Senator Gillibrand Touts How The Inflation Reduction Act Will Help Farmers

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By Connor Thompson

ITHACA, NY (WENY) – United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Cornell University Monday, touting how the Inflation Reduction Act will help farmers across the state.

Senator Gillibrand toured Cornell’s Guterman Bio-climatic Laboratories, and talked to leaders in the greenhouse to see what the school is working on.

The Inflation Reduction Act is a wide ranging bill, ranging from health care, the economy and to climate change.

One way the bill aims to combat climate change is by helping farmers transition to more environmentally friendly ways to support their farms. In order to do this, Gillibrand says that they need to have more access to funding.

The USDA will get an additional funding of 18.5 billion dollars to help make these goals possible.

“With more farmers and ranchers utilizing this program, this will help to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the working farm lands, improve water and air qualities, decrease the need to use fertilizers, restore wildlife habitat and create new conservation easements.” Gillibrand says.

In addition to that funding, Gillibrand secured additional funding for farmers who are struggling with their debts.

“Finally, I am especially proud that the Inflation Reduction Act included provisions from my own bill, The Relief for America’s Small Farmer’s act. To provide 3.1 billion to direct debt relief and assistance to farmers who are at risk of losing their farms.” She said.