For those who wish to pursue a career in farming, graduating from an approved New York college or university with an undergraduate degree may make the brassica taste sweeter.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both employment and wages in the farming sector grew in 2021. Agriculture in New York produced roughly $3.3 billion in gross domestic product in 2021 while paying close to a billion dollars in wages.
The bill sponsored by New York State senator Michelle Hinchey and sponsored in the lower house by assemblymember Donna Lupardo has been signed into law by governor Kathy Hochul.
The bill intends to entice young would-be farmers with a $10,000 annual grant available each year for the first five years, providing their farm operates full-time. The applicant must also agree to operate a farm for a duration of no less than five years.
“With the average age of a New York farmer ever increasing, the future of our food supply and our ability to keep this leading economic driver in place largely depends on helping the next generation of farmers enter this extremely high-cost-to-enter field,” Hinchey said.
Previously under the New York State Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness incentive program, the grant money intended to alleviate outstanding student debt burden was only available to applicants within two years of having graduated. Removing that eligibility barrier, Hinchey’s new bill replaces it with the qualification that an applicant must not have previously farmed for more than ten consecutive years.
The bill would make it more feasible for young people to start a career in farming, while having more money in the bank to invest in their businesses, said Hinchey, “I’ll continue to bolster smart economic incentives that put a young and diverse generation of farmers in the best position to lead the charge of New York’s top industry.”
First priority will be given to applicants completing the second, third, fourth or fifth year of full-time farm operation who are re-applying under the program.
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