A Country Star, New York Farmers and a Message for Kathy Hochul
John Rich Gives Upstate New York Farmers a Voice in New Song for Kathy Hochul
Upstate New York farmers are getting a voice in a new country song, and it comes from someone who has been paying attention to what's happening on the land they call home.
Country singer John Rich released a new song, "Dear Kathy," directed at New York Governor Kathy Hochul. It's the latest chapter in his efforts to bring attention to the growing debate over large wind and solar projects and what they could mean for rural communities and family farms.
Rich has spent time talking with farmers and landowners across the state, including people who are concerned about large energy projects being proposed near or on farmland.
READ MORE: John Rich Calls Out Governor in New York Solar Expansion Debate
Now, he's using music to help tell their stories.
New York Is Already Losing Farms and Farmland
A report from the state Comptroller's office shows New York lost 500 farms and 100,000 acres of farmland between 2024 and 2025.
That's a 1.6% drop in the number of farms in New York, twice the national rate. The decline in farmland was five times the national rate. And 80% of the reduction came from small farms with sales under $100,000, most of which are family-owned and operated.
New York had 15% fewer farms and 11% less land in farm production in 2025 than it did in 2015.
It's About More Than Just a Piece of Land
Upstate New York is built around farming and the people who work the land. These are hard-working Americans who get up every day, put in long hours, and help feed the rest of the country.
To them, it's not just empty stretches of land on a map. It's their livelihood, their family history, and, in many cases, something that has been passed down for generations.
Across New York, some farmers and rural residents have raised concerns about how large-scale wind and solar developments could change the landscape, affect agricultural land, and impact the communities around them.
A Story That's Close to Home
You don't have to be a farmer to understand why this matters. Anyone who has driven the back roads of Central and Upstate New York knows how much of our identity is tied to open fields, family farms, and the people who keep them going.
Whatever someone's opinion on wind or solar, the people who call these places home should have a seat at the table, and their voices should be heard.
John Rich is bringing attention to that conversation in a way country music does best: by telling a story. And this time, he's giving Upstate New York farmers and landowners a little louder voice.
70 Stunning Country Living Photos To Prove There's More to New York than NYC
Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams
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