Assemblyman Bill Magee (D-Nelson) announced that his legislation to help new farmers get their farms up and running passed the Assembly. The measure creates an inventory of state-owned land and requires the state’s Agriculture Advisory Council to provide tax and financial advice to beginning farmers (A.5060).
“Farming is tough work with long hours and often, starting can be the hardest part,” Magee said. “Getting a farm off the ground is a long, complex and expensive project that’s difficult to navigate. We need to cut the red tape for those who want to dedicate themselves to agriculture because farming is one of the most important jobs out there.”
Magee’s legislation eases the burden of entering the agricultural field by creating an inventory of state-owned land that may be suitable for farming, which can help a future farmer select a plot of land. Further, the legislation would require the state’s Agriculture Advisory Council to provide tax and financial advice to up-and-coming farmers to ease them into the industry.
This legislation is critical, as the average age of a farmer has continually increased. In fact, there are nearly three times as many farmers over the age of 70 in New York than there are under the age of 34. The measure has already passed the state Senate and will now be sent to the governor. Magee is looking forward to working with the governor to secure the funding to make this legislation a reality.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our state,” Magee said. “We need to give new farmers the necessary support to get their farms running. This is how we grow a bright future for New York.”