Support for farming program keeps New York growing
I come from three generations of cattle ranchers in Venezuela, but as the fourth generation, I’m the first to be farming in the United States. My passion for producing highquality food and my commitment to the environment surrounding the farm has been the driving force behind my work.
However, farming is not an economically lucrative career, and finding secure access to land will always be a limiting factor for those getting started. Farmland for a New Generation New York is a statewide program that supports new and beginning farmers through this process. I was pleased to learn that this program, which has helped 148 farmers access land, just received $700,000 in the state budget to continue its crucial work.
It is not only about helping farmers, but also helping farmers feed New Yorkers. In 2017, while working on my master’s in sustainability at City College of New York, I discovered that one of the largest food deserts in the country is located within the limits of New York City. The food available is of poor quality, much of it is transported from the West Coast, and residents’ limited resources do not allow them to acquire a basic, good, nutritious diet, contributing to serious health issues.
This puts a tremendous institutional burden on the city. Furthermore, transporting perishable products from other states and wasting damaged food in landfills results in significant environmental costs.
I thought there had to be a better way to feed people nutritious food produced closer to home.
Taking small steps, I started with just 15 cows on borrowed land, part-time, and with limited logistical and food resources for the animals. Despite the challenges, I worked persistently to establish pastures and improve the conditions for my herd. After three years, I was able to expand and make livestock farming a more permanent activity. I left my city job, searched for more land, and established Orinoco Cattle Products and Farms, a sustainable means of supporting myself through livestock
farming.
Through the Farmland for a New Generation New York (FNG-NY) Initiative led by American Farmland Trust, I was able to connect with a producer who also practiced livestock farming from a holistic and regenerative point of view, but on flatter terrain, with more area, and with better conditions for my herd. I managed to close the deal and acquire the land on April 2, 2020, despite the COVID pandemic.
State funding for the FNG-NY program provides critical support to farmers, offering a farmland finder website, events and resources, and a statewide network of more than 30 regional navigators who work one on one with farmers and landowners.
As a third of New York’s farmers are now 65 and older, owning two million acres of farmland, securing the future of this land for new generations is a top concern for our food system. Coordination between institutions, government and producers is essential to streamline efforts and combat hunger. Without ensuring farmland stays in farming, we risk our food supply.
We must continue to help the next generation of farmers, allowing the senior generation to retire or change production models, while keeping land in agriculture. Supporting this delicate process of farm transition is extremely important for the food security of New York and the whole country. I want to thank Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature for investing in the Farmland for a New Generation program and helping to ensure a bright future for farming for generations to come.