What's happening
This bill establishes the "Farmland for a New Generation" program to help new and existing farmers access and transfer farmland in New York.
Why it matters
Addresses the growing challenge of farmland succession. by helping aging farmers find successors, ensuring active farmland stays in agricultural use rather than being lost to development or abandonment.
Supports new and beginning farmers. by providing structured assistance to find affordable land, a major barrier to entering agriculture, potentially revitalizing rural economies and local food systems.
Promotes farmland conservation. through support for conservation easements, helping preserve farmland for future generations and protecting open space and environmental resources.
Leverages partnerships and local expertise. by working with organizations like American Farmland Trust and Cornell Cooperative Extension, increasing the program’s reach and effectiveness through regional navigators and a statewide resource center.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Help New Farmers Access Land
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3142
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 4, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the establishment of the "Farmland for a New Generation" program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 323-a to read as follows:
§ 323-a. Farmland for a new generation. 1. The commissioner, together with American Farmland Trust, shall oversee and administer a program entitled "Farmland for a New Generation". Such program shall establish a statewide resource center for farmland transition and conservation, and a network of regional navigators to assist with farmland access and transfer throughout New York.
2. The "Farmland for a New Generation" program may include, but shall not be limited to: helping new farmers find affordable land to start an agricultural business; enabling farmers to acquire additional land for their agricultural business; assisting established farmers to find a successor for their agricultural business; aiding farmland owners in finding farmers willing to farm such farmland; supporting farm families in transferring ownership of the farmland to successors; and assisting farmers in protecting their land using conservation easements.
§ 2. Subject to appropriation, funds shall be allocated to the department of agriculture and markets for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of section 323-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added by section one of this act, by establishing a statewide resource center in collaboration with American Farmland Trust for farmland transition and conservation. Subject to appropriation, additional funds shall be allocated to the department of agriculture and markets, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of section 323-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added by section one of this act, by providing financial
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05116-01-9
S. 3142 2
assistance for regional navigators across the state within the Cornell Cooperative Extension not-for-profit conservation organization and other organizations.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the establishment of the "Farmland for a New Generation" program
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to establish the "Farmland for a New Gener- ation" program under the oversight of the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in coordination with Ameri- can Farmland Trust, in order to establish a statewide resource center for farmland transition and conservation, and to provide financial assistance to partnering organizations.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the agriculture and markets law by adding a new section 323a, which establishes the "Farmland for a New Generation" program under the oversight of the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in coordination with American Farmland Trust and outlines the responsibilities of this program.
Section 2 appropriates funds as may be deemed necessary and appropriate, within the constraints of the budget, to the Department of Agriculture and Markets for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of Section 1 above by establishing a statewide resource center for farmland transi- tion and conservation.
Section 3 appropriates funds as may be deemed necessary and appropriate, within the constraints of the budget, to the Department of Agriculture and Markets for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of Section 1 above by providing financial assistance to organizations partnering with the Farmland for a New Generation program.
Section 4 establishes the effective date.
Justification
Currently, nearly 30% of the farmland in New York is operated by senior farmers age 65 and over who face barriers to the transfer of their farms to the next generation. Farmland in transition is vulnerable to being lost to real estate development-meeting the same fate as the nearly 5,000 farms that have been lost to real estate development in New York since the 1980s. At the same time, beginning farmers-including young people, immigrants, veterans, and others seeking to start a farm-have difficulty finding affordable farmland in close proximity to markets.
The Farmland for a New Generation Program will address this problem by significantly expanding support for new and next generation farmers in finding farmland, assisting established farmers to find a successor for their agricultural business, and assisting farmers in protecting their land using conservation easements.
Prior legislative history
2018: S.7681/A.9619-A-referred to Agriculture
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.