UPSTATE UNITED RESPONDS TO USDA’S 2022 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE DATA

February 13th, 2024

The following statement can be attributed to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United

“It comes as no surprise that data released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that New York farms are struggling to survive, with nearly 5,000 shuttered since 2012.

“While the reality of this situation is disturbing, it comes following countless warnings from those who saw the writing on the wall. We have watched one bad policy after another pushed through Albany in recent years making it exceedingly difficult for farms to continue feeding New Yorkers. On top of the burdens passed down by newly adopted state laws, our Upstate farms are being crushed by increased expenses at every turn. Labor and other production costs skyrocketed by nearly 50% between 2017 and 2022, and costs related to everyday tasks on farms, like fuel and feed, have seen significant increases as well.

“Agriculture is a major economic driver in the Empire State and we cannot sit idly by as local family farms we know and love continue to shut their doors due to misguided proposals moved hastily through the state’s chaotic legislative process. These numbers should be a wake-up call to state leaders that New York farms need help – and they need it now.”