Provided Photos – Albion FFA members traveled to Albany to meet with state legislators including State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda), shown here with FFA members, from left: Vivian Rivers, Kelsee Soule, Emily Blanchard, Garrett Derisley and Allyson Graham.

ALBANY – Farmers and FFA students from Orleans County went to Albany visiting with lawmakers on Monday and Tuesday.

They met with local state legislators and three “adopted” legislators, including one from Long Island and two from New York City.

The farmers were a contingent from Orleans County Farm Bureau. They highlighted the organization’s public policy priorities for the year, topped by opposition to a $15 minimum wage.

Monday was kicked off with the popular Taste of New York reception for state lawmakers, commissioners and staff. Farm Bureau hosted a table highlighting local farm products. Following the evening event, members participated in the annual lobby day where they met with both their local and adopted senators and Assembly members.

The Farm Bureau and FFA met with State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda), and Assembly members Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) and Jane Corwin (R-Clarence). The adopted legislators included Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), Assemblyman Michael DenDekker (D-Queens), and Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R-Glen Head in Long Island).

Michael Montesano, a state assemblyman from Long Island, meets with Orleans County Farm Bureau members, including, from left, David Bittner, Adam Krenning, Jeff Toussaint and John Kast.

Orleans County Farm Bureau members shared their concern with a $15 minimum wage on New York farms. Farmers say that a nearly 70 percent increase in labor costs will make it harder to compete with products coming in from other states and countries with considerably lower production costs.

An American Farm Bureau Federation analysis found $15 minimum would costs New York agriculture $500 million or 25 percent of additional net income. This is expected to impact farms in a number of ways. The county will likely see farms reduce employment, turn to automation or close the barn doors, Farm Bureau said.

State funding for critical farm programs is another top priority for Farm Bureau. Governor Cuomo included a number of things in his budget plan which would help the farm industry. This includes increased funding for the Environmental Protection Fund, which will assist farms with water quality, conservation and farmland protection programs.

Farm Bureau also asked lawmakers to support critical funding for animal health, promotion and research programs that also benefit agriculture in the county.

Members also asked for funding parity when it comes to repairing upstate roads and bridges. The governor is committing $20 billion to match infrastructure efforts happening in and around New York City. The parity in upstate-downstate funding remains a priority because our farms need access to safe, well-maintained roads and safe bridges in order to move equipment to farm fields and transport their goods to market.

Orleans County Farm Bureau also remains committed to securing funding to assist schools in starting up new FFA programs as well as for agricultural education programs. Each year, more schools are interested in these programs that provide career and technical skills that students need. The USDA estimates that there will be 60,000 new jobs a year in the farming and food industries, and it is vital to have a workforce that can meet those demands to help the rural economy grow right here at home.

Farmers also discussed with lawmakers about transferring farm assessment functions to the Department of Agriculture and Markets from the Department of Taxation and Finance. Moving the process to be entirely housed within the Department of Agriculture and Markets will not only streamline the assessment process, but it would be a common sense move to improve a valuable program for our farms, Farm Bureau said.

These priorities were based on member-approved public policies that originate every year at the county Farm Bureau level and are passed by the full delegate body at New York Farm Bureau’s State Annual Meeting in December.

In addition to advocating for priorities with lawmakers, members also participated in a special panel discussion with the Commissioners and representatives from the Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation and Labor. Members were able to ask questions about a number of issues facing the state’s family farms.

“Orleans County Farm Bureau members spent time away from their farms to cultivate the important relationships we have in Albany,” said Amanda Flansburg, Orleans County Farm Bureau President. “We work hard to secure public policies at every level of government that support every farmer in the county, and we will continue to advocate for priorities that will not only benefit agriculture but our rural communities as a whole.”

File photo by Tom Rivers – Honeycrisp apples are pictured in October at the Roberts Circle R fruit stand and farm market on Route 18 in Carlton.

Press Release, NY Farm Bureau

ALBANY New York Farm Bureau leaders met with members of New York’s Congressional delegation this past week in Washington, DC, discussing the organization’s public policy priorities for 2016 at the federal level.

