Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone from the Empire State Farm Blog.

My best to all, especially all the farmers and milk truck drivers and other in agriculture who still have to work today. Please remember their hard work as you sit down to your Christmas feast today.

Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas from the Empire State Farming blog. And here's to a great 2016.

Tractor Art in the Snow

This isn't from New York, but it's still pretty cool.

Go to http://www.countryliving.com/life/news/a37152/prunty-farms-tractor-art/ to check it out.

Fresh New York State Christmas Trees Being Shipped to NYC

From New York state:

Fresh Direct, a leading fresh food Internet grocer that delivers to residences and offices in the New York City metropolitan area,has added farm-fresh, New York grown Christmas trees to its lineup of products available for sale to its customers.  

Empire State Development and the state Department of Agriculture and Markets have been working to promote the use of locally grown Christmas trees across the state, and helped facilitate this new partnership to bring greater exposure to and increase the purchase of New York trees in the New York City marketplace.  

Fresh Direct is sourcing locally grown, live potted trees from Dutch Church Farm in Amsterdam. The farm is making Fraser firs available for delivery throughout New York City, and so far has made two deliveries of a large number of trees downstate.  

The ‘Berries and Bows’ trees are two-foot Fraser firs that come pre-decorated with colorful berries and festive bows. They are available online now at www.freshdirect.com

State Fair Cookbook, Ornament Ready for Holiday Gift Giving

News from New York State Fair:

Gift-givers now have that perfect something to put under the tree this year – or on it – to please fans of the Great New York State Fair.  

The fair is selling copies of its Blue Ribbon Recipes book and both of its annual tree ornaments featuring classic State Fair buildings. Order forms are at http://bit.ly/FairXmas

Blue Ribbon Recipes was compiled from entries in the fair’s annual culinary competitions that won their categories and were entered in the Grand Champion competition that takes place on the Fair’s final day. These are the very best entries, going back several years.  The 100-page cookbook is spiral-bound for easy use in the kitchen.

The fair’s annual Christmas tree ornament series, now in its second year, features representations of the Horticulture and Center of Progress buildings in a high-quality oval setting made of pewter, perfect for a place on any Fair fan’s tree. 

The cookbook sells for $15 and the ornaments are $8 each. Payments can be accepted via credit card, cashier’s check or money order. No personal checks can be accepted. Shipping will add $3 to $5 to the final cost.  

Questions can be directed to the Entry Department at 315-487-7711, extension 1337.

Tips for Selecting the Best Real Christmas Tree

A family picks out a tree at Granger's in Mexico.

From Cornell University:

Tips for selecting the best Christmas tree: 

 

• Don’t be afraid to handle and bend the branches and shoots. Green needles should not come off in your hands. Also, the shoots should be flexible. Avoid a tree if the needles are shed or if the shoots crack or snap with handling.
• Look for a tree with a good solid green (or blue green for some species) color. Needle yellowing or a slight brown speckled color could indicate there was a pest problem and could lead to early needle drop.
• Have fun looking over all the types of trees. New York growers are producing a wider variety of trees compared with past years. One can find New York grown firs such as Fraser, Balsam, Douglas and the bluish tinted Concolor fir. Spruces and old-fashioned pines can also be found. Each variety tree offers its own shape, color, fragrance, and branch stiffness for holding needles.
• Christmas trees should smell good. If there isn’t much fragrance when you flex the needles, it may mean that the tree was cut too long ago.
• If possible, make a fresh cut on the bottom so the tree’s vascular tissue (pipe work) is not plugged and so the tree can easily take up water. Then, if you’re not bringing it into the house right away, get the tree in a bucket of water outside.
• Once you move your tree gets inside the house, don’t locate it next to a radiator, furnace vent or other heat source. And always remember to keep water in the tree stand topped off, so it never goes below the bottom of the trunk.
• County Cooperative Extension offices often have lists of local Christmas tree growers. You can also check the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York website at http://www.christmastreesny.org/SearchFarm.php.

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Farmers Donate Trees to Military

This is a very important program that many Christmas tree farmers in New York state (and in Central New York) are involved in each year.

Read about it here: http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/guard-reserve/2015/11/29/new-york-national-guard-helps-send-christmas-trees-to-bases/76529824/

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from the Empire State Farming blog!!

Farmers Work Every Day -- Even Christmas

I put this on my Facebook page this morning, but also wanted to put it on here.

I was at Stewart's in Adams getting a coffee this morning and a gentleman came in after me, also getting a cup of coffee. 

The employee was pleasant and wished us a Merry Christmas. Then she asked the man if he had to work tomorrow. 

He said "I work every day." She said "what do you do?" He said "I'm a farmer." 

God bless the farmers and remember them tomorrow as you are relaxing around your tree. They are probably out milking cows or doing some other chore. 

A farmer's work is never done.

Oswego County Holiday Farmers Market Dec. 6

From Oswego County Cooperative Extension:

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County is putting on its sixth annual Oswego County Holiday Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 as part of the “Christmas in Mexico” festivities. 

Attendees will be able to find great holiday gifts, decorations and food from local farmers. There is no better way to support the local economy than buying local.

In addition to finding local goods, customers have the opportunity to speak directly with the agricultural producers present at the market. This popular event usually draws a large crowd of more than 500 people. 

The Oswego County Holiday Farmers Market will be held at the Mexico VFW at 5930 Scenic Ave. (State Route 3) just north of the village of Mexico. Free coffee and hot chocolate will be provided and Santa Claus will make an appearance. 

For more information, call Lynnette Wright at 963-7286 ext. 203 or visit the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County website at www.thatscooperativeextension.org.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Empire State Farming!!

Tractors Get a Holiday Workout North of Albany

A great event from out north of Albany.

Check http://poststar.com/news/local/tractors-pull-crowds-into-downtown-greenwich-for-lighted-holiday-parade/article_f78c8614-5330-11e3-9c5a-001a4bcf887a.html out this story from the Glens Falls paper. And thanks to farmer friend Jessica Chittenden Ziehm for tipping me off to this. And great creativity award for her family farm (Tiashoke Farm) tractor -- Rudolph the Red Nosed John Deere.