Happy National Farmers Day

Happy National Farmers Day!!

From EMPIRE FARM & DAIRY magazine

Magenta tree at Henderberg Tree farm

Christmas trees are green.
 
Everyone knows that.
 
But what about magenta? Or blue. Or purple. Or turquoise. Or even red?
 
Two Christmas tree farms in Central New York — one near Canastota in Madison County and one between Verona and Rome in Oneida County — are selling colored Christmas trees this season. 

Farmers are offering trees in red, turquoise, pink, magenta, white, light blue and purple.
 
“It’s just something new I’m trying out this year,” said Jay Henderberg, owner/operator of Henderberg’s Tree Farm off Route 365 south of Rome. “The response we’re getting is overwhelming.”
 
The same is true at Romagnoli Christmas Tree Farm on Oneida Valley Road outside Canastota.
 
“We did a red, a white and a blue tree for a patriotic theme,” said Dewey Romagnoli. “We also have some purple and pink. I’m just experimenting with it to see how it goes.”
 
Henderberg opened his farm for people to come and tag colored trees for purchase. They were sold out that day.
 
The trees are real Christmas trees grown with care and love by the Christmas tree farmers.
 
Then they are colored with a food-grade colorant purchased from a company based in Wisconsin called Kirk, which makes the product in red, green, blue, white, orange, magenta, pink and light blue.
 
“I colored about 20 trees,” Romagnoli said. “But I saw an article about this guy in New Jersey who painted 150-200 trees and sold them all out.”
 
Faye Beckwith, past president of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York, said she and her husband Jack, who run Beckwith’s Christmas Tree Farm in Hannibal, Oswego County, said they also bought some colorant and used it to make a purple tree for a Hannibal school function. 

Hannibal’s colors are purple, gold and white.
 
Both Henderberg and Romagnoli found out about the colorant at a recent meeting of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York. A representative from Kirk Co. was there with the colorant and the two farmers decided to give it a whirl.
 
This is the second year the colorant has been sold for Christmas trees.
 
Here’s how it works:
 
The farmer sprays the colorant onto the trees. It has to be 40 degrees or warmer for the mixture to adhere well.
 
Once it dries, within a few hours to a day or so, it is permanent. It doesn’t wash off or come off on your hands or clothes.
 
It is not toxic, so if Spot or Puff or even your toddler decide to take a bite out of the tree, it will not hurt them.
 
It is not paint, so it contains no metals or mercury. It is environmentally safe.
 
Any species of tree can be colored.
 
The farmer has to put up a good amount of money to do the colored trees, buying not only the colorant, but also the equipment for spraying it onto the trees.
 
And because of the monetary investment, farmers are charging about $30 more for the colored trees, Henderberg said. He has colored 20 of his trees — Fraser firs, Canaan firs and white spruce.
“It’s new, so you don’t know how it’s going to be received,” Henderberg said.
 
Obviously it was well received this year, since Henderberg has sold out of his colored trees.

Thank a Farmer Today -- And Every Day

Today is National Thank a Farmer Day.

I actually believe EVERY day should be Thank a Farmer Day. But hey, do it today too.

Agriculture Secretary Visits New York State

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/ag-chief-hears-about-regional-farm-challenges-20171115 to check out the story.

State Adopts STandard Agritourism Safety Regulations

Here's a good story out of the Watertown Daily Times.

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/state-adopts-standard-agritourism-safety-regulations-to-help-protect-farmers-from-lawsuits-20171112 to check it out.

Agbotic Welcomes Hermon DeKalb Students to Celebrate Farm-to-School Work

Nice story out of the North Country.

Check it out at http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/ogd/agbotic-welcomes-herman-dekalb-students-20171008 this link.

Development Agency OKs Supports Agreement for Proposed Agribusiness Park in Jefferson County

Great news for Jefferson County and Northern New York!!

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/jcida-approves-support-agreement-for-proposed-agribusiness-park--20170922 to check out the story.

