Tri-Valley FFA Named Chapter of the Year

From Empire Farm & Dairy magazine:

In New York state, FFA chapters are as diverse as they come.
 
From New York City to Buffalo, FFA chapters and the agricultural education programs they serve meet the needs of the students in each location.
 
This year, the Tri-Valley Central School FFA Chapter in Grahamsville is the 2017 NYS Agricultural Society Chapter of the Year.
 
The Tri-Valley FFA is the only agriculture program and FFA in Sullivan and Ulster counties, and works with more than 150 members in grades 6-12 annually.
 
While many chapters focus on one component of local agriculture, Tri-Valley caters to a wide range of student interests and community needs. Advised by Tara Berescik and Robert Hayes, the program teaches classes in turf grass management, where students construct athletic fields from forest land to game day to learn the hands-on skills for success in the field.
 
The program boasts of Tri-Valley Blooms, a full-scale floral shop run by FFA students that has catered 120 weddings in the past 10 years. Students learn all aspects of the floral industry and have the necessary skills to run their own events as well.
 
In addition, Tri-Valley has two working commercial greenhouses for growing and finishing plants, and a small animal breeding and care laboratory at school.
 
Environmental Science is a major focus since Tri-Valley is located in the New York City Watershed, and students work hand-in-hand with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to develop ecologically friendly projects to learn about the local environment.
 
Tri-Valley is committed to enabling students to see the global scope of agriculture. Berescik works with students to plan and organize international trips, and teaches a class in international agriculture and sustainability. In 2016, 17 members of the chapter traveled to Europe to tour agricultural destinations in Switzerland, Italy, France, Monaco, and Spain. This is the fifth trip in 10 years.
 
Other tours have included Australia/New Zealand, Costa Rica, Ireland, and Scotland. Whether they are volunteering with coffee farmers in Costa Rica or studying lavender in France, the scope of worldwide agriculture is presented.
 
Tri-Valley FFA members excel in all areas. They have competed on the local, state and national level in at least one area every year for the last 17 years.
 
In 2016, members won multiple state proficiency awards and many placed gold nationally. Three members of the chapter were selected to receive National FFA Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship in 2016 – only 146 grants were given nationwide!
 
But even with awards and accolades, the spirit of giving is strong. Tri-Valley sophomore Emily Carey won a grant to increase her horse lesson business, and also received $1,000 to be used by the chapter. Officers voted to create the “6-for-16 drive” and selected six worthy members to receive their own FFA jacket, ties, registration to state convention, banquet tickets, and dues for the following year.
 
While the program offers amazing opportunities to its students, it is also community minded. Founded in 1951 by Richard Strangeway, Tri-Valley FFA has committed itself to community service and creating community-minded youth.
 
At school, the program boasts of a 40-raised bed community garden – built and managed by students in grades 6-12. The students do everything from preparing beds, to growing seedlings, to watering, maintaining and harvesting. Everything collected is sent to local food banks for distribution to those in need. The chapter also helped establish a backpack for kids anti-hunger program.
 
Thirty-four back packs are filled bi-weekly by donations collected around the school and community. These go home with youth to provide food on the weekends. In addition, members also collect turkeys and other food items to make the holidays happier for over 40 families in the community annually. Participating in FFA for four to six years, members can graduate with over 1,000 community service hours!
 
Tri-Valley FFA received their award at the evening banquet at the New York Agricultural Society annual meeting Jan. 5 in Salina, outside Syracuse. This is the write-up about the chapter in the annual meeting booklet.

Tops Friendly Markets Promoting NYS Grown & Certified Program

Tops Friendly Markets will promote the New York State Grown & Certified program to highlight farms that qualify under the New York State Grown & Certified seal. 

Tops is the first grocery retailer to feature and market product grown by New York farmers who adhere to the program’s requirements, including verification of safe food handling practices and participation in environmental sustainability programs. 

