Senator George Borrello talking to our growers and listening to their concerns.
Low temperatures in the Lake Erie Region dropped below freezing in many locations April 24-25, 2024, that affected approximately 70% of the 16,000 acres of Concord grapes in the hardest hit area of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties.
Lake Erie Regional Grape Program team and Dr. Terry Bates coordinated efforts between New York Ag and Markets, Farm Bureau, growers, crop insurance agencies, industry stakeholders, and government officials to begin the process of disaster declaration.
We established a survey to get grower input asking how many acres they have, what varieties, and what their assessment of the levels of damage that might have occurred is. Through our coffee pot meetings connections were made and a collaborative effort between Farm Bureau, CLEREL, and the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program to bring legislatures and growers together to discuss their concerns and how they may be able to assist our industry as we navigate this damage.
That meeting was well attended, and your voices have been heard.