Long-time Lysander Vegetable and Fruit Farmer Cecil Reeves Dies

From the Bville Blotter:

New York and Central New York has lost a giant in farming.

Cecil Reeves, who began Reeves Farm in Lysander, has died.

See the following obituary:

Cecil E. Reeves, 95, of Baldwinsville passed away Friday at his home. 

He was a 1942 graduate of Baldwinsville where he lettered in 3 sports and was All-County First Team in football for the 1941 season. He spent most of his life in partnership with his wife, Dorothy, and their nine children in the creation and success of Reeves Farms, after purchasing his grandfather's farm in 1951. 

He was a veteran of WW II serving with the Navy as a machinist mate on submarines serving in The Philippines. 

He was a past president of the Onondaga County Vegetable Growers as well as a former member of the Lysander Planning Board, Town Board and Baldwinsville Central Schools Board of Education. He and his wife, Dorothy with members of his family, donated land, money, equipment, labor and many hours of time for the establishment of the Diane Reeves Memorial Park. 

He was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy, daughter Diane, son Chris, and grandson Ryan. 

Surviving are daughters, Carol (David) Norris of Mobile, Alabama and Joan Reeves of Baldwinsville; sons, Tim (Joan), Bruce (JoAnn), Mark, Andy, and Brian all of Baldwinsville; 22 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; sister, Rosalie Depew of Henderson, Nevada; brother-in-law, Gerald Snow of Warners, and several nieces and nephews. 

Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Baldwinsville Volunteer Center, 8 Mechanic St., Baldwinsville, NY 13027 or Maureen's Hope Foundation, 44 Oswego Street, Baldwinsville, NY 13027. online@falardeaufh.com

Local Producers Can Taste Test Products at Fort Drum Commissary

Here is some important information from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County:

Are you a producer trying to market a value added product? 

As part of the Food Hub Initiative Cornell Cooperative Extension and Food Venture Advisors (FVA) invite you to participate in a taste-testing of your product to a potentially significant market – Military Commissaries in the North East.

Northern New York producers making/marketing eligible products will lead the way by showcasing their value added foods at a taste testing in the Fort Drum Commissary from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 17.

Food Venture Advisors is searching for high quality, value added products that can meet required year round quantity and food safety standards and which contain mostly locally produced ingredients.  Producers will be asked to supply samples of their products to FVA.   

Samples should be delivered to CCE – Jefferson no later than Nov. 1. Examples of value added products include locally produced cheeses, pickled vegetables, jams, jellies, meat jerky, mustards etc. 

Producers with products that meet the criteria will be notified and should deliver their samples and for-sale products to the FVA warehouse at 200 Howk St., Watertown on Nov. 14. 

Products will be evaluated to ensure the product meets required quality, ingredients, packaging, production history, estimated capacity, etc.  

On the day of the event, FVA will transport all products to the Commissary in refrigerated vehicles.   Any unused products can be returned to CCE Jefferson office for producers to pick up after the event.   

Producers are invited to attend and participate at the event and will be carpooled onto the Fort from CCE – Jefferson Office starting at 9 a.m. Producers will be allowed to sell their product during the tasting. However, samples are not reimbursable. 

Please bring your own sample spoons, cups, napkins, plates, signage, etc. The Commissary will provide: tables, trash, staff and marketing.

Products which attract significant interest at the event will be selected by the Commissary staff.  Selected products will be stocked on a limited basis and distributed by FVA to the Fort Drum Commissary.   

Note: as with any retail opportunity distribution fees and retail markups apply. However, Commissaries generally mark up products only 5 percent. 

For more information contact Remy Cline at (315) 789-0042.

Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Benefits Available Now

Farmers' Market Nutrition Program benefits are now available for eligible families and seniors across the state. 

The program provides checks to be redeemed at participating farmers' markets and farm stands now through the end of November for the purchase of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. 

In addition, eligible New Yorkers can use their checks at even more farm stands this year. The number of farm stands participating in the program has nearly doubled in two years, from 40 in 2015 to 77 so far this year.

