Niagara County to host agribusiness outreach forum

The Niagara County Center for Economic Development will host its third annual agribusiness outreach forum from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday, April 8. A hybrid format has been put in place to allow for either in-person or virtual attendance.

“The agribusiness outreach forum has been one of our most popular events, so we are excited to bring it back in 2022 with this hybrid approach that allows for in-person attendance at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County,” said Michael Casale, Niagara County commissioner for economic development. “We will cover a lot of ground on some very important topics, with tremendous speakers. There is no cost to participate, but preregistration is required.” 

Casale said event topics will include meat production and regulation, agricultural labor laws, ag. conservation easements, ag. districts and assessments, natural resource conservation, and much more. Participants can register at https://www.niagaracountybusiness/featured-events. 

There will be a number of tables set aside with information and resources available from a number of agencies, including the Niagara County Center for Economic Development, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, NCCC Small Business Development Center, NY FarmNet, Niagara County Farm Bureau and Niagara USA Chamber. 

“As a legislator who represents a rural district, I have the opportunity to regularly talk with farmers and those involved in agribusiness about the numerous challenges that face their industry, like increasing costs and government regulations, that further puts pressure on their operations,” Niagara County Legislator Shawn Foti said. “We need to do all we can to support agriculture, as it is one of our leading market sectors, producing close to $20 million in product sold. The agribusiness outreach forum is a great way to do that.”

Sponsors of this year’s forum include the Niagara County Center for Economic Development, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, Niagara USA Chamber, NCCC Small Business Development Center, Niagara County Farm Bureau, Nutrien and National Grid.