Food processing alone is a $7 Billion industry annually in Northeast Ohio and that figure does not take into account the value of farming.
The Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District recently published a report on the cost of providing government services to agricultural land, versus the cost of serving agricultural land that is developed for residential use. The report summarizes that it simply costs more to service residential areas and the net tax revenue from residential areas is less than it was as agricultural land (taking into account lost economic benefit from wineries and beds & breakfast, etc). Lake County SWCD wants to use this report to increase awareness in the sub-region about agriculture as an economic driver. They reached out to me at ANEO and said, “how can you help and how can we work together.”
While Wayne County may not use its agricultural land exactly the same way they do in Lake County, I can assure you that folks in Wayne County are fighting the same battle – they know that their agricultural heritage creates more economic value than suburban sprawl could ever create in their communities.
I’d like to help the region’s agricultural community to come together and create a shared regional agenda for preserving agricultural land. How should we do this and who will lead the agenda’s implementation once its formed?
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Comments
Fri, 04/04/2008 – 10:54 — George Nemeth (not verified)
Awesome
Please keep me in the loop/let me know how I can help.
Fri, 04/04/2008 – 11:50 — laurasteinbrink
Meet the Bloggers on Agribusiness?
George,
Can we do a meet the bloggers on Agribusiness? Or, if we do a series of symposiums or such around the region, would there be interest in engaging you all as part of the “infrastructure” of conducting them? (ie recording and processing and publicizing info?)
Laura Steinbrink Director, Regional Partnerships [email protected]
Fri, 04/04/2008 – 13:49 — Georgia Reash (not verified)
interested in helping
Laura,
My company can help with the grassroots mobilization on a regional level. In fact, working with real people, real citizens, real children, real families – and their supporting institutions – is how we really desire to make a difference.
Give a call or email. I’d love to hear more about what you need.
Georgia Reash
President
Community Transition Partners
(440) 263-3923
