LINWOOD, NY — According to the 2022 Agriculture Census, more and more farms in New York State are shutting down due to high production and labor costs.
New York State experienced a 9% drop in farms, the most significant decrease in three decades.
New York saw a decrease of nearly 1,900 dairy farms.
One farm in Linwood is working hard to keep the family legacy alive.
"Our farm's here in Linwood, New York. We are a seventh-generation dairy farm we have roots that date back to the early 1800s," said Jack Klapper, co-owner of Noblehurst Farms.
The farm is home to 2,000 dairy cows, and at 26 years old, Klapper is dedicating his life to his family's farm.
"Hopefully one be able to one day pass it on down to the next generation here at the farm and see this farm be in business for many generations to come," said Klapper.
Klapper's siblings have chosen to leave agriculture, and he tells me if this decrease continues across the state, we could all be seeing higher prices at the grocery store.
"Certainly, there is a rise in food prices in the grocery store; we have already started to see that. Instead of your local foods coming, there will be more foods shipped in from either different states where cost is cheaper to produce or possibly even different countries, and it's really, really important that we keep New York farms going and that we support our New York farmers," said Klapper.
Co-owner John Noble helps run Noblehurst Farm. He says the price of running a farm drives some family-owned farmers to sell.
"As time goes on, the ability to make a living off 100 cows or 100 acres is more and more difficult for a family to thrive," said Noble.
On top of farm costs increasing, from fertilizer to fuel and seeds, labor saw a 41% jump in five years to give workers higher wages and fair overtime.
The Nobles and Klappers hope to inspire the younger generation to get involved in Agriculture Production.
"It's rewarding to see the young people get engaged and enjoy what they are doing, and frankly, giving the business to the next generation is the most important thing I had to do in my tenure," said Noble.
"It's just a passion that burns inside of me to continue the heritage and roots of this place, and hopefully see it be able to go to another generation one day," said Klapper.
Steve Ammerman, director of communications with the New York Farm Bureau joined 7 Voices on Thursday to discuss the state of farming in New York State. You can find that full conversation below.
7 News originally reported New York State has seen a 9% drop in dairy farms, but that number is 40%. We have corrected the mistake to reflect the correct data.