Weather Extremes Show Need for Water and Soil Conservation Practices

From EMPIRE FARM & DAIRY magazine

By MARC HELLER
hellmarc@gmail.com
 
There’s an old saying that if you have one foot in a bucket of boiling water, and the other in a bucket of ice water, on average you feel about right.
 
New York farmers may be wishing that expression applied to agriculture. A year after one of the worst droughts in a generation, heavy rains threaten to dilute many farmers’ profits.
 
Parts of northern and western New York have seen several months in a row of above-normal rainfall, which cut into the planting season and has delayed cutting of hay. And while state agriculture officials aren’t calling the season a disaster, they say production is likely to suffer in some areas.
 
The contrast in moisture is a reminder, too, they say, of the value of conservation measures that preserve the soil — and which federal and state programs are meant to promote — and of the benefits of growing as wide a variety of crops as possible.
 
“We’re a resilient lot,” said state Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard Ball, who’s far from declaring the season a flop. “It takes a whole year to make a year.”
 
Ball, a farmer in Schoharie, said some farmers couldn’t plant their preferred crops. Dairy farmers and others have adjusted by turning to alternatives, he said. New York farmers planted only about 75 percent of the typical acreage of potatoes, for instance, and acreage is down for grain corn, a key feed for dairy cattle, he said.
 
Weather statistics tell some of the story. 

Weather stations in Glens Falls, Watertown and Rochester all show wetter-than-average rainfall from spring through July. 

Watertown had 6.18 inches of rain in June alone, roughly double the normal amount, the National Weather Service reported. Glens Falls saw more than five and a half inches in July, following above-average rain in June, May and April.
 
“We’ve really done a one-eighty,” said Steve Ammerman, spokesman for New York Farm Bureau. “Things are a bit behind this year.”
 
Spring rains also kept the soil cooler, later into the season, Ammerman said, which cuts into production of some crops. But the news hasn’t been entirely discouraging; conditions have improved in several areas, and farmers who have well-drained land have fared all right, he said.
 
Although last year was exceedingly dry, this year’s downpours may be part of a longer trend, said Jonathan Negley, district manager for the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District. 

Rain appears to fall harder and in shorter periods than in years past, he said, meaning fields that once took five or eight inches of rain in 24 hours must absorb it in half an hour instead, which often isn’t possible.
 
“This is just a reality that we are all going to have to face in the future, and now,” Negley said.  “Sometimes it is just unrealistic to design structures at this demanding level, so we just put in extra layers of protection or bypasses during those heavy flows.”
 
Officials at soil and water conservation districts — which are county-level offices that work in cooperation with state and federal agencies — continue to encourage the practices they have for years, including keeping water clean, collecting excess rainwater where possible so it can be used in dry periods, and maintaining healthy soil that’s better at holding moisture, Negley said.
 
That’s a more challenging mission in areas where land is being developed and paved surfaces create runoff, Negley said. Collecting the excess water becomes more important in those areas, he said.
 
On farms, practices such as no-till and cover crops are increasing and help the land withstand both heavy rain and drought, Ammerman said. 

Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture promote those measures and in many cases require farmers to have conservation plans. In the 2014 farm bill, Congress reinstated conservation compliance as a condition for crop insurance, and the issue is likely to come up again in the farm bill’s renewal in 2018.
 
Although much of the government investment in conservation comes from Washington, state agencies in New York play a role. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has promoted a $300 million environmental protection fund, and Ball said his department prepared a resource guide for farmers outlining the assistance available in the case of federal disaster declarations, which applied to much of the state during last year’s drought.
 
In addition, Ball said, past floods have taught officials about the importance of maintaining culverts along roads in farm country. The experience with Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 revealed the shortcomings of those drainage systems, he said.
 
“Every one of them is a choke point, potentially,” Ball said.

Excessive Rainfall May Hinder Quality, Yields of Many Crops

From EMPIRE FARM & DAIRY magazine

By MARCUS WOLF
MWOLF@WDT.NET
 
Farmers in the Northeast are bracing for a loss of crops and a reduction in quality after months of heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures.
 
“It’s just been a rough year for everyone who’s trying to grow anything out in the field,” said Michael Hunter, a field crop specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson and Lewis counties.
 
