§ 309-A — Beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture

§ 309-a. Beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture. 1. There\nshall be established within the department the beginning farmer advisory\nboard on agriculture, to advise and make recommendations to the state\nagencies on state government plans, policies and programs affecting\nagriculture, as outlined below, and in such areas as its experience and\nstudies may indicate to be appropriate.\n 2. The beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture shall consist of\ntwenty-five members selected for their experience and expertise related\nto areas of board responsibility and comprised of diverse members of the\nagriculture industry, including the commissioner, or the commissioner's\ndesignee, with the remaining members selected as follows:\n (a) The commissioner shall appoint the following eleven board members:\n (1) one representative from the empire state development corporation;\n (2) one officer of the Future Farmers of America (FFA);\n (3) one representative from the department of labor;\n (4) one urban farmer;\n (5) one representative from the New York Farm Bureau;\n (6) one participant from the Cornell small farms program;\n (7) one representative from the United States department of\nagriculture;\n (8) one organic farmer;\n (9) one veteran farmer;\n (10) one representative from the Young Farmers coalition;\n (11) one member of a group identified in the most recent United States\ndepartment of agriculture census of agriculture that is currently\nunderrepresented in farm ownership; and\n (b) The remaining thirteen board members shall be from entry level\nfarmers or novice farmers, agriculture service providers, financial and\nlegal service providers to farm operators, Cornell Cooperative Extension\nrepresentatives, advocacy organization representatives, academics,\nagricultural leaders, and/or others who can contribute to the work of\nthe advisory board on issues, including, among others: access to land\nand capital, grants, business planning, farm processes and government\nprograms selected as follows: seven appointed by the commissioner; two\nappointed by the temporary president of the senate; two appointed by the\nspeaker of the assembly; one appointed by the minority leader of the\nsenate; and one appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.\n (c) Each member shall:\n (1) be interested in the preservation and development of agriculture\nand preservation of the agricultural way of life in New York;\n (2) be actively involved in farming, agricultural activities,\nagricultural research and/or providing services to the agricultural\ncommunity in the state;\n (3) be a resident of the state; and\n (4) be appointed for a term of three years and may serve until their\nsuccessors are chosen; provided, however, that of the members first\nappointed, eight shall serve for a term of one year, eight shall serve\nfor a term of two years and nine shall serve for a term of three years.\n (d) Members shall serve without salary but shall be entitled to\nreimbursement of their ordinary and necessary travel expenses.\n (e) The members of the board shall meet twice a year.\n (f) The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, shall chair the\nboard and the department shall provide the necessary secretariat and\nsupport services to the board.\n 3. The duties and responsibilities of the beginning farmer advisory\nboard on agriculture shall include, but not be limited to:\n (a) communicating to the public, the federal government, and the state\ngovernment the importance of beginning farmers to agriculture in the\nstate;\n (b) identifying issues relating to beginning farmers in the state and\nprovide timely advice to the commissioner, the governor and the relevant\nstate agencies, with regard to the promotion of agriculture as a career\npath and the economic development of beginning farmers;\n (c) producing a biennial report and provide such report to the\ngovernor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the\nassembly on or before the end of each calendar year. Such report shall\nidentify and prioritize policy issues which affect beginning farmers;\nand\n (d) establishing committees, as necessary, to develop projects\nrelating to the aspects of life for beginning farmers in the state.\n