Community Foundations and Sun River Health Convene Hudson Valley Roundtable on Farmworkers and Agriculture
Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, with Sun River Health and the Community Foundation of Orange, Sullivan and Rockland, recently brought together more than 45 leaders from agriculture, healthcare, government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector to discuss the needs of Hudson Valley farmworkers and the farms and communities they help sustain.
Held July 23 at Mount Saint Mary College, the roundtable highlighted the close connection between farmworker well-being, farm viability, and the region’s broader economy and food system.
Participants included State Senator Michelle Hinchey, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee; Jeff Crist of Crist Brothers Orchards; Katherine Brieger of the Warwick Area Farmworker Organization; and Jeanette Figueroa of Sun River Health.
The discussion focused on challenges facing farmworkers and their families, including affordable housing, childcare, transportation, language access, preventive healthcare, and mental health services. Participants also emphasized the importance of trusted, culturally responsive outreach and including farmworkers themselves in decisions that affect their communities.
Farm owners face related pressures. Crist discussed the difficulty of maintaining a dependable workforce, increasingly unpredictable weather, and the effects of extreme heat on crops and working conditions. Senator Hinchey highlighted state investments in farmworker housing and childcare while noting that many Hudson Valley farms are family-owned businesses operating on narrow margins.
Throughout the conversation, participants called for stronger coordination among farms, healthcare and social-service providers, policymakers, philanthropy, and community organizations.
The convening also included Mount Saint Mary College President Dr. Robert Gervasi and Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. Organizers hope the discussion will lead to continued collaboration, new partnerships, and greater investment in the people and organizations supporting the Hudson Valley’s agricultural communities.
