GENEVA - The Finger Lakes region may be best-positioned to be at the forefront of agriculture-related economic development because of the enormous resources of nearby Cornell University.
State Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, hosted "Emerging Opportunities," a colloquium Thursday to get that point across to economic developers, agricultural business interests, researchers, educators and legislative representatives. The event, held at the Bellhurst Castle Convention Center in Geneva, showcased the economic opportunities created by Cornell's influence in Central New York and the state in general.
The university's Agriculture and Life Sciences School in Ithaca and the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park being built in Geneva should be magnets for attracting innovative ag-based, high-tech companies not only to Ontario and Tompkins counties, but to the entire area, several speakers said.
"Partnerships between researchers and universities are driving the 21st century economy and producing the next generation of products and services," Nozzolio said. "The central Finger Lakes' reputation for academia and research puts us in a great (marketing) position."
It's not a new story for Cornell, although the ag-tech park is a recent project. The university has a long history of exploring the commercialization of research. Many agri-businesses and food related enterprises, including Wegmans, regularly take advantage of the expertise of Cornell research.
Susan Henry, dean of the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, came straight from the airport, returning from a trip to China, to attend the event.
"We are one world, and our competition is global," she said. "Cornell University is committed to the partnership we are discussing now."
New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Nathan Rudgers, the event's keynote speaker, said growing recognition of the impact of agri-business potential is critical for the Finger Lakes.
"If we don't have pride in the region or believe we will be successful in this region, we won't be," Rudgers said. "We have to think about what it means to work regionally. New business opportunities are out your back door. It's not about competing with 40 other counties for the business that's going to bring 215 jobs from out-of-state, it's about people here who like living here and are willing to stay and grow here."
Hundreds of new products, "from jams and jellies to things that you wouldn't believe in your wildest imagination could come off New York farms," that have development roots in Cornell research could be economic drivers, he said.
The future of agriculture in New York, Rudgers said. will rely in large part on energy production. The wine industry will also be a big factor, he noted.
Thomas Henick-Kling, an associate professor at Cornell and director of the Wine Research and Extension Program in the Department of Food Service and Technology, said Cornell's proximity and the expansion of wineries in the Finger Lakes are not coincidental.
The program's research and expertise are tremendous assets to the wineries, said John Martini, a former Cornell professor and owner of Anthony Road Winery north of Penn Yan.
"It's very important we continue our research efforts," Martini said, noting that countries such as Australia are constantly increasing their wine exports to the U.S., forcing wineries here to keep learning how to improve the quality of their products.
"We feel we will see the New York wine and grape industry increase, it's going to be more of an economic engine for the region," Martini said. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail, he said, already produces about $7.5 million in revenue for the state.
Martini also sought to dispel the image of a farmer as "someone out in the field with a hoe.
"First and foremost, I'm a farmer," he said. "It's the neatest job in the world, but it challenges everything a human being can possibly do. You're a chemist, a botanist, a laborer, an accountant. I don't mind going to Albany, either."
Nozzolio said the information presented at the colloquium, also attended by state Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Oneida, chairman of the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, also gives ammunition to representatives of heavily agricultural counties.
"This gives us a great story to tell," Nozzolio said. "We hear constantly that we give Cornell millions of dollars in state assistance and it's hard to get the message out and say, 'this is job-producing.' We need to have these examples of how research grows into jobs."
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
The university's Agriculture and Life Sciences School in Ithaca and the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park being built in Geneva should be magnets for attracting innovative ag-based, high-tech companies not only to Ontario and Tompkins counties, but to the entire area, several speakers said.
"Partnerships between researchers and universities are driving the 21st century economy and producing the next generation of products and services," Nozzolio said. "The central Finger Lakes' reputation for academia and research puts us in a great (marketing) position."
It's not a new story for Cornell, although the ag-tech park is a recent project. The university has a long history of exploring the commercialization of research. Many agri-businesses and food related enterprises, including Wegmans, regularly take advantage of the expertise of Cornell research.
Susan Henry, dean of the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, came straight from the airport, returning from a trip to China, to attend the event.
"We are one world, and our competition is global," she said. "Cornell University is committed to the partnership we are discussing now."
New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Nathan Rudgers, the event's keynote speaker, said growing recognition of the impact of agri-business potential is critical for the Finger Lakes.
"If we don't have pride in the region or believe we will be successful in this region, we won't be," Rudgers said. "We have to think about what it means to work regionally. New business opportunities are out your back door. It's not about competing with 40 other counties for the business that's going to bring 215 jobs from out-of-state, it's about people here who like living here and are willing to stay and grow here."
Hundreds of new products, "from jams and jellies to things that you wouldn't believe in your wildest imagination could come off New York farms," that have development roots in Cornell research could be economic drivers, he said.
The future of agriculture in New York, Rudgers said. will rely in large part on energy production. The wine industry will also be a big factor, he noted.
Thomas Henick-Kling, an associate professor at Cornell and director of the Wine Research and Extension Program in the Department of Food Service and Technology, said Cornell's proximity and the expansion of wineries in the Finger Lakes are not coincidental.
The program's research and expertise are tremendous assets to the wineries, said John Martini, a former Cornell professor and owner of Anthony Road Winery north of Penn Yan.
"It's very important we continue our research efforts," Martini said, noting that countries such as Australia are constantly increasing their wine exports to the U.S., forcing wineries here to keep learning how to improve the quality of their products.
"We feel we will see the New York wine and grape industry increase, it's going to be more of an economic engine for the region," Martini said. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail, he said, already produces about $7.5 million in revenue for the state.
Martini also sought to dispel the image of a farmer as "someone out in the field with a hoe.
"First and foremost, I'm a farmer," he said. "It's the neatest job in the world, but it challenges everything a human being can possibly do. You're a chemist, a botanist, a laborer, an accountant. I don't mind going to Albany, either."
Nozzolio said the information presented at the colloquium, also attended by state Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Oneida, chairman of the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, also gives ammunition to representatives of heavily agricultural counties.
"This gives us a great story to tell," Nozzolio said. "We hear constantly that we give Cornell millions of dollars in state assistance and it's hard to get the message out and say, 'this is job-producing.' We need to have these examples of how research grows into jobs."
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
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