What's happening
This bill creates a grant program to provide financial relief for small farms in New York affected by natural disasters.
Why it matters
Targets the smallest farms. Only farms with $100,000 or less in annual sales are eligible, focusing relief on those most likely to lack resources or insurance to recover independently after disasters.
Direct aid for crop replanting. Funds must be used specifically for purchasing and replanting crops destroyed by natural disasters, helping farms quickly restore production and stabilize local food supplies.
Grant cap and need-based assessment. Relief amounts are determined by the commissioner based on demonstrated need, with a maximum grant of $10,000, aiming to ensure funds are distributed equitably and effectively.
Contingent on available funding. Grants depend on annual legislative appropriations or other state funds, highlighting the importance of ongoing political and budgetary support for disaster recovery in agriculture.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Aid for Small Disaster-Hit Farms
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Aid for Small Farms
In Assembly Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Angelo Santabarbara
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
580
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
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 establishing a small farm disaster recovery grant 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 325-b to read as follows:
§ 325-b. Small farm disaster recovery grant program. 1. There is hereby established a small farm disaster recovery grant program to be administered by the department, in conjunction with the empire state development corporation.
2. The purpose of the program is to provide financial relief to small farms that have been affected by natural disasters.
3. For purposes of this section, small farm shall only include farms that sell produce and have annual sales of one hundred thousand dollars or less.
4. The owner of any small farm may submit an application for a grant pursuant to this section to the department. Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall be used solely for the purpose of purchasing and replanting crops that have been destroyed by a natural disaster.
5. The commissioner, upon review of an owner's application, shall determine if the owner is eligible for a grant pursuant to this section. The commissioner shall make the determination as to the amount of grant the small farm owner needs to rebuild their crop, provided that such amount shall in no event exceed ten thousand dollars.
6. This program shall be funded through annual appropriations of the legislature or any other funds received by the state for the purposes of this section. Grants shall only be awarded based upon the availability of funds.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01324-01-5
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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 estab- lishing a small farm disaster recovery grant program
Purpose
To establish recovery grant program for small farm disasters.
Summary of 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 Legis- lature or any other funds received by the state. Grants from the program shall only be awarded based upon the availability of funds.
Section 2: Effective Date.
Justification
According to the latest Agricultural Census, in 2022, over 90 percent of New York State's farms have been categorized as small farms. Addi- tionally, New York's farms grossed $8.5 billion in income in 2022, a 47.8% increase from 2017 to 2022. Behind the economic growth, 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.
New York has several agricultural products ranked in the top 3 nation- wide, including beets, apples, maple syrup, cabbage and milk. Yet, New York's small farmers still struggle to get a foothold in this promising market. Between 2012 and 2022, the state lost close to 14% of its farms and over 9% of farmland. Contributing to the consolidation,and the loss of farms due to the unpredictability of farming, is extreme weather. 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.
Legislative history
2023-2024: S.6014 referred to Agriculture/A.1046 referred to Agriculture
2021-2022: S.1266 referred to Agriculture/A.1650 referred to Agriculture
2020: S.271 reported from Agriculture and committed to Finance/A.1137 referred to Agriculture
2019: S.271 committed to Rules/A.1337 referred to Agriculture
2017-2018: S.5127 passed Senate/A.191 referred to Agriculture
2015-2016: S.5635-A passed Senate/ A.2457-A referred to Agriculture
2012-2014: S.4521 referred to Agriculture/ A.7038 referred to Agricul- ture
Fiscal implications
Undetermined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of April succeeding the date on which it shall have become law, provided, however, that effective imme- diately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized and directed to be made on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.