To protect the water supply from surface runoff and promote regional agriculture, rural and urban New Yorkers developed an alliance called the New York City Watershed Whole Farm Program, which promotes sustainable agriculture in New York State. With financial assistance from the city, upstate farmers implement nutrient management, pesticide management and related watershed management techniques to reduce runoff from their lands. The city's urban population serves as a local market for upstate farmers, particularly through Greenmarket, a farmer's market founded in 1976 by the Council on the Environment of New York City. Upstate farmers sell their products at Greenmarket locations.
