Senator Patty Ritchie, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, says she is pushing a plan she calls “Planting Seeds,” which she says will "continue supporting New York’s family farmers and boosting the agriculture economy."

Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, says it includes "proposals to restore budget cuts and increase funding for key agriculture programs in the areas of research, education and marketing, provide new tax and regulatory relief for farmers, support initiatives that promote food safety and create new opportunities for veterans in the agriculture industry, among others."

In addition, Planting Seeds also proposes new programs to grow agriculture in Ritchie's 47th Senate District. It covers most of northern and western St. Lawrence County, including Ogdensburg, Canton and Gouverneur.

Under the plan, a new “North Country Ag Academy” would be created. Modeled after a similar program in Western New York, the Ag Academy would provide "hands-on learning experiences for aspiring young farmers to learn and practice the agricultural arts, and prepare them for future careers," according to Ritchie.

Planting Seeds also proposes the creation of an agriculture management program at SUNY Canton, which for many students could serve as a lower-cost alternative to a traditional four-year agriculture degree program.

Originally founded as the School of Agriculture at St. Lawrence, the college eliminated most agriculture-related degrees in the 1990s, Ritchie said.

"The Senate’s plan would support the provision of staff to provide courses and real work experience allowing students to study marketing, technology, and other practical skills necessary to survive and thrive in the farming industry," according to Ritchie.

An overview of Planting Seeds is on Ritchie's website, www.ritchie.nysenate.gov.