The mission for the
Agricultural Economic Development Program is:

to maintain, develop, and promote a viable
agricultural economy that benefits Madison County.

The priorities for achieving that mission:

Primary priority: 
Marketing Madison County’s agricultural products and services by:
Creating market opportunities.
Encouraging value-added enterprises.

Secondary priority: 
Maintaining an appropriate agricultural land base to support a viable agricultural economy in Madison County by:
Assisting existing Madison County farmers
Attracting and supporting new farmers

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“Agricultural Economic Development” was one of the four Goals specified by Madison County’s agricultural community in the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan.  The Farmland Protection Board decided to focus on Goal 2.2 of the Plan:  to “employ an Agricultural Economic Development Specialist to provide leadership and coordination for agricultural development and expansion”.

A committee was formed, in January 2006, to identify the county’s ag economic development needs, and to determine how an AED specialist might best serve Madison County’s agricultural economy.  This committee, representing all aspects of the County’s agricultural industry, proposed the creation of an independent Ag Economic Development Specialist position.  The AED specialist would be tasked with developing projects that would support and encourage a viable County ag economy.

In December 2006, the Madison County Board of Supervisors approved the funding for the AED Specialist position.  The AED Specialist is housed at the Extension offices in Morrisville, and will receive administrative supervision from the CCE Ag Issue Leader.  The AED Advisory Committee, as a committee of the Farmland Protection Board, was formalized and charged with setting and directing the AED program 

AED Advisory Committee

The AED Advisory Committee is a committee of the Farmland Protection Board.  This Committee will set and direct the AED program.  The AED Specialist will be housed at Extension, and will receive administrative supervision from the CCE Ag Issue Leader (Karen Baase).

The committee is charged with making monthly reports and quarterly presentations to the Planning Committee of the Madison County Board of Supervisors.  AED Advisory Committee member seats are for three-year terms, and are approved by the Farmland Protection Board. 

Seat	Committee Member	Term Expires
Active Farmer	Eve Ann Schwarz	2010
Active Farmer	Paul O'Mara	2010
Active Dairy Farmer	Bruce Rivington	2009
Agribusiness Person	Craig Pollock	2009
Agricultural Educator	Glenn Osterhout	2011
Board of Supervisors Designee	Tim Winters	2011
Cooperative Extension Designee	Nate Durfee	2011
Farm Bureau Designee	Bee Tolman	2010
IDA Board Designee	Rick Bargabos	2008
Ex Officio	Karen Baase	N/A

Past AED Committee Members:
Rick Carrier
Tiffany Drape

Farmland Protection Board

Committee Member		Term Expires
Steve Durfee, Chairman		2/10/08
Rick Bargabos	Board of Supervisors Rep	12/31/09
Bee Tolman		2/10/08
Fay Lyon		2/10/09
Paul Orth, Ex Officio	Chairman, SWCD Board
Jack Miller, Ex Officio	Planning Director
Terry Mosher	Agribusiness Rep	2/10/11
Rudy Braun		11/12/09
Carol Brophy, Ex Officio	Real Property Tax Services Director
Calvin Wood		2/10/09
Karen Baase, Ex Officio	Cooperative Extension Agent