Staff Report / July 15, 2026
SOUTHERN TIER of NY– A significant financial injection is headed to the Southern Tier to ensure local agricultural hubs can thrive, modernize, and better connect residents with homegrown nutrition.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball officially announced that $750,000 has been distributed to 10 organizations statewide through the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program. Securing a major piece of that state funding pie is the Common Council for Assistance, a dedicated Southern Tier organization that has been awarded exactly $176,198.29. The localized capital will be deployed to construct a robust sub-grant network that directly funds individual farmers’ markets and independent market vendors, provides comprehensive regional grant support, and hosts a formal recognition ceremony to celebrate the grant recipients.
First introduced as a core pillar of Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2022 State of the State agenda, the overarching resiliency initiative is designed to fortify the state’s food supply chain against future economic disruptions while boosting overall consumer demand for New York-grown goods.
“This program is so important because it supports our farmers and agricultural industry while also improving access to healthy and nutritious food to communities across our state,” Commissioner Ball stated, emphasizing that the funding ensures markets have the structural tools required to serve their neighbors.
The strategic distribution of this year’s resiliency funds and the state’s broader agricultural support network are anchored by several key initiatives:
- Diverse Regional Upgrades: The 10 selected organizations across New York are utilizing their respective shares for infrastructure enhancements, multilingual marketing pushes, community outreach, and expanded food assistance capabilities.
- The FreshConnect Checks Program: A state-backed incentive program highlighted by officials that works alongside the resiliency grants to provide direct financial advantages for eligible consumers purchasing local goods.
- The FreshConnect Fresh2You Initiative: A specialized program offering targeted financial incentives that allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to buy fresh produce, dairy, and meats at participating venues.
- Elevating Consumer Access: The dual-focused strategy pairs venue infrastructure modernization with consumer incentives to maximize open-market access to healthy, locally produced foods for all New Yorkers.