New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton and Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of National Affairs, discussed the priorities during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

GMO LABELING

New York’s visit was timely with next week’s expected markup of Senator Pat Robert’s bill that would establish national standards for the labeling of products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

GMO labeling is an important issue in New York State as a proposed bill looks to create a statewide label for ingredients created with the assistance of biotechnology. This disregards the clear scientific evidence that shows the food is just as safe and nutritious as ingredients bred using more traditional methods, NYFB officials said.

New York Farm Bureau opposes a statewide approach because it would create a patchwork of labeling laws that would prove costly for New York farmers and consumers alike. Because of the concern, New York Farm Bureau is currently supportive of Senator Robert’s bill.

The chairman’s proposal is centered on a strong foundation to protect interstate commerce and prevent state-by-state labeling laws. It will direct USDA to initiate formal rulemaking to set definitions and standards for the labeling of products that may contain ingredients derived from agricultural biotechnology. The bill also contains an educational component to inform consumers about the safety of GMOs.

“Public policy must be based on sound science and not on fear and misinformation shared on social media,” said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau president. “Broad or individual state labeling requirements out there today undermine the public’s trust in the safe and nutritious food our farmers grow, without balancing the benefits that GMOs provide to our environment and to hungry populations around the world.”

Regulations

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act (CWA) that members believe broaden the jurisdiction from navigable waters to also including dry land. The new “Waters of the U.S.” rule will vastly increase the scope of the CWA and put an undue burden and more regulatory control on farmers and their land with no benefit to the environment.

Both houses of Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to repeal the rule. Unfortunately, the President vetoed the measure. That doesn’t mean this issue is settled. The Sixth Circuit Court has issued a stay based on legal concerns. While it works with way through the legal system, New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to find a solution on the matter along with advocating for more comprehensive regulatory reform.

“More regulation is being heaped on businesses across the United States, and it is infringing on our ability to be successful and provide jobs, food, fuel and fiber in a sustainable way in this economic climate,” said Norton.

New York Farm Bureau was also successful this year at the American Farm Bureau Federation national meeting in Orlando, FL to pass a resolution in the national policy book related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NYFB is in support of allowing third party accredited individuals as well as NRCS staff to complete wetland determinations. This will help to reduce the amount of time farmers have to wait to have a determination completed. Currently, the delays of up to a year hinder what farmers can do with their land.

Immigration Reform

New York Farm Bureau has long been saying that we need a stable workforce on our farms or else the rural economy and our local food supply will ultimately suffer. Despite the political climate in Washington and the current presidential campaign, immigration reform remains a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. It is time to end the immigration stalemate and pass reform legislation that addresses short and long-term farm labor needs.

Because of the unlikelihood of that happening in 2016, New York Farm Bureau is changing its focus this year to look for reforming the H2A seasonal guest worker program.

This includes modernizing the application process to use electronic submissions as opposed to the current paper applications that must be mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition, New York Farm Bureau is looking for opportunities to open up the H2A program to dairy farmers who need help year round.

“When we don’t have labor, crops get left on the trees and on the ground,” said Norton. “We need to work to find avenues to make it easier to find people willing to come to the United States to provide the labor we need for harvest or planting time.”

Until this is completed, New York Farm Bureau will work with Congress to minimize negative impacts of farm labor shortages and will oppose a mandatory E-Verify program unless and until a new comprehensive agricultural guest-worker program is in place to provide farmers with workforce security.

Food Safety Rules

Food safety is another top priority for New York Farm Bureau. Our farmers already participate in a host of food safety programs and audits, and the FDA is in the process of implementing new food safety rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

New York Farm Bureau is monitoring the implementation, particularly those dealing with produce and animal feed, and will be working with the FDA to balance the compliance burden with an actual public health benefit.

“It is important that the FDA works with New York State to provide both the necessary funding and training that will help educate our farmers about their new responsibilities,” said Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s Associate Director of National Affairs. “We also will be monitoring the roll out so the rules will be applied fairly and consistently across the country so as not to put New York growers at a disadvantage.”

