New York Department of Agriculture partners with Departments of Labor and Health

Aug 24, 2015

Joint initiatives will help agriculture employers

New York’s Departments of Agriculture, Labor and Health are working together to give agriculture employers the tools they need to understand the law when it comes to putting together a workforce.

Handshake

“The work that our state’s farmers do is critical to the health and well-being of all New Yorkers,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker. “It’s important that we do what we can to ease their workload. In this case, we are streamlining requirements for seasonal housing, which will help them focus on their main task at hand: growing produce for the state of New York.”

There are three main topics being explored:

1. Farm Worker Memorandum of Understanding
After agriculture employers demonstrated confusion about the current government standards for migrant farmworkers and their housing, the Departments of Labor and Health will streamline housing inspections for farmworkers.

2. Wage Deductions
The Department of Labor will assist agriculture employers when it comes to matters of wage deductions, employer rights and responsibilities. These will be done via a series of webinars and in-person presentations.

3. Agriculture Labor Advisory Group
The Departments of Agriculture, Labor and Health will work together to form the Agriculture Labor Advisory Group. The group will be assembled to discuss issues concerning the agricultural community when it comes to labor issues.

The group will be announced before November 1^st and the first order of business will be to reduce the high youth unemployment rate and help employers discover skilled, entry-level workers.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.