During the March Chenango County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board declared March as “Agriculture Recognition Month.” Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Blanchard presented the 2025 Proclamation to President of the Chenango County Farm Bureau Terry Ives. (Photo by Craig Brown)

CHENANGO COUNTY - During the recent Chenango County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board recognized March as Agriculture month.

The month not only marks the beginning of spring but gives way to the annual celebration recognizing positive impacts agriculture has on American's daily life.

Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Blanchard presented the 2025 Proclamation to President of the Chenango County Farm Bureau (CCFB) Terry Ives.

This year's theme for Agriculture Day is “Agriculture: Together We Grow”.

“On behalf of the farmers of Chenango County, I would like to thank you for this recognition. I am a fifth generation farmer, Chairman of the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board, and President of the Chenango County Farmland Bureau,” said Ives.

“It is fitting that we recognize agriculture in the spring. Spring is the beginning of new life and new hope,” Ives added.

He noted numbers from 2022 United States Department of Agriculture data and the Northeast Farm Credit and the Cornell Economic Impact Report.

Ives said New York has 6.4 million acres of farmed land, 57,000 farmers and ranks 27th in agricultural production with the total economic impact on the state totaling $85.5 billion.

“There are 291,474 on-farm jobs, supported by agriculture,” he continued. “And dairy has a $6 billion impact.

“Again, thank you for this proclamation,” said Ives.