NEW YORK STATE — On Tuesday, April 29, farmers, food producers, food bank leaders, and community advocates from across New York State gathered together at the Capitol for a press conference and statewide advocacy day in support of the Good Food NY bill. The bill would give local governments and public institutions the tools to buy more New York-grown food, opening up critical markets for small and mid-sized farms.

The Good Food NY bill offers a timely, state-level response to the collapse of federal agricultural support as farmers head into a high-risk growing season. As critical federal food programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program and Local Food for Schools (LFS) Program are reeling from cuts on the level of $61.5 million to NY farmers—and millions more in federal funds are frozen and at risk of disappearing—we need concrete interventions that can offer farmer-focused solutions.