Farms see big opportunity in "buy local"

Today we continue our occasional series on growing, cooking, and eating locally, Local Flavor, with some good news. A recent study of North Country agriculture finds the industry strong. Cornell University researcher Duncan Hilchey says farm income is up, foreclosures are down, and the dairy industry is stabilizing. The region still loses about 50 farms a year, but the composition of the farms that remain is changing. Fruit and vegetable farms are up 6%. Lamb and sheep producers are up 18% and orchards are up 13%. Hilchey is a senior extension associate for Cornell’s Community and Rural Development Institute. He told David Sommerstein that North Country farms are diversifying to survive.