Federal money should also be used to provide adequate training of inspectors and provide for inspections for foreign farms. The United States must ensure foreign farms and the goods that they produce are held to the same standards so as not to make domestic farms non-competitive and offshore our food production. If we are to be able to compete on the world market place, our farmers’ hands cannot be tied by our own rules and food should be safe regardless of where it comes from.

Trade

With a growing export market for a number of things that we produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms. This includes the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement with the European Union.

The TPP agreement is expected to increase cash receipts and net exports from New York by $111.4 million and $66.2 millionper year respectively. It is estimated that the increased marketing opportunities for New York’s farmers and ranchers will add more than 500jobs to the New York economy.

“These trade agreements are great for our farmers to improve access to markets,” said Wolters.

New York Farm Bureau will also continue to oppose limitations on the use of geographic indicators. Restricting geographical names for food, like feta and parmesan, would inhibit the marketability and competitiveness of U.S. food products.

“New York agriculture is a large part of the state’s economy. We have nearly 36,000 farms and more than 200,000 jobs in totality when you include processing and on farm jobs. We are working to continue to make sure farmers are here and the landscape is prosperous,” said Norton.

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Andrew Moore of Albion and Emma Wilson of Medina co-present on Mustang Adoption and Gentling during Orleans County 4-H Public Presentations this morning at the 4-H Fairgrounds.

KNOWLESVILLE – For Orleans County 4-H’ers, February means the annual Public Presentations program, and some of the final presentations of this year were held today at the Education Center on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Public Presentations were also held on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13. A final round of presentations will be held at Kendall Elementary School this Thursday.

The program is part of the 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts project area and helps participating youth to grow in confidence and career readiness.

Participants through public speaking develop poise and learn to express ideas clearly, respond spontaneously to questions and to gain subject matter knowledge.

“The most impressive thing is the width, breadth and variety of topics” chosen by 4-H presenters, said Robert Batt, 4-H educator in Orleans County.

Topics chosen this year included various cooking and baking demonstrations; Jamaica; land trapping; dangers of smoking; popcorn; winter camping and farm equipment.

4-H’ers who receive the highest evaluation of their presentation can move on to the district and state levels.

Lillian Mathes of Holley explains the meaning of the four h’s in 4-H during her Public Presentation Saturday morning at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. “I love to learn by doing,” Lillian said during her talk.

Meganne Moore of Albion chose to recite Shel Silverstein’s poem, “Peanut-Butter Sandwich” while enrobed in a purple cape.

Review, done once every 8 years, has begun

File photos by Tom Rivers – A field of sunflowers is pictured in August 2014 along Route 237, north of the Village of Holley.

ALBION – Orleans County has consolidated its agricultural districts into one county-wide district, a change that should make it easier for farmers for the reviews every eight years.

Many of the farms work land that crosses town boundaries. Some of the ag districts had different review cycles and farmers could inadvertently be left out of an ag district if they didn’t send in paperwork.

The county used to have 10 ag districts and shrunk it to three, with a northern district in the towns of Yates, Carlton and Kendall; a middle district with Ridgeway, Gaines, Albion and Murray; and a southern district with the towns of Shelby, Barre and Clarendon.

Now all of the towns are in one consolidated district. The County Legislature approved the change last week, saying it will be simpler and more convenient for farmers, and also be more efficient for the County Planning Department, which administers the ag district.

The Planning Department has sent 907 letters to property owners in the district, requesting they send back confirmation letters if they want to stay in the district.

The ag district will next be up for review in 8 years, but property owners can be added to the district with annual enrollments every June. However, landowners can only be removed from the district every 8 years.

“This will simplify things and be a better way to do it,” said Jim Bensley, the county’s Planning Department director. “It will be easier for the farmers who operate in multiple towns.”

Landowners must affirm in writing their intent to be included in the district. The county wants the letters returned by Feb. 26.

A field is pictured across from the Millville Cemetery on East Shelby Road in this photo from May 2014.

