New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball has announced that $500,000 in new grant funding is now available for farmers’ markets as part of the fourth round of the state’s Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program. The latest round, funded through the New York State Budget, is aimed at strengthening local food systems by improving market infrastructure, boosting marketing efforts, and enhancing delivery capabilities. Awards from the program’s third round were announced earlier this year.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Markets, the program was created to support long-term resiliency for farmers’ markets statewide. A new feature of this round requires Part 1 awardees to provide sub-grants to farmers’ markets or vendors within their region through an open application process. A separate Part 2, expected to open in the coming months, will make $200,000 available directly to eligible farmers’ markets without requiring sub-grants. Officials say the two-part system is designed to broaden access to funding, particularly for smaller or lower-resourced markets.
Part 1 grants will range from $100,000 to $200,000. Applicants must explain how they will solicit and award sub-grants for projects such as infrastructure repairs or upgrades, improved delivery systems, and expanded promotional outreach. Full eligibility and application details are available on the Department’s website. Applications are due by 3 p.m. on February 4, 2026, and an informational webinar is scheduled for December 11 at 12:30 p.m.
State officials note that the grant program is part of a broader initiative to strengthen New York agriculture and expand access to local food. Other efforts include Nourish New York, the 30 Percent NYS Initiative for school meals, the FreshConnect Program, Farm-to-School initiatives, and the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which is providing $50 million over five years to support regional school cooking facilities that use New York-grown products.
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