The state Senate’s budget plan preserves funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, a statement from the group says.

It includes $300,000 in funding for research, outreach and technical assistance in support of agriculture in New York’s six northernmost counties, due to the efforts of Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Patty Ritchie and other northern New York legislators including Sen. Joseph Griffo.

Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chairs Jon Greenwood and Joe Giroux and other farmers met with state legislators in February to encourage them to restore funding of the farmer-led research and outreach program, which is responsible for cutting-edge research, cost-saving solutions, and enhanced production, processing and marketing opportunities for agricultural businesses across cnorthern counties from Clinton in the east to Lewis in the west.

“We appreciate how well our legislators understand that agriculture is the lynchpin of the Northern New York economy as well as providing opportunities for new farming enterprises, including the production of a wide variety of local foods that are increasingly in demand by consumers,” farmer Greenwood, of Canton, said. “It is amazing what this program has accomplished with an annual budget of just $300,000 to $500,000.”

The 2011 Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Impact Statement, online at www.nnyagdev.org, projects a positive future for North Country agriculture using statistics supported by its on-farm research and other sources including Cornell University’s Quality Milk Production Services, Maple, Crop & Soil Sciences, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Entomology, Nutrient Management Spear, Applied Economics and Management and Bioenergy Feedstock programs, in addition to the U.S. Census of Agriculture.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Impact statistics note that:

• northern New York maple industry revenues have the potential to grow to nearly $10 million per year.

• industry representatives project that northern New York farmers could grow heritage wheat production and processing into a $7.5 million regional industry.

• with research results and recommendations already established, northern New York corn growers could realize more than $1 million in nitrogen fertilizer cost savings with an equal environmental benefit from 44,159 acres of first-year corn production.

• Cornell researchers estimate that as many as 5,000 more cows per year can be successfully treated or protected from the deadly Klebsiella mastitis now that research conducted on Northern New York farms has provided farmers with new insights and protocols.

• more farms would have the know-how to use the inexpensive, on-farm solution developed from on-farm research in Northern New York to control the devastating alfalfa snout beetle and, in turn, protect alfalfa growers elsewhere in New York State, if Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) funding is restored.

• northern New York’s 17 vineyard wineries (another five are expected to open in the region this year) can apply regional research results to grow their opportunity to reach a $22.7 million potential year-seven income.

• NNYADP-funded season extension research has shown the opportunity for Northern New York high tunnel fruit and vegetable growers to add $75,000 to $100,000 in annual income to their individual gross incomes.

The six-page fact sheet shares vignettes on how the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has served the region through:

• practical problem solving to reduce mastitis in dairy cows and provide regional biomass energy sources

• providing support for farms to take advantage of emerging regional industries, such as cold-hardy grape production and winemaking;

• feeding the local economy – with high tunnel season-extension research

• capitalizing on cost savings for corn grain and silage production by identifying whole farm management strategies that use on-farm resources

• protecting natural resources through advancing crop nutrient management

• and developing strategies and protocols to protect regional and neighboring crops from alfalfa snout beetle and brown root rot.

A snapshot of northern New York agriculture includes approximately 4,000 farms working more than 1 million acres with diverse enterprises from dairying and crop production to field and high tunnel production of vegetables, berries, herbs and flowers.

Five dairy processing plants provide jobs and make dairy products using local milk. The market value of northern New York farm products exceeds $595 million.

The region and NNYADP-funded research supports a burgeoning vineyard and winery industry, and a maple industry with room to grow from its current $5.5 million annual sales to nearly twice that.

The region has four agricultural research farms. Nineteen school districts in northern New York offer agricultural education programs. There are 675 students developing as young adults through 15 FFA chapters in northern New York.

Fifty Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms and more than 37 community farmers markets supply people with fresh regional foods.