“The farm labor bill, which I opposed this week when it was presented for a vote in the Assembly, will sound a death knell for New York’s family farms if it is enacted into law. Agriculture is our state’s largest industry, yet, it continues to be over-stressed by more and more taxes and regulations. This legislation will add more costly regulations and mandates onto the backs of family farmers, which is not the proper approach to help farms flourish and be successful.

“More than 90 percent of New York’s farms are family-owned farms. Statistics show that the number of family farms is declining as well as farm income. Although our state ranks 27th in the nation in farm production, we rank second in terms of farm payroll costs. Add to that the legislature’s recent action to increase the minimum wage -- along with its failure to not let the utility tax (18a surcharge) expire as it was scheduled to do, and it’s quite clear farmers are facing significant cost burdens. Also, a Farm Credit East survey reveals that on a national average basis, the national average property tax for farmland is $6.75 per acre. However, in New York, the tax cost is $26 per acre. This clearly demonstrates the burden family farms are facing compared to farmers in other states.

“With the Assembly’s approval of the farm labor bill, it is yet another example of how out-of-touch downstate lawmakers are to those family farmers who contribute so much to an important industry in our state. As the state’s largest industry, agriculture and agri-tourism are important job creators and promote our region like no other industry in New York. Instead of trying to stifle the successes of the agriculture industry, the legislature should be working to foster the growth of these industries. We should be reducing regulations which hamper agriculture’s progress and success of family farms.

“Lastly, this bill moves our farming industry in the wrong direction, shuttering family farms and sending a clear message that New York’s top industry is no longer open for business. At a time when our upstate economies are clamoring for jobs and opportunity and our farms could use strong support, this bill would accomplish the exact opposite and close the door on an industry that is the backbone of our economy.”

“The Farm Labor Bill will certainly have detrimental impacts on agriculture as we know it in New York. We greatly appreciate Assemblyman Palmesano attempting to defeat the bill by advocating for the farms in his district. If the bill should become law, farmers would be left with many difficult decisions. From having to lay off employees or changing to less labor intensive crops to leaving farming altogether, these would become real issues many of our farmers would be forced to confront,” said Dean Norton, President of New York Farm Bureau.