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NanoFab East and its Rotunda on the University of Albany campus. The president spoke at the unfinished NanoFab X.

President Talks 'To Do' List at Albany's NanoCollege

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
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Students and others stood in the rain hoping to catch a glimpse of the president.
ALBANY, N.Y. — The president urged Congress on Tuesday to push through his "to do" list before the November election.

President Barack Obama was on his third trip to the Capital Region, once again highlighting some of the technological advances here as models for the future economy.

Getting manufacturing to invest in America, he said, was No. 5 his bipartisan "to do" list. Rather than reward companies for shipping jobs overseas, the tax breaks they receive should be used to move jobs back here.

Speaking at the University of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, the president said the "true engine of job creation in this country is the private sector."

"Now, the reason I came here today is because this school — bless you — and this community represents the future of our economy," the president told a standing-room only crowd in the $365 million NanoFab X computer-chip manufacturing building. "Right now, some of the most advanced manufacturing work in America is being done right here in upstate New York. Cutting-edge businesses from all over the world are deciding to build here and hire here. And you've got schools like this one that are training workers with the exact skills that those businesses are looking for."

American workers' efficiency and productivity, and rising costs in places like China, are making it more sense, he said, for companies like IBM and the GlobalFoundries, which is constructing a massive chip-making facility in Malta. Even if Americans can't make products cheaper, they can make them better, said the president. 

"I want to create more opportunities for hard-working Americans to start making things again, and selling them all over the world stamped with those proud words: Made in America. That's the goal."

The president's message was similar to the one he gave just over a year ago at the GE in Schenectady, where he challenged American business to double exports and grow jobs here. The key, he said was innovation.

The 11-year-old "NanoCollege" was selected for the president's address after logistical issues made GlobalFoundries impractical. The college and research complex offers degrees in nanoscale engineering and science with a total investment so far of $14 billion.

Obama toured a clean room with Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a nearby facility, where 450 millimeter wafers are being created to replace the standard 300mm now in use. The president reportedly engaged with the students, commenting that they were using "a pretty fancy piece of equipment."

According to the White House, the nation has added some 486,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2010. Production is up 13 percent over the past 26 months, with an accelerated annual growth rate of 7 percent this year, and exports are up 35 percent over 2009.

The president's push for manufacturing investment was only one item on his "to do" list in this election year. Obama put the onus on Congress to provide relief for home mortgages, extend tax breaks for renewable energy companies, give tax breaks to businesses for hiring and raising wages, help returning veterans and keep student loan rates from doubling.

Obama took at dig at the Republican Congress, noting that Republican presidents had grown government during recessions to create jobs, and urged the crowd to "pick up the phone, write an email, tweet, remind your member of Congress we can't afford to wait until November to get things done." 

The president landed on Air Force One shortly before noon at Albany International Airport and arrived by motorcade at the university campus on the cold, rainy day. His visit exacerbated already complicated traffic patterns because of road construction and detours on streets around the campus. More than a few invited guests and press (including iBerkshires) were unable to get in to hear the address because of traffic delays.

Some 500 people were reportedly in the NanFab X building to hear the president; outside, a small band of hardy supporters suffered in the pouring rain hoping to glimpse his caravan heading back toward the airport.

Inside, the governor was introduced SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpfer. Also acknowledged was NanoCollege CEO and architect Alain Kaloyeros.

Before departing Albany shortly after 2, the president urged Democrats and Republicans to work together to spur job growth.

"Just saying no to ideas that we know will help our economy isn't an option," he said. "There's too much at stake.  We've all got to pull in the same direction."

Tags: jobs,   manufacturing,   president,   technology,   

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Hoosick Falls Farm Awarded Animal Welfare Certifications

Staff Reports

HOOSICK FALLS, NY — The beef cattle at River and Rail Farms are now Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW).

The Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW label lets consumers know animals are raised outdoors on pasture or range in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S. and Canada, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent farm. 

Consumer Reports has rated Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW as the only "excellent" food label for animal welfare and verification, according to a press release.

?Siblings Lauren, Erin, and Matt Williams' beef cattle are also Certified Grassfed by AGW. Certified Grassfed by AGW is an optional, additional accreditation for Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW farmers and ranchers raising cattle, sheep, goats or bison according to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW high-welfare standards and a 100 percent grassfed feeding protocol.

Lauren, Erin and Matt Williams of River and Rail Farms began farming in 2022 when the siblings purchased the farm from the previous owners—a multiple-generation farming family who ran an organic dairy and diversified livestock farm. The Williams raise Red Devon cattle, a traditional livestock breed well suited to pasture-based management and known for their high-quality meat. The family chose to pursue Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW certifications because they felt the programs best mirrored their exemplary animal husbandry practices and commitment to sustainability.

"We utilize managed rotational grazing to ensure both a healthy farm and high-quality traditional breed Red Devon beef, and we are proud to offer the very best products we can to our customers," Erin Williams said.

"In a marketplace crowded with misinformation and greenwashing, trusted third-party certifications like Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW deliver real transparency for farmers and consumers," AGW Executive Director Emily Moose said. "We're proud to work with farmers and ranchers like River and Rail Farms to promote their high-quality products and sustainable farming practices."

Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW beef from River and Rail Farms is available at area farmers markets along with directly from the farm, with pre-order online and pickup on-site. Check the AGW directory for details. For more information, visit tilldalefarm.com along with the farm's Facebook and Instagram page and contact Lauren, Erin and Matt Williams at riverandrailfarms@gmail.com and (717) 202-5842.

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