U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has reintroduced her Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill negotiations.

The Farm Bill is re-visited and needs congressional approval every five years.

With nearly 3,500 dairy farmers, Gillibrand noted that the state is the fifth-largest producer of milk in the nation and the largest producer of yogurt and cheese.

The Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act would give dairy farmers the ability to review proposals, which could change the class one milk pricing for things like skim and whole milk. Currently, milk is separated into four classes – milk used for beverages is Class I; milk used for products like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, frozen desserts, sour cream, yogurt and other foods is Class II; milk used for cream cheese, spreadable cheeses and hard cheese or shredded, grated or crumbled cheese is Class III, and Class IV is milk used for butter, evaporated or sweetened condensed milk.

If the bill is passed, it would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to hold public hearings within six months.

Gillibrand is also asking the U.S. trade representative to review what she says is Canada’s failure to uphold its dairy trade obligations.

“The craft beverage industry has experienced explosive growth in New York and with that comes a responsibility to advance regulations that help ensure long-term viability, protect consumers and provide farmers with opportunities to increase their business,” Governor Cuomo said. “This legislation will further grow a burgeoning industry and boost small businesses while helping to put them on a path of sustained growth that empowers both producers and consumers.” 

The measure would limit the percentage of alcohol in ice cream to not more than 5 percent of alcohol by volume, and would require the same product labeling and warning statements similar to confectionery that contain wine, beer or cider.

Senator Rachel May said, “New Yorkers are already able to responsibly enjoy beer, wine, and cider infused ice creams. Thanks to this bill, vendors will now be able to offer their customers another delicious treat. This legislation will help New York’s dairy industry and our liquor and craft beverage industries at the same time. I am very grateful to the Governor for signing this into law, and I look forward to sharing some maple bourbon ice cream with him at next year’s State Fair!”

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “This bill expands on the successful addition of wine, beer and cider to certain specialty ice creams. Any time we can allow our dairy farmers and producers to add a product that’s popular with consumers, it’s good for business and it’s good for tourism.  Our distilleries are especially enthusiastic about the potential for NY spirits in NY ice cream.”

Recognizing the value that craft manufacturers have for not just their own businesses, but for the State’s entire economy, Governor Cuomo has worked to create new licenses, modernize laws, relax regulations, cut taxes, eliminate fees and launch innovative promotional campaigns to make it easier to start and grow new craft manufacturing businesses. Since the Governor’s first Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit, the number of farm-based licenses has increased by over 190 percent, from 282 in October 2012 to 823 today.

New York now ranks in the top five in the U.S. for its number of craft beverage producers in every category. The state ranks first in U.S. for the number of hard cider producers, second in craft breweries and distilleries, and fourth in the country for the total number of wineries.

At the same time, food banks in New York State are seeing increased demand for services.

Gov. Cuomo said the state is looking for ways to purchase excess milk from farms and then turn it into dairy products that can be distributed to food banks. He said the state is looking for cooperation with Chobani, Cabot Creamery, and Upstate Niagara Cooperative.

The news was well received by the New York State Farm Bureau.

“Governor Cuomo provided some much-needed good news for the state’s farmers and our partners looking to feed fellow New Yorkers in need,” NYFB President David Fisher said. “Our organization has been advocating for food purchase programs at the state and national levels to address the surging demand for food assistance as well as to help alleviate oversupply issues that are burdening our farms because of the loss of markets in the food service industry.”

Fisher also said that more needs to be done to support all New Yorkers.

“No farmer wants to dispose of the food they produce, but few farms can process and package their raw commodities, like milk, into products that can be purchased or donated to those in need,” he explained. “We know out of state products like apples and potatoes are being purchased rather than supporting our farmers here in the state who themselves have been impacted by COVID-19. Today’s announcement will provide an additional pathway to move more nutritious, New York produced food from our farms to the dinner table, which will benefit everyone involved…. The proposal is a win-win and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Feeding New York State, our dairy cooperatives and marketers, and state officials to help feed more New Yorkers who are struggling right now.”

According to the NYFB, last year alone New York’s farmers donated more than seven million pounds of food to regional food banks across the state through the Harvest for All program.

