The Farm Bill is a critical piece of legislation for agriculture in the U.S. It sets policies for the next five years, dictating everything from crop insurance to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

During a trip this week to Cornell University, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said lawmakers need to be thoughtful about what they include in the major piece of legislation as they look towards the future. 

On Thursday, farmers in upstate New York had the opportunity to tell their representatives what they hope to see included in the bill.

The last few seasons have been difficult for Stone Ridge Orchards owner Elizabeth Ryan. She’s a sixth-generation farmer, but said the challenges she faces from the changing climate are different from anything she’s faced before.

“The rate of change, the extreme weather, extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme drought, extreme rain," she said, listing some of the challenges. "I heard one grower say today that in his lifetime, he hasn't seen anything like this.”

She, along with other local farmers, were on hand to speak with and hear from their local representatives in Congress as they weigh priorities for this year’s U.S. Farm Bill. The bill will shape the priorities for agriculture throughout the country for the next five years.

U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro of the Hudson Valley, who is a member of the Agriculture Committee, said he’s led the way on a few provisions that he is optimistic will make it to the final bill.

“And so that means dairy margin coverage," the Dutchess County Republican said. "It means specialty crop insurance. It means specialty crop research. It also means conservation tools to address climate resiliency and carbon capture. And so four pieces of legislation that I'm leading are critically important.”

But time is ticking. Current legislation expires at the end of this month. Molinaro said Congress will likely need to extend it until they get this one passed.

U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat from the Hudson Valley, said getting a bill done in a timely manner is important.

“We have to pass it on time and make sure that the urgency of the moment, the need of our farmers, is met," the Ulster County congressman said. "So I have been pushing hard for actual bipartisan agreement and consensus.”

Elizabeth Ryan said she’d like to see the bill make it easier for farms to adopt green technology. She knows it's critical but right now, it's too much of an expense for many farmers.

“If you look to other parts of the world, you see wind machines and hail netting and transition to solar," she said. "And one of the reason this farm is not off the grid and not using more solar is the investment we have to make upfront, even with some of the offsets is really, really, really daunting.”