Statement From Senator Patty Ritchie

Today’s signing of the Farm Workers Bill means that already struggling farmers are going to have to work even harder to make ends meet. 

In the past five years, our state has lost 2,000 farms. This new law—which places the fate of our agriculture industry into the hands of a newly unelected wage board with zero accountability—will saddle farmers with another $300 million in costs. Simply put, they cannot afford it.  

Farming is a way of life in the region I represent, and our family farms are responsible for providing fresh food to people in every corner of our state. This new law puts farmers and the industry as a whole in jeopardy. Instead of pushing for measures that will help family farms grow and prosper, advocates of this legislation have instead opted to deliver a gut-punch to the future of farming in New York State.