"Everybody in our community knows that farming is the most important economic activity in the 29th Congressional district, but that doesn't mean that Washington is listening. Our farmers are the glue that binds our community together and we owe them a lot more than just our gratitude. If I am elected to Congress I will stand up for our farmers and protect their opportunities to grow and prosper." - Retired Navy Commander Eric Massa

Putting farming first. When Eric Massa gets to Congress he'll fight to ensure that our farmers get their fair share. Eric knows that there are better days ahead for our farmers, but only if the government starts working with them instead of against them. Agriculture is the most important economic activity in the 29th Congressional District, and Eric Massa understands this. When elected to Congress, Eric Massa will stand with our small farms as an independent voice in Congress.

• Funding
  1. Getting our fair share. When Eric Massa gets to Washington, as priority #1 he will work to be on the House Agriculture Committee. As a member of this committee and a member of the majority in Congress, Eric will be in a unique position to ensure that our farmers receive the support that they have earned. Eric will work to level the playing field by making sure farmers subsidies in Western New York are maintained and strengthened in every Farm Bill. Additionally, he will work to increase funding for specialty crop research and development that is so critical to farmers such as the grape and apple growers in our region.
  2. Protecting farmland. Eric will work across party lines to ensure that our farmland protection programs are upheld. Eric knows that farmers in the Southern Tier and Western New York need a Congressman that will protect suitable farmland from developers. In New York State alone there are 37,255 farms or 7,660,969 acres of farmland currently in use.¹ Farms in New York have the potential to grow even more, but suitable farmland is quickly disappearing. In the United States farmland is priced at a staggering average of $ 2,350 per acre. The Northeast farmers face even worst circumstances as farmland reaches an average of $5,080 per acre.² Western New York's farmers simply cannot afford these rates. Instead, developers purchase the acreage, building apartment complexes and shopping centers on prime agricultural land. Eric Massa values the supply of Western New York grown produce and that's why he will fight for additional Agricultural Protection Zoning, Cluster Zoning, and other protection systems presented by the American Farmland Trust.³
  3. Funding the agricultural technologies of tomorrow. To keep our farms strong we need to stop spending money on wasteful government projects like Randy Kuhl's vote to spend $25 million on foreign dogs and cats.⁴ We need to focus much more of the federal budget into future technologies to create more efficient, sustainable farms in America, not give wasteful earmarks to corporate special interests. Eric Massa will fight for the farmers by balancing the federal budget and allocating resources for farming and agricultural technologies.
  4. Improving our federal crop insurance assistance programs. This past June, farmers across Upstate New York saw millions of dollars worth of crops wiped out by major hail storms. Neighboring Wayne County saw about 90% of its apple crop eliminated in just a few short hours.⁵ Small farms feed our nation and we must protect them through increased federal insurance assistance programs.
• Innovation
  1. Strengthen and increase agricultural research programs. Research makes innovative technologies like Methane Digesters and precision equipment possible. In turn, farming is made more efficient.⁶ Other research institutions focus on ag-biosecurity. Both types of research ensure that Western New York's farms prosper. That's why, in Congress, Eric Massa will fully support funding for capital projects and agricultural research. At Cornell's Geneva Research facility, critical issues impacting farmers like ag-biosecurity, and other agriculture related production and environmental issues are addressed. In 2008, the facility made substantial strides in fighting Plum Pox, a virus that destroys plum and peach trees.⁷ Without Cornell's research, the 740 orchards in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, the 191 orchards in the Southern Tier, and the 984 orchards could develop similar viruses.⁸ By supporting and strengthening Western New York's research programs, Eric Massa will be helping our local farmers to protect themselves.
  2. Provide adequate funding to expand and continue teaching, research and outreach programs of the land grant university system. Eric Massa believes that each and every American should have access to quality affordable education in a wide array of subjects. The land grant university systems sets aside land for students who choose to study agriculture. These unique universities offer top-notch education to the next generation of farmers. The land grant universities provide an alternative to the traditional higher education institutions and students are able to learn first hand the practical realities of agricultural fields.⁹ Eric Massa will continue to support our up-and-coming farmers by supporting and expanding the land grant university system.
  3. Support for the Grapes Genomic Center at Cornell University. New York's 29th district has dozens of successful wineries, some of which are named amongst the top 100 in the world.10 Eric Massa believes that they are an integral part of Western New York's economy and a critical part of our culture. To keep the wineries in Western New York in business, Eric Massa will continue to support research for grape growers. Cornell University leads research for grape growers in the area. Their Grapes Genomic Center works hand-in-hand with the grape growers in New York and nationwide to further grape genetics research and improve the growth of grapes at wineries right here in Western New York.11 In Congress, Eric Massa will vote to allocate resources to research centers like the Grapes Genomic Center to provide growers with the tools to successfully compete nationally and worldwide.
• Reform
  1. Country of origin labeling. Americans want to buy American grown and American made food, but right now they don't really have a say in the matter. By passing legislation to place country of origin labeling on food at the grocery store, Americans can choose to support our farmers first.
  2. Working with farmers to increase food safety standards. Eric Massa will support enhanced efforts by the USDA and FDA to assure food safety and to promote consumer confidence in the food supply through science based research and the use of modern technology in the production, processing and handling of food. America can raise its standards, but we must work with our agricultural producers to do so.
  3. Holding our trading partners accountable. Eric Massa supports legislation and regulations that will ensure that agricultural imports are subject to equivalent inspection, sanitary requirements, pesticide use restrictions, and quality standards as domestic produce.
  4. Oppose expanding the authority of the Corps of Engineers beyond navigable waters. Expanding the authority of the Corps of Engineers beyond navigable waters places an onerous and unnecessary burden on farmers. Eric Massa will oppose all unnecessary attempts to expand this authority in Congress.
  5. Repealing the Self-Employment tax. Small farmers suffer as a result of the self-employment tax and it's time to change this. The self-employment tax is currently 15.3%, and it is a huge handicap for farmers and small business owners. If we expect them to thrive, we must repeal this failed tax.
  6. Give fair prices to farmers. In February 2008, dairy farmers in Western New York received $19.70 per hundredweight of milk.¹² Meanwhile milk prices in the stores skyrocket, but farmers are not seeing the extra revenue. The cost of feed has doubled, the cost of fuel has doubled, the cost of milk in the store has doubled, but farmers do not get paid fairly for their milk. As the price of supplies increases, the United States Department of Agriculture must raise the minimum payment proportionally to farmers for their milk. If farmers get paid fairly, then they will profit and have extra funds to improve their farms and purchase new equipment. This will in turn boost our economy.

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1 http://www.farmlandinfo.org/new-york/

2 http://www.pbn.com/stories/34123.html

3 http://www.farmlandinfo.org/farmland_search/index.cfm?function=article_view&articleID=27761

4 [H.R. 1464, Vote #335, 5/20/2008; D 227-1; R 67-118] http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll335.xml

5 http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x997993296/The-plight-of-the-farmer

6 http://www.week.com/news/local/25944159.html

7 http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/2008/080718PPV.html

8 http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=298650

9 http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/about/land.htm#begin

10 http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20080911/BUSINESS/80910055/0/archive3

11 http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/reisch/grapeinfo.html

12 http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_York/Publications/Statistical_Reports/03mar/nycl0308.htm