Molinaro, Pulver Host 2021 Agricultural Forum at the Dutchess County Fair
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and County Legislature Chair Gregg Pulver today hosted the 2021 Agricultural Advisory Committee Forum at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. Members of the Agricultural Advisory Committee, which includes local farmers, agri-business representatives, agricultural and land conservancy organizations, and others joined the discussion of issues and policies surrounding Dutchess County agriculture and farming.
New York State Senator Sue Serino and County Legislator Don Sagliano joined more than 50 local farmers, elected officials and representatives from various agricultural and land conservancy organizations at today’s forum.
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| Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and County Legislature Chairman Gregg Pulver with members of Dutchess County’s Agricultural Advisory Committee at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds this morning for the 6th Annual Agricultural Forum. |
Land in agriculture comprises over 100,000 acres in Dutchess County, which is almost one-fifth of the County’s total acres. Accounting for nearly $44 million in market value products, local agriculture is one of the County’s primary industries.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Agriculture continues to be as vital in Dutchess County as it did when the County was founded more than 400 years ago, and it remains an important industry moving forward. The dedication displayed daily by Dutchess farmers is an example of the work ethic that built this county, and it’s that continued hard work that enables local farms to thrive. We thank the Agricultural Advisory Committee members for their unwavering advancement of farming and its devoted practitioners, as well as their efforts to ensure agriculture remains a critical part of Dutchess County’s success for generations to come.”
In addition to a discussion about the state of agriculture in Dutchess County, members and attendees also reviewed the implementation of the Dutchess County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan, received an update on the County’s Partnership for Manageable Growth (PMG) program and heard presentations from the Dutchess County Agricultural Advisory Committee on the sessions completed in the 2021 Farming in Dutchess Virtual Series thus far. Session topics included working with assessors and enhancing landowner/lessee relationships, pathways for agricultural education, local foods and their importance, and the pressures faced by local ag uses.
The final session of the series was announced, an October seminar which will focus on identifying the challenges and opportunities related to food security in Dutchess County and across our region, as well as underlining the important connections between food security and local agriculture/farming, will take place in the fall of this year; further details, including how to register, will be forthcoming as the date nears.
Chairman Pulver, a multi-generational farmer in the Town of Pine Plains, said, “Whether providing nutritious food, employment opportunities or an enhanced quality of life, farming touches every Dutchess County resident while benefiting our local economy and adding to the bucolic personality of our community. We thank the Agricultural Advisory Committee for its service to Dutchess County, ensuring agriculture maintains its rightful place in the forefront of local priorities – both today and in the decades that will follow.”
