On Friday, Feb. 3, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $333,000 in federal funding for five Hudson Valley farms. Edgwick Farm in Cornwall will receive $120,000; Catskill Dudukju in Wurtsboro will receive $49,000; Food Gems, LTD in Middletown is to receive $35,004; Maple Shade Farm in Delhi is going to receive $49,750; and Dagele Brothers Produce gets $79,425. The money was allocated through the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. The program is designed to boost farms’ income and productivity by providing access to capital and technical assistance, and developing marketing strategies for independent producers.