Agricultural Districts are established by New York State Agriculture and Markets Law to provide for the protection of agricultural lands. Farmers with land in an ag district are protected from lawsuits from neighbors who complain about normal farm practices, such as odors, dirt on roads, and working in fields early in the morning or late at night.

Agriculture is the dominant industry in Orleans County. The latest Agriculture Census from 2012 showed total revenue from Orleans County farms at $150.3 million for sales of fruit, vegetables, milk, livestock and other farm products. That was a 48.8 percent jump from the $101.0 million recorded in 2007, according to the Agricultural Census, which is done every five years.

Agricultural districts do not have to be made up completely of farmland. However, they must contain a predominance of viable farmland, according to the County Planning Department.

For more information about Agricultural Districts or the ongoing review and consolidation process, contact Sarah Gatti, planner at the Orleans County Department of Planning, at 585-589-3187.

Provided photo – New York Farm Bureau’s State Board of Directors presented banners on Wednesday to the capitol offices of Governor Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Flanagan and Assembly Speaker Heastie. The banners, which were signed by NYFB members, ask the leaders “to keep the barn doors open” and say no to the $15 minimum wage.

Press Release, NY Farm Bureau

New York Farm Bureau this week released its 2016 state priorities that focus on improving conditions in New York State to allow for agricultural growth. The number one issue for New York Farm Bureau this year is to strongly oppose the $15 minimum wage.

The plan for higher wages, raising the minimum from $9 to $15, would dramatically impact farms’ competitiveness and cost them an estimated $500 million in additional annual labor costs alone. That would be crushing in a year like this one, when milk and commodity prices are significantly lower.

NYFB President Dean Norton noted that the average agricultural wage in New York State is $12.39 per hour, well above the current minimum, but an increase will force wages up across the board, including those already making more than the minimum based on skill and experience. Additional costs will rise as well for payroll taxes like unemployment insurance and FICA. Other expenses will come from increased costs for goods and services that farms must purchase.

“The Governor’s minimum wage proposal makes New York completely uncompetitive with the other agricultural states,” said Norton, a dairy farmer from Elba. “When Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is $7.25 and New York’s is $15, how can our farms and other businesses compete? The answer, unfortunately, is to reduce labor costs or shut down.”

State funding for critical farm programs is also a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. The Governor included a number of things in his budget plan that would help the farm industry, including increased funding for the Environmental Protection Fund, which will assist farms with water quality, conservation and farmland protection programs.

New York Farm Bureau also remains committed to securing funding to assist schools in starting up new FFA programs as well as for agricultural education programs. The USDA estimates that there will be 60,000 new jobs a year in the farming and food industries, and we will need to have a workforce ready to meet those demands to help grow the industries right here at home.

“We have an abundance of school districts looking to add chapters and this funding would help get those chapters off the ground and started,” said Norton.

A third priority related to the budget is the investment in road and bridge funding for upstate New York. The Governor is committing $20 billion to match infrastructure efforts happening in and around New York City. The parity in upstate-downstate funding remains a priority because our farms need access to good roads and safe bridges in order to transport their goods to market.

“Many of the bridges that cross the Erie Canal are no longer accessible to agricultural equipment and vehicles because of the weight limit and restrictions,” said Norton. “This increases time and costs for farmers who may have to travel miles out of their way to get to a farm field or deliver milk.”

Another new priority for our members this year is support for transferring farm assessment functions from the Department of Taxation and Finance to the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Agricultural land assessments are determined by Agriculture and Markets under Agricultural District Law.

However, when it comes to administering the assessments, it falls to Tax and Finance which can create some confusion for assessors not well versed in Agriculture District Law. Moving the process to be entirely housed within the Department of Agriculture and Markets will not only streamline the process, but it would be a common sense move to improve a valuable program for our farms.

“There is a real sensitivity and understanding of our industry in the Department of Agriculture and Markets and we feel that assessment program and functions would be much better served in that department rather than Taxation and Finance,” said Jeff Williams, NYFB’s Public Policy Director.

Finally, energy is another major priority for New York Farm Bureau. Reducing costs and increasing efficiencies for farms, while also helping farms transition to renewable energy sources, provide many benefits for agriculture.

