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| Assemblywoman Addie Russell met with students from the Future Farmers of America and representatives from the St. Lawrence and Jefferson County chapters of the New York Farm Bureau this week in order to discuss how to ensure a bright future for the state's farmers. |
Farming is big business in New York and Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, is calling on the state to renew and expand on its commitment to farmers and their communities. Recently appointed Chair of the Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm, and Nutrition Policy, Russell said she's looking forward to using her new position to be a stronger advocate on behalf of North Country farms.
"In communities across the North Country, farms and agribusiness are the cornerstone of the economy,” Russell said. "It's one of my top priorities this year to ensure our farmers are supported by the state."
On Tuesday Russell met with representatives from the St. Lawrence and Jefferson County chapters of the New York State Farm Bureau to talk about the issues facing North Country farmers.
During the meeting Russell was again named a member of the Farm Bureau’s "Circle of Friends" in recognition of her strong support for the state's agricultural industry.
Russell has been an advocate for policies that enhance the use of local products, especially from our farms, within our community by hosting local businesses events, facilitating improvements to support farm-to-school initiatives, supporting local fairs, and pushing to strengthen the Future Farmers of America program.
"Farming has always been a family business, and in today's world it is important for us to ensure future farmers have the training they need to carry on in the field they love," Russell said.
To strengthen the industry, Russell is calling for restorations to programs that have been cut in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s proposed budget, programs that have been important resources for years. Many of these programs targeted for cuts have traditionally supported research that has kept New York at the forefront of agriculture productivity and stewardship. Others provide for professional services to assure the financial viability of our farms that are at the mercy of national pricing systems, making it one of the most challenging business climates.
Russell is also working to ensure the preservation of programs that leverage marketing resources to position New York farm products competitively in the global economy, and encourage local and regional purchasing from our farms.
“We cannot pull the rug out from under our farmers by eliminating funding for programs that have stood the test of time. We know these programs are making a difference by keeping New York farms competitive and enabling them to remain the driving force of the state’s economy,” Russell said.