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Push For Regional Ag Team Continues

MAYVILLE — The push for a regional agricultural team in the Southern Tier continues in hopes to bring more resources and specialists to farmers in Chautauqua County.

Emily Reynolds, executive director for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, came before the Planning and Economic Development Committee recently to update legislators on a service and staff sharing plan between six counties.

Reynolds, who discussed the idea in October, said there’s more work ahead to get buy-in from each cooperative extension board and local governing body.

In becoming a member, the local cooperative extension would need to provide funding to jumpstart the initiative and share its staff with other counties. Chautauqua County would provide $50,000 and share its two staff members. Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Schuyler and Erie counties are part of the initial regional team plan.

“It’s a very similar type of agriculture along the bottom part of the state,” Reynolds said. “(There’s) various situations in each county as to the positions they’re in with staff, positions they’re in with (their) board of directors and their buy-in to it as well as their government.”

Looking at staff, Reynolds said the county has one of the strongest in the region with a dairy livestock educator holding 30-plus years of experience and a farm business educator with two years of experience. Reynolds said Cattaraugus County doesn’t have any staff currently. Allegany County has a 32-year staff member that’s ready to share services.

Reynolds said the regional team would alleviate a budget deficit, provide sustainability in the years ahead and give farmers more resources for farmers to thrive. The cooperative extension’s agricultural budget faces a $45,000 deficit, and Reynolds said they’re seeking grant funding from local foundations.

“I want to make us a viable support system for our county’s largest industry,” she said. “A regional team is my push.”

Ag groups have formulated throughout the state to cluster resources and bring more return on investment. In Chautauqua County, the approach is being used to help grape growers.

Every year, the county pays roughly $150,000 into the Lake Erie Grape Program. That’s led to a considerable return on investment in the grape industry.

“They’re doing Cornell research here. They’re moving into research right now with grape buds that tell you the freezing of a grape bud,” she said. “They purchased equipment at the Lake Erie Grape Center in Portland to have a freezer to test that. As soon as information comes back out, it goes right to the grape farmer.”

Reynolds said Chautauqua County needs to be at the forefront of the regional team to further assist farmers in areas like lameness.

“If farmers can take lameness from average to excellent, they could save $5,000 annually per 100 cows,” she said. “Even with our costs, for a 1,000 cow dairy, that’d be $50,000 a year just by providing an educational program on hoof training and what they can do to prevent lameness.”

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