Lawmakers spark controversy with proposal to address hidden impacts of dairy farms: 'Very critical'
According to The Malone Telegram, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and Sen. Jabari Brisport introduced the bill, which would prohibit new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permits for large-scale dairy farms.
New York has about 500 CAFOs, which are mostly dairy farms with 300 or more cows, per the state's Department of Environmental Conservation. However, large-scale permits are required for farms with more than 700 cows.
The World Wildlife Foundation said farmers tend to 270 million dairy cows worldwide. However, dairy production emits a significant amount of heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 37% of methane pollution from human activity comes from livestock and agricultural routines. One cow can produce up to 264 pounds of methane each year.
Per the Watertown Daily Times, the bill's sponsors said banning the CAFO permits for large-scale dairy farms would help reduce pollution and protect surrounding communities.
"These big corporate farms house thousands of animals," Rosenthal said. "They're crammed into confined spaces, which has become a growing animal welfare concern. But the other side of it is the immense environmental damage these farms cause, in many cases, billion-dollar companies are running these factory farms."
However, some agricultural workers criticized the proposed ban. While sponsors said the regulations would benefit small businesses, Jefferson County Agricultural Coordinator Jay Matteson told WWNY that many of the farms with more than 700 cows are family-owned.
"Even though we may think they're really big by Jefferson County standards, in the grand scheme of things, those are small businesses and very critical to the communities," Matteson said.
The agriculture and food sectors provided more than 22 million jobs in the United States in 2022, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dairy is described as the largest single segment of the New York agricultural industry, with nearly 3,000 dairy farms throughout the state.
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New York Post
10-06-2025
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Lefty lawmakers' war on cows is another senseless progressive beef with upstate farmers
Progressive legislators want to dictate Upstate cow populations, because of course they know better than anyone who actually lives anywhere near a dairy farm. Is it any wonder why Upstaters hate New York City, at least the jerks we elect? Animal-rights obsessive Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal has teamed-up with Brooklyn Democratic Socialist state Sen. Jabari Brisport to push a limit of 700 cows per farm — a move that would slam an important industry and not help the environment one whit. Advertisement The barns for younger cows and calves on Stein Farm in Le Roy, New York, outside of Rochester pictured on November 2, 2022. Annie Wermiel/NY Post The two Democrats claim that their bill protects the environment and preserves small, family-owned farms from becoming corporate 'factory farms.' Except upstate farmers face no such threat and want nothing to do with these lawmakers and the big-city condescension. Advertisement 'Placing a cap on the number of cows on a dairy farm means placing a cap on growth and success,' argues the New York Farm Bureau. Nor did Rosenthal or Brisport visit any actual farming communities before moving to 'fix' them: Their measure relies on a 2024 report from Food & Water Watch, an offshoot of Ralph Nader's lefty Public Citizen funded by a slew of progressive charities. The lefty legislators plainly also know nothing of the state Department of Environmental Conservation's work in ensuring dairy farms adhere to the nation's most stringent standards and land-management practices. Sign at North Harbor Dairy farm reading 'Make Milk Great Again,' featuring a cow designed in the style of the American flag. Spectrum News 1 Advertisement But they surely do know that countless urban 'environmentalists' are convinced that cow flatulence is a prime cause of global warming. Gov. Kathy Hochul reportedly calls the measure 'insane' and no doubt annoyed that the Rosenthal-Brisport fantasy comes as Great Lakes Cheese, Fairlife and Chobani are investing billions in upstate dairy communities. So the bill won't become law this year — but if progressives keep growing their majorities in the Legislature, anything goes: Knowing nothing never stops the progs from imposing their ideas whenever they have the power. Advertisement The result, of course, would simply be forcing consumers to get more milk from producers in Midwest states without such nutty laws — continuing the long hollowing-out of Upstate. Hmm: That population loss would further boost progressives' power in the Legislature; they'll be running everything by the time they completely destroy the entire state.
