Spring officially starts next week and that means it’s about to get busier for farmers across upstate New York.

What is the outlook for our agricultural industry, especially as farmers face the possibility of tariffs?

New York state’s agricultural commissioner is weighing in on the issue.

Richard Ball participated in the first maple tapping of the season at Shadow Hill Maple Farm in Wayne County.

“Our first crop in New York state starts right now,” said Ball.

Ball visited Shadow Hill to help encourage people to take part in the upcoming Maple Weekends.

During the event, maple producers across the region will open their sugarhouses for tours, tastings and demonstrations in upcoming Maple Weekends that will run March 22, 23, 29 and 30.

As the celebration of the start of the farming season kicks off, farmers across upstate New York worry about how much they will have to tap into their reserves to make a profit.

They already deal with many unknowns, from the weather to the markets and now the threat of tariffs.

“Well, sure," Ball said. "I mean, every farmer is getting up every morning and looking at the news and wondering what's going on."

The Trump administration is promising reciprocal tariffs beginning April 2, and that is leaving farmers feeling uneasy.

“The potential impacts are pretty large. Forty percent of what we grow in New York state goes out of the country. Canada and Mexico are the single largest trading partners for New York State. Mexico buys 25% of the country's dairy products,” said Ball.

“I guess our concerns today are the same as most businesses. With the turmoil that's going on in Washington right now and tariffs, so much uncertainty as knowing what's going to happen,” said David Coene, president of the Wayne County Farm Bureau, which is part of the New York State Farm Bureau.

“I happen to be an apple farmer, and we do export apples to other countries,” said Coene.

Ball agrees that it is an anxious time for farmers across upstate New York and a slow process as they wait to see what comes next.

“Definitely, there's a fairly high level of uncertainty around what's going on in the world, what's going on in the transition in Washington and things like that," Ball said. "But, crop-wise, farmers are always optimistic. We need to start the year very optimistic if you want to make it to the end."

New York state ranks second in the nation for maple production. In 2024, New York maple producers put out 846,000 gallons of maple syrup, according to the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets. Officials say New York is also home to the largest resource of tappable maple trees in the U.S. and more than 2,000 maple sugar makers.