Additional $200,000 Available for New York Farmer's Markets

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that an additional $200,000 is available to New York’s farmers’ markets through Part 2 of the fourth round of the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program, bringing the total available to markets in Round 4 to $700,000. The Part 1 funding opportunity was announced in December. Grant funding will help farmers’ markets across the state to enhance local food system resiliency by improving market infrastructure, increasing marketing and promotion efforts, and adding delivery capability. Funding for the program was included in the New York State Budget and builds on Governor Kathy Hochul’s commitment to ensure a resilient food system in New York State. Round 3 program awards were announced in August 2025.

Commissioner Ball said, “A top priority for the Department is ensuring the resiliency of our food supply chain right here at home. The Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program is a crucial component of that work, helping our farmers and producers remain strong and reach more consumers. I look forward to seeing the success of the projects funded in Round 4.”

The Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program was created to enhance long-term food system resiliency through New York State’s farmers’ markets. Part 2 of this funding opportunity offers $200,000 in funding direct to eligible to farmers’ markets, without a sub-grant structure as required in Part 1. This split structure is intended to provide more opportunities to smaller markets, or those needing lower levels of financial assistance.

Awards ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 will be made on a rolling basis to eligible and qualified applicants until funds are depleted. Successful projects’ must aim to build resilient and stable local food systems; maintain long-term farmers’ market viability; and/or promote and maintain farmed-food access through New York State’s farmers’ markets. Eligibility criteria and more information on the program, including how to apply, can be found on the Department’s website. The deadline for applications is 4:00 pm on February 18, 2026. An informational webinar for interested applicants was held January 15 at 12:30 pm. View a recording on the Department’s YouTube Channel.

Funding for the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program is a part of Governor Hochul’s strong investment in New York’s agricultural and food industries, aimed at boosting demand for New York agricultural products; bolstering New York's food supply chain; ensuring all New Yorkers can access fresh, local foods; and creating a resilient food system that can withstand extreme events. In addition to the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant program, the Department of Agriculture and Markets has implemented an array of programs to build a more reliable food system and ensure that farmers can connect with new local markets. These include the Nourish New York program, the 30 Percent NYS Initiative for school meals, the FreshConnect Program, and the Farm-to-School program. Additionally, the Governor recently announced the third round of funding as part of the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which provides $50 million over five years to support regional cooking facilities that will advance the use of fresh New York State farm products in meal preparation for K-12 school children.

Farmers’ markets, farm stands, and mobile markets are crucial components to a healthy food system. Today, the Department of Agriculture and Markets works with more than 400 farmers’ markets, 250 farm stands, and 10 mobile market operators. They provide outlets for agricultural producers to meet the rising consumer demand for a variety of fresh, affordable, and convenient products grown directly from the farm.