State Senate Agriculture Committee Moves Bills through Committee to Provide for the Removal and Remediation of Waste Tires, Expand Regional Farmers Markets and Help Bring Goods to Market

(Albany, NY) Under the leadership of State Senator Jen Metzger (SD42), the Senate Agriculture Committee moved through committee six bills this week that will support farmers and farming in New York State. The legislation supported by the committee includes a bill sponsored by Senator Metzger that will instruct the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets and the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to develop a plan to remove used tires from farms at no cost to the farmers.

“This legislation will help farmers comply with new environmental regulations that require them to prevent the retention of water in waste tires in order to reduce mosquito and other vector breeding grounds,” explained Senator Metzger. “We want to ensure that as we are creating new rules, we are also offering technical and financial assistance.”

The bill will particularly help dairy farmers who in the past have used waste tires to hold down tarps covering feed and silage, and face the highest costs from the new regulations.

The legislation that moved through committee also includes a bill sponsored by Senator Kennedy that will direct the Department of Agriculture and Markets to increase the number of regional farmers’ markets to make it easier for retailers and bulk purchasers to purchase New York grown and made. In addition, a bill sponsored by Senator Metzger instructs the Department of Agriculture and Markets to provide technical assistance to small-scale producers and processors to aggregate, process and transport products to food businesses and institutional buyers.

“I am very pleased to work with my colleagues on the committee to move forward legislation that will help farmers and agricultural producers reach new markets while providing New York residents with greater access to the bounty of locally grown and produced products in New York,” Metzger continued. “Providing the assistance and support to help the agricultural sector thrive is a top priority of mine.”

Jen Metzger represents the 42nd Senate District, which includes all of Sullivan County and parts of Delaware, Orange, and Ulster Counties. Senator Metzger serves as Chair of the Agriculture Committee and sits on the Environmental Conservation, Education, Health, Energy and Telecommunications, Local Government, Women’s Issues, Domestic Animal Welfare, and Legislative Commission on Rural Resources Committees.

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