SENECA CO., N.Y. — The Seneca County Agricultural Enhancement Board (AEB) and its Steering Committee have completed work to develop a county-wide plan designed to enhance agriculture in the County. The public is invited to review the draft and attend one of two public presentations to learn more about the plan. The first presentation will be on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 in the Lecture Hall at the Seneca County Health and Senior Services Building (the old BonaDent Building) in Waterloo. The second opportunity will be on Tuesday, January 18th, at the South Seneca Middle/High School Auditorium on Main Street in Ovid. Both presentations will begin at 7:00pm.
Given the concerns about increasing COVID rates, appropriate protocols including masks and social distancing will be implemented, and the presentation on the 12th will be available via Zoom. It will also be recorded and posted for future viewing. Please contact Judy Wright of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Seneca County (CCE Seneca County) at jlw24@cornell.edu or 315-539-9251 ext. 109 by 12 noon on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 to register and receive the Zoom link. The draft plan and its maps are available to download at: https://we.tl/t-ROuKdYIde5, the CCE Seneca website at: www.senecacountycce.org and will also be available on the Seneca County Government website at: www.co.seneca.ny.us.
Agriculture has been and continues to be a mainstay of the Seneca County economy. It is the dominant land use, covering nearly 119,000 acres – about 57% of the County’s total land area. The 516 farms identified in the Census of Agriculture generate $90.8 million per year in sales, a figure that increased 47%, adjusted for inflation, between 2002 and 2017.
For the past year, with grant support from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and Seneca County, the County’s Agricultural Enhancement Board, with the assistance of Cornell Cooperative Extension, County Planning, Soil and Water Conservation District staff and consultants conducted research, mapping, interviews, focus groups, and a farmer survey to solicit feedback on challenges and opportunities to support the County’s agricultural businesses. The plan evaluates the current condition of farming in the county, identifies long-range goals to improve the agricultural industry, and offers specific projects and actions that can be taken to promote and enhance agriculture here. It is a comprehensive guidance document designed to support and enhance the local farming economy.
The study found that although agriculture in Seneca County remains strong, some challenges do exist and these are identified and addressed in the plan. While some challenges facing the County are grounded in state and national agricultural policy and will be difficult for one county alone to overcome, many others are local issues that can be addressed by programs, projects, and policies at the county-level. The draft Agricultural and Farmland Enhancement Plan establishes a vision for Seneca County agriculture as an industry that will continue to play a critical role as the predominant economic driver and land use contributing to Seneca’s rural character and quality of life. The agricultural enhancement ‘toolbox’ included in the plan for Seneca County contains over 40 different strategies identified through the planning process outlining specific actions the County and farm-related agencies can take to preserve and enhance the County’s agriculture, with a focus on ag-economic development strategies.
The public is encouraged to read the plan and provide any feedback to the AEB through Judy Wright of CCE Seneca County at jlw24@cornell.edu or 315-539-9251 ext 109. Written comments can be mailed to Judy Wright, CCE Seneca County, 308 Main Street Shop Centre, Waterloo, NY 13165. The draft Plan can be viewed and downloaded from our CCE Seneca County website at www.senecacountycce.org. After the AEB submits the plan to the County, the Board of Supervisors will be holding a public hearing to gain other feedback prior to formal County adoption.
With over 100 years of serving the people of the County, Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension puts to practical use the scholarship and research of Cornell University and the national land grant system in the areas of agriculture and food systems sustainability; nutrition, food safety and security, and obesity prevention; 4-H youth development, and children, youth , and families; environment and natural resources, sustainable energy and climate change; and community and economic vitality. The office is located at 308 Main Street Shop Centre in Waterloo. For more information about this and other programs, please visit our website: www.senecacountycce.org, our Facebook pages: @CCESeneca, @senecacounty4hny, @WildHarvestTable, @CCEsenecaF2S, and contact us at 315-539-9251 or email seneca@cornell.edu.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Seneca County