ALBANY — This week, the State Assembly and Senate unanimously passed legislation (A1889/S2135) for agricultural custom operators sponsored by Agriculture Chairs, Assemblymember Donna Lupardo and Senator Michelle Hinchey. Once signed by the Governor, some agricultural district right-to-farm protections will be extended to custom operators when they are performing agricultural practices on behalf of a farm operator or owner.
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, Chair, Assembly Agriculture Committee said, “Custom operators are an essential part of many farm operations, helping farmers manage costs and providing flexibility in responding to their farm’s needs. This legislation will ensure that these operators are given some of the same protections farmers enjoy. We are committed to responding to the needs of New York’s agricultural community and are happy an agreement was finally reached on this important issue.”
Senator Michelle Hinchey, Chair, Senate Agriculture Committee said, “From crop planting and harvesting to caring for livestock, our farmers often hire custom operators to complete essential agricultural work that helps them save time, money, and gain access to new technology and equipment. Custom operators are a vital component of our farming workforce and these new district protections, now afforded under our legislation, put them on par with farmers to ensure that they can continue to assist agricultural operations and, in turn, keep our food supply chain strong. We are proud to deliver these long-awaited protections for farming communities across New York State and are pleased to see our bill pass with unanimous support in both houses.”
David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau President said, “Custom operators can help farms save both time and money performing critical jobs like harvesting crops or spreading nutrients, but they are not afforded the same protections as the farm when working in an agricultural district. The bill that passed the legislature this week will change that, keeping nuisance lawsuits at bay and allowing the important work to continue across the state. New York Farm Bureau thanks Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair, Donna Lupardo, and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair, Michelle Hinchey, for their leadership and support in sponsoring this commonsense legislation.
Cris Wunder, New York State Agribusiness Association President said, “The New York State Agribusiness Association (NYSABA) commends the Chairs of the Agriculture Committee, Assemblymember Donna Lupardo and Senator Michelle Hinchey, for guiding the passage of the Custom Operators bill. This legislation expands agricultural district protections to cover businesses that perform critical operations on behalf of farmers like planting or harvesting crops, spreading manure and applying fertilizers. The increased efficiencies Custom Operators provide to farm management efforts at crucial times of the seasons are hard to overstate. We look forward to the Governor signing this bill into law.”
–The Office of Office of Assemblywoman Lupardo
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