NY Congressman Delgado Honored as ‘Friend of Farm Bureau’

U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) has earned the American Farm Bureau Federation’s prestigious Friend of Farm Bureau award for his work advocating for small farmers in upstate New York. This award recognizes lawmakers whose voting records demonstrate unwavering support for our nation’s agricultural industry and requires nomination by their respective state Farm Bureaus.

“Family farming is a time-honored tradition in upstate New York and I have worked every single day in Congress to listen to the needs of our local producers and advocate on their behalf,” said Rep. Delgado. “From meeting with my Agriculture Advisory Committee, to touring farms throughout our district, or introducing bipartisan farm-focused legislation, it is a privilege to champion the priorities of local producers and work to ensure agriculture policies reflect the unique needs of small and family farms. I’m honored to receive this award from the American Farm Bureau and am thankful to the New York Farm Bureau for its nomination. There is much more work to do, and I will continue to support policies that enable our unique upstate agricultural economy to thrive.”

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 successfully led a bipartisan effort to make farmers eligible for Small Business Administration loans and grants under the CARES Act and secured $9 billion to support local food systems and the creation of USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. In August, Rep. Delgado introduced the Helping America’s Farmers Act, which would create a new Agriculture Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (AEIDL) run by USDA to give farmers access to capital with flexible and favorable loan terms that fit their businesses.