The Economic Development Committee (EDC) of Leeds and the Thousand Islands is spearheading its first Agriculture Summit on Friday.
Assemblywoman Russell said she was invited to the summit last month when she attended the 1000 Islands Bi-National Tourism Summit in Clayton. The assemblywoman secured state funding for that event.
It featured a presentation by Jay Matteson, agriculture coordinator of the Jefferson County Local Development Corporation. He discussed success stories involving ag tourism efforts in Jefferson County as well as the growth of the craft beverage and local food movement in the region.
"The summit later this week in Lansdowne is a great follow up to that discussion. It will be an opportunity for me to see what's working north of the border, challenges facing the agriculture industry in southern Ontario and steps governments at the local, provincial and federal level are taking to address those issues," Assemblywoman Russell said.
"It will provide me with an opportunity to see what our Canadian neighbors are doing that we can learn from as well as share some of the strategies we are using to grow our ag industry," she noted.
Assemblywoman Russell said the summit also provides a networking opportunity as local officials on both sides of the border look for steps they can take to coordinate their ag tourism efforts.
"We need to work together in areas like the farm to table component to grow the sector so we can complement each other's efforts. We know the region's economy benefits the longer we can keep our tourists in the area. Partnering with our Canadian neighbors is one step we can take to grow opportunities for tourists visiting the Thousand Islands region," she said.
The assemblywoman, who also serves on the New York State Assembly's Agriculture Committee, said the summit also provides an opportunity to grow relationships with Canadian decision makers.
"Given the current issues surrounding agriculture and the border, ranging from stricter restrictions on agriculture products that can be exported to Canada to taxes that limit the amount of wine Canadian visitors purchase from our wineries and take home, it simply makes sense to strengthen our relationships," Assemblywoman Russell said.
The summit will explore the theme of 'Developing Profitable Agriculture' and will provide learning and networking opportunities. The morning session features a keynote presentation from Rebecca Mackenzie from the Ontario Culinary Tourism
"The purpose of this agricultural summit is to investigate where we are now, and how the Township Economic Development Committee can enhance agricultural growth as we move forward," according to George Horton, chair of the EDC.