This month commissioners and officials from departments of agriculture throughout the Northeast convened in Connecticut to discuss agricultural issues. The conference ran Sunday, June 8 through Tuesday, June 10 and was the first time in a decade Connecticut hosted the annual event.
“We were honored to welcome our peers from around the region,” said F. Philip Prelli, Connecticut Commissioner of Agriculture. “It was a terrific opportunity for agricultural leaders to exchange ideas about challenges and concerns that we share here in the Northeast, such as skyrocketing energy and production costs.”
The conference kicked off Monday morning with a welcome by Commissioner Prelli and USDA Deputy Under Secretary J. Burton Eller, Jr., followed by several breakout sessions. A special session focused on the new federal Farm Bill and its impact on the region.
Attendees also toured three of Connecticut’s agricultural icons: Westford Hill Distillers in Ashford, the state’s only distillers of CT fruit spirits; Monsanto, Inc. a worldwide agri-biotechnology firm with a facility in Mystic; and the Stonington docks, home of the state’s last remaining commercial fishing and lobstering fleet.
Throughout the conference, participants enjoyed The Local Flavor with scrumptious meals comprised of CT Grown ingredients.
Additional conference information and a complete agenda are available online at http://www.nasda.org/neasda2008/
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