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- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Companion bill
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Establishes the small farm disaster recovery grant program
In Assembly Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Angelo Santabarbara
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S4521
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to establishing a small farm disaster recovery grant program
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS::
Section 1 amends the agriculture and markets law by adding a new section 325b, establishing the "Small Farm Disaster Recovery Grant Program," and defines a small farm to include only those that sell produce and have annual sales of one hundred thousand dollars or. less. The owner of any small farm may submit an application for a grant, the amount of which is to be determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets up to $10,000, awarded solely for the purpose of purchasing and replanting crops that have been destroyed by a natural disaster.
This Program shall be funded through annual appropriations of the Legislature or any other funds received by the state. Grants from the program shall only be awarded based upon the availability of funds.
Section 2 establishes an effective date of 180 days after becoming law.
JUSTIFICATION:: After a 70-year drop in numbers, small farms are beginning to make a comeback. For decades, the number of farmers has been shrinking as a share of the population, but the last Agricultural Census in 2007 showed a 4 percent increase in the number of farms. It is the first increase since 1920, and in many cases, young people and college graduates are joining in the return to the land. Behind this trend, to a large degree, is the appeal of locally grown and specialty produce, filling a niche that larger farms geared to national and international markets have left open for exploitation.
But while there has been an increase in promoting locally grown food, New York's small farmers still struggle to get a foothold in this promising new market.Regardless of size, all farmers are vulnerable to the forces of nature, whether they are excessive heat and drought, flooding, or. infestation,. For small, newly established farms, one such natural disaster. can mean the difference between failure and survival.
The small farm disaster recovery grant program will help cover the costs of replanting crops following a natural disaster or. pestilence. The grant can be up to $10,000 and help cover the cost seed or other expenses to replanting.
EXISTING LAW:: None.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:: New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:: $5 million.
EFFECTIVE DATE:: 180 days after becoming law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.