A visit to a family-run dairy farm in Ontario County is putting renewed focus on a growing issue facing agriculture across the Finger Lakes: access to reliable, affordable power.
State Sen. Pam Helming toured Schum-Acres Dairy Farm in Naples this week, meeting with farm operators to discuss how rising energy costs and limited electrical capacity are affecting day-to-day operations and long-term growth.
Helming said modern dairy farms rely heavily on consistent electricity for milking systems, refrigeration, and other essential functions, making energy access a critical piece of their viability.
During the visit, members of the Schumacher family described challenges tied to expanding electric capacity, an issue they say is becoming more common as farms look to modernize or scale up operations.
The conversation comes as New York continues to see significant investment in dairy processing, with more than $3.5 billion in private-sector funding flowing into Upstate in recent years. Despite that growth, Helming said many producers are struggling to keep pace at the farm level.
“New York’s dairy production is growing, but Albany’s costly mandates are making it harder for farms to keep up,” Helming said, pointing to rising utility bills and other operational costs.
She also criticized state energy policies, including all-electric building mandates, arguing they place additional strain on both farms and the electric grid.
Helming said she is pushing for measures to reduce energy costs for farmers, including returning unused state energy funds to ratepayers and advancing legislation aimed at easing financial pressure on agricultural operations.
Local agriculture leaders have increasingly raised concerns about energy infrastructure as a limiting factor for expansion, particularly in rural areas where upgrades can be costly and timelines uncertain.
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