Dairy farmers with oversaturated fields across the state likely will experience lower yields for their corn crops this year, Hunter said.
 
Jon Greenwood, a Canton dairy farmer and president of the St. Lawrence County Farm Bureau, said several farmers were forced to plant their corn late, and the weather and rainfall have delayed its growth.
 
If the corn doesn’t mature before the frost, Greenwood, who owns Greenwood Dairy Farm with his wife Linda, said farmers could lose some of their yields.
 
“(Even) if it turns out right for the rest of the season, some of the fields are never going to be able to turn around or reach maturity,” said Joseph Lawrence, a dairy forage systems specialist with the Cornell PRO-DAIRY program.
 
Douglas Shelmidine, co-owner of Sheland Farms in the town of Ellisburg, said the rainy weather earlier this year delayed him from planting his corn by three weeks, and the recent rainfall has oversaturated some of the acreage for his corn crop. Whether the corn matures in time before the frost will determine the impact to its nutritional quality, he said.
 
“I’m not losing sleep over quality just yet,” he said.
 
For soybeans, Lawrence said the nutritional quality will remain stable so long as the plants can fully mature, although some farmers might harvest smaller beans due to the lack of sun and lower temperatures. Farmers also may be able to avoid significant losses in yields should they experience a late frost.
 
Unlike with corn and other grain crops, the above-average rainfall has provided a sufficient hay yield for several farmers, but the weather has prevented them from harvesting it at times.
 
Hunter said farmers’ opportunities for harvesting hay at its nutritional peak are narrow, and the heavy rain has prevented them from harvesting at the optimal times, meaning the quality of the crop will most likely decline.

 Lawrence said a drop in hay quality likely would result in a drop in milk production, unless farmers decide to purchase supplements to maintain the nutritional quality of their feed.
 
“We missed a lot of optimal times for harvesting our hay crop at the times we would like to,” Hunter said.
 
John Wagner, a field supervisor with New York Farm Bureau, said recent showers have delayed crop growers, including dairy farmers, in Oswego County from harvesting their hay for dry hay silage on time due to excessive moisture in the ground. Those farmers, he said, will have hay with “quality (that) has been severely degraded.”
 
Wagner also said excessive rainfall in the spring prevented Oswego County farmers from planting their corn and soybeans at the time they wanted.
 
“So that’s going to affect the yield and quality as we get toward the harvest (in the fall),” he said. The above-average rainfall in the past four months also has delayed the planting of some farmers’ vegetables and hurt the quality of some of their produce.
 
In addition to setting the planting of some of his vegetables back three weeks, costing him three weeks in sales, Jay Canzonier, who owns North Branch Farms in Belleville, said the excess rain has forced him to cull a larger percentage of his tomatoes and throw away about two-thirds of the cucumbers he and his staff pick.
 
Every other year, Canzonier said his vegetables experience rapid growth, a growth they haven’t achieved due to the recent weather.
 
The rain and cold also have brought the risk of disease spreading through crops and produce, but Canzonier said he is taking measures to prevent disease from reaching his produce.
 
Despite recent conditions, Canzonier said he still has sufficient produce for sale, including bell peppers, sweet corn, lettuce and tomatoes.
 
“There is a lot of good stuff out there for people to grab,” Canzonier said.
 
Chris Bush, who operates Bush Gardens in Denmark with her husband, Loren, said the recent weather has cost her about a quarter of her crops. With fewer vegetables to sell, Bush said she was unable to participate in the Lowville Farmers Market this year, but she still was able to sell produce at the Watertown and Carthage farmers markets.
 
Bush also said some of her cucumbers have died, some of her tomatoes are still green and small, some of her cauliflower plants have black spots, and some of her potatoes are too small. The tomatoes and cucumbers she planted in her three high tunnels, however, “look decent” and make up the majority of the produce at the farmers markets.
 
“You just have to wait and see what happens and hope you can harvest what you planted,” Bush said.
 
