Seneca County officials are asking local farmers and agricultural businesses to help shape the future of food processing in the county.
Seneca County Planning and Community Development, working with Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension, has launched a new Agricultural Processing Facilities and Infrastructure Needs Assessment Survey.
The survey is open through February and is designed to gather feedback on access to processing facilities and infrastructure challenges facing the local agricultural sector. Officials say responses will remain anonymous and be reported only in aggregate.
“This survey is a critical first step in increasing the county’s processing and distribution capacity for value-added agricultural products,” said Judy Wright, agriculture economic development educator with Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Wright said Seneca County’s 2022 Agricultural and Farmland Enhancement Plan found that much of the county’s agricultural processing happens outside the region. The new survey aims to identify opportunities to support local farmers and keep more agricultural economic activity within the county.
Participants can expect the survey to take about five to eight minutes to complete. Questions focus on current access to processing facilities, ongoing challenges in the agricultural sector, desired infrastructure improvements, workforce training needs, and opportunities for collaboration among local businesses.
County officials say the results will help guide future investments, feasibility studies, and infrastructure planning tied to agricultural processing.
The survey can be completed online at https://tinyurl.com/SCAgricultureSurvey26. Paper responses may also be mailed to Seneca County Planning and Community Development at 1 Dipronio Drive, Waterloo, NY 13165, addressed to Jae Darling.
Residents with questions or interest in future agricultural initiatives can contact Seneca County Planning and Community Development at 315-539-1723 or by email at [email protected].
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