Every year, Chuck commits to traveling to all62 counties in New York to meet with constituents.
\nOn October 24, 2013, Senator Schumer visited Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie, to announce his two-pronged plan to first defend, and second to grow, Upstate New York cheese production. Schumer is urging United States Trade Representative Froman and Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack to defend U.S. cheese producers in trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), which is staking a regional claim on common cheese names like \"asiago,\" \"gouda,\" \"muenster,\" \"provolone,\" and \"feta\"—much like champagne. Through free trade agreements with other countries, the EU is seeking to prevent cheese producers from exporting their products with these common cheese names, including exporting them with \"-style\" or \"-type\" after the name. Schumer argued that this would be a huge hit to upstate dairy farmers and must be prevented in trade negotiations at all costs. He was joined by Margo Morris, Owner and Executive Director of Sprout Creek Farm; Ron Hicks, Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Planning and Development for Dutchess County; Mary Kay Vrba, Executive Director of Dutchess County Tourism; Charles North, President of the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce; and Assemblywoman Didi Barrett from District 106.