Duncan Hilchey, agricultural development specialist with Cornell University's Farming Alternatives Program, will deliver the keynote address, "Hops and Terroir : A Sense of Place, A Sense of Community," at the Northeast Hops Alliance Dinner, part of the Sixth Annual Madison County Hops Fest. The Oct. 6 dinner will be at 5:30 p.m., Seneca Hall, the State University of New York at Morrisville.

New York agriculturists want to revive the once-thriving hop industry in Central New York, which at one time produced 50 million pounds of hops annually. The Northeast Hop Alliance is a group established to explore the feasibility of reintroducing commercial hop production in New York and in the Northeastern United States. Hilchey will present historical statistics on hop production in Central New York and examine the possibility for reviving production.

The public is invited to attend the Northeast Hops Alliance dinner. Tickets are $25 each. Send checks, made payable to Madison County Historical Society, to P.O. Box 415, Oneida, N.Y. 13421, by Sept. 27. For further information, call (315) 363-4136.