Department Calls for Beginning Farmer Advisory Board Nominations
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today called for nominations for the new Beginning Farmer Advisory Board. The Board, which was created by statute, will help identify challenges affecting beginning farmers across New York State and provide recommendations to the Department on state priorities, policies, and programs to promote the next generation of farmers. Nominations for the board must be received no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Commissioner Ball said, “As beginning farmers enter the agricultural industry, it’s important that they have the support they need. The Beginning Farmer Advisory Board will help us better address the challenges new farmers face and provide valuable insight into what policies and resources are needed to help them build a successful operation.”
The Beginning Farmer Advisory Board will be comprised of diverse members of the agriculture industry, including the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee, and 25 members. Board members will be appointed to three-year terms, with initial terms staggered to allow terms to expire gradually. Nominations for 13 appointed seats are now open. Nominees must be residents of New York State, show interest in the preservation and development of agriculture and New York’s agricultural way of life, and be actively engaged in farming or other agricultural activities such as research or services that support the agricultural community. Nomination forms can be found here.
Nominations should include the name and email address of the individual being nominated, their organizational affiliation, and a description of their experience related to areas of board responsibility. Completed nomination forms will be used to evaluate the nominee’s qualifications. For more information, please contact [email protected].
The Beginning Farmers Advisory Board will meet twice annually. The Board will communicate to the public, the federal government, and New York State about the importance of supporting and strengthening opportunities for the next generation of farmers. Members will produce a biennial report of their findings and recommendations for the Governor, the temporary president of the Senate, and the Speaker of the Assembly on or before the end of each calendar year. Additionally, members may establish committees as necessary to develop projects relating to the various aspects of life for beginning farmers in New York State.
New York State continues to support its new and beginning farmers entering the agricultural industry. In March 2026, the Department, in collaboration with the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI), announced $1.7 million through the second round of the Beginning Farmer Grant Program to help farmers strengthen their operations. The Beginning Farmer Grant Program was first funded in the FY2023-2024 NYS Enacted Budget and has continued to receive support each subsequent year. The program builds upon the State’s priority to expand opportunities in agriculture to more New Yorkers through programs such as the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmers Grant Program, the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program, continued funding for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), the enhanced FreshConnect Fresh2You initiative, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, New York Food For New York Families, and many more programs.
New farmers are a critical piece of the agricultural landscape in New York State. As the average age of current farm owners and operators increases across the country, as well as within the state, new farmers are needed to keep agricultural land in production and to bolster the future of the agricultural industry.
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