Dick DeGraff, who owns Grindstone Farm in Pulaski, said he believes he lost 30 to 40 percent of his produce so far this season from the above average rainfall, including some that were “just plain waterlogged.” 
Most of the produce he said he planted inside his high tunnels was fine, but he was worried about the wet weather bringing fungal diseases.
 
“We haven’t been able to cultivate many of our crops,” he said. “We can actually handle no rain, but we can’t handle too much rain.”
 
DeGraff also said he and his staff haven’t been able to pick blueberries when they ripen due to the excess rain.
 
“I’m seeing a lot of soft fruit. I think (the weather has) damaged the fruit,” he said. “After this last weekend, the fruit quality has diminished significantly.”
 
George Krul, who owns Stoney Meadow Farm in Oswego, said he lost about 25 percent of his produce from the rain, which runs down the hills into some of the fields where he has planted pumpkins, sweet corn, squash and gourds. Some of his pumpkins also were affected by fungal infections and blight, he said.
 
Krul, however, said produce he planted in well-drained soil, including his tomatoes, was not affected.
 
“Anything that’s on well-drained ground seems to have a better chance,” he said.

Calves Rescued From Flooding in Tioga County

By DEBRA J. GROOM
dgroom@wdt.net

From EMPIRE FARM & DAIRY magazine

The wet weather of this growing season hasn’t been tough only on those with crops in the ground and hay to bale.
 
Some of God’s living creatures also have been put through the wringer with all this rain.
 
At Engelbert Farms in Nichols, Tioga County, the rain from July 24 nearly drowned their 20 calves. The little ones were snug and warm and safe in their calf hutches when the Wappasening Creek began to overflow.
 
“We got a call at 2:15 a.m. that it looked like our calves were drowning,” Lisa Engelbert said via Facebook. “We called our sons, and headed down. When I got down there, my heart sank — I thought we had lost all of the calves in hutches. I shined my spotlight out and saw that they were alive, but some were struggling to keep their heads above water.”
 
Engelbert said while her farm received only about 2.5 inches of rain, upstream the Wappasening Creek watershed saw about 6 inches of rain in a very short period of time.
 
“My son, John arrived and he started unhooking calves and putting them into the back of his truck. I was in the truck trying to keep them towards the front of the truck bed,” Engelbert said. “Kevin hooked up the cattle trailer and we started putting calves in there. Several of the guys who work on the farm arrived soon after, but it took our son, Joe, about 45 minutes to get here because so many roads and bridges were washed out.”
 
“The calves were all rescued and taken to Rob Moore’s organic farm up on the hill. The guys loaded 15 organic piglets as a precaution and took them to Kittle’s organic farm on the hill,” she said. “We lost three calves to pneumonia due to getting water in their lungs, but the rest are doing well. The pigs and calves came back home the next day.”
 
The flash flooding was from the Wappasening Creek and was an isolated rain event, “so we didn’t have flooding issues from the Susquehanna River,” Engelbert said.
 
Farms like Engelbert Farms in this area of the Southern Tier have seen the mighty Susquehanna flood numerous times, wreaking havoc on the land. The most recent was Sept. 7, 2011, when Tropical Storm Lee dropped about 18 inches of rain near Nichols.
 
Meteorologists at that time said the river rose to 26.67 feet in the nearby town of Waverly.
 
“It came through like a Tsunami,” said Engelbert in a story in Lancaster Farming. During that flood, nearly 400 acres of land, a milkhouse, milking parlor, the house and crop fields were filled with water and mud from the Wappasening Creek and Susquehanna River.

Learn About Ag With Tours, Text Messages at New York State Fair

Don't forget.

As you head to the New York State Fair, there are some more ways this year to learn about the state's biggest industry -- agriculture.

The New York State Fair is offering fairgoers a new and exciting way to learn more through free, guided. The tours will be led by MooU, a private tour company, and will take visitors through the fair’s various animal barns, offering insight about the animals and their place in agriculture.  

Tours will begin at the MooU tent, which will be located behind the Agriculture Museum. They will depart every hour starting at 10 a.m. daily with the last tour departing at 5 p.m. 

