§ 262 — State aid for farmers' markets

§ 262. State aid for farmers' markets. 1. There is hereby created\nwithin the department a program of grants for the purpose of providing\nstate assistance for farmer's markets. In administering such program,\nthe commissioner, to the extent feasible, shall ensure an equitable\ndistribution of awards to rural areas and other areas of the state.\nState assistance provided pursuant to this section may be awarded for:\n (a) the construction, reconstruction, improvement, expansion or\nrehabilitation of farmers' markets. Grants provided pursuant to this\nparagraph shall not exceed the lesser of fifty percent of project cost\nor fifty thousand dollars per project in any fiscal year.\n (b) the purpose of providing promotional support for farmer's markets.\nGrants provided pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the lesser\nof fifty percent of project cost or seven thousand five hundred dollars\nper applicant in any fiscal year.\n (c) equipment costs associated with improving farmers' market\nfunctions, including but not limited to expanding access to electronic\nbenefit transfer technology for farmers' markets and other\nnon-traditional food access points in food deserts in the state.\n 2. Any municipal corporation, regional market authority, public\nbenefit corporation, not-for-profit corporation or agricultural\ncooperative organized pursuant to the cooperative corporations law, may\nsubmit an application for state assistance for the construction,\nreconstruction, improvement, expansion or rehabilitation of a farmers'\nmarket under their control including assistance for engineering or\narchitectural designs for new or reconstructed facilities, and for\nproviding promotional support for farmers' markets.\n 3. The commissioner may approve or disapprove any application made\npursuant to this section, and shall consider the following in his\ndecision:\n a. the relative impact of the proposed farmers' market project on the\neconomy of the area to be served;\n b. the anticipated level of municipal and local participation in the\nproject;\n c. the extent to which New York farmers would benefit, through the\ndirect sale of farm and food products;\n d. the geographic distribution of monies appropriated for state\nassistance for farmers' markets; and\n e. the anticipated quantity of non-farm jobs which would be created\nand retained due to the proposed project.\n 4. In administering the provisions of this section, the commissioner:\n a. may in the name of the state, contract to make, within the\nlimitations of appropriations available therefor, state grants\nrepresenting the state share of the costs of projects approved and to be\nundertaken pursuant to this section;\n b. shall examine vouchers for the payment of assistance pursuant to an\napproved contract and shall forward approved vouchers to the state\ncomptroller. All such payments shall be paid on the audit and warrant of\nthe state comptroller; and\n c. may perform such other and further acts and promulgate such rules\nand regulations as may be necessary, proper or desirable to carry out\nthe provisions of this section.\n