Approximately 150 individuals attended this Listening Session including farmers, representatives of agribusiness and agricultural organizations, farm families, members of rural communities, and academia. A Proceedings will be developed in August 1999 for subsequent publication and public distribution. The following outline is a synopsis of common themes that emerged from panelists' statements at the Southern Regional Listening Session . The general tone of most producers in the Northeast was positive in terms of farm viability, profitability and community development. Increases are seen in Northeast farm numbers, gross receipts, and the number of women in agriculture.
Many growers are active in cooperatives, partnerships, and alliances.
Community development is diversified beyond production agriculture, recognizing and capitalizing on capacity, the diversity of local economies, and tourism. Research and education on niche marketing. Farm owners said that much of their labor force consisted of migrant farm workers, who work on the farm only for a short time. Statistics on foreign labor. Regulatory Issues in Production Agriculture - reactive policy making to crises can be risky.