News

The Cattaraugus County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board (AFPB) is in the process of updating the County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan (AFPP). A requirement of the planning process is to have public input. To this end, a focus group meeting to discuss recommendations aimed at improving farm business opportunities in the County is convening on February 13, 2020. The meeting will take place in Ellicottville from 11:00 am to 2:00pm.

Chuck and Phyllis Couture have been active in various agricultural circles since they moved to Cattaraugus County in 1968. Chuck was an agriculture teacher at Springville Griffith Institute, retiring in 1995. While teaching there he was also FFA advisor, and had numerous Empire and American Farmers, and he was awarded the Honorary American Farmer Degree. Both Phyllis and Chuck were 4-H leaders, served on the Cattaraugus County 4-H Program Committee and the Cattaraugus County Cooperative Extension Board of Directors.

Hi-Y Farm is located in Little Valley and is operated by Judy Golley, Chris Golley, and Jessica Golley-Halftown. Hi-Y was originally established by parents/grandparents, Stub & Maggie Yehl, in 1950 and was once a dairy farm and then a fully functional beef farm. With a goal of rejuvenating this once active farm, the family applied for the NYS Hemp Pilot program and were approved as official research partners in 2017.

Why would you get your farmland added to an "Ag District"?