HVADC People: Eric Ooms

After decades of dedicated service to New York's agricultural community at the New York Farm Bureau (NYFB), Eric Ooms has retired as Vice President of the organization. While his retirement from NYFB may mark the end of a chapter for Ooms, his mission to embrace transformation in farming and build on his remarkable record of agricultural policy development continues.

As a longtime HVADC Board Member and dairy farmer in Chatham, Ooms has brought a valuable perspective to both organizations’ missions of supporting and growing the agricultural economy.

His journey in agricultural advocacy began early when he accompanied his father to legislative lobby days as a teenager. This early exposure to agricultural policy-making laid the groundwork for a distinguished career in farm advocacy, including 16 years as Vice President of the NYFB and serving as its Young Farmer Chairman.

"My goal was always to be the farmer leader, not the legislative staff," Ooms explains. "I wanted to be the farmer in the organizations that would help direct policy."

Evolution of Farming in the Hudson Valley

The transformation of farming during Ooms' career tells a story of both challenge and opportunity.

"When I was a kid, there were about 500 dairy farms in Columbia County," Ooms recalls. "Now maybe we have 15 commercial operations." Despite this consolidation, he notes that production levels remain strong, highlighting the increased efficiency of modern farming operations.

Ooms, who operates a 500-cow dairy farm on 2,000 acres with his father and two brothers, has embraced technological advancement while maintaining a clear-eyed view of agriculture's future. "We milk our cows with robots, which is amazing and life-changing, the greatest thing ever,” he says. “But just making milk and throwing it on a truck and not capturing some value-add, eventually, that's not going to work."

A Great Connector

"My goal is to match people up with someone who can affect change," Ooms says of his approach to agricultural advocacy. "That's something I'm always thinking about."

Ooms' talent for connecting farmers with practical solutions is exemplified by his work supporting a Hudson Valley farmer, the late Linda Hill, win critical agricultural protections for her farm and others in her community. Linda faced a significant hurdle: Rockland County lacked an agricultural district, leaving its farmers without vital right-to-farm protections. Unlike most counties that had established these districts decades earlier, Rockland's farmers struggled to meet the 500-acre minimum requirement.

Through the Farm Bureau, Ooms guided efforts to address this challenge, advocating for a policy change to lower the threshold to 250 acres. Within a year, the state legislature approved the necessary authorizing language. While local adoption is still in progress, the Farm Bureau provided a path forward.

Building Bridges for the Next Generation

Looking to the future, Ooms sees tremendous potential for young farmers in the Hudson Valley, particularly through diversification and direct-to-consumer approaches.

"The real opportunity in the Hudson Valley is we have people with income looking for unique, local products," he explains. His children exemplify the evolving face of farming – his son is following a traditional farming path, while his daughter is exploring innovative approaches like a goat cuddling business.

"The only thing limiting young people in the Hudson Valley is their imagination," Ooms asserts. “So, go work at that local farm. They're going to pay you, and you’ll learn a lot. And then see where the opportunities take you.”

Expanding HVADC’s Impact

Through his ongoing involvement with HVADC and local agricultural initiatives, Ooms continues to champion traditional and innovative farming approaches. His work with HVADC has been particularly impactful in helping the organization expand its role beyond regional economic development to becoming a trusted partner in administering state-level agricultural programs.

"What HVADC does now still fits that role of helping people with business planning locally, but also providing a service statewide," he notes, citing the organization's success in managing significant grant programs for beef processing and dairy initiatives.

His perspective reflects a deep understanding that agriculture's future lies in embracing both efficiency and adaptation while maintaining strong connections to local communities and markets.

This practical wisdom and his strategic vision for farming’s future have made Ooms a valuable voice in New York's agricultural community.