December 28, 2007

Contact: Katherine Lang, North Country Regional Foods Initiative, 315-379-9192 x261
Note to reporters: Katherine Lang can put you in touch with local entrepreneurs for your area

Regional Foods Project Leaders Urge Farmers: Be Counted in 2007 Census of Agriculture

Project leaders with the North Country Regional Foods Initiative project are urging farmers to complete the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Project Coordinator Katherine Lang says the data will be helpful in tracking changes and assessing trends in local food production and sales.

Lang says, �Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and agricultural leaders across the North Country region of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are encouraging farmers to complete the Census of Agriculture. The data collected about the ag sector influences decisions made about agriculture locally, statewide and across the U.S. by pointing out trends in the farming community. We want to be sure the data accurately reflects what is currently happening in our region as well as showing opportunities for growth.�

Duncan Hilchey, a senior research associate with Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI) at Cornell University, says, �Participating in the 2007 Census of Agriculture is a farmer�s chance to be counted and to influence national farm policy. With the likelihood of new funding programs that will benefit specialty crop producers, it is important to demonstrate the North Country�s agricultural diversity.�

Farmers can go online to www.agcensus.usda.gov to complete the form using the unique ID sent on the mailing label of the Census package mailed December 28, 2007. Any farm receiving a form is required to complete the Census by mail or online by February 4, 2008.

Lang and her team of North Country Cornell Cooperative Extension educators recently released preliminary data from local sources showing that promotion of local products through farmers markets, tour events, coupons and other means does indeed return an economic benefit to local farmers and the local economies.

The North Country Regional Foods Initiative team will soon be interviewing regional food system representatives and preparing case studies to capture additional information and data about local food production, promotion and sales. Lang says the case studies will serve as inspiration for building additional efforts regionwide.

The North Country Regional Foods Initiative project team includes representatives of each Cornell Cooperative Extension office in NNY and the Community and Rural Development Institute at Cornell University. The team has a $60,000 federal Economic Development Administration University Center grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Economic Development Administration University Center designated for New York State at Cornell University and the Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI). For more information on CaRDI, contact Rod Howe, 607-255-2170, rlh13@cornell.edu or visit www.oed.cornell.edu. 

To learn more about the North Country Regional Foods Initiative Project, contact Katherine Lang at 315-379-9192 x261. # # #