S 583: Relates to the establishment of the "Farmland for a New Generation" program.
The bill aims to establish the "Farmland for a New Generation" program, which will oversee and administer a statewide resource center for farmland transition and conservation, as well as a network of regional navigators to assist with farmland access and transfer throughout the state. The program will help new farmers find affordable land, assist established farmers in finding successors, and support farm families in transferring ownership of the farmland. The program will also aid farmers in protecting their land using conservation easements. Funds will be allocated to the Department of Agriculture and Markets to carry out the program, including establishing a statewide resource center in collaboration with American Farmland Trust and providing financial assistance for regional navigators. The bill will take effect immediately.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE |
| Jan. 08, 2025 | REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 583 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. HELMING, BORRELLO, OBERACKER -- 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 Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new 2 section 323-a to read as follows: 3 § 323-a. Farmland for a new generation. 1. The commissioner, together 4 with American Farmland Trust, shall oversee and administer a program 5 entitled "Farmland for a New Generation". Such program shall establish a 6 statewide resource center for farmland transition and conservation, and 7 a network of regional navigators to assist with farmland access and 8 transfer throughout New York. 9 2. The "Farmland for a New Generation" program may include, but shall 10 not be limited to: helping new farmers find affordable land to start an 11 agricultural business; enabling farmers to acquire additional land for 12 their agricultural business; assisting established farmers to find a 13 successor for their agricultural business; aiding farmland owners in 14 finding farmers willing to farm such farmland; supporting farm families 15 in transferring ownership of the farmland to successors; and assisting 16 farmers in protecting their land using conservation easements. 17 § 2. Subject to appropriation, funds shall be allocated to the depart- 18 ment of agriculture and markets for the purpose of carrying out the 19 provisions of section 323-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added 20 by section one of this act, by establishing a statewide resource center 21 in collaboration with American Farmland Trust for farmland transition 22 and conservation. Subject to appropriation, additional funds shall be 23 allocated to the department of agriculture and markets, for the purpose EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01327-01-5S. 583 2 1 of carrying out the provisions of section 323-a of the agriculture and 2 markets law, as added by section one of this act, by providing financial 3 assistance for regional navigators across the state within the Cornell 4 Cooperative Extension not-for-profit conservation organization and other 5 organizations. 6 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.