"Increasing awareness and accessibility to healthy, nutritious food is critical to the health and well being of families across the state," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "When New Yorkers eat fresh, local produce, it not only makes for healthier communities, but spurs the state's agricultural industry, creating a stronger New York for all."

Farmers Market Nutrition Program 

A total of $6 million in FMNP benefits are available to families through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. 

About 250,000 booklets consisting of six $4.00 checks, or a total of $24, will be distributed this year, allowing for the purchase of fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables from over 900 farmers vending at over 600 farmers' markets and farm stands across the state.

Checks are available to eligible families at nearly 400 sites across New York State and at WIC clinic locations. A pocket folder with instructions on how and where to use the checks to purchase fresh, local fruits and vegetables from farmers at the market will be included with each booklet. 

Checks can be used at participating farmers' markets and farm stands through November 30 of this year.

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

The $2.5 million Senior FMNP provides checks to eligible individuals age 60 and older to purchase $20 worth of produce. Program benefits are provided on an individual basis instead of per household, also expanding the reach of the program to older New Yorkers. 

 

In upstate communities, checks are now available at county Offices for the Aging.

Eligible recipients must be age 60 or older and meet the income eligibility requirement$1,860 or less per month for a single or $2,504 per month for a couple — or affirm that they are currently receiving or eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income, or public assistance or Section 8 housing subsidy. Recipients cannot have received Farmers' Market Nutrition Program checks from any other location this season.

The Senior and WIC FMNP are administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in cooperation with the state Office for the Aging and the state Department of Health. The programs are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and New York state. Nutrition education is provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Tiny Parasite Wreaks Havoc on New York Bee Supply

A column from state Sen. Patty Ritchie:

Bees, both wild and managed, play a key role in our state’s agriculture industry, helping crops of all kinds thrive.  

However, these powerful pollinators are under attack by parasitic mites.

The varroa mite – a tiny parasite that attacks honeybees – has infected 90 percent of the bee colonies surveyed this year. As a result, agriculture could see up to $500 million in potential losses. The top crops that are dependent on healthy and abundant pollinators are apples, pumpkins and tomatoes. 

In addition, managed bee colonies in Upstate New York have lost up to 70 percent of their bees over the last few years because of disease, pesticides and loss of habitat, according to a recent state study. Once the mites take hold, potentially deadly viruses spread throughout the colony, which could wipe the colony out.   

Experts say that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep this mite from spreading. The varroa mite thrives off weakened bee colonies and when one colony dies, nearby hives will take honey from the weakened bees, which causes the mites to spread at a rapid rate.

The destruction of bee colonies is starting to reach alarming levels. In an effort to combat this problem, I’m pleased to have been able to secure $290,000 over the past two years in state funding for various programs at Cornell University, aimed at conducting vital research and disease testing to protect our state’s bee population.  

As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I will continue to work to support programs and spearhead initiatives designed to preserve our state’s pollinators and help keep this key sector of the state’s economy “buzzing” for years to come.

In 'Local Food' Excitement, What Happened to Dairy Farmers?

Check this out https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/33723/20170412/in-local-food-excitement-what-happened-to-dairy-farmers from North Country Public Radio.

Farmers Should Sign Up Now for Taste NY Thruway Sites

From New York Thruway Authority

The Thruway Authority and the State Department of Agriculture and Markets  encourages farmers across New York state to sign up to sell their products at service areas along the Thruway this season.
 
For years, New York state has been committed to showcasing some of its finest vendors and their products. From locally grown fruits and vegetables to some of the most superb cheese and herbs in the northeast, promoting these products to travelers continues to be a priority.
 
“Providing motorists with exceptional service in every aspect of our system is paramount in all that we do,” said Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Bill Finch.
 
“Continuing to expand our Taste NY Farmers’ Markets to offer travelers access to locally grown, healthy foods while also helping to create agricultural jobs in New York is an initiative that all of us at the Thruway Authority take great pride in and I encourage farmers to take part in this program,” Finch said.
 
