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Ritchie ‘Young Farmers’ Plan Included in Final State Budget
Patty Ritchie
March 30, 2014
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ISSUE:
- Agriculture
- Organic Farming
- Dairy
- Livestock
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Budget Also Reaffirms NY’s Commitment to Agriculture with Record New Funding for Farm Programs
State Senator Patty Ritchie announced that key elements of her “Young Farmers NY” plan to support and encourage careers in agriculture will be included in the final state budget, which also adds record levels of new funding for priority agriculture programs that can help farmers succeed.
The $1 million Young Farmers NY initiative includes Sen. Ritchie’s proposal for new farmer innovation grants—now called the “NY Beginning Farmer Fund”—of up to $50,000 each to help start or expand an agriculture business. In addition, the budget will include $100,000 for student loan forgiveness for agriculture college graduates who commit to farming careers, increased funding for the in-school, agriculture leadership–focused FFA (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) program, and reforms the Estate Tax, to make it easier for families to pass on their farm business to the next generation.
“The lifeblood of agriculture in New York is the family farm,” said Senator Ritchie, who is chair of the Senate’s Agriculture Committee. “And the funding and incentives included in the new budget will help encourage young farmers to continue that tradition and strengthen family farming.”
Studies have shown that the average age of farmers is slowing creeping up—it is now 57—and that retiring farmers are not being replaced by a new generation, raising questions about the future of this critical industry.
In addition to the Young Farmers NY plan, the budget reaffirms New York’s commitment to agriculture by including record funding—the highest in at least six years—for critical agriculture marketing, education and research programs. For the past four years since joining the Senate, Senator Ritchie has made a priority of restoring cuts to agriculture funding, and securing new funds to help key segments of the $5 billion agriculture sector grow.
The record $8.5 million in increased agriculture support includes:
Apple Growers Association $544,000
Dairy Profit Teams at Farm Viability Institute $220,000
Farm Viability Institute $1.1 million
Genesee Agriculture Academy $100,000
Island Harvest $20,000
Turfgrass Association $150,000
NY Wine and Grape Foundation $287,000
Life-saving Tractor Rollover Prevention program $150,000
Wildlife rabies prevention (Cornell) $460,000
Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center $1 million
NY Berry Growers Association $320,000
Corn and Soybean Growers Association $75,000
Honeybee research at Cornell $50,000
Hops and Barley Research (Cornell) $160,000
EEE prevention program $175,000
FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) ag education $158,000
NYS Horticulture Society $500,000
Assistance to County Fairs $160,000
St. Lawrence and Jefferson County low-cost rabies vaccine program $25,000
NY Maple Producers Association $150,000
Cornell Maple Research $105,000
Northern NY Agriculture Development $600,000
Onion Growers Association $50,000
Vegetable Growers Association $100,000
Farm Net assistance for farmers $516,000
Wood Products Council $100,000
Christmas Tree Growers $120,000
Harvest NY $300,000
Agribusiness child development $1 million
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Statement from Senator Patty Ritchie
May 21, 2021
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