Tour #1, beginning at 10 a.m. and running every two hours, will include stops at the Dairy Cattle Barn, Beef Barn, Poultry Barn and the Dairy Cow Birthing Center. Tour #2 will begin at 11 a.m, and run every two hours, stopping at the Goat, Sheep and Swine Barns as well as the World of Horses tent.

Fairgoers also have the chance to text an ag question to an expert on the fairgrounds. Agricultural experts will monitor a text channel during the fair, answering questions texted to them.

Signs in each of the barns will provide the phone number where text messages can be sent.

 

The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs now through Sept. 4.

Deadline Extended for Ritchie's Farm Family Survey

A column from state Sen. Patty Ritchie:

New York's farmers work hard to bring the best quality products to their neighbors, tables and kitchens around the state and world.   

As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I know it’s important to get feedback from hardworking farmers to identify ways the state can assist in helping to provide them with new opportunities to expand their businesses.

  

In an effort to help support farmers and their operations, I recently launched a “Farm Family Survey” that seeks input on a number of issues, including milk prices, the impact of recent weather and farm expenses that the state could help in offsetting, among others.

The deadline to participate in this survey has been extended to Aug. 31. Those interested in completing a survey can visit my website, ritchie.nysenate.gov, or have one mailed to you by calling my office at (315) 782-3418.

My Farm Family Survey builds on my past efforts to support New York farmers. Earlier this year, I worked for record funding in the new state budget for agriculture — for the third year in a row — totaling $51 million for dozens of programs that seek to bolster the bottom lines of farmers across the state and here in Central and Northern New York.

New York’s farmers are critically important when it comes to providing people with fresh, healthy foods, as well as to supporting our state’s economy. Your feedback on my survey is essential to providing me with the information I need to better advocate for our state’s farmers and help our state’s agriculture industry thrive for generations to come.

Farm Bureau President Comment on Collective Bargaining Lawsuit

From New York Farm Bureau:

New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher made the following comments July 21 concerning a lawsuit that seeks collective bargaining rights for farmworkers.

“New York Farm Bureau made a strong case today in State Supreme Court in Albany, NY as to why the Court should dismiss the NYCLU lawsuit that seeks collective bargaining rights for farmworkers. Our attorney argued that our system of government requires that the legislature change state law, not the courts.  Our attorney also argued that the State Labor Relations Act, as written, is constitutional.  

"'We appreciate the opportunity that the Court provided to us to argue the reasons for dismissal, and we are hopeful that we will have a decision in our favor very soon.

"The court previously granted New York Farm Bureau intervenor status to defend agriculture from the lawsuit after New York State abdicated its duty. Our organization had petitioned the court last year to become a defendant only after the Governor and Attorney General refused to uphold and defend the State Labor Relations Act in court.

"New York Farm Bureau has long opposed farmworker collective bargaining for one simple reason. Farms do not have a standard eight-hour workday. This growing season has taught us that. Heavy rains across New York have forced farmers and their employees to get in every dry moment they can in the fields before the next storm cloud arrives. Life inside the barn is no different.  

"For instance, cows need to be fed and milked every day. A farmworker strike or confining work agreements can jeopardize a crop or the health of an animal. Everyone who works in farming understands this. Added regulations will further tie the hands of New York’s farmers and place them in a business environment where it is becoming harder and harder to compete against farmers from out of state and out of the country.

"Farmers have great respect for the people who they employ. If we are to have a vibrant agricultural sector in New York that offers good job opportunities, farms must be able to have a chance to succeed. Collective bargaining will only make it more difficult to do that.

"New York Farm Bureau will continue to stand up for our members, either in court or at the Capitol, to ensure that their voices are heard,” Fisher said.

Some Changes Coming to 2017 Census of Agriculture

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball has highlighted changes to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, which will be mailed out to farmers later this year. 

The Census of Agriculture is the only complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and their operators. An accurate Census of Agriculture is vitally important to New York farms and rural communities because of its role in driving funding and program support at the federal level. 

Changes to this year’s Census of Agriculture include: the collection of data on active-duty and military veteran farmers, more detailed information on marketing practices, and the launch of an improved online questionnaire.
 
