National Young Farmers Coalition News

In August, NYFC celebrated a major win in the effort to protect the future of farmland in New York when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Working Farm Protection Act into law. This law (Bill A.10301-B, S.8362-A) strengthens New York’s farmland protection program by making working farm easements permanently eligible for funding through the State’s Farmland Protection Implementation Grant (FPIG) program.

After months of lobbying and mobilization with NYFC’s five New York chapters, New York Farm Bureau, American Farmland Trust, and land trusts from around the state, the bill’s passage was a true victory for young farmers.

“The Working Farm Protection Act gives us hope that we, as well as our peers, have a viable future farming here in New York.  Right now, we’re all struggling to secure land in order to build our farming businesses, and this bill goes a long way toward addressing fundamental problems in accessing good farmland in New York.” —Bryn Roshong & Wes Hannah, Solid Ground Farm, Kingston, New York

In other New York news, NYFC recently published a new report, Farmland for Farmers, focused on the issue of land access for farmers and the use of working farm easements with preemptive purchase rights to ensure the availability of affordable farmland for future generations. 

Agriculture is an integral part of New York’s economy, culture, and landscape. The state’s 35,500 farms keep over 7 million acres of land in agricultural production, support more than 160,000 jobs, and generate in excess of $39 billion annually.

As a growing number of farmers prepare to retire, it is critical that young farmers are positioned to step up.