Can our farms grow our economy?

1/31/2018

By Patsy Nicosia

Can our farms grow our economy?

Schoharie County’s economic future could lie in one of its most traditional—and yet most innovative—industries:
Agriculture.
That’s one of the thoughts economic development consultant Peter Fairweather shared with about 100 people at a SUNY Cobleskill forum Friday.
Supervisors have hired Fairweather Consulting of New Paltz to fast-track an economic development strategy.
The forum, “Planning for Prosperity,” was the first public discussion of what Mr. Fairweather’s learned so far.
So what has he learned?
That even skeptics are optimistic that this time, things will be different.
County Administrator Steve Wilson and Cobleskill Supervisor Leo McAllister, who’s chairing supervisors’ Economic Development Committee, both spoke to that skepticism in their remarks.
Mr. Fairweather also acknowledged there’s “some reason to be skeptical of another report…”
But his work, he said, will gather information from local leaders and businesses, and then build on it to chart a series of small steps to move the county forward.
“It’s all about those critical conversations,” he said.
Geographically, Mr, Fairweather said, the county sits at the edge of three regions: The Mohawk Valley, Albany, and Greater Central New York—something that brings both challenges and opportunities, with agriculture and natural resources likely its biggest “plusses.”
Agriculture, in particular, he said, is one of the most innovative sectors in the United States economy and the fact that it’s shedding jobs doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Agriculture is a leader in innovation,” he said, using self-driving tractors being developed by John Deere as an example. “Talk to your local farmer about what they’re doing.”
Still, Mr. Fairweather cautioned, rural areas are less competitive when it comes to high-tech jobs and any economic strategy needs to keep in mind the people who already live here.
That’s especially important, he said, when considering that 80 percent of new jobs are typically created by existing businesses.
“We can’t be all things to all people,” he said, adding, “A victory can be 25 jobs…a victory can be five jobs. We’re going to figure this out together.”
Speaking afterwards, Alicia Terry, who heads up the county’s Office of Agricultural Development, said she was delighted to see Mr. Fairweather realizes the importance of agriculture.
“The opportunities are there,” she said. “There will always be commercial farming here, but there are also opportunities for value-added farming.”
John Radliff, president of the Schoharie County Farm Bureau, quipped, “Nice to see everyone else has finally caught up with this,” but he praised Mr. Wilson and Mr. McAllister for what they’re doing.
“If we don’t do anything, we’re doomed to fail,” he said. “We have to keep trying.”
State Ag Commissioner and farmer Richard Ball said he’s thrilled to see Mr. Fairweather focused on agriculture: “If farming does well, we all do well,” he said,.
And State Senator Jim Seward pledged to do whatever he can to help make the final strategy a success.
“It always helps to have a fresh set of outside eyes looking at our strengths and weaknesses,” he said.