“The Census of Agriculture is an extremely valuable tool for communities. The data it collects helps track New York’s strengths in agriculture and its importance to the economy, and it helps us identify trends to capitalize on to further grow the industry," said Ball. "All farmers should participate in the count — the results directly affect the funding of research, marketing and other programs that support our farms.”
 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts the Census of Agriculture. The last Census of Agriculture was conducted in 2012. 

This year, the Census will again gather information on farms and ranches growing fruits, vegetables or raising animals, as long as $1,000 or more of such products were raised and sold or normally would have been sold during the census year. 

In addition to standard questions, the Census will also include a new question on active-duty and military veteran farmers to better understand if farming has become a viable career path for our servicemen and women, and to help direct outreach and programs toward veterans.
 
The 2017 Census of Agriculture will also seek additional information about marketing practices to gain insight into the value of agricultural products sold for consumption. As a result, the information on the number of farms participating in direct marketing and the dollar value of direct marketing sales. 

This will help the industry understand the value of food sales directly to consumers and sales to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs.
 
The census questionnaire will be mailed to more than three million U.S. farmers this December. NASS is encouraging farmers to respond online this year. The improved online questionnaire is convenient, intuitive and accessible on any electronic device. It will be available on the NASS website starting November 27, 2017.
 
“The Census of Agriculture remains the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every county in the nation,” said Blair Smith, National Agricultural Statistics Service New York State Statistician. 

“As such, census results are relied upon heavily by those who serve farmers and rural communities, including federal, state and local governments, agribusinesses, trade associations, extension educators, researchers, and farmers and ranchers themselves,”
Smith said.
 
Census of Agriculture responses are due by Feb. 5, 2018. The results will be available beginning in February 2019, in aggregate form only, to ensure that no individual operation or producer can be identified as required by federal law.
 
For more information about the census, please visit the NASS website, follow NASS on Twitter @usda_nass, or call (800) 727-9540.

Cuomo Signs Bill Making Hemp an Agricultural Commodity

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/cuomo-signs-bill-to-make-hemp-agricultural-commodity-in-ny-20170716 to check out the story.

New Owner to Keep Open Campbell Kraft Plant

A Kraft plant that was going to close has been saved.

Go to http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/new-york/2017/06/30/new-owner-keep-open-campbell-plant-save-150-jobs/103310382/ to check out the story.

More Than $1M Awarded to New Farmers

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

More than $1 million has been awarded to 27 new and early-stage farms through the New York State New Farmers Grant Fund. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said since its launch in 2014, the program has provided nearly $2.5 million to 66 farms across the state to expand operations and improve profitability.
"Agriculture remains a major New York industry, and with support from the New Farmers Grant Fund, we will be making investments that will pay dividends for future generations of farmers," said Cuomo.

"The fund continues to provide access to capital to help new and early farms grow, while supporting the expansion of businesses statewide, and with this latest round of awards, New York will help increase production and support this critically important part of our economy for years to come," Cuomo said.
The New Farmers Grant Fund award recipients by region are:
Capital Region

• Blue Star Farm NY, LLC, Columbia County – $50,000
• Letterbox Farm, LLC, Columbia County – $31,000
• MX Morningstar Farm, Columbia County – $30,436

Finger Lakes

• Buttonwood Grove Winery, Seneca County – $50,000
• Camman Acres, LLC, Monroe County – $18,021
• First Light Farm & Creamery, Genesee County – $50,000
• Hartway Brothers, Orleans County – $42,500
• Lyman and Chelsey Rudgers, Wyoming County – $50,000

Long Island

• Sannino's Bella Vita Vineyard, Suffolk County – $19,154

Mid-Hudson Valley

• Long Season Farm, Ulster County – $32,119
• Westwind Orchard, LLC, Ulster County – $48,619

Mohawk Valley

• Autumn Valley Farm, Otsego County – $39,900
• Collins Farm, LLC, Oneida County – $50,000
• Dygert Farms Creamery, Montgomery County – $37,500
• Michael B’s Honey Co., Oneida County – $30,770

