NEWS
Grow NY Farms Campaign Off and Running to keep 60 at 60
The Grow NY Farms coalition is a positive effort to unite the farming community around building momentum of support for keeping the 60 hour overtime threshold. This overtime threshold is working for our farms and farmworkers following the major compromise legislation in 2019 and it is imperative that the threshold remain for farmers and farm workers.
Since the coalition reunited this year, we have been hard at work putting together a new campaign ahead of what we anticipate will be additional wage board hearings later in the fall.
Each week, we will provide updates on the campaign, its activities, and social media efforts. We look to documenting the impact as we move through the campaign.
The campaign is divided into three components:
1. digital advertising
2. social media
3. public affairs
Digital Advertising: A great deal of effort has gone into developing messaging and images that reflect the diversity of the campaign, namely dairy, fruit and vegetable farms, though we know the diversity of new York agriculture runs evens deeper. Digital ads have been launched on Facebook, Instagram and websites that will be seen by targeted demographics, primarily in urban areas across upstate, as well as in New York City. The look and feel put farmworkers front and center to highlight what many tell us they want, more hours. The goal is for the people who see these digital ads to click on them for more information taking them to our refreshed website. This includes an e-lobby letter that people can send to their lawmakers asking them to support the 60-hour threshold. Ultimately, we want Governor Hochul and members of the wage board to hear our message. We must keep the 60-hour overtime threshold to support our farms, farmworkers, and rural economy.
Click here to view the Grow NY Farm’s website: https://grownyfarms.com
Grow NY Farms – Advocacy efforts for voices of more than 35k NY farms.
Click here to view the e-lobby alert: https://grownyfarms.com/support
Support New York Farms – Grow NY Farms
Social Media: In addition to the digital ads, we will be sharing separate Facebook/Instagram/Twitter images with you to post and share on your own pages. Grow NY Farms has a new Facebook page as well. Posts will be boosted from this page, separate from the digital ads, to again spread the positive message asking people to support our farms, farmworkers, local jobs, as well as the importance of maintaining a New York grown and produced food supply.
Click here to view and “like” the Grow NY Farms Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/GrowNYFarms
If you are interested in posting messages on your Facebook page, please contact Jessica Johnson at nysvegetablegrowers@gmail.com to get on the weekly emails containing new posts and messages.
Public Affairs: This is the effort to get media attention and build relationships with key stakeholders who will hopefully support our effort. Our first event was held last August at Half Full Dairy in Onondaga County and three Assembly Members in attendance. Since then several more events have been held, inclu and they will continue through November.
Here’s a sampling of news reports and op ed pieces that have been generated so far.
Grow NY Farms Press Release:
Grow NY Farms Supporting Maintaining Overtime Threshold for Farmworkers
Spectrum News:
Farm coalition launches eyeing overtime threshold
Auburn Citizen:
Cayuga County-area farmers, politicians argue against possible overtime change
WBFO Radio:
NY farmers worry state will lower 60-hour overtime threshold
Eagle News:
Grow NY Farms Coalition speaks out against possible overtime changes
Grassroots:
Campaign Launched to Keep Overtime Threshold :: New York Farm Bureau
North Country Public Radio:
Farmers say overtime mandate would weaken New York agriculture Link
Capitol Week October 18 2021:
State Senator Tom O’Mara’s commentary
Glens Falls Chronical: Dairy farms:
NYS pay edict could kill us
HudsonValley.Com:
Farmers Stress Labor Scarcity As Major Issue On Tour
The Daily Star:
Farms push back against overtime mandate
Buffalo News: Maureen Torrey op ed:
Lowering overtime threshold would harm N.Y. farms
We have additional reporter stories in the pipeline along with the planned media events. We also will be getting op-eds and letter-to-the-editor in newspapers across New York state. As the potential wage board hearings get closer, we will be ramping up every aspect of this campaign to make sure our farmers’ and farmworkers’ voices are heard loudest at most appropriate time.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to:
Steve Ammerman, New York Farm Bureau Director of Communications:
sammerman@nyfb.org
Tonya Van Slyke, NEDPA Executive Director:
tonya@nedpa.org
Rick Zimmerman, NYS Vegetable Growers Assoc/NEDPA:
rzimmerman@zga-llc.com
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
“BRIEFING DOC FOR FARMWORKERS” (pdf)
“SUPPORT FAMILY FARMS” (picture)
“SUPPORT OUR FARMWORKERS” (picture)
“KEEP JOBS LOCAL” (picture)
“WE STAND WITH OUR FARMWORKERS” (picture)
