Rainy, cool conditions put a damper on Wednesday’s launch of the New York State Fair as Governor Kathy Hochul continued the tradition of officially opening the 13-day extravaganza. She took a few moments to highlight the state’s $35 million in fairgrounds improvements, including upgrades to Chevy Court, Suburban Park, and the milk bar to name a few. But she also acknowledged the high tariffs New York’s farmers are facing.
“They're losing the markets that they used to count on because people are boycotting American products,” Hochul said. “The cost of so much coming in from Canada has gone up dramatically. The aluminum and the steel for their buildings, even the wood shavings that go into the stalls comes from Canada.”
At a roundtable discussion in Albany, she recalled a conversation with one farmer back in February before the tariffs hit.
“He was already having to pay $10,000 more a month for those kinds of supplies and the fertilizer than he had before. How are they going to make it?” Hochul wondered.
She said farmers are facing a labor shortage due to deportation of undocumented immigrants who milk cows and pick crops. That’s compounded by extreme weather and climate change, Hochul said. She encouraged New Yorkers to support their farmers by eating the food they grow or by simply expressing appreciation.
