Farm Bill forum set for Newburgh - Westfair Communications

Hudson Valley dairy farmers and those interested in the dairy world will have an opportunity to help shape the industry Wednesday, Aug. 15.

The Hudson Valley Dairy Forum will be conducted that day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ramada Inn in Newburgh.

The Dairy Forum will feature discussions with Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and state Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Patrick Hooker.

Dr. Kohl”™s presentation, “Good to Great in Agriculture: Vision 2010,” will center on the business side of farm management.

National dairy policy will be discussed with Hooker as well as David Salmonsen, senior director of congressional relations, American Farm Bureau Federation. Time for questions and answers with both men on dairy policy will be available.

Kohl is expected to provide a “motivating” talk on farm business management, said Lucy Joyce, agriculture issue leader for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County, which is one of the event sponsors.

“Dr. Kohl is a dynamic speaker and his area of expertise is business management,” she said. “I think it will be helpful for many of the farmers in running their business.”

While milk prices are high this year, which is good for dairy farmers, prices were down last year and part of Kohl”™s speech will focus on how dairy farmers can deal with fluctuating prices.

“He is going to talk about what is in (the dairy farmer”™s) control, because so much of their business is out of their control,” said Joyce.

The second part of the forum will give local farmers a chance to see how the 2007 Farm Bill is being shaped. The Farm Bill essentially sets U.S. agriculture policy every five years.

The House of Representatives recently passed its version of the Farm Bill, and the Senate is currently debating it.

Joyce said Hooker has been going to Washington “quite a bit” to help advocate for the interests of New York agriculture in the Farm Bill.

“This is a critical time, because the Senate still has to pass the Farm Bill,” she said. “This gives local farmers one more opportunity to offer input before the bill is finalized.”

The forum is free to participants, though registration is required. Call Cathy Hughes at (845) 344-1234 to register.