§ 16. General powers and duties of department. The department through\nthe commissioner shall have power to:\n 1. Execute and carry into effect the laws of the state and the rules\nof the department, relative to agriculture, horticulture, farm, fruit,\nand dairy products, aquaculture, and the production, processing,\ntransportation, storage, marketing and distributing of food; enforce and\ncarry into effect the provisions of the laws of the state relative to\nweights and measures.\n 2. Aid in the promotion and development of the agricultural resources\nof the state and the improvement of the conditions of rural life; the\nimprovement of the fertility and productiveness of farm lands and the\nrestoration to fertility and productiveness of unoccupied and\nunproductive land; the settlement of farms and the supply of farm labor;\nthe stocking of farms with meat-producing and dairy animals and\npromoting the production of cereals, fruits and vegetables, and\nco-operate with county farm bureaus, and with agricultural, dairying and\nhorticultural associations or corporations and other agencies organized\nfor any or all of such purposes.\n 2-a. Aid in the promotion and marketing of finfish and shellfish\nderived from commercial fishing or aquacultural activities and cooperate\nwith fishing and aquaculture associations or corporations organized for\nany or all such purposes.\n 2-b. Aid in the promotion, marketing, and sale of New York state\nlabelled wines, grapes and grape products in cooperation with the\ndepartment of economic development both within and outside the state and\nto provide promotion and marketing advisement to wineries, farm\nwineries, micro-wineries, grape and other fruit growers and processors,\nand related trade organizations located within this state.\n 2-c. Aid in the export promotion and marketing of eligible\nagricultural products, in cooperation with the department of economic\ndevelopment.\n 2-d. Coordinate with the office of general services and the department\nof economic development to provide a training program once per year, in\neach economic development region, established in article eleven of the\neconomic development law, to encourage and increase participation in the\nprocurement process, pursuant to article eleven of the state finance\nlaw, by small businesses, as defined in section one hundred thirty-one\nof the economic development law, including farms, selling food or food\nproducts, or animal or plant fiber products grown, produced, harvested,\nor processed in New York state or textile products manufactured from\nanimal or plant fiber grown or produced predominantly in New York state\nand assist such businesses in identifying such food or food products, or\nanimal or plant fiber textile products, which may help to meet state\nagencies' needs. The departments and office may also invite to the\nregional training programs representatives of local governments,\nincluding school districts, that may be interested in purchasing New\nYork state food products or animal or plant fiber textile products.\n 2-e. Develop, and update, guidance and other information to:\n (i) assist county legislative bodies, agricultural and farmland\nprotection boards and departments in creating and reviewing agricultural\ndistricts pursuant to sections three hundred three, three hundred\nthree-a and three hundred three-b of this chapter; and\n (ii) assist the commissioner of taxation and finance to support\ntraining of assessors and any other local government officials who have\nresponsibility for agricultural assessment and taxation.\n 2-f. Aid in the promotion, marketing and sale of New York state farm\nproducts used for holiday celebrations and decorations, including, but\nnot limited to, Christmas trees, wreaths, pumpkins, flowers and other\nsimilar products in cooperation with the empire state development\ncorporation by providing listings of such growers and suppliers to\nvendors selling such products and to
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