INTERLAKEN, N.Y. — New York state recently announced $42 million in funding for efforts to improve water quality in the Finger Lakes. Some of the initiatives include farmers. Many in the region are already doing their part.

Fifty-two head of beef cattle make up Sweetness of Life Farm in Interlaken.

“I get the beauty of living on a country estate,” said Karl Dendis, who runs the third-generation family farm. “Of course, the payback for that is that I have to work to keep it that way.”

For Dendis, the hard work includes being a steward of the land.

“I kind of wanted to move in the best practices,” he said. “And to be honest, I didn't know what they were.”

The farm sits about four and a half miles from Cayuga Lake. A stream that runs through the farm eventually empties into the lake, which has been threatened in recent years by harmful algae blooms and other water quality issues

“So anything I do here is affecting the lake,” said Dendis.

Finding the best way to accomplish a more environmentally friendly farm prompted Dendis to ask Seneca County Soil and Water to help him come up with a plan.

“Best practice in the old days was to have a stream where cows could access water all the time,” he said. “Today, we know that's probably not the best for our environment.”

Dendis recently showed off the farm’s improvements to a group of farmers, locals and agriculture industry supporters. The event was part of a tour of Finger Lakes farms sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Seneca County.

Cows are no longer pastured near the stream. They get fresh water. A concrete bunker and improved drainage help keep manure and runoff from entering the stream, and more importantly — out of the lake.  

“Our challenges as we get more populous, is to use the land we have effectively and to protect the people that have the house right next to the farm,” said Dendis. “And I think, especially in the heart of the Finger Lakes, there's no place where it's more acutely aware than here.”

It’s an effort, to prevent runoff and erosion, that takes a partnership

“It really is a shining example of how when partners can work together with the land managers and livestock producers and come up with solutions that work,” said Kirsten Workman, Cornell University nutrient management and environmental sustainability specialist.

Solutions to preserve water quality in the Finger Lakes. Success on the farm is measured in many ways.

“Over time, practices improve,” said Dennis. “And everybody's watching the environment more than we used to.”