Senators and assemblymembers press for expanded farm supports, including weather-resiliency grants

Albany — Agriculture funding was a central focus of the committee’s opening remarks, with both chambers signaling increases for research, farm infrastructure and farmworker housing.

Senator Michelle Hinchey (S3) described the Senate one-house agriculture package and called for more research and supports for small and midsize family farms. "No farms, no food," she said, and she listed proposals the transcript records as $5,000,000 in capital and $5,000,000 in operating "for cows," amendments to the Farm to School program, $7,000,000 for a new round of farmworker housing funds and a $20,000,000 farm weather resiliency grant program to stabilize farms facing climate-driven crop loss.

Assembly agriculture chair Donna Laparto (S4) said the Assembly added roughly $16,000,000 over the governor for agriculture priorities, including restoring research and outreach funding, backing emerging- and disadvantaged-farmer programs, and seeding pilot initiatives such as a $300,000 Natural Fibers Textile Working Group. She also pointed to $250,000 for RPI's seed-to-city work and $2,000,000 in UDC funding toward an industrial hemp pipeline.

Both sides emphasized that existing federal funding cuts have pressured state support for certain research and that dairy and maple-sector projects have been affected. Minority speakers cautioned about farm labor overtime rules and urged budget discussions to weigh policy impacts on small farms.

Next steps: committee members said these one-house positions will be negotiated in upcoming conference committee sessions.