On Friday, the 26th of June, Bob Cohen; CEO of the Braintree Business Development Center in Mansfield Ohio, presented his report from Agritech 2009 at the monthly Northeast Ohio Agribusiness Forum, at Buehler's in Ashland, Ohio. In May, Bob Cohen attended Agritech '09 in Tel Aviv, Israel, which is one of the largest trade shows of its kind; featuring 250 exhibitors and 42 delegations from around the world. Bob was part of a three-person Ohio delegation that staffed a display coordinated by the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative, which provided over 100 additional business contacts for the attending Ohio businesses. This display featured information on 27 different Ohio-based companies and organizations, including CIFT, BioOhio, Braintree, OARDC, Team NEO, and Ashland Area Council for Economic Development. The Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative is a unique bi-national entity that connects the agricultural sectors of Ohio and Israel through trade opportunities, educational programs, collaborative ventures, and research & development.  Bob commented how increasing trade for farmers, particularly international trade, benefits them by allowing them to have additional markets for their products. Increasing exports also allows for new money to come into an area, unlike money that just gets changed between different hands within a community. For more information on Agribusiness Forums, or information on the free business counseling services provided at the Braintree Business Development Center, please call 419-525-1614.

Please use this link to view WMFD's coverage of the breakfast.