APR Improvement Program (AIP)
 The purpose of the APR Improvement Program (AIP) is to help sustain active commercial farming on land that has already been protected through the Department’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program. AIP provides technical assistance and business planning to improve farm productivity and profitability with the goal of enhancing the significance of APR farm operations and their contribution to the state’s agricultural industry. The program provides assistance to enhance the long-term continued use of the agricultural resource, which may include economic viability, environmental sustainability, resource conservation, family succession planning, infrastructure improvement, or other issues.
In Phase I, the AIP offers participant farms technical and business planning assistance that is similar to services provided by the Department’s Farm Viability Enhancement Program. However, the land protection component of FVEP is omitted, as APR farmland is already restricted to agricultural uses only. Participating farms that complete an AIP business plan and commit to implementing farm improvement strategies identified in the Plan that meet Program objectives may be eligible for funding through an AIP grant in Phase II.
APR Improvement Program Application Period Open
The application period for AIP for Fiscal Year 2013 is now open. Applications are due by June 26, 2012.
AIP Results as of June 30, 2011
In Fiscal Year 2010, 10 farms were nominated to the APR Improvement Program’s Pilot Round. All 10 farms participated and utilized program technical assistance to complete a business plan, and received grant awards totaling $675,000, or an average of $67,500 per farm. Participating farms also received a total of $69,815 in technical assistance.
In Fiscal Year 2011, 12 farms were nominated to the second round of the APR Improvement Program, and utilized program technical assistance. 12 farms completed a business plan through the program and received grant awards totaling $750,000, an average of $68,182 per farm. Participating farms also received a total of $68,486 in technical assistance. Improvement projects for this second year of the program include: 3 hay barn improvements, 3 farmstand renovations, cheese processing plant, greenhouse, barn renovation for packing/storage, dairy infrastructure improvements, milking parlor construction, livestock housing, manure removal system upgrades, revival of a sugaring operation, land management, and orchard replantings. |
