By Jenny Mills, NEAFA Past President
On Tuesday February 4, ten NEAFA members and the Hinman Straub team met with 15 NYS legislators to review budget priorities. This year, the Executive budget released in January was more favorable to agriculture than in the past. NEAFA’s collaboration with the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, NY Farm Bureau and Cornell PRO-DAIRY and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was appreciated as most of these asks are within all the groups talking points.
A huge thank you to Julie Marlette, Jim Carr and Carla Downie from Hinman Straub who accompanied our teams and organized visits with a variety of legislators.
A summary of NEAFA’s legislative budget priorities are below. Please reach out with any questions, or if you have interest in participating in our next Lobby Day! We plan on returning to Albany for another formal Lobby Day in May, focused on policy issues.
NEW, INCREASED AND RESTORED NEAFA SUPPORTED FUNDING REQUESTS
$4.73 million for Net Zero Dairy. New York’s farms are a critical part of the state’s economy. Dairy farms are the largest segment of New York agriculture and generate over $4 billion annually in farm gate revenue and more than $12 billion total. New York has supported expansions in dairy processing capacity that are projected to require 20 percent more milk (three billion pounds) to supply recent, pending and anticipated expansions. At the same time New York has set strong goals around greenhouse gas reduction, maintaining clean water and other environmental targets. To best serve the New York State economy, New York dairy farmers should be the primary providers of the milk needed to support the first goal. To do so and remain strong environmental stewards and partners for the state, a significant investment in the transition to net zero is needed.
$100,000 in Additional Funding for FarmNet. In addition to supporting the Executive Proposal to provide $1.4 million, a restoration of the $100,000 to this network of 46 consultants across the state is needed. These practitioners are in place to respond to farmers’ requests for assistance. Professional financial and mental health consultants help farm families and businesses deal with the financial and emotional issues characteristic of an industry under severe stress. In 2021, FarmNet professionals worked with over 729 farmers on issues ranging from economic and mental health to business and estate planning.
NEAFA SUPPORTED EXECUTIVE PROPOSED APPROPRIATIONS
Farm Labor Specialist - $702,000. State support has allowed for a professional farm business / human resources cooperative extension specialist to provide timely, valuable information and guidance to employers of farm workers throughout the state. Recent increases in state investment have allowed the program to expand career growth and services for the Hispanic farm workforce, to improve farm employee housing management, and to improve employee training and workforce availability in New York agriculture.
New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network (OHCN)- $9,560,000. OHCN, through its nine member centers, serves as an essential resource for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of occupational disease and other work-related injuries and illnesses.
New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) - $1.25 million. NYCAMH at the Mary Imogene Basset Hospital runs several on-farm health and safety initiatives. This includes safety surveys, as well as training on topics including, but not limited to, ladder and chainsaw safety, large vehicle handling, sun and hydration and other topics upon request.
Dairy Farm Modernization Grants - $10 million (Capital). The Executive Budget proposal includes a new $10 million capital allocation to implement the Dairy Farm Good and Growth Fund to allow for increased investment in on-farm milk storage capacity and improve efficiencies in milk transfer systems and cooling technologies. This investment would, among other things, allow for investment in on-site storage and processing of milk during extreme weather situations that prevent milk from being transported safely.
Agricultural Education and Outreach Programs $3 million. These programs, including Future Farmers of America (FFA), Agriculture in the Classroom, Agricultural Educators, and other outreach programs to create a pipeline for the next generation of farmers, agribusinesses, food companies, and industry leaders. Significant private industry support is bolstered with public funds to maximize the success of these programs. These funds would support the following programs:
· $1 million for Future Farmers of America.
· $1 million for Agriculture in the Classroom.
· $500,000 for Agricultural Educators.
· $250,000 for Cornell 4-H.
· $250,000 for the New York City Urban Agriculture education and outreach.
New York Farm Viability Institute - $1 million: The 302 projects that this program has supported have returned nearly seven dollars to the State’s economy for every dollar invested, and farm profitability has been enhanced by approximately $149 million. Projects have included the development of IPM practices in onions, reduced tillage on vegetable farms, biological controls for pest management, and the use of profitable winter forages as cover crops. They are also expanding to include climate change and green operations.
Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control – $20 million: This program provides essential funding for assisting New York’s animal agriculture industry facing costly water quality regulations prescribed by the DEC and EPA. Farmers are stewards of soil and water resources, yet comprehensive nutrient management plans can require more than what a farm business can reasonably afford.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - $5.5 million: For over 32 years, this nationally recognized program has provided the research and education necessary to develop and employ a “toolbox” of options that provide effective pest control in dairy barns, crop fields, orchards, vineyards, greenhouses, farmsteads, golf courses, and gardens. Reducing pest threats, protecting the environment, and protecting New Yorkers are a major part of the IPM Program’s mission.
This funding would support the following programs:
· Within Cornell University Integrated Pest Management program, the proposal would allocate $4.25 million to support this work, including support for farmers for adopting integrated pest management practices and field trials.
· $1 million proposed to be available through community nonpoint pollution control for community integrated pest management.
· $250,000 proposed for Cornell for pesticide pest management control.