The Governor’s initiative, known as Reforming the Energy Vision or REV, is looking to be a more market-based plan than current energy policy incentives. In the past, NYSERDA has worked with farms to open up opportunities for solar, wind energy and bio mass as well as increasing the use of anaerobic digesters on dairy farms.

The digesters convert animal nutrients into electricity that is returned to the grid. New York Farm Bureau will work this year to ensure REV is implemented in a fair and effective way so that rural New York is able to take advantage of the programs available, and farms can contribute to a more resilient grid and power their neighborhoods.

“We are watching this process very closely, because at the end of the day, we want to make sure that farms who want to employ more renewable energy technologies are making out equally in rate pricing and that their efforts are economically viable,” said Williams. “At this time, we don’t know how this will impact farms or rate payers.”

Press release, NY Farm Bureau President Dean Norton

“Governor Andrew Cuomo is moving forward with some major budget proposals that will impact agriculture across the state in positive and negative ways. New York Farm Bureau has advocated on a host of issues mentioned in the State of the State, and many of the Governor’s requests reflect his interest to improving conditions for family farms across the state.

“New York Farm Bureau is hopeful his efforts to substantially increase the Environmental Protection Fund will assist farmers with expanded water quality, conservation and farmland preservation programs that are widely used.

“In addition, his request to offer a 100% tax credit on Thruway tolls for farm vehicles that use EZ Pass is a sensible approach to helping farms save money while at the same time making it easier to move their products around New York. Improving rural infrastructure also remains a priority for New York Farm Bureau, and we are pleased to see additional funding as well to improve roads and bridges in the upstate and Long Island regions.

“There is also support for agriculture reflected in funding for critical research. Plus, the Governor has maintained his commitment to marketing initiatives that let our neighbors and the world know about the healthy food and products that come from our farms.

“Despite these positive endeavors, New York Farm Bureau remains deeply concerned about the impact of a $15 minimum wage on our farms’ bottom lines. Many of our members tell us they will be forced to make tough choices should it pass, choices like reducing staff, changing what they grow and how they grow it, or just leaving farming altogether.

“We encourage Governor Cuomo to continue working with Farm Bureau to find better ways to promote job growth, better wages, and new opportunities for our family farms and their employees.”

File photo by Tom Rivers – Congressman Chris Collins joins members of the Orleans County farm community in September 2013 at the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina to promote the Cider Industry Deserves Equal Regulation Act, which would reduce the excise tax on hard cider.

Press Release, NY Apple Association

FISHERS – New York state’s apple industry is raising glasses of hard cider today to toast the news that the U.S. Congress has approved an overhaul of how hard cider is taxed that will allow New York state hard ciders to be more competitive in the marketplace.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure as part of the so-called tax extenders bill approved Thursday; the U.S. Senate approved it today as part of a combined tax and government funding bill.

The House and Senate bills included language from bills introduced in both chambers earlier this year to level the playing field regarding how hard cider is taxed relative to other alcoholic beverages such as champagne, wine and beer. New York’s U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) had introduced the “Cider Investment and Development through Excise Tax Reduction (CIDER) Act of 2015” with five bipartisan cosponsors in May.

New York’s U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY-27) had introduced similar bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives in January with Oregon’s Rep. Earl Blumenauer. Several U.S. representatives from New York subsequently co-sponsored that House bill: Richard Hanna (R-NY-22), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18), Charles Rangel (D-NY-13), Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and Paul Tonko (D-NY-20).

“As the second-largest apple producing state in the country, New York should be the core of hard cider boom we are seeing now. With this sensible change, our hard cider makers can sell more cider and grow their businesses – and that means our apple growers can sell more apples to those cider makers,” said NYAA President Jim Allen.

“Cheers to the leadership shown by the New York congressional delegation, our thanks to Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Chris Collins in particular,” he added.

