|By Cornell Cooperative Extension staff
As part of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s role in strengthening New York State agriculture, we are helping to spread word of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ plans to launch a statewide online Farm Directory. The Farm Directory, which launches in mid-June, will connect consumers to producers of farm products and promote New York farms.
The law requires that a farm that does not wish to be listed in the directory must notify the Department of its decision to opt out, which can also be done at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/farmdirectory. An opt-out will continue for the life of the farm directory.
The Farm Directory will appear on the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ website at agriculture.ny.gov/farming/farm-directory. It will show information for each listed farm, which can include the farm name, farm type, point of contact, addresses, telephone number, email address, website, social media, and a listing of all available products produced by the farm. Other categories of interest to the public, like the farm’s inclusion in the New York State Grown & Certified Program and designations of organic, halal or kosher certified may also be noted. Website visitors will be able to sort or search the directory by any field.
Since not every farm offers products to the public at the farm site, each farm can indicate whether it is open to the public, or if there is another means that their farm product can be accessed. This might include listing a distributor, a brand name that your product is eventually marketed under, or a specific consumer-facing website where the public can determine where to purchase your product in a retail location. The information available on the directory for each farm can be tailored to meet the individual needs of each business and farmers will be able to update their information as desired.
The creation of the Farm Directory derives from Section 16(52) of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, requiring the Department to create a directory of every farm in New York State. Farms will be receiving a package in the mail shortly outlining the Farm Directory purpose, a survey to collect information on the farm to be included in the Directory, and a return envelope.
If you choose not to have your farm participate in the Directory, you are required by law to notify the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets of this decision by opting out. Farms may opt out by returning the provided survey or indicating it through the online survey on the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets website.
Farms that initially opt out can later contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets if they wish to be included at any point. Also, farms can also contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets if they wish to opt out after initially choosing to participate in the Directory.
For questions or additional information on the Farm Directory, please contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at (518) 485-1050 or FarmDirectory@agriculture.ny.gov.
