Requires the department of agriculture and markets to facilitate and expand an initiative to promote opportunities for farm ownership to farmers who are black, indigenous and people of color; requires the department to submit a triennial report to the governor and the legislature regarding such initiative.
Summary
S03578 would amend the Agriculture and Markets Law to require the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to facilitate and expand an initiative aimed at increasing farm ownership opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) farmers. The bill states legislative findings that BIPOC farmers make up a very small share of New York’s farming population and expresses an intent to diversify the profession and encourage more BIPOC participation in farm ownership.
The department would be directed to provide financial and technical support for the initiative, promote products and services from BIPOC farmers, and create opportunities for farm ownership for these farmers. The bill also requires a triennial report to the governor and legislature describing the initiatives undertaken, funding distributed by region, the percentage of farms owned by BIPOC farmers by region, and the products distributed to and from each region. The act would take effect 90 days after becoming law.
Impact
This bill would add a new duty to section 16 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, expanding the Department of Agriculture and Markets’ role in supporting BIPOC farmers and farm ownership. It would not directly change private rights or impose new obligations on farmers generally, but it would require the department to develop, support, and report on targeted programs, potentially affecting how state agricultural resources, outreach, and funding are allocated across regions and among producers.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong committee support, with the Senate Agriculture Committee approving the bill 8-0 on May 14, 2025. The bill’s findings and purpose reflect a policy goal of addressing racial disparities in agriculture and expanding access to farm ownership, indicating generally favorable sentiment among supporters of agricultural equity and diversity initiatives. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate or opposition arguments.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the bill’s race-conscious targeting of state support and farm ownership opportunities to BIPOC farmers. Supporters are likely to view this as a necessary corrective to longstanding underrepresentation in farming, while critics could question whether the initiative should be limited to specific racial and ethnic groups or whether the state should use such targeted assistance at all. Because no committee transcript is provided, there is no documented on-the-record opposition in the available materials.
Requires the department of agriculture and markets to facilitate and expand an initiative to promote opportunities for farm ownership to farmers who are black, indigenous and people of color; requires the department to submit an annual report to the governor and the legislature regarding such initiative.
Directs the department of agriculture and markets to increase the number of regional farmers' markets for the direct marketing of foods and produce produced in the state.
Establishes in the department of agriculture and markets a program to purchase fresh produce from farms located in the state and distribute such produce to areas determined by the commissioner of agriculture and markets to be food deserts; promotes opportunities for farm ownership among under-represented farmers, including farmers who are black, indigenous, or people of color.
Establishes in the department of agriculture and markets a program to purchase fresh produce from farms located in the state and distribute such produce to areas determined by the commissioner of agriculture and markets to be food deserts; promotes opportunities for farm ownership among under-represented farmers, including farmers who are black, indigenous, or people of color.
Requires Departments of Agriculture and Education to cooperatively implement new "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative to promote and facilitate increased procurement and use of local and regional foods for school meals program purposes.
Provides a tax credit for sales or rentals of agricultural assets to emerging farmers; requires the commissioner of agriculture and markets to implement a plan for certification of eligible taxpayers with respect thereto.
Provides a tax credit for sales or rentals of agricultural assets to emerging farmers; requires the commissioner of agriculture and markets to implement a plan for certification of eligible taxpayers with respect thereto.
Requires the department of agriculture and markets to promote participation in Nourish New York, including financial and technical support, for black, indigenous and people of color site controlled farms.