Note: All NOFA-NY staff are working remotely until further notice. Due to phased reopening of NYS economy, select on-site inspections will begin occurring alongside virtual inspections for eligible operations. On-site inspections may only be performed following the NOFA-NY On-Site Inspection Safety Plan. Please see our News Updates page for more information on inspections.
Upcoming Webinars
- Wednesday 6/3 at 6PM EST – Supporting Sustainable Farmers During a Pandemic and Beyond, hosted by Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Fair Farms Maryland. Register here.
- Thursday 6/4 at 12PM EST – Webs of Support: How Navajo Nation SoPL Leaders are advocating, organizing and farming during COVID-19, hosted by HEAL Food Alliance. Register here.
- Wednesday 6/10 at 7PM EST – Pastured Pork Fundamentals, hosted by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. Register here.
- Thursday 6/11 at 5PM EST – Organic Orcharding Workshop: Pests and Diseases in the Summer Orchard, hosted by MOFGA. Register here.
Past Webinars
- Farmers Market Coalition webinar on Farmers Markets Physical Redesign for COVID-19: recording available here.
- Farmers Market Coalition webinar on 2020 FNS EBT Equipment Grant Program: recording available here.
- Farm Credit East webinar on the Paycheck Protection Program: recording and presentation PDF available here.
- Oregon Tilth webinar on online sales platforms for farmers (Barn2Door, Harvie, Local Food Marketplace, and Open Food Network): recording available here.
- Farm Commons webinar on unemployment benefits for farmers affected by COVID-19: recording available here.
Funding & Services
- Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP): Signup begins Tuesday, May 26. This program will provide financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs.
- To see if you’re eligible and access a list of required forms, visit https://www.farmers.gov/cfap
- This program is administered through Farm Service Agency (FSA). Click here for a directory of New York FSA offices.
- CFAP FAQs
- Payment Calculator
- Paycheck Protection Program: The Small Business Administration resumed accepting Paycheck Protection Program applications from participating lenders on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 10:30am EDT. SBA program; agricultural producers are eligible to participate in this program and should reach out to their bankers and/or agricultural lenders to apply immediately.
- Overview of the PPP program
- Information for prospective borrower
- Application form
- Find your local SBA field office here to contact a Lender Relations Specialist.
- SBA has a list of approved lenders by state here.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance: The Small Business Administration is accepting applications for EIDL for agricultural businesses only as of May 4. Farmers and other agricultural enterprises are now eligible for the EIDL program. The EIDL advance program will issue grants of up to $10,000 that do not need to repaid. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Unlike PPP, applications for the EIDL program are made directly to SBA. Apply here.
- Guide to COVID-19 Relief from Farmer’s Legal Action Group (FLAG)
- The COVID-19 Legal Support Project is providing pro bono legal services to New York State’s farmers and food, beverage, and agricultural businesses, through the Food and Beverage Law Clinic at Elisabeth Haub School of Law and by attorneys at Shearman & Sterling LLP. Learn more here.
- FAQ on Funding Programs Available to Small and Mid-Size Farms in Response to COVID-19 from Food and Beverage Law Clinic at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
- CCOF’s Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund provides direct financial assistance exclusively to organic producers who suffer financial losses due to extreme hardship Award amounts range from $1,000-$2,500. Applications due May 25. Learn more here.
- Producers interested in donating excess product to food banks can contact FarmLink here.
Technical Assistance
- Allowed Detergents and Sanitizers for Food Contact Surfaces and Equipment from NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC
- Safety plan template from NYS Department of Health
- How to build a portable handwashing station from the National Young Farmers Coalition
- Guidance for farms creating safety plans from the Agricultural Justice Project
- “Stop the spread” posters available in multiple languages from the NYSDOH (scroll down to the bottom of the page for printable PDFs)
- Farmers Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms from the National Young Farmers Coalition
- Resources for CSA Farmers from the CSA Innovation Network
- COVID Resource Hub from Farm Credit East – including helpful information on applying for SBA programs
- Food & Land Sovereignty Resource List for COVID-19 compiled by Soul Fire Farm, Black Farmer Fund, and Northeast Farmers of Color
- Best practices for U-Pick farms from Cornell University
- Recommendations for food businesses from the Food Marketing Institute
- Recommendations for farmers markets from the Farmers Market Coalition
- Food Industry Resources from the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University
- Consumer FAQs are also available on this site.
- Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Related to Coronavirus & COVID-19 from UVM Extension
- Stress management resources from NY FarmNet
- Social Media Guide for Farmers from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
State and Federal Guidance
- COVID-19: Guidance and Resources for the Ag Community from NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
- Official policy updates from New York State
- Guidance from NYS on “essential businesses”
Shop Local
- Essex County: Food Delivery and Curbside Options
- Madison County: Curbside Pickup Program at Extension
- Tompkins County (h/t to Groundswell for these resources):
- Farms Serving Tompkins County (many with farm store pick up and delivery options)
- MeatSuite – a tool from Cornell Cooperative Extension to find local farms that sell chicken, pork, beef and more, direct to the consumer.
- List of CSA programs from Modern Farmer
- Visit your neighborhood co-op – they source lots of products directly from local farms!
- 4th Street Food Co-op in Manhattan
- Abundance Food Co-op in Rochester
- African Heritage Food Co-op in Buffalo and Niagara Falls
- Central Brooklyn Food Co-op in Brooklyn
- East Aurora Cooperative Market in East Aurora
- Electric City Food Co-op in Schenectady
- Flatbush Food Co-op in Brooklyn
- Greene Hill Food Co-op in Brooklyn
- GreenStar Natural Foods Market in Ithaca
- High Falls Food Co-op in High Falls
- Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany
- Hungry Hollow Co-op in Chestnut Ridge
- Kaaterskill Farm Natural Storehouse in Catskill and Hudson
- Lexington Co-op in Buffalo
- Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn
- Syracuse Cooperative Market in Syracuse