The Thruway Authority has outdoor farmers’ market locations at service areas across the state. Last year, nearly one dozen farmers from regions all across New York participated in the markets at 19 service areas, reaching millions of visitors who travel the Thruway throughout the spring and summer months.
 
A list of Thruway Authority service area locations is available here -- http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/travelplazas/index.cgi
 
“Farmers’ markets are a welcome addition to the Thruway’s service areas,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “They highlight each of the region’s agricultural strengths and provide our farmers a unique opportunity to connect with new consumers.
 
“Taste NY Farmers’ Markets also give travelers healthy food options and a chance to interact in person with our state’s great producers,” Ball said.
 
New York vendors interested in selling food products at Taste NY Farmers’ Markets should email TravelersServices@thruway.ny.gov for more information on how to participate this season.
 
Taste NY is an initiative launched by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2013 to promote New York’s food and beverage industries.
 
It is overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets and has created opportunities for local producers to showcase their goods at a variety of venues throughout the state and at large public events, such as the Great New York State Fair and the Barclays Tournament at Bethpage State Park. 

New Farm Store Opening in Onondaga County

Dan Palladino of Palladino Farms in Pompey is opening a new farm store at 2 p.m. Friday Jan. 13 (today).

Palladino said "we will have product samples and tastings by Trinity Valley Dairy, Clean Slate balsamic vinegars and honey, breads by Alambria Springs farm and maple products from Dutch Hill maple."

Palladino said the primary reason for starting the store is he believes there is a "huge unmet need for a place selling local foods in our town and area. In addition, the town of Pompey passed a very farm friendly law in 2015 called the "farm business overlay", which allows qualified farmers to have commercial enterprises on their farm if they meet certain criteria."

One of the main criteria is a certain percentage of foods sold must be actually grown in Pompey.

"Our goal is to bring the connection between consumer and farmer even closer," Palladino said. "The store will give other small farms that only produce one or a few items an outlet to sell their products where they otherwise could not afford to."

Palladino also believes food should be affordable and some stores and retail sites sell healthy local foods at higher prices.

"While this is unavoidable with some premium and organic products, I plan to price as competitively as possible so that all people can enjoy shopping for local products at our farm store and not have to go to a large retailer or buy from unknown sources," he said.
 
Palladino said his goal is to carry as many made in Onondaga County products as possible, as well as some regionally produced products (from other counties and a few items from Pennsylvania) until he can find a local source of those products.

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.

24 Counties Designated as Drought Disaster Areas

From New York State:

Twenty-four counties across Upstate New York have been designated as a natural disaster area by the federal government as a result of this summer's drought. 

These designations mean that farmers in those areas may be eligible for assistance, including emergency loans, from the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. 

Additionally, State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball, state lawmakers and other farm leaders will be conducting on-site assessments of farms affected by the drought, while the state works closely with Cornell University expert hydrologists and climate professors to help understand and study the outlook for recovery.

Disaster declaration is based on reporting of crop loss to the federal Farm Service Agency and a D3 designation by the http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ .  

The federal government declared 15 counties as primary natural disaster areas and an additional nine counties as contiguous disaster counties due to a recent drought. 

In addition, several other counties in the North Country, Finger Lakes, Central New York and the Southern Tier are also requesting primary disaster declarations.

The primary counties under the disaster declaration designation are: Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wyoming, Yates, Cayuga, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins. 

The federal government also named nine counties as contiguous disaster counties. They are: Onondaga, Oswego, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Broome, Cortland, Orleans and Wayne.

In addition, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to work with its partners in monitoring the drought situation and its effect on New York farms in these and other counties across the state, including in the North Country, Capital Region and on Long Island. 

The department also will tour affected farms in Western New York, the North Country and the Southern Tier.

Peoples' Produce Project Takes Off in Oswego County

Submitted by Oswego County



The Peoples’ Produce Project is a volunteer project that was launched last year by Oswego County Department of Social Services staff members.
 
