New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Calls for Da...

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today called for nominations to the New York Dairy Promotion Order (DPO) Advisory Board, for the three-year term starting on May 1, 2026. The Advisory Board assists the Commissioner in the administration of the DPO and makes recommendations on dairy marketing promotion, education, and research programs. All nominations must be received no later than Friday, February 13, 2026.

Any individual producer who markets milk in New York may be nominated for membership on the Advisory Board. Nominations can only be made by individual New York milk producers. They must be signed by the nominating individual and submitted in writing along with the nomination form. Cooperatives and other farm organizations are not authorized to nominate individual producers to the Advisory Board but may endorse producers who are nominated.

Each nomination should include the name and address of the producer who is being nominated, their cooperative or other organizational affiliation, and other pertinent information about the producer such as herd size, market, participation in farm organizations or programs, and experience in marketing activities. Completed nomination forms will be used to evaluate the nominee’s qualifications.

Completed nomination forms by individual producers should be received by the Department no later than Friday, February 13, 2026. Requests for forms and completed nominations can be addressed to:

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services
Attn: Elizabeth Peila
10B Airline Drive
Albany, NY 12235
[email protected]

The Dairy Promotion Order Advisory Board advises the Commissioner on the annual distribution of over $16 million in funds collected from milk producers under the producer-approved New York Dairy Promotion Order. The board meets regularly to recommend allocations to new programs and to review progress of programs currently funded under the Order, which include dairy promotion programs, nutrition, education, and outreach programs, as well as a variety of innovative dairy product research projects. The first New York State Dairy Promotion Order Advisory Board was appointed in May 1972 at the request of dairy producers.

New York State has roughly 3,000 dairy farms that produce over 16 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth-largest dairy state. The dairy industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the state’s economy by generating nearly half of the state’s total agricultural receipts and providing some of the highest economic multipliers. New York's unique and talented dairy producers and processors contribute significantly to the state’s agriculture industry, economy, and the health of its communities.