Senator Gillibrand, a member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, said her Monday afternoon stop at Jefferson Community College in Watertown was part of her statewide agriculture listening tour.
She said she was seeking input from farmers and producers on steps that should be included in the next Farm Bill in an effort to make the legislation as helpful as possible for the North Country agriculture community.
"It's a feather in our cap to have high calibre members of the agricultural community in the North Country that can contribute to the creation of federal farm policy," Assemblywoman Russell said.
"Federal policies play a critical role as our farmers and producers labor under the current economic stresses impacting our ag industry in the region. A number of our local farmers shared their concerns with Senator Gillibrand. Low milk prices loom large among the issues facing our North Country dairy farmers," she added.
"There were also concerns about new federal programs not working better than the programs they replaced, the impact the strong U.S. dollar and global politics are having on dairy export demand and the continued hurdles farmers face in moving their products into countries that are considered friendly foreign trade partners, including Canada and members of the European Union. Market protections make it extremely challenging and often times cost prohibitive for agricultural products produced in the United States to be shipped into those countries," Assemblywoman Russell said.
She said the roundtable also included talk about the impact delays by regulatory agencies can have on the bottom lines of farmers and producers, a discussion on issues that arise from one size fits all regulations and rules on value added products and the need for immigration reform to assist farmers and producers seeking workers for their operations.
"It was a spirited and at times lively discussion, but it was once again a reminder of the impact federal policy and international politics have on our farms in the North Country. I thought the members of our agricultural community were very effective in sharing their concerns with Senator Gillibrand at the roundtable," Assemblywoman Russell said.
Senator Gillibrand, the first senator from the state to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly four decades, said she was grateful to the local farmers and producers who shared their concerns with her at the roundtable discussion.
She said the participants were part of an important and productive conversation on the issues that are concerns for members of the agriculture community in the North Country.
"The next Farm Bill is still two years away, but we must address our farmers' current problems while looking forward to make the Farm Bill as strong as possible," Senator Gillibrand said.
"It is crucial that the agriculture community continues to speak out and share their concerns and that we listen to them so we can come up with good solutions to ensure our farms prosper," she added.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP PHOTO:
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand hosted a roundtable discussion on the concerns facing members of the North Country agriculture industry on Monday in Watertown. Pictured clockwise (l-r) are Jefferson County Legislator and farmer John Peck, Watertown Mayor Joseph Butler, Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, Jefferson Community College President Carol McCoy, Jefferson County Farm Bureau Vice President Adam Miner, Senator Gillibrand and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County Executive Director Kevin Jordan.
BOTTOM PHOTO:
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (second from right) poses for a photograph with Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell and two interns in Assemblywoman Russell's office this summer, Sierra Hicks, a student at American University, Washington, D.C., (second from left), and Lauren Szczesny, a rising grad student at SUNY Albany, (far right).
