December 7, 2015 - Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced a new meadow of wild flowers and native grasses will be installed at Hilltop Hanover Farm, helping the county meet state and federal environmental mandates to reduce stormwater pollutants and improve water quality. The Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District secured a state grant to fully fund the project in 2016.
"This small meadow packs a big punch for preserving water quality," Astorino said. "The project at Hilltop Hanover Farm is a great example of the important work being done by the county's Soil and Water Conservation Board, capitalizing on every opportunity to preserve our natural resources for future generations."
The $6,000 state grant will be leveraged by the farm's staff and volunteers to create a 1.5 acre meadow of native grasses and wildflowers along the outside perimeter of a fence surrounding Hilltop Hanover Farm's agricultural fields. This meadow will minimize the environmental impacts of agricultural activities at the county-owned farm by filtering and absorbing much of the stormwater run-off from the fields before it reaches wetlands and streams that supply the East of Hudson watershed.
Under New York State's MS4 Stormwater Permit Program, Westchester is mandated to retrofit county roads and facilities to reduce the introduction of stormwater pollutants, such as phosphorous, into the watershed.
Hilltop Hanover Farm is a 187-acre crop farm and environmental center, located in Yorktown Heights, NY, and operated under a public/private partnership between Westchester County and Friends of Hilltop Hanover.