By Blake Jackson
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) is providing assistance to grape farmers who suffered losses due to the late April frost event.
Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced the issuance of a crop loss determination, which allows licensed farm wineries to use out-of-state grapes for winemaking.
Based on assessments by the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Lab, over 40% of Concord variety grapes grown for winemaking in New York were destroyed during the 2024 crop year. This significant loss has impacted the operations of many farm wineries.
To help these wineries recover, the DAM is granting them an exemption from the requirement to use only New York-grown grapes.
Licensed farm wineries can now apply to manufacture or sell wine produced from out-of-state grapes or juice. However, they must demonstrate that they have exhausted all efforts to obtain the desired varietals from New York State grape growers.
The deadline for submitting applications is October 31, 2024. An industry-wide webinar will be held on September 10th at 1:00 PM to provide information on the application process and address any questions.
Commissioner Ball said, “This latest freeze event left our grape growers and farm wineries struggling with the potential of not having enough New York-grown grapes to maintain their farm winery license and thereby maintain their markets. By issuing this declaration, we’re taking immediate action to help our farm wineries recover from the freezing temperatures experienced in April and allow them to focus on preparing for next year’s growing season. We encourage any impacted farms to take advantage of this respite and to continue to report losses to lessen the impacts of this damaging severe weather event.”
Lily M. Fan, Chair of the New York State Liquor Authority, said “A massive thanks to Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball for taking immediate action to ensure our craft wineries can continue producing wine as they recover from freezing temperatures experienced in April.
Sam Filler, Executive Director, New York Wine & Grape Foundation, said, “We appreciate Commissioner Ball’s commitment to our grape growers and farm wineries. The State Department of Agriculture and Markets responded quickly to this devastating weather event, visiting our vineyards this spring, advocating for disaster declaration funding, and issuing this exemption to the farm winery law.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also declared 11 counties in New York as primary natural disaster areas due to the frost event. Farmers in these counties may be eligible for emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
The grape industry is a significant economic driver in New York State, generating approximately $6.65 billion annually. With 471 wineries and 35,000 acres of vineyards, the state is a major player in the national wine industry.
Photo Credit: istock-jimfeng
Categories: New York, Government & Policy