Niagara County to Host Agribusiness Outreach Forum

The Niagara County Center for Economic Development today announced it will host the 2023 Agribusiness Outreach Forum on Friday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Training Center, 4487 Lake Avenue in Lockport.  This is a free event, but attendees must register at https://www.niagaracountybusiness.com/featured-events.

“This is our fourth annual Agribusiness Outreach Forum and it has proven to be one of our most popular events, even during the pandemic when we hosted it virtually,” said Michael Casale, Niagara County Commissioner for Economic Development.  “This is a very full agenda and we cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.”

Casale said that event topics will include workforce management; selling direct to customers; the potential impacts of the NYS Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA); an update of an ongoing Niagara County meat processing feasibility study and much more.

There will be a number of tables set aside with information and resources available from several 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, National Grid and the Niagara USA Chamber, among others.

“As a legislator who represents a rural district and married into a farming family, I know that is has never been harder to run a successful farming operation than it is right now, between state policy decisions, locked in prices, inflation, and vocal anti-farming advocacy groups, among other things,” said Niagara County Legislator Mike Hill.  “It’s one of the reasons why Niagara County has established an Agricultural Rights Advisory Panel to help fight for our famers and why we place high value on hosting an annual Agribusiness Forum.”