Building on a successful first season, the initiative continues to help local residents supplement their pantries with fresh local produce.
 
“We began this project last year with four raised garden beds that held over a dozen vegetables and herbs,” said Elaine Samson, a Department of Social Services community service worker and project coordinator. 

“It yielded more than 200 servings of vegetables and served approximately 100 families. This year, the garden has doubled in size and offers more produce to visitors at the county offices in Mexico,” Samson said.
 
The People’s Produce Project now has eight garden beds which include eggplant, acorn squash, Swiss chard, green leaf lettuce, yellow beans and dill and the staple items that were offered last year.
 
Samson and her team of volunteers received donations and support from many individuals and organizations.
 
“We were so happy with last season’s results that we wanted to expand the garden and plant an even bigger variety of vegetables this year,” said Samson. “We couldn’t have done this without the community’s support. Many people and businesses have made generous contributions and volunteered their time to help build and maintain the gardens.”
 
This year’s volunteers include: John and Brennan Samson, Adriana Ketchum, Marcia Birdsell, Lela Fuller, Heather Ladd, Jill Wood, Catherine Livoti-Rice and Bob Ireland, a caseworker at DSS, who built a farm market stand to display the garden’s harvest.
 
Michelle Lawson of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County helped with the design and placement of the beds and provided guidance on their content. 

Other supporters include Caster’s Sawmill in Sandy Creek; Fowler’s Greenhouse in Hannibal; Ontario Orchards in Oswego; and Oliver Paine Greenhouses in Fulton. Many staff members contributed to the project through monthly fund-raising luncheons. 
 
For more information about the project, or to make a contribution or volunteer, call 963-5463.

World Honeybee Day Was Aug. 20

So sorry I missed World Honeybee Day (Aug. 20).

Honey producers are oh, so important to New York state. The Empire State Honey Producers was originally founded in 1870 and today it has various regions of beekeepers such as Northeastern, Southern, West and Long Island.

Most members of the Empire State Honey Producers Association have fewer than 50 hives.

It's National Farmers Market Week

Get out and visit your local farmers market!!!

Taste NY Market Moves to Horticulture Building for New York State Fair

The all-new Taste NY Market at The Great New York State Fair was announced Aug. 4 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The market is part of the governor’s $50 million plan to transform the fairgrounds and improve the experience for visitors. 

Now located inside the landmark Horticulture Building, guests of the Taste NY Market will have the opportunity to enjoy everything New York, from artisan cheeses and gourmet nuts, to local wines, craft beers, spirits and more.
Visitors to the Taste NY Market will have the chance to try free samples of food and beverages from all 76 participating New York vendors and to meet the people behind those products. If you like what you try, you’ll also have the opportunity to buy it on-site directly from the vendor. 

For the first time this year, the operators of the Taste NY store at the Broome Gateway Travel and Tourism Center will also showcase and sell an array of products from their store, including: Bjorn Popcorn, Mini Honey Bears, Emmy’s Macaroons, Field Trip Beef Jerky, Saratoga Crackers and many others.
The vendors featured at the Taste NY Market will rotate daily, during all twelve days of the Fair. A complete list of participating vendors and a schedule of the vendor rotation can be found http://nysfair.ny.gov/food-drink/taste-ny/ at this link.

Coming Soon -- National Farmers' Market Week

Now that more and more crops are coming in, it's definitely time to head out to your local farmers' market.

In fact, soon it will be National Farmers' Market Week.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed a proclamation in July declaring Aug. 7-13 as "National Farmers Market Week." This year marks the 17th annual National Farmers Market Week to honor and celebrate the important role that farmers markets play in local economies.

"Farmers markets are an important part of strong local and regional food systems that connect farmers with new customers and grow rural economies. In many areas, they are also expanding access to fresh, healthy food for people of all income levels," said Vilsack. "National Farmers Market Week recognizes the growth of these markets and their role in supporting both urban and rural communities."

Throughout the week, USDA officials will celebrate at farmers market locations across the country. 

