Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are defined as animal farms, meeting certain animal number thresholds, that confine their animals to a non-pasture area for at least 45 days per year. In New York, dairy farms who do not discharge process wastewater from their production area and who confine 300 or more cows are considered a “medium” CAFO. Those same non-discharging operations, that confine 700 or more cows, are defined as “large” CAFOs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a federal organization that has specific regulations that large CAFO farms must follow to minimize pollution of their surrounding environment. However, New York State has issued additional requirements, beyond what EPA requires, that regulate not only large but also medium CAFOs. In New York State, multiple federal and state organizations work together to create regulations and incentive programs that have shown to reduce the environmental footprint of animal feeding operations over time, reducing risk of impacts on water and air quality, while also supporting the production of high quality, nutritious food for human consumption. Here we outline a short history of CAFO regulations in New York State and describe the requirements and implementation approach for New York State dairy and livestock farms.