Workforce development included in State of Ag address in Syracuse

SYRACUSE — Increasing support for agricultural education and agricultural-workforce development, a stronger food system, and fighting climate change. New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball spoke about those topics as part of his State of Agriculture address on Jan. 9. His remarks were part of the 193rd New York State Agricultural Society Annual Forum held at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter in Syracuse. The event outlines the agricultural industry’s progress in 2024 in several key priority areas. The forum is traditionally the oldest and largest agricultural meeting of its kind in the state, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said in its announcement. The theme of this year’s forum was “Trends, Tech, and Teachable Moments.” New York’s top agriculture official reviewed the state’s efforts to provide increased support for agricultural education and agricultural-workforce development in 2024, and the desire to build on those efforts in 2025. This year’s State of Agriculture address included a special presentation from New York agriculture’s young leaders across the state’s agricultural organizations and programs. They included 4-H; New York FFA; Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS); and the Ag Society Ambassador program, “highlighting the state’s commitment to strengthening agricultural education and workforce development,” the department noted. Following the first-ever Youth in Agriculture Conference held in 2024, the state will launch a blue-ribbon panel to advance agriculture education in 2025 and continue its work to promote and support New York’s county fairs and the New York State Fair as agricultural education hubs. “As we hit the ground running in the new year, I am optimistic about the future of agriculture in New York. With the help of our strong network of partners, and our history of innovation and change, New York’s agricultural industry will continue forward,” Ball said in the announcement. “I have seen real progress for our farmers despite the challenges they continue to face. After hearing today from young people who are venturing into agriculture with high hopes and passion for the industry, I feel more confident than ever that we are all in good hands. Let’s celebrate our wins today, even as we roll up our sleeves to do more.” In keeping with this year’s forum theme, Ball also spoke about the challenge that New York farmers face on the global, national, and local fronts. He also highlighted the many opportunities the agricultural industry has before it, the department said. Ball outlined the state’s work to boost the agricultural industry and strengthen the food system, combat climate change, and increase food access for all New Yorkers. These include updates on the state’s $34 million Dairy Modernization grant program; $21 million for a new Alternative Waste Management and Enhanced Precision Feed Program to further the mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions; the department’s Climate Resilient Farming Program; Gov. Hochul’s executive order 32 directing New York State agencies to increase the percentage of food they source from New York producers to 30 percent; The Beginning Farmer grant program; and the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmer grant program, per the department’s announcement. In his address, Ball spoke about the department’s continued work alongside its many partners to ensure a strengthened food-supply chain through several programs and initiatives, including Nourish New York, the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program; the Farm-to-School initiative; the 30% NYS Initiative; the $50 million Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program; the FreshConnect Program; the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded New York Food for New York Families program. “With some of the best food in the world available right in our own backyard, we are working to increase food security in our communities; develop a strong, local food supply chain right here at home; and ensure all New Yorkers know where their food comes from and can access the nutritious food they need,” Ball said. “Food insecurity should not be an inevitable consequence of geography or poverty; we need to see it as a solvable problem. An accurate measure of success for us needs to more than the number of bushels per acre or number of acres planted. We need to focus on how our success in agriculture translates into success in our rural communities and on connecting the dots between those of us who supply the food system and those of us who need access to it.”