Farmers Outline Concerns to State and Federal Officials

Mid-Hudson farmers brought their concerns to state and federal lawmakers at a forum at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson Monday night.

Chief among their concerns was the lack of affordable land access for farmers, said Lindsey Shute of the National Young Farmers Coalition.

“The price of farmland is so far and above what full-time farmers can afford,” she said. “In terms of policy, advocates and farmers both talked about the need for more funds to be put into the Environmental Protection Fund in New York State and also within the federal farm bill, to have adequate funding for the Farm and Ranchland Protection program,” Shute said.

Congressman Christopher Gibson and state Assemblywoman Didi Barrett were among those being briefed by the farmers.