Producst sold under the state’s NYS Grown & Certified seal will be available at more than 80 Tops stores in the Western New York and the Finger Lakes regions. As the state continues to roll out the retail component of the program, product will be available at additional retailers.
 
“New York is supporting locally-grown products and promoting healthy lifestyles by connecting farm-fresh food with consumers across the state," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “Under the NYS Grown & Certified program, Tops Friendly Markets will bring certified foods to local communities, support our hard-working farms and provide nutritional food options to New Yorkers statewide.”
 
A state Grown & Certified pilot display was unveiled at a Tops store in Erie County Jan. 6 that features produce, including herbs, cabbage and acorn and butternut squash from farms in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions. 

Consumers will also find fruits and other vegetables branded under the NYS Grown & Certified seal at participating Tops stores. A total of 145 Tops stores across the state will begin promoting NYS Grown & Certified products in the coming weeks. 

The state Department of Agriculture & Markets is also working with other retailers to market NYS Grown & Certified products.
 
A NYS Grown & Certified social media campaign has launched to further market New York farms involved in the initiative and educate consumers on the value of the program. Consumers can now follow NYS Grown & Certified on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Additionally, several promotional videos were created to give consumers an inside look at NYS Grown & Certified farms. The videos feature Satur Farms on Long Island and Minkus Family Farms in the Hudson Valley. 

They are available by clicking https://www.facebook.com/NYScertified/videos/vb.1229590680433967/1255164281209940/?type=2&theater at this link and https://www.facebook.com/NYScertified/videos/vb.1229590680433967/1254963777896657/?type=2&theater at this link.
 
To highlight the New York producers who meet program requirements, NYS Grown & Certified is supported by a multi-pronged marketing campaign, including on-product labels, promotional materials, website and social media channels. 

Cuomo launched the NYS Grown & Certified program in August 2016. The program identifies and promotes New York producers who adhere to New York’s food safety and environmental sustainability programs and assures consumers that the food they are buying is local and produced at a higher-standard. 

It requires that producers be verified for safe food handling practices through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Good Agricultural Practices program (or an equivalent program) and enroll in the state’s Agricultural Environmental Management program. 


The initiative was the focus of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets’ exhibit at the New York Produce Show in New York City in December, and the New York State Agricultural Society annual forum Jan. 5. It also will display at the Empire State Producers Expo Jan. 17-19 in Syracuse. 

For more information on NYS Grown & Certified, go to http://certified.ny.gov/ this link.

New York Agricultural Society Meets Jan. 8

   The annual forum for the New York State Agricultural Society is set for Jan. 8 at the Holiday Inn in Salina, outside Syracuse.


Nearly 500 people are expected to attend. This year's forum theme is "Diversification for Success: Strategically Positioning You and Your Business for the Future."

Keynote speaker, Dr. David Kohl, will address a number of questions concerning diversification and  more, engaging forum attendees in a dynamic and informative program. He is professor emeritus of agriculture and applied economics at Virginia Tech and is known as “The Road Warrior of Agriculture,”having traveled almost 9 million miles and conducted more than 6,000 workshops for diverse agricultural audiences throughout his career.  

Following his keynote address, Kohl will moderate a discussion with several New York farmers who have their own unique diversification stories to share.

Other conference highlights include recognition of Businesses of the Year, Bicentennial and Century Farm Families, Agricultural Journalism Awards, FFA Chapter of the Year, Ag Promotion Awards, Farm Safety Recognition, and the Society’s lifetime of Distinguished Service Citation.  

All meals, breaks and reception feature New York produced food and beverages, and allow time for networking with exhibitors and attendees. Following the evening banquet, NYS Agriculture Commissioner, Richard Ball, will present the State of the State’s Agriculture Address.

All are invited to the New York State Agricultural Society’s Forum and special pre-forum events.  Early registration is strongly encouraged, and discount applies for registrations received before Dec. 19. 

For complete meeting details, visit: http://www.nysagsociety.org/forum-backup/ To register online, visit: https://plazameetings.com/nysas/