The Ulster County Legislature has approved setting up a fund that is to have an initial capitalization of $700,000 that would be used to help farm businesses in the county. County Executive Jen Metzger had proposed establishing an Agricultural Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund for the county. She presented the idea in her 2025 State of the County Address. It is a low cost lending program designed to provide accessible, flexible, and affordable capital to small- and mid-sized farm enterprises.
“This program directly implements a key recommendation of our Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, and I’m proud that we are putting it into action,” Metzger said. “Our farms are the backbone of Ulster County’s economy and rural heritage, and the new loan fund will help our farms diversify, modernize, and build resilience for the long term.”
Metzger has a history of trying to help farming businesses, and previously chaired the State Senate Agriculture Committee when she served in the Albany legislature.
The fund will prioritize projects that enhance farm viability by supporting operational efficiency. Eligible projects may include investments in equipment, infrastructure, technology upgrades, renewable energy systems, and climate adaptation measures. The program will be open to all small- and mid-sized farms, and will include outreach to historically underserved farm businesses that have faced higher barriers to accessing capital. The loan program is expected to begin in the spring.
The new county loan fund follows 2025’s Ulster County Farm Viability and Sustainability Grant Program, which awarded $586,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to nine Ulster County farms.
The new revolving loan program will be administered for the county by the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC). HVADC also administered the Ulster County Farm Viability and Sustainability Grant Program on behalf of the county.
“We’re proud to work with Ulster County to develop this new agricultural loan fund, expanding access to affordable, flexible capital for farms and food businesses,” said Todd Erling, HVADC executive director. “By connecting local producers with the resources they need to invest in their operations, equipment, and resilience, we’re strengthening the economic viability and sustainability of the county’s agricultural sector.”
County Legislator Herb Litts, who is deputy chair of the legislature’s Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee said, “As a farmer myself, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to access affordable capital when you need to invest in equipment, improve infrastructure, or adapt to changing conditions in these economic times. This revolving loan fund is more than a financial tool — it’s a lifeline that will help our farms remain viable for the next generation.”
