Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) recently attended the Assembly Minority’s annual Dairy Day celebration in the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany. Hawley joined event sponsors Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, as well as state agriculture representatives and members of New York’s dairy industry, to celebrate the benefits of dairy products to the health of the state’s economy and its citizens. The event featured an award ceremony with Super Bowl champion, former New York Giants running back and Syracuse University alumnus Joe Morris, spokesperson of the NFL “Fuel Up to Play 60” program, who presented a plaque to students from a New York elementary school for their commitment to the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, which stresses the importance of consuming nutrient-rich foods, such as dairy products, and exercising at least 60 minutes each day.

“Every year, I circle Dairy Day on my calendar because I take such pride in promoting the myriad of positive impact our local dairy farmers have on all New Yorkers,” said Hawley. “From the healthy food products they offer our families to the economic support they provide the state through job creation and revenue, dairy farmers are a vital component of our identity as New Yorkers. Especially in Western New York, we reap the benefits of our dairy farms each and every day, and I encourage all New Yorkers to support their local farm. Not only is it good for the economy’s health and your own health as well, but the dairy products in New York simply cannot be beat!”

According to the New York Farm Bureau, there are approximately 35,000 farms in New York and 99 percent of those are family owned.

New York State is home to nearly 5,700 dairy farms and 610,000 cows. In 2010, New York dairy cows produced 12 billion gallons of milk, or 20,807 gallons per cow. Dairy and animal production in New York provided $2.39 billion value of production to farmers in 2010, while distribution and processing is approximately $10 billion statewide and $50 billion regionally on an annual basis. New York State is currently fourth in the nation in dairy production.

Assemblyman Hawley is a past president and 35-year member of the New York Farm Bureau. He formerly owned and operated Hawley Farms and has served on the Assembly Committee on Agriculture for the entirety of his six-and-a-half years in state government.