New York State farmers have called the damage caused by Hurricane Irene the worst they've seen in half a century. One month after the storm hit, fund-raisers were underway with the hope that area farms that lost their crops could replant and quickly return to farmers markets.

Now, more aid to local farms is available--this time in the form of online community building. A new Web site dedicated to the sustainable food industry, FarmPlate.com, announced that it is offering one year of free online marketing to farmers, food and drink artisans, restaurants and other food enterprises impacted by Irene.    

“FarmPlate’s mission is to help sustainable food businesses expand their markets. They are the engine of local food systems, and we are committed to contributing to their health in any way we can, especially after the devastation they experienced from Irene,” says Kim Werner, founder and president of FarmPlate.com, in a press release.

To take advantage of the one-year free marketing offer, log on to FarmPlate.com and register. Then, contact Kaitlin Haskins at khaskins@farmplate.com by Dec. 15.