Spotlight on New York

When people talk about New York, they usually picture this:

http://www.theworkingworld.org/index.php?action=NewYork

But there's a whole lot more to this state than New York City! I grew up about an hour north of NYC and it looked a lot more like this:

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

The picture above is from Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a farm that I worked on for 2 summers. Few people realize, but New York state is actually 25% farmland!

Who cares? you might ask.

Local farms are important because they are better for the environment, support the local economy, and provide healthier and fresher food!

However, New York farmers are struggling because of high prices of fuel, feed and labor. 

Luckily, Senator Gillibrand has been working hard to improve agriculture in New York, helping both the farmers and those interested in purchasing the produce. You can read all about her efforts here.

http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/issues/agriculture

Generally, farming is considered "men's work" but Kirsten Gillibrand is showing the world that farming is not just for men and that protecting it is something everyone should care about! As a female interested in farming, this message definitely hit home for me!