Congressman Tom Reed – shown here at a Town Hall meeting in Gerry NY in April 2018, will host another town hall Thursday, Nov. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Town of Ellicott administration building in Falconer. 

FALCONER, NY – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) will be hosting a town hall meeting Thursday night in Falconer at the Ellicott Town Hall building on S. Work St.

Reed will likely hear from residents who want to voice their opinion on the ongoing impeachment battle underway in Washington. Reed – like most all other of his Republican Colleagues – has already gone on record saying he opposes the effort by the Democratic Controlled House to hold an impeachment inquiry and he voted against he measure late last week.

But in addition to impeachment, there are several other issues that could be brought up during today’s meeting, including the economy and the lack of progress in helping the struggling agriculture community get back on its feet.

WRFA asked Reed last week during his conference call with local media if progress was being made on that front.

“The biggest thing we can do is get the Mexico-Canada train agreement on the floor, passed and signed into law. We have the votes in the House and Senate to get this done. I am very optimistic that this is maybe the only item that gets to the president’s desk that gets done substantively to impact people in a positive way in a day-to-day basis.  We’re putting all pressure points in place in regards to the speaker’s office that they give us a vote on Mexico-Canada as soon as possible so they can give some relief to dairy farmers and other farmers in the area,” Reed said.

Reed added that he also hopes progress will soon be made in the ongoing tariff wars with China.

“I’m optimistic in the next few weeks we will see pen to paper in regards to some resolutions of some serious outstanding trade issues that we have with China that hopefully will do a little bit to stabilize this marketplace and send a message to dairy farmers and other farmers in the commodity pricing arena that can give them some positive results when it comes to prices going up for their products,” Reed said.

Other issues Reed could likely discuss with constituents on hand include healthcare, immigration, and providing assistance to asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico boarder.

Reed’s town hall meeting in Falconer will tentatively begin at 5:30 p.m. and will run until 6:30 p.m. It is open to the public.

U.S. Senate Candidate Chele Farley (center) made an appearance at the Mid-Knight Dairy Farm in Jamestown to promote her agriculture agenda.

JAMESTOWN – The Republican candidate challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in this year’s election was in Chautauqua County on Monday to promote her platform for helping dairy and agriculture in New York State.

U.S. Senate candidate Chele Farley of New York City said that if she was elected, she would do a better job ensuring farmers in New York State were getting the help they needed – including pushing for better deals in Trade Pacts as well as ensuring more aid would be available when the market struggles.

“Sen. Gillibrand’s very first bill that she put forward was a Farm Bill, which I would absolutely support. Unfortunately that, like the next 304 bills that she put forward, didn’t get passed. We need somebody in Washington who can actually get things done and help New York,” Farley said.

Farley said the proposed U.S. trade deal with Canada and Mexico that was announced last month will provide some help and New Yorkers need a Senator who will work on and support revised trade deals with other global partners as well – claiming that Sen. Gillibrand would rather fight the Trump administration and its proposals rather than work with the administration to ensure New Yorkers are getting their fair share. That not only includes reworking trade pacts, but also crafting and passing the overdue federal farm Farm Bill.

“Reauthorization of the Farm Bill is two years overdue and while farmers struggle here in New York, Sen. Gillibrand is busy campaigning in Georgia and around the country,” Farley said. “While there was good news last week as Canada agreed to end its so-called ‘Class 7’ trade quotas and tariffs with the US as part of an agreement to modernize NAFTA, more help is needed now. Dairy prices have been on a long decline and the impacts of the new trade agreement won’t be felt immediately.”

Farley appeared with both Senator Cathy Young and Assemblyman Andy Goodell as well as County Executive George Borrello Monday afternoon at Mid-Knight Dairy, located off of Fluvanna Town Line Road in Jamestown.

As the State’s leading agricultural sector, dairy accounts for approximately one-half of the state’s total agricultural income. New York is the third leading producer of milk in the country and also the largest producer of yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese in the nation.

New York accounts for 6.7 percent of national milk production and, according to the governor, the state’s dairy industry had an economic output of $14.8 billion in 2011.