Yahoo
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Lawmakers spark controversy with proposal to address hidden impacts of dairy farms: 'Very critical'
A new bill aims to limit the number of cows on dairy farms in New York — a move that supporters said would protect the environment and small businesses. According to The Malone Telegram, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and Sen. Jabari Brisport introduced the bill, which would prohibit new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permits for large-scale dairy farms. New York has about 500 CAFOs, which are mostly dairy farms with 300 or more cows, per the state's Department of Environmental Conservation. However, large-scale permits are required for farms with more than 700 cows. The World Wildlife Foundation said farmers tend to 270 million dairy cows worldwide. However, dairy production emits a significant amount of heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 37% of methane pollution from human activity comes from livestock and agricultural routines. One cow can produce up to 264 pounds of methane each year. Per the Watertown Daily Times, the bill's sponsors said banning the CAFO permits for large-scale dairy farms would help reduce pollution and protect surrounding communities. "These big corporate farms house thousands of animals," Rosenthal said. "They're crammed into confined spaces, which has become a growing animal welfare concern. But the other side of it is the immense environmental damage these farms cause, in many cases, billion-dollar companies are running these factory farms." However, some agricultural workers criticized the proposed ban. While sponsors said the regulations would benefit small businesses, Jefferson County Agricultural Coordinator Jay Matteson told WWNY that many of the farms with more than 700 cows are family-owned. "Even though we may think they're really big by Jefferson County standards, in the grand scheme of things, those are small businesses and very critical to the communities," Matteson said. The agriculture and food sectors provided more than 22 million jobs in the United States in 2022, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dairy is described as the largest single segment of the New York agricultural industry, with nearly 3,000 dairy farms throughout the state. Do you think gas stoves should be banned nationwide? No way Let each state decide I'm not sure Definitely Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Local reps criticize proposed dairy legislation
Upstate Democratic and Republican lawmakers are coalescing in their efforts to block proposed legislation that would limit the size of dairy herds in New York. 'Although I don't believe this ill-conceived legislation will reach the floor for a vote this session, I will continue to vehemently oppose it,' said state Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake). Jones is one of four upstate Democratic lawmakers which jointly issued a news release Monday opposing the legislation which Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) and Sen. Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn) introduced to prohibit the state Department of Environmental Conservation from issuing permits for new or expanding farms which seek to have herds of 700 or more dairy cows. State Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R-Lake George) and state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury) also oppose the legislation. 'This bill is yet one more unnecessary and misplaced piece of agenda-driven legislation that will add to Albany's constant top-down pressure to make it impossible for our state's hardworking farms to compete,' Simpson said, in an e-mail Tuesday. Simpson said the proposed legislation could force more North Country farmers out of business. 'Obviously, I oppose this asinine legislation. A new regulation limiting the number of livestock is the last thing New York's farmers need,' Stec said, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, in an email on Tuesday. Stec agrees with Jones that the legislation, introduced in March and currently under consideration in the Environmental Conservation committees of both houses, likely will not reach a vote of the full Senate or Assembly this session. At the heart of the debate is what defines a 'factory farm' versus a 'family farm.' Rosenthal and Brisport said that large herds increase agriculture runoff which pollutes streams and lakes, causing toxic algai blooms which can make people or animals sick. Rosenthal and Brisport also said that methane emitted from large herds increases greenhouse gasses which contribute to climate change. Jones, however, said that many New York dairy farmers have had to increase the size of herds in order to be financially solvent. 'Being raised on a family dairy farm myself and representing many hard-working dairy farmers in the North Country, I know firsthand how misguided this proposed legislation is,' Jones said. Rosenthal and Brisport said the legislation is intended to crack down on the proliferation of 'large-scale factory farms' in New York, a challenge some say does not exist in the state. A 'factory farm,' also known as a concentrated animal feeding operation, is an industrialized farm in which large numbers of animals are kept primarily indoors in order to minimize operating costs. Rosenthal and Brisport said that a study by Food and Water Watch, a national organization which advocates on food security and climate change issues, found a 21% increase in farms in New York between 2017 and 2021. 'These large-scale factory farms are often run by large corporations that squeeze out local competition to maximize profits,' the sponsors wrote in the justification section of the proposed legislation. Opponents of the legislation said herd size is not the only consideration in categorizing a factory farm. 'I represent over 1,400 family farms. … Some of these family farms have more than 2,000 head in their herd,' said Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake), one of the three other Assembly Democrats who joined with Jones in the joint news release. Farms which currently have more than 700 cows would not have to reduce their herd sizes, but would not be able to increase their herd sizes further, under the proposed legislation. The other two upstate Democratic Assembly members which joined in the news release are Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Donna Lupardo (D-Endicott) and Assemblywoman Marie Butteschon (D-Marcy). At the federal level, U. S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) and Democratic congressional candidate Blake Gendebien both criticized the proposed state legislation to limit the size of dairy herds. 'New York Democrats must stop their attack on multi-generational, locally-rooted dairy farms that feed families all across our state,' Stefanik said, in a news release. Stefanik has said she is considering seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2026. 'New York City Dems don't get agriculture,' Gendebien posted on his campaign Facebook page on May 30, inviting the sponsors of the proposed legislation to visit his dairy farm at Lisbon, in St. Lawrence County, to gain a better understanding of agriculture issues. Gendebien said in a telephone interview on Tuesday he is not surprised that upstate Democrats and Republican are united in their opposition to this particular legislation. 'We need farms of all sizes. They are all important,' he said. Gendebien, a Democratic in the 21st Congressional District in 2026, said the trend toward larger herds is due to multiple siblings or other relatives partnering to achieve economy of scale in their operations. Larger herds are necessary because the price-per-pound of milk has not kept up with inflation, he explained. Gendebien said his herd is currently 500 cows, but he will need to expand the herd in the future in order for his three sons to come into the business when they are adults. As well, farms will need to increase production to provide milk for a new Chobani yogurt plant being developed at Rome and two other dairy product plants planned for western New York, he said. Gendebien said there are virtually none, if any, corporate farms in New York. Of some-450 New York and New England farms he communicated with when he was a board member of Agrimark, the cooperative that makes Cabot and McAdam cheese, not one was owned by a corporation, he said. Gendebien said that dairy cows are treated humanely in New York, whether free to roam in pastures or confined in barns with ample room to move around and adequate cooling and heating systems. The Adirondack Council has not taken a position on the proposed legislation, said John Sheehan, a spokesman for the regional environmental group.