On Saturday, Aug. 6, Elanor Starmer, the Administrator of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) – which conducts research, provides technical assistance, and awards grants to support local and regional food systems – will kick off the week visiting a farmers market and wrap up the week at USDA's own farmers market in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Aug. 12.

"Farmers markets are a gathering place where you can buy locally produced food, and at the same time, get to know the farmer and story behind the food you purchase," said Starmer. "These types of markets improve earning potential for farmers and ranchers, building stronger community ties and access to local foods."

More Money Available for Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball on Thursday July 21 announced that $2 million in Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program checks are now available for eligible individuals across the state. 

The program provides checks to low-income New Yorkers age 60 and older to purchase $20 worth of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables from participating local farmers’ markets and farm stands. 

For the first time, program benefits are being provided on an individual basis instead of per household, expanding the reach of the program to more older New Yorkers. 

 

In Upstate communities, checks are now available at county Offices for the Aging. 

About 120,000 booklets consisting of five $4 checks will be distributed this year, allowing for the purchase of fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables from 950 farmers vending at over 600 farmers’ markets and farm stands across the state. 

A pocket folder with instructions on how and where to use the checks to purchase fresh, local fruits and vegetables from farmers at the market will be included with each booklet. Checks can be used at participating farmers’ markets and farm stands through Nov. 30 of this year.

 

Eligible recipients must be age 60 or older and meet the income eligibility requirement — $1,832 or less per month for a single or $2,470 per month for a couple — or affirm that they are currently receiving or eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income, or public assistance or Section 8 housing subsidy. 

Recipients cannot have received Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program checks from any other location.

Western New York Greenhouse Owner Back on his Feet Thanks to New York Power Authority

One of the Zittel greenhouses.

Amos Zittel & Sons, a large Buffalo-area farm, has rebuilt two acres of greenhouse space destroyed in a severe snowstorm, using funds from the New York Power Authority to help support 30 jobs.

New York Power Authority provided $380,000 for the $2.5 million project from money authorized by the Western New York Power Proceeds Act. 

It allows for net earnings of unused power from the authority's Niagara Power Project to be sold into the wholesale electricity market in order to spur capital investments and job creation in Western New York.

“This is precisely the result that Governor Cuomo had in mind when he signed the Proceeds Act in 2012,” said power authority President an Chief Executive Officer Gil C. Quiniones.

“Proceeds funding allows for NYPA to be a more flexible economic development engine, turning power earmarked for the region into dollars that can be used in ways power alone cannot,” he said.

Amos Zittel & Sons, a fresh market vegetable producer with a significant greenhouse operation, has finished building state-of-the-art greenhouses that will allow the farm to be more competitive with its rooted liner and finished annual flower business. In addition, the farm plans to extend its vegetable growing season this fall by producing an organic vegetable crop.

Zittel had applied for the money following a crippling 2014 storm that destroyed two large greenhouses. The new project will facilitate the retention of 25 jobs and the creation of five new positions.

“The Power Authority’s support of our business enabled us to build back our greenhouse operation and make it more energy efficient than ever,” said co-owner Bill Zittel. “We want to thank NYPA for providing financial aid at such a critical time.”

Under the Proceeds Act, eligible applicants must be located within a 30-mile radius of the Niagara project and their proposed initiatives must underpin the growth of a business. 

Consideration is also given to how providing the money would be consistent with the strategies and priorities of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council. 

Power authority trustees have approved about $32 million in power proceeds funding for 36 Western New York enterprises.

Happy Fourth of July Weekend

Happy Independence Day Weekend, everyone.

Please be safe and happy and have lots of fun. And remember all those farmers out there who still are working hard to keep your bellies full and nice clothing on your back.

Abbott Farms Opens Raspberry U-Pick

From strawberries to raspberries, we're now moving into another berry season.

Abbott Farms posted on Facebook today that it is open for raspberry picking.

Here is the farm's post: 

"U pick raspberries today!
 
