Establishes the small farm disaster recovery grant program; provides grants for the purchase and replanting of crops destroyed by natural disaster.
Summary
This bill would create a Small Farm Disaster Recovery Grant Program within the Agriculture and Markets Law, to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Markets in conjunction with the Empire State Development Corporation. The program is intended to provide financial relief to small farms that have been harmed by natural disasters.
The bill defines a “small farm” as a farm that sells produce and has annual sales of $100,000 or less. Eligible farm owners could apply for grants to purchase and replant crops destroyed by a natural disaster. The commissioner would determine eligibility and the amount of each grant, with a maximum award of $10,000 per farm.
Impact
The bill would add a new section 325-b to the Agriculture and Markets Law and create a new state grant program for disaster recovery assistance to qualifying small produce farms. It would authorize the Department of Agriculture and Markets, working with Empire State Development, to review applications, determine eligibility, and award grants subject to available appropriations or other state funds. The measure would not create an entitlement; awards would depend on funding availability and would be limited to crop replacement and replanting costs.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal debate or roll-call sentiment is available. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be a targeted agricultural relief proposal aimed at helping small farms recover from natural disasters, which suggests a generally supportive policy rationale focused on disaster assistance and farm viability.
Contention
The main policy choices embedded in the bill are the narrow eligibility threshold and the funding cap. Only produce farms with annual sales of $100,000 or less would qualify, which may exclude larger or diversified farms that also suffer disaster losses. The $10,000 maximum grant and the requirement that grants be limited to available funds could also be points of concern for those who believe recovery costs may exceed the assistance provided. No specific opposition or support is documented in the provided record.
Same As
Establishes the small farm disaster recovery grant program; provides grants for the purchase and replanting of crops destroyed by natural disaster.