RITCHIE, CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF “HARVEST NY”

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Patty Ritchie and Cornell Cooperative Extension today announced an expansion of Cornell’s “Harvest NY,” a program that works to strengthen the agriculture industry by supporting farmers in the areas of dairy processing, food safety, local food distribution, marketing, dairy modernization and profitability.

Established in 2012 and currently serving 16 counties in Western New York, the expansion was made possible through funding secured by Senator Ritchie in the state budget.

“As someone who grew up on a family farm, I learned at a young age that farming is hard work—and today, I know how important it is to support our farm families and the work they do,” said Senator Ritchie.

“Supporting farmers means a stronger economy for rural communities all across Upstate New York. We’ve seen how big of an asset Harvest NY has been to the agriculture industry in the Western part of our state, and I’m excited that this important program will soon be making its mark in our region.”

“Harvest NY is an innovative extension initiative, the first of its kind in the country. By maximizing the connections that farmers and producers have to the research and resources of Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell is providing unparalleled leadership in economic development in New York’s food and agricultural sectors which has become a model for other states,” said Kathryn J. Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“Thanks to the support of Senator Ritchie and her colleagues in the New York State Legislature, we can now expand access to our robust system of Cornell Cooperative Extension specialists to farms and processors in Northern New York, to keep them successful, healthy, and competitive, mirroring the success of Harvest NY  in Western New York.”

“Agriculture has been a bright spot in the state during a difficult fiscal period and is crucial to a sustainable upstate economy. Economic development opportunities exist in the areas of production, processing, marketing, job retention and growth, and business development,” said Chris Watkins, Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension. “Through the expansion of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Harvest NY Initiative, we can build on the momentum of current efforts to enhance New York’s agriculture and food economy in Northern New York.”

As a result of the expansion, Harvest NY specialists in the following areas will be based in the North Country:

Dairy Value Added Processing and Marketing;
Agricultural Business Development and Marketing; and
Livestock Processing and Marketing

Experts in these positions will work closely with Cornell faculty members, as well as local and regional Extension Staff to bring new information and agricultural resources to the region. 

As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Ritchie continues to work to support New York farmers.  This year, she spearheaded “Grown in New York”—a multi-part plan to help meet consumers’ demands for locally-grown food—and led the way in securing  record funding in the state budget to support programs that strengthen and preserve family farming.

(Pictured in the above photo from Tuesday’s announcement at Maple View Dairy in Madrid from left to right are Dave Fisher, Pat Fisher, Senator Ritchie and Lou Ann King)