Episode 240: Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation & the Pollinator Campaign

Kicking off another episode of The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks opens up with an update about the Craig Watts VS Perdue Chicken story we’ve been closely following before officially welcoming Todd Erling on air. Todd is the Executive Director of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC), which focuses on the development, promotion, enhancement and retention of the agricultural industry and its associated economic and environmental benefits within New York’s Hudson Valley. Talking to Erin about how exactly they go about their business as well as why it’s so important to keep the Hudson Valley a strong agricultural region, Todd also comments on the recent support they’ve received from Governor Cuomo’s office to target investment in the Kingston Food Hub. In the second half of the show, Erin welcomes Larissa Walker, Pollinator Campaign Director for the Center for Food Safety. Discussing why honeybees and other pollinator species are vital to our food systems, Larissa gives Erin a picture of what’s going on in that arena and what we can do to help raise awareness about the decline of honeybees due to widespread pesticide usage. This program was brought to you by Underground Meats. “We recognize that agriculture and food systems are really about rural urban relationships and the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation has taken it upon ourselves to start highlighting this rural urban opportunity.” [12:35] —Todd Erling on The Farm Report “It’s estimated that pollinators, specifically bees, are responsible for 1 in every 3 bites of food that we eat.” [29:19] “We think of honeybees and monarch butterflies indicator species, so if they are not doing well it is usually indicative of a larger environmental problem.” [39:10] —Larissa Walker on The Farm ReportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.