NEWS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
COURT HOUSE, NORRISTOWN, PA., BOX 311, 19404-0311
PHONE (610) 278-3061 FAX 278-5943
COMMISSIONERS:
JAMES R. MATTHEWS, Chairman, JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Vice Chairman, BRUCE L. CASTOR, JR, Commissioner
RELEASE: IMMEDIATELY 02/23/09 PR#09-09
Farming in Montgomery County Conference
The Montgomery County Commissioners are pleased to announce that a conference supporting farming in Montgomery County will take place on Friday, February 27, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Best Western – The Inn at Towamencin, 1750 Sumneytown Pike, Kulpsville.
The conference will focus on farming in Montgomery County, energy production, and farm marketing, all with a primary focus on farm profitability.
The keynote speaker will be Senator Michael W. Brubaker, Chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of Pennsylvania. Senator Brubaker’s topic is Farming in the 21st Century.
The conference, which will be attended by 150 people, will feature over a dozen presenters who will cover the following topics:
• Biofuels, Switchgrass Production, and Other Energy Ideas
• Renewable Energy Program
• Commodity Marketing, Innovative Farm Marketing
• Regulating the Conflict Between Agriculture and Urbanization
• REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) Program
• Sustainable Farming in Southeastern Pennsylvania
• Lands Trusts as Farm Preservationists
Two separate, smaller sessions will take place at the conference location before and after the event. A session focusing on farms located in the Swamp Creek Watershed is being sponsored by the Montgomery County Lands Trust from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. A session on Converting to Organic Farming will take place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The conference is geared toward farmers, agribusinesses, private and public agencies, legislators, township officials.
The event is being sponsored by the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and the Montgomery County Agricultural Land Preservation Board in conjunction with active cosponsors. There will also be exhibitors at the conference. This is the third “keep farming” conference sponsored by the county. These conferences are another step in helping preserve farmland and the farming industry. For further information, contact Elizabeth Emlen at (610) 278-3754.
