New York farm bureau stresses support for local agriculture

By Blake Jackson

New York Farm Bureau highlights the importance of supporting local agriculture in their recent statement. They emphasize the economic and social value of farms, citing a survey showing 83% of New Yorkers believe family farms contribute significantly to the state's economy.

However, the organization also raises concerns about declining farm numbers and shrinking farmland acreage in the state. Rising costs, particularly labor, are cited as a major factor.

The Farm Bureau outlines several areas where they believe state support is crucial:

• Budget allocation: They commend Governor Hochul's proposed budget for including funding for environmental, animal health, and research programs, as well as initiatives like Nourish NY and school meal programs.
• Farmworker housing: They advocate for allowing farmworker housing to qualify for tax credits, aimed at increasing the availability of safe and modern housing for farm employees.
• Craft beverage market expansion: They support policies allowing breweries, cider makers, and distilleries to directly ship their products to consumers, like wineries.
• Regulatory burdens: They express concern about proposals like Extended Producer Responsibility that could increase costs for agricultural businesses like wineries and dairies.

The Farm Bureau acknowledges the importance of sustainability and highlights the industry's efforts, such as increased adoption of climate-friendly practices like no-till farming. However, they raise concerns about the feasibility of meeting overly ambitious deadlines for farm equipment electrification due to the lack of readily available technology and infrastructure.

Finally, they advocate for streamlining regulations to ease the transportation of food and animals, suggesting measures like limiting redundant inspections and exempting farm vehicles from certain licensing requirements under specific conditions.

The Farm Bureau concludes by emphasizing the shared responsibility in supporting New York agriculture, stating their belief that investing in family farms benefits all New Yorkers and calling for collective action to maintain a strong connection to local food production.

Photo Credit: new-york-farm-bureau