Agriculture

Federal Assistance Available for New York Grape Growers: USDA Specialty Crop Program

Application Deadline: August 7, 2026 The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced $1.625 billion in assistance for specialty crop growers through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program, and New York grape growers are eligible. This is a one-time bridge payment based on reported 2025 planted acres, designed to support specialty crop farmers impacted by unfair market conditions. Are Grapes Eligible? Yes! Both fresh and processed grapes qualify

Action Needed: Help Advocate for Agriculture Funding in the 2026-2027 State Budget

As the final New York State budget negotiations continue, we need your voice. We have received word that agricultural funding lines are actively being discussed, and that level funding, not the increases our industry needs, is on the table for most budget lines. While we have not heard of outright cuts, new funding will be difficult to secure in the final budget. The State Senate has proposed $1.4 million for the wine

B.E.V. NY’s Founders Take a Look at Its Origins and This Year’s Conference

Earlier this year, grape growers, winemakers, students, researchers, and business leaders from New York and surrounding states attended B.E.V. NY. This year, the conference was held March 4-5 in Canandaigua, NY, in the Finger Lakes, where the wine industry gathered at Hotel Canandaigua for the most significant New York grape and wine industry educational event. Founded in 2014 by Anna Katharine Mansfield, Hans Walter-Peterson, and Chris Gerling from the Cornell

NYWGF Partners with Agency 29 for Comprehensive Statewide Vineyard Survey

Penn Yan, NY, November 28, 2023: The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Upstate NY-based brand-building firm, Agency 29 to lead a comprehensive statewide Vineyard Survey initiative. Ag Access and Deep Planet AI will also partner with NYWGF and Agency 29 on this collaborative effort. “We are pleased to announce this historic collaborative effort designed to accurately document New York State’s

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Issues RFP Seeking a Partner to Lead and Execute an Updated Statewide Vineyard Survey in 2024 and 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Valerie Venezia-RossPhone: 1 (518) 229-3765Email: valerieross@nywgf.org September 15th, 2023 – Penn Yan, NY — The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to release the RFP for Comprehensive Statewide Vineyard Survey Services. The goal of this project is to comprehensively update New York’s vineyard statistics, which was last completed by USDA NASS in 2011 and supplemented by the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The changes

USDA Ready to Help New York Farmers Recover from Recent Damaging Weather

SYRACUSE, New York, May, 23, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), has disaster assistance programs available to help agricultural producers recover after damaging weather, including freeze events. Recent extreme weather conditions have impacted farmers in New York. “FSA offers a variety of disaster assistance programs to support farmers through times of adversity,” said Jim Barber, State Executive Director for FSA in New

About the USDA Emergency Relief Program (ERP)

The Emergency Relief Program (ERP) is an initiative of the Extending Government Funding and Delivery Emergency Assistance Act which President Biden signed into law on September 30th, 2021. Phase 1 of the program has kicked off as of May 25th, 2022 when letters were sent to affected producers who may be eligible to receive funding from the program. If a producer received an indemnity from a crop insurance policy or

the rak family from left abram adam dennis and sue at their vineyard in fredonia new york chautauqua county

In Demand: Virus-Free Certification Creates a Business Buzz at Double A Vineyards

Dennis Rak of Double A Vineyards, Inc. in Fredonia has quite a few irons in the fire. As the name implies, the business consists of grape acreage. But the business is much more than that. Dennis prides himself on producing vines that are certified virus-free. This includes grape vines but also berry and hop plants. Dennis owns the business with his wife Sue and sons, Adam and Abram. Double A

EPA Seeking Comments on Proposed Registration Changes for Ziram, Iprodione (Roval)

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting official comments about the re-registration and usage of two fungicide materials commonly utilized by grape growers in New York State, Ziram and Iodiprone (trade name Rovral). Growers in New York typically utilize Ziram for diseases such as downy mildew and black rot, with Rovral utilized for Botrytis management. EPA regularly solicits comments from the public before making registration decisions. Should you have input

Improve Your Yield & Quality, Lower Production Costs, and Conserve Labor & Resources with the MyEV Tool

The Efficient Vineyard approach involves measuring and collecting data on soils, canopy, crop size, and fruit quality; combining direct vineyard measurements and/or sensor data into valuable viticulture knowledge for vineyard managers; and developing variable rate vineyard prescription maps to improve yield and quality, lower production costs, and conserve labor and environmental resources. The FREE MyEV Tool has brought this vision to reality for growers and wineries.

Farm Service Agency Now Accepting Nominations for County Committee Members

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting nominations for county committee members on June 15. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 2, 2021. “We need enthusiastic, diverse leaders

Incentives are available to help your vineyard save with solar!

Going solar is a strategic way for wineries cut overhead costs by producing their own electricity, on-site. Thanks to New York State grants and Federal tax incentives, overall costs can be reduced by more than 75% after all incentives are utilized. In fact, many businesses are seeing a payback period of under five years on a solar project that produces free electricity for over 35 years!

USDA Offering Two Webinars in March for Beginning Farmers in New York State

To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level teams for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).

USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Costs for Organic Certification

WASHINGTON, August 10, 2020 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that organic producers and handlers can apply for federal funds to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Applications for eligible certification expenses paid between Oct. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2020, are due Oct. 31, 2020. “For producers producing food with organic certification, this program helps cover

New USDA Survey to Measure Areas for Improvement

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2020 – WASHINGTON, August 7, 2020 –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a new annual survey of farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners. The survey will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, specifically at the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA). A selection of 28,000 producers will receive the survey

Field Notes