N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 309-a

§ 309-a. Young farmer advisory board on agriculture. 1. There shall be\nestablished within the department the young farmer advisory board on\nagriculture, to advise and make recommendations to the state agencies on\nstate government plans, policies and programs affecting agriculture, as\noutlined below, and in such areas as its experience and studies may\nindicate to be appropriate. The department shall provide necessary\nsecretariat and support services to the board.\n 2. The young farmer advisory board on agriculture shall consist of\ntwenty members, ten to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and\nconsent of the senate and assembly, selected for their experience and\nexpertise related to areas of board responsibility. The board shall be\ncomprised of diverse members of the agriculture industry as follows:\n (a) Of the twenty members appointed to the board:\n (1) one shall be from the department;\n (2) one shall be from the empire state development corporation;\n (3) one shall be an officer of the Future Farmers of America (FFA);\n (4) one shall be an urban farmer;\n (5) one shall be from the New York Farm Bureau; and\n (6) fifteen shall be from the general public appointed as follows:\nfive to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, five to\nbe appointed by the speaker of the assembly, and five to be appointed by\nthe governor.\n (b) 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 under the age of forty-five years old at the beginning of the\nmember's term;\n (3) derive at least fifty percent of the member's personal income from\nfarming or agricultural activities in the state;\n (4) be a resident of the state; and\n (5) be appointed for a term of three years and may serve until their\nsuccessors are chosen; provided, however, that of the members first\nappointed, six shall serve for a term of one year, six shall serve for a\nterm of two years and eight shall serve for a term of three years.\n (c) Members shall serve without salary but shall be entitled to\nreimbursement of their ordinary and necessary travel expenses.\n (d) The members of the board shall meet quarterly.\n 3. The duties and responsibilities of the young farmer advisory board\non agriculture shall include, but not be limited to:\n (a) annually electing from its members a chairperson, a vice\nchairperson, and a secretary of the advisory board at the advisory\nboard's first meeting of the calendar year;\n (b) communicating to the general public, the federal government, and\nthe state government the importance of young and beginning farmers to\nagriculture in the state;\n (c) identify issues relating to young and beginning farmers in the\nstate and provide timely advice to the commissioner, the governor and\nthe relevant state agencies, with regard to the promotion of agriculture\nas a career path and the economic development of young and aspiring\nfarmers;\n (d) produce an annual report and provide such report to the governor,\nthe temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly on\nor before the end of each calendar year. Such report shall identify and\nprioritize policy issues which affect young and aspiring farmers; and\n (e) establish committees, as necessary, to develop projects relating\nto the aspects of life for young and beginning farmers in the state.\n