NY S04660

Authorizes the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to develop an agricultural marketing "boot camp" program for small to medium-sized farm owners seeking non-traditional markets.

Program shall be 1-2 weeks long with 5-30 students per cohort, coordinated by Cornell University's Small Farms program in cooperation with SUNY Morrisville, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, and SUNY Oswego.

Participants pay a fee not exceeding $500 per week for room, board, and materials, and must submit applications including a business plan, marketing goals, and product information.

Program curriculum covers product development, consumer identification, marketing strategies, and product transportation, with participants evaluated through presentations within one week of program completion.

Up to one-third of each cohort may receive grants of up to $10,000 each from the Empire State Development Corporation, with awardees required to submit periodic reports to monitor fund use and develop best-practices models.