The 2012 Census of Agriculture data are available, but what do its numbers show for Chester County and the region?

The Chester County Agricultural Development Council and Chester County Economic Development Council’s AgConnect will attempt to address questions about the census during a panel discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Three agriculture experts will weigh in on the numbers in a discussion from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Chester County Economic Development Council office, 737 Constitution Drive in Exton.

Panelists are King Whetstone II, director of the National Agricultural Statistics Service for the Northeast; Duane Hershey, a Cochranville dairy farmer and owner of Ar-Joy Farms, LLC; and Chris Alonzo, mushroom grower and owner of Pietro Industries.

The speakers will address how the 2012 census data was collected and what the numbers mean for this area.  Hershey and Alonzo will also speak about the challenges and opportunities they anticipate for their commodities in the years ahead.

Tickets are $25 (early bird ticket price of $20 until Sept. 1) and may be ordered online at www.chesco.org/agdev/events.   Light refreshments will be provided beginning at 8 a.m. This forum is part of an ongoing series.  Future topics will address advances in farming technology and the challenges and opportunities of setting up a secondary ag business.

For information about the forum, call Ann Lane at 610-344-6512. For assistance with registration or directions, call Jodi Gauker at 610-321-8226.

The Chester County Agricultural Development Council promotes local agriculture.