New York State is a major agriculture producer, and the New York League of Conservation Voters wants to make sure these resources and land are preserved, enhanced and used as appropriately and efficiently as possible in our state’s ongoing effort to maintain our farms, and along the way, reduce our carbon footprint.
We reduce our carbon footprint by eating food grown and processed locally, because the transportation of food over long distances is a significant producer of greenhouse gasses.
Plus, farmland is the least carbon-intensive land use and can even capture and sequester atmospheric carbon pollution.
New York’s agriculture sector is a vital state resource that must be preserved and protected by our state and its leaders. We need strong programs and key legislation that will encourage farming and ensure that those providing our local food supply are in a sound position to succeed.
In 2023, New York State ranked 27th in the country with $7.33 billion in annual agricultural sales, and is among the leaders in several categories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. New York ranks second in apple sales, second in maple syrup, third in dairy products and sixth in cherries. Although the number of farms has been decreasing in the state, we still have more than 30,000 farms on more than 6.5 million acres, employing more than 56,000 people, with that total increased to approximately 200,000 workers when including food processors and other agricultural-related jobs.
Here is what the League is advocating for so New York State agriculture can grow and prosper in the future:
- Accelerate preservation of the state’s farmland through legislation and other government actions;
- Improve clean transportation options available for the movement of fresh food from farm to table, particularly in under served areas;
- Support legislation that allows working farms that are subject to easements acquired with farmland preservation funds to make necessary and appropriate infrastructure improvements related directly and exclusively to farm operations that are in accordance with the terms of the easement;
- Create programs to support new and beginning farmers and continue funding for existing programs, including Farmland for a New Generation. This program provides information and resources for farmers seeking farmland and helps older farmers successfully transfer their land, so that it continues to be farmed;
- Support and expand Farm-to-School Grants and the Farm to School Reimbursement Incentive, including codifying the 30% Farm-to-School Initiative, and support services to connect schools and other institutions with farms. The state’s 30% Initiative increases the reimbursement schools receive for lunches from 5.9 cents per meal to 25 cents per meal for any district that purchases at least 30 percent of its food ingredients for their school lunch program from New York farms. School districts that have reached the 30 percent threshold can apply for reimbursement;
- Develop policies to support pollinator colonies and better understand and prevent pollinator collapse;
- Proactively work with the agricultural community to reduce on-farm emissions and monetize farm waste through anaerobic digestion;
- When siting renewable energy projects on farmland, do so in a way that preserves New York’s farmland to the extent feasible, expand research on and support implementation of dual-use innovation, and deploy other strategies to minimize net reductions of working farmland; and
- Make sure that the cannabis and hemp industries are closely monitored and managed to ensure they are environmentally responsible, energy-efficient and conserve water.
All these efforts are essential to maintaining New York State’s agricultural community. Please support these goals by reaching out to your local elected officials and encouraging them to vote in favor of all NY state farming initiatives.
Peter Aronson, a volunteer writer at the New York League of Conservation Voters since September 2022, is a former journalist and retired attorney. He is the author of Mandalay Hawk’s Dilemma: The United States of Anthropocene, a novel for middle-grade readers about kids fighting global warming. Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, wrote: “A scathing work and an essential blueprint for youth battling climate change.” To read more about Peter, visit his website www.peteraronsonbooks.com or to purchase his book, click here.