LI industries implore Bellone for support

Farmers, fishermen and winemakers Friday implored Suffolk County Executive-elect Steve Bellone to champion their causes as they face tighter regulations and a battered economy.

Saying these "heritage" Long Island industries were the lifeblood of the East End economy, the crowd of about 50 at a Riverhead forum sought Bellone's support on issues such as traffic-generating events at wineries, the need for more local markets, seasonal immigrant workers, and the encouragement of new aquaculture industries.

Ron Goerler Jr., president of the Long Island Wine Council and owner of Jamesport Vineyards, said the future of farms like his were at stake as they scramble for profits in a largely seasonal business. He asked for support for programs such as events at wineries that help drive traffic in the down winter months and beyond.

"Being able to run our businesses profitably is important to us," he said.

Joe Gergela, executive director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, suggested farmers would welcome a more open attitude from the new county executive on issues such as immigrant workers and the environment.

"It's easier to beat up a handful of farmers," he said, charging agriculture has been wrongly condemned as environmentally unfriendly. "If you want economic growth, you have to balance the issues with the environment."

Pointing to proposals such as the recently shelved moratorium on lobster fishing in Long Island Sound, commercial fisherman and former East Hampton town Councilman Brad Loewen told Bellone, "You have an industry that's here and that needs to be protected. We need an advocate."

Without citing specific regulations, Bellone said he relished the idea of challenging misguided government policies. The first step, he said, is "creating an agenda -- what are the things we can change or modify that would have an impact on our goal of growing these industries and make that case that they [certain regulations] don't make sense?" He added, "I love those fights."

"We all want to see the economy grow in a sustainable way -- we all agree on that," he said. "The question is how to make it happen."