New York - Big Flats Plant Materials Center

The Big Flats Plant Materials Center (NYPMC) develops plant-based conservation technologies and adapted plants for the Northeast U.S. This area includes not only some significant metropolitan areas, but vast areas of sparsely populated regions that are ecologically and agriculturally important. Much of the NYPMC’s service area is dominated by forest, but the region also has grasslands, plateaus, coastal zones, and wetlands. These natural areas contribute important ecosystem services such as protecting water supplies, buffering shorelines, streams, and rivers, and sequestering carbon in soils and vegetation.

The Northeast is characterized by a diverse climate, with bitterly cold winters, humid summers and a short growing season. Due to these climatic conditions, the Northeast has a wide diversity of agricultural operations, from small family farms to large dairy and livestock farming operations. Commercial fishing, fruit and vegetable production, and forestry products are also very prevalent and contribute significantly to the economy within the region. The NYPMC provides information and plant technology tools that aid NRCS field office personal, public and private entities, soil and water conservation districts and other federal agencies to address resources concerns and improve conservation practices applied to the land.

The NYPMC has developed plants and plant-based technology for improving forage production, creating and enhancing buffers, stabilizing streambanks, cover crop species selection and establishment, improving soil health and soil health practices, establishing living snow fences and windbreaks, establishing pollinator habitat. Establishing working relationships with soil and water conservation districts, universities, state and local governments and other federal agencies is critical for us to carry out the NYPMC’s mission.

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