Satur Farms Among Local Winners of State Economic Development Grants

CUTCHOGUE, NY — Satur Farms is one of the local recipients of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent round of grant funding.

More than $700 million in economic and community development funding was awarded statewide through Round VI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, a release on Cuomo's site said.

Satur Farms LLC received $75,000 for business machinery upgrades, Cuomo's site reported: "Satur Farms, located in Cutchogue, will acquire new and modify existing equipment for the processing and packing of field grown leafy green salads."

It's the third time in recent years Satur Farms has been recognized: In 2014, Satur Farms received a state Regional Economic Development Council Grant, according to Cuomo. Satur Farms LLC, Cuomo's site reads, "an agricultural company which grows, processes, and packs baby leafy green salads and specialty vegetables — will use a grant of up to $120,000 for a portion of the cost of the purchase of machinery and equipment to expand its vegetable processing and packing facility in Suffolk County, Long Island," a release read.

In 2011, Cuomo launched his Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, to redesign the relationship between the state government and businesses to stimulate regional development, and Paulette Satur, president of Satur Farms, was named as a general member.

Back in 2013, the farm also received a grant from New York State Regional Economic Development Council toward more machinery and equipment to expand its vegetable processing and packaging line at the Calverton location.

In 2013, Jason Conwall, senior press officer for Empire State Development, told Patch that anyone can apply for funding from the economic development council and that decisions to grant the money is based only on merit — no matter if the person is on the council or not.

“Heads of influential organizations and businesses who might happen to be on the council are also looking for money from the state,” Conwall said. “It doesn’t necessarily look great but there is no conflict of interest.”

Joe Gergela, then-president of the Long Island Farm Bureau, agreed. “It’s very expensive for farmers to chop vegetables for preparation purposes, which is what they are doing privately,” Gergela said. “And given the level of investment they are putting into their own farming operation, I don’t see this as a conflict of interest. Economic development grants are for expanding jobs and business and any farmer can apply.”

Grant funding for other local endeavors

A big winner in the most recent grant funding go-round was Luminati Aerospace, LLC in Calverton, which received $1 million to expand the development and manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs at Riverhead's Calverton Industrial park. "The project will enhance the renewal of Long Island's aerospace industry. Luminati Aerospace is an aerospace technology company focusing on research, development, testing, and manufacturing of next generation solar-electric UAVs, at its facility located at the historic Calverton airbase (formerly Grumman Aerospace) in Riverhead, Suffolk County," the release said.

Locally, grant funding was also awarded to the Town of Southold, in the amount of $245,055, for the second phase of the Bays to Trails initiative; to the Town of Riverhead, with $500,000 for the EPCAL athletic trail, to the Town of Southampton, with $30,000 awarded for the Riverside Sewer Map and Plan. In addition, $206,250 was also awarded to the East End Tourism Alliance, for virtual tours of the East End. Also, $200,000 was awarded to North to South, LLC, which "will convert a vacant, deteriorating building in Downtown Riverhead into the Riverhead East End Market which will serve as a Food Market/Production Center."

To read the full list of grant funding awarded, click here.

Satur did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the award.

Cuomo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.