Development Council award, recent projects that received federal funding in part due to the REAP designation include:

· Over $300,000 for food hub initiatives in Sullivan County, including launching a satellite Food Distribution Hub Project that will provide area farmers an effective distribution line to move their goods to local and regional markets

· $50,000 to provide technical assistance to expand economic development opportunities with the region’s Red Meat Processing Facility

· $75,000 for developing a county-wide comprehensive transportation plan to improve the region’s economy

In addition to the Liberty Community Development Council award, recent projects that received federal funding in part due to the REAP designation include:

· Over $300,000 for food hub initiatives in Sullivan County, including launching a satellite Food Distribution Hub Project that will provide area farmers an effective distribution line to move their goods to local and regional markets

· $50,000 to provide technical assistance to expand economic development opportunities with the region’s Red Meat Processing Facility

· $75,000 for developing a county-wide comprehensive transportation plan to improve the region’s economy