Rep. Delgado To Work With Otsego County Ag Industry

Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY-19) joined the Otsego County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan Implementation Committee at their monthly meeting to discuss ways to work together to support the agricultural industry in Otsego County.

“NY-19 is home to nearly 5,000 farms, and 96% of those are family farms. Supporting our small farmers during this downturn in the farm economy is a critical priority and has been a focus of my first year in office,” said Delgado. “That work starts with hearing from farmers and meeting them where they are. That’s why I established my Agriculture Advisory Committee made up of voices from all eleven NY-19 counties and have toured twenty-five farms across the district. I’m grateful to the Otsego County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan Implementation Committee board members for today’s discussion about ways to work together to ensure the long-term viability of agriculture in Otsego County. From tariffs, to workforce needs, to rural infrastructure – there are many obstacles to overcome. Each of these conversations shape my work for our farmers in Washington as part of the Agriculture Committee, and I look forward to continuing to work together to support our upstate farmers.”

This Spring, Delgado announced the creation of his 19th Congressional District Agriculture Advisory Committee, including 40 farmers and agriculture leaders from every county in the district that provide input to Delgado on ways Congress can better support small farms in upstate New York. As a member of the Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Small Business Committees, Delgado has prioritized bringing the voices of small farmers to Washington. Rep. Delgado introduced H.R. 2336, the Family Farmer Relief Act in April, and in June, gave testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on his bill and the plight of small farms today. Delgado secured passage of the bill in both chambers of Congress and the President signed the legislation into law on August 23.

Earlier this month, Delgado introduced his Rebuild Rural America Act to improve the way that the federal government supports economic development projects in small towns and rural communities to better fit their specific needs. This bill would create the Rural Future Partnership Fund through USDA, which would provide $50 billion in multi-year, flexible block grants to rural regions that have trouble navigating the complex federal grants process.