Federal Farm Bill - Defend the Valley

What's the issue?

Every five years, the federal Farm Bill makes its way through Congress. Though it’s the chief means of supporting farms and farming, relatively little aid from this bill goes to small and mid-sized family operations. The Northeast Carbon Alliance (NECA), founded by Scenic Hudson and partners, is trying to change that.

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Scenic Hudson’s Cari Watkins-Bates on Growing Climate Resilient Farms

What's our vision?

Farms are part of the Hudson Valley’s DNA, from the corn, beans, and squash grown by Indigenous peoples in its fields to being the breadbasket of the 13 colonies during the American Revolution. Today, the Hudson Valley has more than 3,500 farms that total nearly $400 million in annual sales and provide more than 8,000 jobs.

Learn more about farming in the greater region with the Northeast U.S. Farm Facts map, and see county-by-county statistics on our Hudson Valley Farm Facts map.

We envision a Hudson Valley with a strong and growing farming community that preserves important farmland and supports greater food security and increased opportunities for diversity in agriculture.

Our goals are to represent the unique concerns of Northeastern farmers; advocate for strengthening opportunity, equity, and diversity in agriculture, especially for Black and Indigenous farmers; and encourage climate-friendly farming and forest management.

What's the status?

The current Farm Bill was up for renewal in 2023, but Congress missed the deadline. In November 2023, President Biden signed a bill (H.R. 6363) that extended funding for the Farm Bill (and other programs and federal agencies) through September 30, 2024.

We’re keeping the pressure on Congress this Spring as they continue to develop the next version of the Farm Bill. There are significant opportunities to increase funding and expand programs — especially to underrepresented farmers — if Congress stays focused on bipartisan solutions.

We have been advocating for changes in four key areas in the next farm bill:

Conservation. Keep the current conservation programs and expand them to give specific and additional support to new and underrepresented farmers.
Urban Agriculture. Keep the current urban agriculture program and broaden the technical support to include a wider range of issues unique to urban growers.
Soil Health. Continue to fund programs (and make sure the money is distributed) for research, education, and training that helps build and protect healthy soils — an important and often overlooked way to fight climate change.
Peer Learning and Education. Prioritize funding for programs where farmers learn from other farmers, a proven way to spread practices that balance agricultural needs with goals for climate resiliency.

Let your legislators know you support these initiatives by filling out the form below.

The following key terms are important to understanding the issues around this campaign.

Agroforestry
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits.”

Carbon Sequestering
Absorbing and keeping atmospheric carbon in the ground.

Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA)
Signed into law on July 18, 2019, it is among the world’s most ambitious climate laws. It requires New York to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and no less than 85% by 2050 from 1990 levels.

Cover Crops
Any crop grown to cover the soil. It may be incorporated into the soil later for enrichment.

Foodprint
Measures the environmental impacts associated with growing, producing, transporting, and storing food, including natural resources consumed, pollution produced, and greenhouse gases emitted.

Foodshed
The geographic region that produces food for a particular population.

Food Hub
A location (warehouse, cold storage facility, etc.) where fresh, local produce can be aggregated, processed, and distributed.

Northeast Carbon Alliance (NECA)
Launched by Scenic Hudson in 2019, it brings together land managers, scientists, and public policy experts from Maine to Pennsylvania to realize the great power of natural climate solutions to combat climate change.

Regenerative Agriculture
Farming practices — such as no-till, diversifying crops, and rotating and deploying cover crops — that keep greenhouse gases in the ground while making lands more productive and resilient to climate impacts.

Subsidy
A sum of money granted by the government to an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive.

The Farm Bill Campaign is a
Northeast Carbon Alliance Initiative

SUPPORT LOCAL FARMS AND FARMERS

Become a Valley Defender to get updates and take action to keep farming strong in the Northeast.

What can you do now?

SEND A LETTER to your legislators asking them to support the U.S. Farm Bill.

DOWNLOAD our FARM BILL TOOLKIT to learn how you can help SPREAD THE WORD.

CHECK OUT our HUDSON VALLEY FARM FACTS MAP and find out how much farming there is in your county.

DOWNLOAD our FARM BILL WISH LIST
and our FARM BILL 101 FACT SHEET.

READ our FOODSHED CONSERVATION PLAN for ramping up farmland protection in the region.

And our REPORT ON CULTIVATING CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND CARBON NEUTRALITY on farms in the Hudson Valley.

ADD YOUR VOICE! We bring the voices of the Hudson Valley directly to the decision makers and policy makers shaping our future.

Explore campaigns

Community Preservation Fund

CPFs allow certain Hudson Valley towns to set up funds to protect the land and historical buildings that maintain their unique identity. Find out if your town qualifies and how to get the support you need to make it happen.

ECO-LOGIC: Greening New York’s Budget

During the annual budgeting process in Albany, we make the case that investment in a clean, healthy environment is paramount to quality of life in New York.

New York Bond Act

The Bond Act, which was passed in November 2022, provides $4.2 billion for environmental and community projects across New York State.

River Access

On both shores of the Hudson, railroad tracks prevent communities from accessing their waterfronts and taking advantage of the river’s recreational, scenic, and economic potential. We must continue to protect and enhance river access for all.

Stop Toxic Barges

Commercial shipping is crucial for the Hudson Valley’s economy, but that activity can’t put the water, wildlife, and people of the Hudson Valley at risk.

Stop the Plant

Owners of the Danskammer power plant on the Hudson River in the Town of Newburgh want to replace the current facility — which operates only a few days a year — with a new gas plant that will run nearly all the time.

Heal the Hudson

We need sustained citizen action to heal the Hudson River and restore the health and full economic potential of the valley’s most important natural resource.