New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball has announced a call for nominations to the New York Dairy Promotion Order (DPO) Advisory Board for a three-year term beginning May 1, 2026. The Advisory Board plays a role in assisting the Commissioner with the administration of the DPO and offers recommendations on dairy marketing promotion, education, and research programs. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, February 13, 2026.
Individual producers who market milk in New York are eligible for nomination to the Advisory Board. Only individual New York milk producers can submit nominations, which must be signed and accompanied by a completed nomination form. Cooperatives and other farm organizations cannot nominate individuals but may endorse nominated producers.
Nominations should include information such as the nominee’s name and address, organizational affiliation if any, herd size, market details, participation in farm organizations or programs, and experience in marketing activities. These details will help evaluate each nominee’s qualifications.
Completed forms should be sent to the Department’s Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services at its Albany office by the deadline. Requests for forms or submission of nominations can be directed to Elizabeth Peila at [email protected].
The Dairy Promotion Order Advisory Board advises on distributing more than $16 million collected annually from milk producers under the producer-approved order. The board meets regularly to recommend funding allocations for new initiatives and review ongoing programs related to dairy promotion, nutrition education, outreach efforts, and research projects involving dairy products. The first board was established in May 1972 following requests from dairy producers.
New York has about 3,000 dairy farms producing over 16 billion pounds of milk each year. This makes it the fifth-largest dairy state nationally. The industry is New York’s largest agricultural sector—accounting for nearly half of all agricultural receipts—and provides significant economic benefits across communities.
The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets supports agriculture throughout the state by providing grants and running programs that promote local products and farmers’ markets (official website). It has distributed funds through initiatives like Grown & Certified grants to bolster farms and food processors (official website). Since its origins in 1841 (official website), the department continues its work advancing agriculture while protecting food supply and resources (official website).
