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Valley Leaders Want More State Support for the Region's Farmers and Farmland
(ALBANY) -
What: A media briefing regarding a critical opportunity for increasing state support for Hudson Valley farms and farmland.
When: Tuesday, March 26, 10 a.m.
Where: LCA Press Room, Legislative Office Building, Albany
Who: Speakers representing Keep Farms Growing! - Jerry Cosgrove, American Farmland Trust, Saratoga Springs
- Jeff Jones, Environmental Advocates, Albany
- Eric Ooms, New York Farm Bureau, Old Chatham
- Seth McKee, Scenic Hudson, Inc., Poughkeepsie
- Vinny Tamagna, Lower Hudson Resource Conservation and Development Council, White Plains
Background: The clock is ticking for Hudson Valley farms and farmland, and New York State needs to increase support for this vital industry. Drawn together by a growing threat, farmers, conservationists and environmental advocates from across the Hudson Valley will rally to urge Gov. George E. Pataki and state legislators to increase funding for state agricultural and farmland protection programs.
New York's farmers contribute significantly to the state's economy, landscape and quality of life - and they need more support. Experts will discuss how the pending state budget will dramatically affect the prospects for protecting Hudson Valley farmland and strengthening its farms. Without greater funding levels, the state programs designed to protect farmland from suburban sprawl, conserve on-farm natural resources, and keep farms economically viable will be hamstrung.
A media briefing is being sponsored by Keep Farms Growing!, an alliance of agricultural and environmental groups dedicated to conserving New York's agricultural resources. More than 70 supporting organizations, including American Farmland Trust; Audubon New York; Farm Credit Association of New York; Farmers' Market Federation of New York; New York Association of Conservation Districts; New York Farm Bureau; New York Farms!; The Nature Conservancy; Open Space Institute; and Scenic Hudson, Inc. have formed this unique partnership.
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