Above photo: State Ag Commissioner Richard Ball speaks at the Expo at SUNY Cobleskill.
COBLESKILL — On Tuesday, March 3, SUNY Cobleskill hosted the second Ag Solutions & Networking Expo. Last year, the event was held in February; this year, it was moved to March. The panel has been working on this expo, sometimes with weekly meetings, since August of 2025. I have been lucky enough to attend both events. This year provided different information than I received last year.
The location of this event began in the Bouck Ballroom. You entered the doors to be immediately welcomed by different organizations to check you in and give you your ID badge, lunch tickets, and schedule. This event required you to pre-register to ensure food, seating, and more. If you were a farmer, there was no fee to attend. If you were a non-farmer, it was only $10. When you registered, you had to choose one breakout for three different sessions. I chose:
First: Getting Started with Agritourism
Second: Resiliency and Efficiency Grants, Loans, and Programs for Farms
Third: Local Ag Issues Roundtable
The Bouck Hall Ballroom was overflowing with vendors—so much so that they had spilled out into the entryway. It was amazing to see all the different vendors, speak with them, and network. Just to name a few:
Farm Bureau, NYSERDA, CCE, Institute for Rural Vitality, Schoharie County, 97 Milk, ASAP, CADE, NY Farm Net, Visit Schoharie County, The Delaware National Bank, Schoharie County Soil and Water Conservation District, Harvest Connection, Central Bridge Feeds LLC, New York State Mediation Program, Farm Credit East, MacFadden & Sons, L&S Energy Services, New York State Grown & Certified, Times Journal, NYCAMH, Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, NY Farm Viability Institute, Marine Energy, Hoosac Valley Farmer’s Exchange, Community Bank, Feather Brook Farm, USDA, Casella, Stonyfield Organic, The Waterfall Center, NBT Bank, Bowling Equipment, Jamaica, County Folks, Pure Catskills, Watershed Agricultural Council, Fenimore Asset Management, and National Grid.
During the event, you could visit these tables before your breakout sessions, during lunch, and after the event. The tables were so welcoming and full of information.
The event kicked off with Mr. Richard Ball, the Agricultural Commissioner, as a keynote speaker. Mr. Ball began working on a farm at age 7, milking cows with his grandfather. He stated he knew at an early age he wanted to be a farmer. His mother was a 5th generation farmer, but his family farm was sold before he could take it over. At age 18, he got hired on a farm and worked his way up to farm manager. Twenty years later, Mr. Ball returned to Schoharie County, purchasing a farm we know as Schoharie Valley Farms. Out of the blue, he received a call from the Governor's office asking him to be the Commissioner of Agriculture. He accepted the position and says his work is "connecting the dots." Getting food to those who cannot grow it, he is very proud of New York State and all that is grown here.
My first breakout session was held in Bouck Theater, where we learned about Agritourism. Laura Biasillo with Cornell Cooperative Extension taught and led the discussion. In this, you learned the definition, how it can grow your farm, the proper fraction to meet the requirement, the NYS Act, online webinars, checklists, and more. This session was so informative. I was not aware of all the information out there and all the help we have available in our county alone.
My second breakout was held in Prentice Hall with speakers: Jennifer Clifford from the NYS Department of Ag and Markets, Chris Meeks from the National Resource Conservation Service, Lynette Wright from the Farm Service Agency, and Gary Pereira from the Office of Rural Development. This session was about loans, grants, and different programs for farms.
We then took a break for lunch. CAS served an amazing lunch this year; I especially enjoyed that it was all from different farms in New York State. There was milk, ice cream, pork, and more. I appreciate all the effort that went into planning this part, showcasing different farms local to us!
Our last breakout was the Local Ag Issues Roundtable, located in Prentice Hall again. I really enjoyed this breakout. The CRCS FFA joined us at this breakout. The students blew me away! They were not scared to speak, share their research, and the issues they see. Farmers could share their concerns, listen, and help each other in this session. The "right to repair" was brought up, as well as low milk prices, helping schools without FFA get an FFA chapter, whole milk in schools, and other issues.
I really enjoyed my day learning about all the different aspects I may have not had the opportunity to learn about. I am proud to have this in my county. Thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes, took time to come, and supported this expo. If we are lucky enough to have this in 2027, I urge you to attend.
See related article elsewhere in this week’s edition.
Zack Metzger of the state Agricultural Mediation Program.
