N.Y. Agriculture & Markets Law § 261: Powers and duties of department

§ 261. Powers and duties of department. The department shall:

1. perform necessary activities to encourage the development and

improvement of farmers' markets throughout New York state;

2. provide technical assistance to any public or private agency for

the planning, financing or development of a farmers' market, which

market may include facilities for first-instance processing, shipping,

storage, and direct sales of farm and food products on a retail or

wholesale basis;

3. provide grants, from amounts appropriated, for state assistance to

farmers' markets, as provided under section two hundred sixty-two of

this article;

4. collect, compile and publish economic information on farmers'

markets in the state;

5. establish working relationships with interested individuals and

organizations and cooperative extensions for the purposes of this

article; and

6. compile listings of available funding resources for the development

and/or improvement of farmers' markets within the state. The department

shall periodically advise municipal corporations, regional market

authorities, public benefit corporations, not-for-profit corporations

and agricultural cooperatives organized pursuant to the cooperative

corporations law as to the availability of such information and shall

provide such listings upon request.