Delgado Discusses Small Farm Recovery at Chaseholm Farm in Pine Plains
PINE PLAINS, NY – Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) visited Chaseholm Farm, a family-owned dairy farm in Dutchess County. Rep. Delgado toured the 350-acre farm with owners Sarah Lyons Chase and Jordan Schmidt and stopped by the farm store, The Amazing Real Live Food Company, where they sell grass-fed dairy and meat products. The group’s conversations focused on the unique needs of family farmers as they respond to the coronavirus pandemic, and Chaseholm Farm’s experiences with federal agriculture relief programs.
Click here to see additional photos of the Congressman’s visit to Chaseholm Farm today.
“To understand the distinct challenges facing our farmers, it is essential to my work that I spend time with local producers to see firsthand how COVID-19 is impacting their farm operations,” said Rep. Antonio Delgado, member of the House Agriculture Committee. “Over the last several months, Chaseholm Farm owners Sarah Lyons Chase and Jordan Schmidt have worked creatively to modify their business model and meet the needs of their customers. I appreciate the opportunity to connect today and discuss how they are planning for the future—especially as the colder weather will limit outdoor activities including local farmers markets. I’ll keep highlighting the demands on our agriculture community and working to move my Helping America’s Farmers Act through the House to get our farmers financial relief in line with the realities facing small producers today.”
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Delgado has worked to amplify the voices of family farmers across upstate. August 2020 marked the one year anniversary of President Trump signing Rep. Delgado’s bipartisan Family Farmer Relief Act into law.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Delgado urged the inclusion of direct disaster assistance measures in the CARES Act, which have been incorporated in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and worked with members on both sides of the aisle to successfully get farmers access to Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Grants. Last month, Rep. Delgado joined Rep. Jahana Hayes in introducing the Helping America’s Farmers Act, which would create an EIDL program run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency and allow farmers access to the capital they need with terms and requirements that fit their businesses.
