CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN ANNOUNCES PRIORITIES TO DELIVER RELIEF FOR HUDSON VALLEY FAMILY FARMERS IN 2023 FARM BILL
Congressman Pat Ryan Announces Priorities to Deliver Relief for Hudson Valley Family Farmers in 2023 Farm Bill
Ryan toured farms and agricultural packing centers across the district to hear feedback directly from constituents
GOSHEN, NY – Today, following his agriculture listening tour and incorporating feedback from a constituent survey, Congressman Pat Ryan announced his priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is a comprehensive legislative package passed by Congress every 5 years that invests in the health and development of our rural communities, provides resources to ensure the sustainability and longevity of America’s agricultural industry, and helps to reduce hunger among American families and seniors.
“About 9 in 10 farms in the district are family run – delivering relief for these smaller-scale and often specialty crop focused operations is absolutely my top priority for the 2023 Farm Bill,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “As I toured facilities across the Hudson Valley, I heard over and over again that these local needs have been ignored in previous Farm Bills in favor of handouts for big corporations. That ends now. By increasing funding for the Speciality Crop Block Grant Program and the Speciality Crop Research Initiative, we’re going to put resources and power back where they belong: with our local farmers.”
“Specialty crops like the onions we grow at Minkus Farms are the pride of Orange County, but often get overlooked when it comes to national legislation like the Farm Bill,” said Rod Runnalls, General Manager at Minkus Family Farms. “I want to thank Congressman Ryan for taking the time to hear our concerns directly and advocating for us down in Washington.”
“Congressman Ryan understands the importance of protecting our country’s food supply and how crucial it is to keep US farms operating, especially after COVID,” said Dylan Dembeck, Director of Operations at Minkus Family Farms. “Federal support is needed to get through these challenges, and I know Pat Ryan has our back.”
“Thank you to Congressman Ryan for making the time to come out and tour our farm,” said Gary Glowaczewski of R & G Produce, LLC. “We were glad to be able to discuss with him the issues that farmers have here in Orange County. Congressman Ryan and his staff genuinely cared about the hardships that farmers incur to provide nutritious and fresh produce to New Yorkers.”
“We are so grateful to Congressman Pat Ryan for visiting us today at the Chester Ag Center,” said Maria Caicedo, Community Relations and Store Manager at the Chester Agricultural Center. “We left this visit feeling reassured that we can count on the support of Rep. Pat Ryan to advance the center’s mission of contributing to an equitable and inclusive regional food system.”
Rep. Ryan’s priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill include a constituent proposal to support farmers while supplying our food banks, as well as increased funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The SCBGP gives money to State Departments of Agriculture to enhance competitiveness of the crops that are so important to our region and increased SCRI funding would expand grants made to support research projects that address key challenges facing our food production systems.
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