Niagara County Agribusiness Outreach Forum set for March 14

On March 14, the annual Agribusiness Outreach Forum will be held at the Niagara County Cooperative Extension. It is sponsored by the Niagara County Center for Economic Development, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, Niagara County Farm Bureau, the Niagara County Small Business Development Center, and National Grid.

As with past years, there will be two parts to the program. The first is a series of workshops. These include building an agribusiness through marketing and networking; mastering the art of finding, writing and being awarded agriculture grants; understanding state and federal priorities for CCE; and recruiting and retaining H2A workers.

Throughout the day, various agricultural organizations will have displays and personnel on hand to answer questions. In past years, these have included Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, Empire State Development, Farm Credit East, SUNY Niagara Small Business Development Center, National Grid, NY FarmNet, NYS Department of Ag and Markets, NYSERDA, Niagara County Department of Economic Development and IDA, Niagara County Farm Bureau, Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District, Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce and the Farm Service Agency.

This year’s facilitator is Niagara County Farm Bureau President Kevin Bittner. He said, “This event is designed to bring together farmers across the region for educational sessions on topics important to agriculture.”

In addition to learning about the various topics, he enjoys networking with other farmers, companies and agencies. Because this is geared to new and growing farms, there are many long-term benefits to the community.

Every year, this forum has concentrated on various topics. Past presentations have focused on energy, creating business plans, health care for migrant workers, and ag district laws and regulations. At the end of the day, participants are invited to give suggestions for next year’s program.

Registration is free. Visit www.NCagform.com to sign up.