U.S. Rep. Josh Riley, NY-19, on Friday announced the launch of the Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board to provide advice, recommendations, and input for Rep. Riley’s work on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, according to a news release from his office. The advisory board is made up of farmers, producers, elected officials and local stakeholders from across the Congressional district.
The committee held its first meeting Thursday, Feb. 20, at SUNY Oneonta “to discuss the needs, priorities, and current economic conditions for growers and producers across Upstate New York,” the release stated.
“For too long, DC politicians have ignored the voices of the hard-working farmers who put food on our tables and drive our economy,” Riley said. “I’m proud to launch the Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board so our community — not just the Big Ag monopolies — are heard and have a seat at the table.”
Riley is one of two New Yorkers on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, which writes a Farm Bill every five years. This legislation allocates funding for crop insurance, conservation initiatives, rural development, and food assistance programs like SNAP. “Through his Upstate Agricultural Advisory Board, Riley will ensure that the priorities of Upstate farms are front and center in the FY2025 Farm Bill,” the release stated.
In his first two months in office, Riley “has championed bipartisan efforts to lower costs, strengthen dairy farm resilience, stop price gouging, boost family farms, and stop the spread of avian flu,” the release stated. He was appointed to serve as the vice ranking member of the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture, which has jurisdiction over the apple industry, among other things.
“Josh Riley is already hitting the ground running to deliver for Upstate agriculture,” said Eric Ooms, former vice president of the New York State Farm bureau. “Josh is bringing a wide range of voices to the table and I look forward to working with him to tackle issues important to farmers and consumers, not only for NY-19, but all of upstate New York.”
“We are now in our second year without a farm bill and the timing couldn’t be worse,” said Mike McMahon,” owner of EZ Acres Farms. “New York farmers are facing increased challenges from proposed tariffs with our largest trading partner to funding freezes on funding that we were promised. At the same time the USDA and Farm Service Agency are being gutted by DOGE. We need Congress to address these issues. I’m pleased that we have Josh Riley to advocate for agriculture in the House.”
Members of Riley’s Upstate Agriculture Advisory Board include:
• Julie Suarez, associate dean for Land Grant Affairs at Cornell University;
• Eric Ooms, former vice president of New York Farm Bureau;
• Rick Zimmerman, former New York Ag and Markets official;
• Richard Stup, agriculture workforce specialist at Cornell University;
• Mike McMahon, Chair of the Cortland County Industrial Development Agency and owner of EZ Acres Farms;
• Allyson Jones-Brimmer, government relations director of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association;
• Karen and Chuck Kutik, owners of Kutik’s Honey;
• Jim Norton, vice president of plant operations at Stewart’s Shoppes;
• Todd Earling, executive director of the Hudson Valley Agrobusiness Association;
• Dale Ila Riggs, president of the New York State Berry Growers Association;
• Max Finberg, vice president of government relations at Chobani;
• Martha Hilton, vice president of produce and floral at Wegman’s;
• Eugene Thalmann, agriculture program advisor at Catskill Mountainkeepers;
• Beth Roberts, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County;
• Josh Young, director of New Lebanon Farmers Market;
• Sarah DeFrank, director of policy, partnerships and programs at the Food Bank of the Southern Tier;
• State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, chair of the state Senate Agriculture Committee;
• Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, chair of the state Assembly Agriculture Committee.