Celebrating the John May Farm Safety Fund and National ROPS Rebate Program
Sept. 4, 2026 (FLY CREEK, NY) – Two of NYCAMH’s signature programs accomplished major milestones this year: the John May Farm Safety Fund made significant strides in investing in the health and safety of New York farmers and the National ROPS Rebate Program turns 20 this fall.
Over the summer, the John May Farm Safety Fund awarded funds for the program’s 500th completed project. This milestone was thanks to a squeeze chute for Cortland County beef farmer Chuck Doran. “[We] appreciate you helping with this process,” says Mr. Doran, “and…that there is a program like yours that helps the farmers keep trying to do their jobs in a safe manner [and] helping the cows in a less stressful manner.”
Just days later, the fund surpassed a total of $2 million invested toward improving on-farm safety for farmers across New York. This milestone was marked by a similar award to a family beef farm with a long-standing history in Steuben County. Mark and Jody Applebee have been farming for nearly 40 years, and with the support of the John May Farm Safety Fund, they transformed their cattle handling system to include safer equipment as they continue to grow their operation. Read more about these remarkable milestones here.
If that wasn’t enough cause to celebrate, this year is the 20th anniversary of our National ROPS Rebate Program! It was initially launched in New York in 2006 and has since expanded to serve farmers across the U.S. Former NY Senator Catharine Young noted it is “vital in ensuring the safety of those providing our bread and butter.” Twenty years on and we couldn’t agree more.
To date, farmers in 27 states have benefited from the Program and more than 3,900 tractors have been retrofitted. Thirty past participants have reported surviving a tractor overturn because of the ROPS they were able to install through the Program. Countless others have reported near misses and other events in which their ROPS protected them from injuries. (Learn more about the Program at ROPSr4u.org.)
Our team at NYCAMH is deeply proud to serve farmers, farmworkers, and their families through both of these programs. We look forward to many more years of their continued growth to support the safety and health of rural communities across our state.