North Country

• Black Rooster Maple, Essex County – $50,000
• Echo Farm, Essex County – $23,401
• Reber Rock Farm, Essex County – $35,065

Southern Tier

• Bensvue Farms, LLC, Tompkins County – $46,118
• Hemlock Ridge Farm, Steuben County – $50,000
• Nanticoke Gardens, Broome County – $49,510
• Shannon Brook Farm, Schuyler County – $44,000
• Homestead Hog Farm, Steuben County – $38,741

Western New York

• Black Bird Cider Works, Niagara County – $46,245
• Bliss Dairy Company, Inc., Cattaraugus County – $50,000
• Nathan & Sarah Nickerson, Chautauqua County – $16,660
• Niefergold Dairy, LLC, Erie County – $50,000

The New Farmers Grant Fund is administered by Empire State Development, in consultation with the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. 

Nearly 60 applications were submitted for program funding this round, with applicants scored based on specific criteria, including demonstrating how the project expands or diversifies agricultural production. 

Grant funds will be used for project costs associated with the construction of farm buildings, and the purchase of equipment and supplies.
The fund provides grants of up to $50,000 to assist with up to 50 percent of eligible project costs, with the remaining 50 percent being matched by the recipient. 

All eligible farm owners must be within the first ten years of ownership and the farm must have a minimum of $10,000 in income from sales of products grown or raised on the farm. This year, the program eliminated the 150 acres or less requirement and accepted farm applicants of all sizes.

Bill To Ensure Farm Property Tax Relief Eligibility Passes State Legislature

From Assemblyman Bill Magee's office:

Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson, announced that legislation he sponsored to ensure more farms are eligible for critical property tax relief has passed both the Assembly and the Senate. 

The legislation allows family members who operate farms held in trust to qualify for the Farmers’ School Tax Credit – a refundable credit for farming businesses that have paid school district property taxes (A.4650).
 
“It’s important that we help farms transition from one generation to the next,” Magee said. “Those who have been farming for decades have knowledge that has been handed down and is almost impossible to replace. We can help new farmers take the helm and continue their family’s legacy by cutting red tape to ensure they get the tax relief they need and deserve.”
 
As chair of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Magee is a strong advocate for farmers, and fights to ensure that family farms can continue to thrive. He recognizes that trusts have become more common over the past several years as more families use them to transfer their farms to the next generation. 

Currently, there are more than 400 farms in New York State classified as “cooperative, estate or trust, institutional” and a significant number of those are trusts.

However, a technicality in current law allows family members who intend to purchase the land to be eligible for the Farmers’ School Tax Credit, while those who will inherit through a trust are not. Magee’s legislation corrects that oversight and allows new farmers to claim the credit. 

The legislation has passed both houses and awaits the governor’s signature to become law.

Martinsburg Farmers Receive Support After Barn Fire

Please go to http://www.journalandrepublican.com/news04/martinsburg-couple-receives-family-community-support-following-barn-fire-20170614?utm_content=bufferec068&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer to check out the story.

NOFA-NY To Hole On-Farm Field Day in Richland

From NOFA-NY:

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York is offering an on-farm field day called “Diversifying your Agricultural Offering: Adding Meat to your Veggies” from 3 to 6 p.m. June 20 at Grindstone Farm, County Route 28, outside Pulaski.

Dick and Lucas de Graff will discuss the challenges and successes of adding livestock to their established vegetable operation. Visitors can learn how Grindstone Farms’ diversified offerings have opened up new market doors.

Grindstone Farm, which grows 120 types of fruits and vegetables, has provided Central New York with healthy organic products for over 25 years.

Grindstone Farm is a supporter of NOFA-NY’s On Farm Skills Guide as a tool for training interns. 

NOFA-NY staff will provide a brief overview on how this tool can assist farmers in their training programs.

This event is produced by NOFA-NY with support from the New York Farm Viability Institute.

Pre-registration is encouraged. Cost is $15 per person or $25 for two or more people from the same farm. Visit www.nofany.org to register and for more information.