Today is opening day of upick raspberries. Please know that raspberry picking is CASH ONLY today. We are having some Wi-Fi difficulties and we will have a credit card machine set up very soon.

U-pick is on, they are $3.99 a pound (same price as last year)"

Pollinator Task Force Makes Recommendations to Save Honeybees and Butterflies

From Ag and Markets:

The New York State Pollinator Task Force has come up with recommendations on how to address the decline in bees and other pollinators that has occurred in recent years.

The commissioners of the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation have met with farmers, research institutions and key industry leaders to develop a roadmap to conserve and grow pollinator populations across the state. 

Pollinators – which include various types of bees and butterflies – contribute significantly to the state’s agricultural economy by adding roughly $350 million in pollination services on an annual basis.

“Pollinators are critical to our ecosystem, as well as New York's agricultural industry, and the work of this Task Force will help in our efforts to reverse the troubling decline of the bee population in New York and help to preserve and further improve this state's environmental and economic health," said gov. Andrew Cuomo.

As a result of listening sessions and stakeholder input, the Task Force focused its recommendations on four priority areas: 

** Development of Voluntary Best Management Practices for all pollinator stakeholders, including beekeepers, growers, land owners, state agencies and the general public;  

** Habitat enhancement efforts to protect and revive populations of native and managed pollinators;  

** Research and monitoring of pollinators to better understand, prevent and recover from pollinator losses; and  

** Development of an outreach and public education program on the importance of pollinators, engaging the public to be active participants to seek solutions to pollinator declines.

“We are pleased to present the NYS Pollinator Protection Plan, which includes best practices for our farmers, land owners, bee keepers and state agencies, many of which we can get to work on immediately," said Ag and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.

“While more research needs to be done, we know that the key to reversing the trend of a declining pollinator population in New York is a comprehensive approach that looks at a variety of issues that may be impacting bee health."

Pollinators contribute substantially to the state’s economy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pollinators provide about $344 million worth of pollination services to New York and add $29 billion in value to crop production nationally each year. New York’s ability to produce crops such as apples, grapes, cherries, onions, pumpkins and cauliflower relies heavily on the presence of pollinators.
 
Pollinator Protection Plan Recommendations

Central to the New York State Pollinator Protection Plan is the development and implementation of Best Management Practices to guide landowners/growers, contract beekeepers, hobbyist beekeepers, pesticide users and state agencies to safeguard existing managed and native pollinator populations. 

The plan also highlights efforts already underway at various state agencies to reverse the decline in pollinators and 
restore their habitat.
 
Despite a 9 percent increase in honey production last year, New York’s beekeepers continue to experience unsustainable population declines. Over the last four years, recent research indicates managed pollinator colonies have declined over 50 percent while some migratory pollinators have declines in excess of 70 percent. 

This is compounded by the losses in the native pollinator community and the habitat that sustains them.
 
In its report, the task force emphasized the need for comprehensive, state-focused research to better understand the status of native pollinators in the sState and the factors that impact both managed and wild pollinator health and performance.
 
Future Actions and Pollinator Projects

The 2016-17 enacted Budget provides $500,000 through the Environmental Protection Fund to implement key projects central to the success of the Pollinator Protection Plan. 

As detailed in the plan, this money will be used to conduct additional research on the impacts of pesticide and pathogens/parasite interactions on native and managed pollinator health, as well as the effects of bee-husbandry practices on the performance of managed hives. 

Pollinator research funding will also support a multi-year evaluation conducted by DEC on the status and distribution of New York State’s native pollinator species.

Environmental Protection Fund money also will support implementation of voluntary best management practices and outreach and education activities, including the creation of pollinator gardens and interpretative signage at select State Park locations, and the establishment of the New York’s Tech Team for Beekeepers, which will provide participating apiaries with site-specific technical support.

All priority recommendations of the New York State Pollinator Protection Plan can be found http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/279.html  at this link. As new research and monitoring data become available, the Task Force will reconvene with its advisors to evaluate the findings and update the Plan accordingly and to include additional and improved actions.