Ag and Farming Committee to meet Sept. 18

The Town of Grand Island received a farmland protection planning grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in late 2018 and since that time the town’s Agriculture and Farming Planning Committee has been working on developing a resource guide with local consultants. This guide aims to provide greater clarification on what constitutes agriculture on the Island along with goals for the future of farming in the community.

More importantly, it provides recommendations for how to balance, support, and promote both traditional and non-traditional (e.g. small-scale and non-commercial) agriculture within the community through improved local laws, education, future funding avenues, financing strategies, review processes, and more. A draft of the resource guide has been developed with input from local farmers and members of the community.

The Agriculture and Farming Planning Committee, together with the local consultants, invite the greater Grand Island community to a public informational meeting on Sept. 18 at the Golden Age Center at 6:30 p.m. to listen and to share thoughts.