Sound environmental stewardship is critical for the long-term viability of New York’s agri-food system and natural resource industry. As new technology and research comes online, stakeholders will take on a larger role as carbon harvesters.

Join advocates, decision-makers and aspiring leaders Jan. 6 at the Syracuse OnCenter for the 190th annual forum of the New York State Agricultural Society as it discusses “Growing a Greener Planet.”

To register, visit nysagsociety.org.

California keynoter

A.G. Kawamura is a third-generation produce grower and shipper who has a lifetime of experience working within the shrinking rural and urban boundaries of Southern California.

He is a former secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and is founding co-chairman of Solutions from the Land, a nationally recognized nonprofit that is developing innovative and sustainable climate-smart collaborations for 21st century agriculture.

New York perspectives

Suzanne Hunt, the seventh generation on her family’s farm and 40-year-old sustainable winery, and Brian Steinmuller of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets will distill down issues and strategies that are driving climate change policy in Albany.

Steinmuller is the assistant director of the Division of Land and Water Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Committee Unit. Guiding 58 county Soil and Water Conservation districts, the committee also administers the state’s agricultural environmental management, agricultural nonpoint source abatement and control, climate-resilient farming, and the state aid to Soil and Water Conservation districts’ programs.

Decarbonization options

Arriving in Ithaca in August 2020, Benjamin Houlton is the 12th Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS at Cornell University.

He will moderate a three-person panel featuring:

State of agriculture

Richard Ball, state secretary of agriculture, will provide his annual State of Agriculture Address. He will report on ongoing efforts to help New York’s farmers and agricultural businesses overcome today’s climate and marketplace challenges.

Awards

The forum is an ideal platform to honor individuals and businesses who have lifted the state’s ag and food industry to new heights in terms of environmental stewardship, consumer outreach, farm safety and the production of quality, safe foodstuffs.

Awards are presented in eight categories, including farm safety, agricultural promotion, FFA chapter, journalism, next-generation farmers, business of the year, distinguished service, and century and bicentennial farms.

In 2022, award videos featuring the unique stories of NYS Ag Society winners will debut.

The cost to attend the forum is $145 per person, or $75 for a full-time student.

For more information, including how to register for the online event, visit nysagsociety.org, or contact Ann Noble Shephard, executive secretary, at [email protected] or call 315-727-5449.

Source: New York State Agricultural Society, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.