U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado tours dairy as farmers seek additional COVID-19 support

U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado tours dairy as farmers seek additional COVID-19 support
U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY-D-19), in center, toured Ronnybrook Farm’s dairy processing facility with Peter Osofsky, left, and his father, Ronnybrook Farm founder Rick Osofsky. Photo courtesy of U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado

ANCRAMDALE — Though already well aware of the challenges local farmers have endured in keeping their farms operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19) toured Ronnybrook Farms recently to gain a greater understanding of the support farmers across New York need to remain in business.

Aligning with June’s celebration of National Dairy Month, Delgado visited Ronnybrook’s dairy processing facility, located at 310 Prospect Hill Road in Ancramdale, on Monday, June 22. Following his arrival, the congressman struck up a conversation with farm founder Rick Osofsky, his nephew, Daniel, his son, Peter, and his daughter, Kate, to give the congressman an idea of how Ronnybrook has been working to stay in business during such uncertain times. 

The Osofskys then led Delgado on a tour of the farm’s dairy processing plant, showing Delgado how the dairy’s popular products — ranging from milk and chocolate milk to yogurt and half and half to butter and ice cream — are produced. 

Throughout the tour, Delgado and the Osofskys discussed the importance of supporting family farms as well as keeping local dairy in area schools. They also talked about the experiences some New York farmers have had with both the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Impact Disaster Loan Program, both of which were designed to provide small businesses economic support during the pandemic.

“Our family farmers are essential to our upstate way of life and they have experienced extreme challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Delgado said in the statement from his office about the tour. “As Congress negotiated the CARES Act, I worked to include direct disaster assistance for our small farmers, led the push to make farmers eligible for small business loans programs and have continued to meet with our agriculture operators to make sure they have the tools needed to get through this difficult time.”

The CARES Act, which stands for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, was drafted in March to provide relief for Americans dealing  with economic hardship due to the coronavirus. 

Looking ahead, Delgado said he’ll keep working for farmers like the Osofskys in Congress. The Osofskys, for their part, said they appreciate the efforts.

“We had a very good conversation; I’ve been a supporter of his efforts in terms of the dairy industry generally over the last two years that he’s served,” said Rick Osofsky. “We had a good dialogue on the state of affairs as it relates to dairy.”

Latest News

Rosemary Rose Finery to join Main Street retail lineup

Meg Musgrove, left, and Jessica Rose Lee set to open May 1.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — A new chapter is coming to the former BES retail space on Main Street, where vintage jewelry dealer and herbalist Jessica Rose Lee will open Rosemary Rose Finery this spring after spending the last several years with a storefront in Salisbury, Connecticut.

Set to open May 1, the new shop will bring together Lee’s curated collection of vintage and estate jewelry, apothecary and wellness goods, and a continued lineup of craft workshops led by artist and screen printer Meg Musgrove, who built a following through classes she led at BES.

Keep ReadingShow less

A new life for Barrington Hall

A new life for Barrington Hall

Dan Baker, left, and Daniel Latzman at Barrington Hall in Great Barrington.

Provided

Barrington Hall in Great Barrington has hosted generations of weddings, proms and community gatherings. When Dan Baker and Daniel Latzman took over the venue last summer, they stepped into that history with a plan not just to preserve it, but to reshape how the space serves the community today.

Barrington Hall is designed for gathering, for shared experience, for the simple act of being together. At a time when connection is often filtered through screens and distraction, their vision is grounded in something simple and increasingly rare: real human connection.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paley’s Farm Market opens season, signaling start of spring

Paley’s Farm Market, located near the New York–Connecticut border on Amenia Road in Sharon, Conn.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

SHARON, Conn. — For many local residents, spring doesn’t truly begin until Paley’s Farm Market opens its doors, and customers turned out in force for its 44th season opening on Saturday, March 28.

Located on Amenia Road in Sharon, Paley’s is a seasonal destination for residents of New York and Connecticut and, over the past four decades, has evolved from a locally grown produce center into a full-scale garden center, farm market and fine food market.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Gail Rothschild’s threads of time

Gail Rothschild’s threads of time

Gail Rothschild with her painting “Dead Sea Linen III (73 x 58 inches, 2024, acrylic on canvas.

Natalia Zukerman

There is a moment, looking at a painting by Gail Rothschild, when you realize you are not looking at a painting so much as a map of time. Threads become brushstrokes; fragments become fields of color; something once held in the hand becomes something you stand in front of, both still and in a constant process of changing.

“Textiles connect people,” Rothschild said. “Textiles are something that we’re all intimately involved with, but we take it for granted.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Sherman Players celebrate a century of community theater

Sherman Players celebrate a century of community theater

Cast of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” from left to right. Tara Vega, Steve Zerilli, Bob Cady (Standing) Seated at the table: Andrew Blanchard, Jon Barker, Colin McLoone, Chris Bird, Rebecca Annalise, Adam Battlestein

Provided

For a century, the Sherman Players have turned a former 19th-century church into a stage where neighbors become castmates, volunteers power productions and community is the main attraction. The company marks its 100th season with a lineup that blends classic works, new writing and homegrown talent.

New England has a long history of community theater and its role in strengthening civic life. The Sherman Players remain a vital example, mounting intimate, noncommercial productions that draw on local participation and speak to the current cultural moment.

Keep ReadingShow less

Reimagining opera for a new generation

Reimagining opera for a new generation

Stage director Geoffrey Larson signs autographs for some of the kids after a family performance.

Provided

For those curious about opera but unsure where to begin, the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington will offer an accessible entry point with “Once Upon an Opera,” a free, family-friendly program on Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m. The event is designed for opera newcomers and aficionados alike and will include selections from some of opera’s most beloved works.

Luca Antonucci, artistic coordinator, assistant conductor and chorus master for the Berkshire Opera Festival, said the idea first materialized three years ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.