Update – Bill S.3396was passed by NYS Senate on March 4th, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26th, 2021
CONTACT
Jessica Bumpus – (315) 810-2109
Senator May Announces Legislation to Expand the State’s Grown and
Certified Program to Textile Products like Wool and Hemp
Syracuse, NY - Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Madison, Oneida) has introduced
legislation to expand the state’s Grown and Certified Program to include fiber-based textile
manufacturers. The bill ( S.3396 ) would enable animal and plant-based fiber products, including
wool, alpaca, cashmere, hemp, and linen, to receive the state’s coveted seal of approval. The
bill was reported from the Agriculture Committee this week.
The New York Grown and Certified program was started by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2016 to
raise the profile of New York farm products and encourage development of local supply chains.
Brand recognition of NY-based products has elevated markets for items ranging from maple
syrup to cheese, yogurt, beer, and even Christmas trees and firewood. Senator May believes
products made from wool, hemp and other local plant and animal fibers should also be made
eligible for the program.
“The nation saw last month how much attention Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered for his
Vermont-made mittens, and it is high time for New York to show similar support for our state’s
producers of homegrown clothing and other fiber products,” said Senator May. “New York’s
textile manufacturers are eager to showcase their high-quality products in the Grown and
Certified Program, and consumers increasingly value the opportunity to purchase local
products. The boom in industrial hemp and the growing interest in sheep and alpaca farming are
trends we should reward and encourage, and the hope is that this new opportunity will also
enhance connections between New York growers, processors, and producers of finished items.
As an avid knitter and amateur fiber artist myself, I can’t wait to see our own prominent citizens
sporting New York Grown and Certified fashions.”
“New York is uniquely positioned as one of only two states in the country where it is possible to
build a full scale and commercially viable farm-to-fabric supply chain,” said Mary Jeanne
Packer, founder of Battenkill Fibers Carding & Spinning Mill in Greenwich, NY, and
Secretary of the Empire Sheep Producers Association. ”New York State is a perfect
example of the ‘Fibershed concept.’ New York has farms for sheep, alpacas, hemp and other
fiber/materials. New York has the primary processing mills including my business Battenkill
Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill in Greenwich, NY. New York has the designers and makers in
New York City fashion houses, start-up design incubators, and other value-added facilities from
Binghamton to Queens and back to Schenectady. Coming together across the supply chain to
support a New York State brand for fiber products makes tremendous sense.”
New York also has markets for the products at all stages of development, including the largest
annual sheep and wool festival in the United States, held at Dutchess County Fairgrounds every
October. New York Grown and Certified products are showcased at the many Taste NY
boutiques around the state and at the New York State Fair, as well as getting promotion and
exposure from the Department of Agriculture and Markets.
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Last updated March 30, 2021