Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C, Elma) and Senator George Borrello, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, brought together approximately 40 farmers and agricultural leaders Thursday for a roundtable discussion focused on the rising costs and workforce challenges confronting New York agriculture. 

Held at Hidden Valley Lodge and hosted by Hans Boxler of Boxler Farms, the discussion included farmers from Wyoming, Genesee and Erie counties as well as representatives of leading agricultural organizations.

“The agriculture industry is critical to our state and our region, directly and in-directly employing thousands of residents,” said Senator Gallivan. “As we prepare for a new legislative session, it is essential we hear from farmers and others in the agriculture industry about the challenges they face, from the rising cost of doing business to the burdensome regulations that threaten the future of farming in New York. I am grateful for their input, and I look forward to working with Senator Borrello and our colleagues in the Senate to improve the business climate for farmers across the state.”    

“Agriculture is one of New York’s most important industries and an essential part of the economy and way of life here in Western New York,” said Senator Borrello. “Yet even in the best of times, farming is a difficult business with tight margins and circumstances that are often beyond a producer’s control. What we heard today reinforced just how many pressures are converging on our farmers at once.”

Much of the discussion centered on the widening gap between what it costs to operate a farm and what farmers are able to earn. Dramatically higher utility rates were cited as a major source of strain, along with difficulties getting the electrical service needed to expand their farms.   

Other key issues they cited as difficulties were New York’s high labor costs, rising diesel prices and high electric rates.

These pressures come as New York continues to lose farms. According to the State Comptroller, the state lost 500 farms and 100,000 acres of farmland between 2024 and 2025, twice the national rate. This comes on top of the 8 percent drop in total farms and 40 percent decrease in dairy farms the state experienced between the 2017 and 2022 USDA Agriculture Censuses, marking one of the steepest declines in decades.

“The only way for policymakers to understand the challenges of dairy farming and the volatile markets we are dealing with, especially right now, is to see first-hand the work taking place on our family farms and to have open dialogue,” said Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) Chair and dairy farmer A.J. Wormuth. “I commend the senators and their colleagues across the state for continuing to seek out farmers to better understand the detrimental impacts rising utility, labor, diesel and other input costs have on family farms. We simply cannot rely on importing food and through conversations like these, we’re able to work toward solutions that strengthen our local food supply, support the sustainability of farms, and ensure a future for the next generation of farmers.”

Participants also raised concerns about local regulations that can conflict with state protections for farms in agricultural districts, forcing farmers to seek state intervention, a process that can be especially burdensome for new and startup farms.

“Erie County Farm Bureau is proud to stand with lawmakers to address the local regulatory hurdles that disproportionately impact startup farms. When local town laws run counter to state protections, new farmers are forced into an exhausting and expensive NYS administrative review process simply to operate,” said Jeffrey Fisher, Director of the Erie County Farm Bureau and Chair of its Policy Development and Implementation Committee. “By reforming these restrictive barriers, we can create an equitable landscape where startup growers can actually afford to build a business, pay their bills, and supply fresh food to Erie County families.”

The senators noted that despite the challenges facing New York agriculture, it has tremendous assets and enormous potential.
 

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