Letter to Darrel J. Aubertine, Commissioner, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Letter

Representative Kathy Hochul (NY-26) sent a letter to New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today, urging him to locate food hubs in the 26th District.

In her letter, Hochul writes: "I strongly encourage you to consider the placement and development of food hubs in one or more of the counties located in the 26th Congressional District. Agricultural production forms the backbone of the rural economy in my district, where there are nearly 3,500 farms with an annual output of over $739 million. The establishment of food hubs will improve the flow of products to urban areas within the state. …We must protect this critical sector of our economy and do everything within our power to develop New York State's agriculture industry to meet the challenges of the 21st century."

New York State is considering the development of food hub centers across Upstate New York. Food hubs are regional food centers that combine production, distribution, and marketing services that allow farmers to reach new markets while creating greater access to locally and regionally produced food.

A copy of Hochul's letter to Commissioner Aubertine can be found below.

Darrel J. Aubertine, Commissioner
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
10B Airline Drive
Albany, NY 12235

Dear Commissioner Aubertine:

It has come to my attention that New York State is considering the development
of several food hub centers across Upstate New York. I strongly encourage you to
consider the placement and development of food hubs in one or more of the counties located in the 26th Congressional District. Agricultural production forms the backbone of the rural economy in my district, where there are nearly 3,500 farms with an annual output of over $739 million. The establishment of food hubs will improve the flow of products to urban areas within the state.

As I am sure you aÍe aware, according to the United States Department of
Agriculture many agricultural producers, especially small and midsized growers, face significant challenges when it comes to aggregation, distribution, processing, storage, and marketing of their products. By being the central coordinator of supply chain logistics, food hubs offer a variety of services that benefit small and midsize producers. For instance, food hubs caî aggregate local produce from many small farmers into orders to satisfy the requirements of large buyers for source-identified locally and regionally
grown food.

Fruit cultivated from orchards along the shores of Lake Ontario, vegetables grown
in the fertile soils of our mucklands, and nutritious dairy products yielded from our herds are examples of the high quality and diverse agricultural products that come from the breadbasket of New York. We must protect this critical sector of our economy and do everything within our power to develop New York State's agriculture industry to meet the challenges of the 21't century.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter impacting the farmers of my
district and our state.

Sincerely,

Kathleen C. Hochul
Member of Congress

Source