It is the declared policy of this state to promote the effective production and merchandising of agricultural commodities by providing the means by which farmers may act together in manufacturing, processing, preparing for market, handling and/or marketing their farm products and by enabling farmers to act together in purchasing, testing, grading, processing, distributing and/or furnishing farm supplies and/or farm business services through cooperatives operated for the mutual benefit of the members thereof as producers and purchasers.
New York Legal Code