Jamestown — Local agriculturalists from throughout Chautauqua County would like to share their passion for farming with neighbors and friends at the 2nd Annual Farmer Neighbor Dinner.

The community is invited to attend the upcoming Chautauqua County Farmer Neighbor Dinner on Tuesday at “The Grandview of Ellington,” located at 1116 West Hill Road, Ellington. The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. to enjoy appetizers, visit with vendors and listen to traditional American Folk music provided by Kent Knappenberger and his family and students; At 6:30 p.m., enjoy the dinner buffet featuring local foods; followed by award presentations to recognize local leadership, excellence and innovation in agriculture, and learn from guest speaker, Chris Fesko.

Chautauqua County is rich in agriculture, and this event is an opportunity to share in celebration of the community’s farmers that work tirelessly to produce safe, wholesome food for everyone to consume. The Farmer Neighbor Dinner is also an opportunity to help foster communication between the farming community and the general public. The Farmer Neighbor Committee was formed to help meet this need, and are happy to announce that this year the featured speaker will be Chris Fesko, who is internationally known for her award winning “On the Farm” video series and hosts numerous workshops on the topic of agriculture and public relations.

Dinner for the evening will feature locally grown products, celebrating Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s “Chautauqua Grown” Farm-to-table directory. The meal will be prepared by Robert Cross and his staff of 3-C’s Catering of Kennedy.

This event is a collaboration between Farm Credit East, Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District, Chautauqua County Farm Bureau, Western New York Crop Management Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.

Tickets for the Farmer Neighbor Dinner are available for $20 per person by contacting Debra Kelley, at the Chautauqua County Soil & Water Conservation District, Jamestown 664-2351 Ext. 102 or dkelley@soilwater.org. To help sponsor the program with a monetary donation, local food donation, or if an organization or business wishes to exhibit, contact Lindsay Eckman, at 1-800-929-2144 Ext. 2518 or lindsay.eckman@farmcrediteast.com.

Chautauqua County is home to more than 1,500 farms that produce a diverse offering of grapes, milk, meat, crops, produce, honey, maple syrup and more. Along with the many agribusinesses and support agencies that serve farm families, agriculture is responsible for an economic impact of more than $300 million. The community is fortunate to enjoy rural landscapes that are preserved by the farming operations along with access to wholesome, locally produced foods and fiber.

The Farmer Neighbor Dinner is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

For more information, call 664-9502 or visit the website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.