Harvest NY Program Expanding to Northern New York

From the office of State Sen. Patty Ritchie:

Cornell Cooperative Extension's “Harvest NY,” a program that works to strengthen the agriculture industry by supporting farmers in the areas of dairy processing, food safety, local food distribution, marketing, dairy modernization and profitability, is being expanded to Northern New York.

Established in 2012 and serving 16 counties in Western New York, the expansion was made possible through money in the state budget.

“Harvest NY is an innovative extension initiative, the first of its kind in the country," said Kathryn Boor, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. 

"By maximizing the connections that farmers and producers have to the research and resources of Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell is providing unparalleled leadership in economic development in New York’s food and agricultural sectors which has become a model for other states.”

As a result of the expansion, Harvest NY specialists in the following areas will be based in the North Country:

**  Dairy Value Added Processing and Marketing;

**  Agricultural Business Development and Marketing; and

**  Livestock Processing and Marketing

Experts in these positions will work closely with Cornell faculty members, as well as local and regional Extension Staff to bring new information and agricultural resources to the region.