Schumer, Wrapping Up NY Counties Tour, Seeks Help For Malt Barley Drop

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published December 8, 2017 at 4:34 PM EST

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has wrapped up another tour of New York's 62 counties with a call for greater federal help for the state's craft beer industry.

The Democrat visited a Columbia County brewery Friday to discuss efforts to add New York to a list of states eligible for a crop insurance program for farmers who grow malt barley.

With demand for locally grown malt barley is expected to increase, Schumer says it’s a risky proposition in the Empire State and that giving New York farmers greater crop insurance options will encourage more farmers to grow it.

Friday's visit to Columbia County makes this the 19th year Schumer has visited each of the state's counties.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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