The mission of NYS Department of Ag & Markets is to foster a competitive food and agriculture industry that benefits producers and consumers alike. They work to promote a viable agricultural industry, foster agricultural environmental stewardship, and safeguard our food supply.

Grow New York is a multi-faceted program that assists the economic development efforts of New York's agricultural production, processing and marketing industries. Grow New York offers the food and agricultural industry a variety of opportunities that promote agriculture development, expand employment and generate increased economic activity across the state.

Market Enhancement
The Department of Agriculture and Markets administers numerous programs, organizes activities and provides services, which assist the industry in expanding existing markets and developing new ones on various marketing levels. Domestic and International Marketing efforts assist producers in obtaining representation for their products at state and national trade shows as well as provide buyers with information about sourcing products in New York State.

The Department also assists food companies in securing federal Market Access Program funds though Food Export USA ? Northeast for their individual branded product market development and promotion activities.

Business Development
Provides assistance to help agricultural producers and food processors locate public and private funding for business development or expansions. Business development, expansion and diversification assistance is also available.

Agricultural Workforce Training
Assists New York farmers with the recruitment, training and placement of agricultural employees. Provides training for individuals with no farm work experience as well as skills upgrades for those already employed on a farm.

Agricultural Research and Development Grants
To keep pace with global marketplace competition, this grant offers funding for projects which promise positive economic results, such as new product development; alternative production, processing, distribution, and marketing technologies; the introduction of new technologies; and organizational approaches that further develop the industry. The grant program is open to public and private agencies, organizations, businesses and industry, educational institutions, local governments and individual researchers.

Farmland Viability Grants
Designed to help maintain farmland as a working landscape, this program funds the development of farm viability plans and the implementation of projects that contribute to farm profitability and sound environmental management. Grant funds may be used by a county to implement a portion of its agricultural and farmland protection plan or may be used by an individual farm to develop or implement a business management plan.

Farmers' Market Development Grants
To encourage the creation of new farmers? markets or the improvement of existing ones, this grant may be used to assist in the construction, reconstruction, expansion, rehabilitation or physical improvement of a market, including assistance for engineering or architectural designs.

Enterprise Program
Provides gap-financing funds for agricultural business development/expansion or for construction of publicly owned facilities/infrastructure, which are necessary to accommodate production agriculture or agribusiness development.

The Pride of New York Program assists food producers and retailers by promoting the sale of New York produced food and food products. The program does so by providing marketing materials and assistance, and by conducting promotional activities, which highlight New York State's many exceptional products. Farmers and food processors wishing to become members of the Pride of New York Program can call the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at 1-800-554-4501.

New York State Law includes several right-to-farm protections that are intended to help farmers remain economically viable and encourage them to keep their land in agricultural production. Similarly, the law also provides tax savings for farmers, which are intended to lower the cost of doing business in New York State.

• Farm Property School Tax Credit (Form IT-217 for individuals, estates & trusts, Form CT-47 for corporations) - a credit against personal income tax or corporate franchise tax equal to school property taxes paid on certain farm property.
• Investment Credit (Form IT-212) - a tax credit for qualified structures, equipment, livestock and other tangible property and personal property.

• Agricultural Assessment (Form RP-305) - a property tax reduction program that assesses agricultural property based on its value for farming versus development.
• Benefit Assessment Limitation? a limitation on the imposition of benefit assessments for certain improvements on farms.
• Commercial, Business or Industrial Real Property (Form RP-485-b) - a 10-year exemption for farm processing and marketing buildings.
• New Farm Buildings (Form RP-483) - a 10-year exemption for newly constructed or reconstructed agricultural buildings.
• Orchards and Vineyards (Form RP-305-e) - an exemption for agricultural land used solely for replanting or crop expansion in an orchard or vineyard.
• Historic Barns (Form RP-483-b and IT-212-ATT) - an exemption and a credit for reconstruction or rehabilitation of barns that were constructed prior to 1936.
• Storage Facilities (Form RP-483-a) - an exemption for silos, commodity, milk, and manure storage facilities.
• Temporary Greenhouses (Form RP-483-c)
• Woodlots Over 50 Acres (Form RP-480-a)