Under current federal law, depending upon its alcoholic content hard cider can be taxed at same rate as wine, $1.07 per gallon – and depending upon its carbonation, it can be taxed at the even higher champagne rate of $3.30 per gallon. The CIDER Act provision included in the tax extender bill changes the definition of hard cider to tax it at $.23 per gallon, equivalent to beer.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Walter Zelazny & Sons farm in Medina was out harvesting corn on Nov. 14, 2014 in this field at the corner of Route 63 and Fletcher Chapel Road.

Press Release
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

ALBANY – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the growth of agricultural sales in New York outpaced the national average, with cash receipts up 36 percent across the state, more than the 32 percent gain nationally.

In 2014, farmers in New York State also set a new record for sales with $6.36 billion in cash receipts, up from $4.7 billion in 2010, representing a nearly $1.7 billion increase in gross income from sales of crops, livestock, and other products.

“New York State is home to thriving agricultural businesses known for their high-quality products and award-winning tastes,” Governor Cuomo said. “This administration’s continued commitment to cutting through the red tape, lowering costs and investing in this vital industry is paying dividends today. I congratulate all of New York’s farmers on another banner year.”

Since taking office, Cuomo has made the state’s agricultural economy a top priority, supporting agricultural research, promoting locally grown and produced foods, helping to market the booming craft beverage industry, and connecting our farmers and agri-businesses to new markets through farmers’ markets, Taste NY stores and increased procurement opportunities.

As a result, New York has seen a surge in average gross income and a significant increase in sales of many of the state’s top commodities.

Since 2010, the following commodities have shown the greatest increases:

Poultry and eggs up 63 percent to $206 million;
Peaches up 80 percent to $12.6 million;
Honey production up 59 percent to just under $9 million;
Cattle production up 132 percent to $415 million; and
Hay up 173 percent to $147 million.

The New York dairy industry also saw record high dairy prices in 2014, constituting approximately half of the state’s agricultural receipts.

The Governor’s Taste NY initiative continues to expand since its launch in 2013, helping to link our local producers and growers to consumers around the world through events, culinary tours and several Taste NY stores. This year, the state opened four Taste NY stores, including the first store outside New York State in Puerto Rico.

There are now 11 Taste NY stores along our highways and in our transportation hubs, enabling travelers to buy New York State’s homegrown and homemade products. The Taste NY Market at Todd Hill recently exceeded $1 million in sales.

The state also held three Taste NY Culinary Tours in 2015 that brought together more than 100 restaurateurs, many from downstate, to the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island regions to experience the quality and diversity of agricultural products specific to the region and encourage local sourcing.

Cuomo has pushed to help agricultural producers and growers tap into the New York City marketplace, and connect with schools. The recently announced Farm to School program will assist Pre-K-12 schools procure and serve healthy, locally grown foods on school menus, bolstering the demand for agricultural products.

In addition, partnerships across the state and in particular, downstate, are helping the industry bring its goods and products to the state’s growing number of farmers’ markets.

New York is also leading the growth of the rapidly expanding farm-based beverage industry. The overhaul of legislative and regulatory policies, coupled with substantial improvements to the state’s business climate, have stimulated record growth in craft producers, while increasing demand of agricultural producers.

Since 2011, the industry overall has grown 154 percent. New York now has more than more than 800 beer, wine, spirits, and cider businesses, contributing over $27 billion to New York’s economy annually.

“With the Governor’s commitment to growing the agricultural economy and New York State farmers’ increased innovation and resiliency, New York State has a winning combination,” said New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “There’s no doubt the agricultural economy is stronger now than ever. With record sales and a significant growth trend in sales of many key commodities, New York continues to be a leader in agriculture.”

According to a study conducted by Cornell Professor Todd Schmit, New York’s agricultural sector has a strong multiplier effect on the state’s economy. For every dollar spent in agricultural output, an additional $.43 is generated for non-agricultural industries. In addition, every new job created within agriculture leads to the creation of .80 non-agricultural jobs.

“The growth of agricultural sales demonstrates that farming in this state is an extremely important industry to New York’s rural economy,” said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau president. “It could not have been possible without the hard work and commitment demonstrated on farms in every region to produce quality products that consumers want. The growth also demonstrates what is possible when the State improves the business climate for family farms and invests in industry promotion.”