Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo
Chair, Committee on Agriculture
While the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our food supply chain, it also increased public awareness about where our food comes from and who produces it. New York stands at a crossroads in the post-pandemic recovery. Policymakers and consumers seem genuinely interested in better understanding the challenges farmers and processors face. Addressing those challenges is where the hard work begins. For example, topics like solar development, on-farm labor, transportation and processing bottlenecks, and how to pay for infrastructure upgrades, need careful attention.
I’m pleased that recent state budgets for agriculture have improved each year. This is the direct result of the work of NEAFA, the Farm Bureau and other agricultural advocacy groups and their members. It also shows what can happen when you have strong representation in Albany, who not only advance programs that help New York’s farm economy, but who also actively oppose or try to lessen the impact of policies that may cause harm.
As always, I will be prioritizing support for the many programs and services that farmers rely on and NEAFA has emphasized. This includes FarmNet, Pro-Dairy, Pro-Livestock, the NY Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Cornell’s IPM Program, Farm Labor Specialist, and more.
I especially want to protect the new funding the Governor is advancing on behalf of dairy. The proposed Dairy Farm Modernization grants are welcome as the need grows to increase on-farm milk storage capacity and improved milk transfer systems and cooling technologies.
In addition, I view agricultural education and outreach as cornerstones of NY’s ag economy. FFA, Ag in the Classroom, and now a proposed Youth Leaderships Conference, that includes 4H, are all valued investments. Further, the invaluable contribution of Cornell Cooperative Extension is always front and center.
Also, our investments in research and development supports a vast network of activities at Cornell’s CALS, along with the work being done by the NY Farm Viability Institute. These dedicated professionals are working on climate resiliency, animal and soil health, farm profitability, and more.
We are very fortunate to have such a robust network of Universities, Extension Offices, and agricultural organizations; all committed to building NY’s farm economy and preserving NY farmland.
There is a new subject worth mentioning that will compliment the Governor’s support for Long Island seafood processing. I am also interested in promoting an Upstate Aquaculture Initiative focused on the production of fin-fish such as trout, through New York Sea Grant. Stay tuned for further developments on this, as I understand that some members of NEAFA are also interested in fish-feed.
As always, I appreciate the input I receive from NEAFA and all of NY’s farm and food advocates. We can never thank our farmers enough for the work being done, often under extreme and unpredictable weather conditions, to produce the food our families rely on. At this crossroad moment, I will do my best, working with all of my colleagues, to support and protect NY Agriculture (and Aquaculture).