Ballots Out for Grape Research and Development Order

Ballots for a referendum on a research and development order for grape growers have been sent out.

Anyone who has not received a ballot should contact markmcmullen@agriculture.ny.gov

A Research & Development Order, also known as a market order, is a grower supported, grower funded and grower led funding stream administered in cooperation with the state Urban Development Corp. and the state Department of Agriculture & Markets for research that will benefit ALL New York grape growers. 

Every grower will contribute an assessment based on farm gate value. The capital generated from this order will fund research and extension projects that will assist grape growers – 5 percent of the funds will be used for administration of the program. 

Details on how the assessed funds are spent and results of research and extension will be public information. Growers will have a chance to reaffirm the order every seven years.

An Advisory Board (assembled from nominations submitted by growers) consisting of seven growers (3 from Lake Erie, and 1 each from the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Long Island, and the North Country regions), one processor of juice grapes, and one processor of wine grapes will ensure proper administration of the program and will approve all research and extension projects undertaken.

Processors in New York state will reserve the funds from payments to growers and submit them on their behalf to the Urban Development Corp. Growers who sell fruit out of state will be responsible for submitting those assessments directly and wineries who process their own fruit will be responsible for submitting the assessment based on the value of their fruit. 

All money will be directed to the Urban Development Corp.

The assessment can be up to ½ of 1 percent or .005 percent of the farm gate value of all juice and wine grapes grown in New York which is estimated to generate up to $240,000. For example, if you’re getting $250/ton for Concords, and the Advisory Board approves an assessment at ¼ of 1 percent, the amount would be 63¢/ton.

Go to https://www.newyorkwines.org/researchorder for more information.

Learn About Cold-Hardy Grapes at Winter Grape School March 9

From the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program:

Research is being done cold-climate grape varieties that can be grown in Northern New York.

Delicate grape varieties do not do well under harsh winter weather in Northern New York, so the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has funded research on cold-climate grape varieties to support increasing interest in NNY-grown table grapes and wines. 

An update on the most recent work will be offered at the second annual Northeast NY and Vermont Winter Grape School March 9 at the Holiday Inn in Lake George.

Registration information is online at https://enych.cce.cornell.edu or call (518) 410-6823.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has posted the latest Evaluation of Cold-Hardy Grape Varieties for Production in Northern New York report at www.nnyagdev.org

The report summarizes work in 2016 to revitalize the cold-climate grape nursery at the Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, Essex County.

Input from regional growers, private grape breeders and representatives of the Cornell-USDA and University of Minnesota grape breeding programs was collected and winnowed to a list of 20 potential new varieties for planting at the research nursery. 

The list includes varieties from the Cornell and Minnesota programs, one each from the USDA ARS grape breeding trials in California and at the University of Arkansas, and from Ontario, Canada, and private breeders.

Removal of old vines, soil testing and replenishing the soil health at the nursery are among the preparatory work in anticipation of the new planting. The Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program plans to hire a grape specialist to oversee the research planting.

Outreach educational programs on cold-hardy grape production research in NNY in 2016 reached groups of more than 60 grape growers and winemakers.

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a research and technical assistance program serving all agricultural sectors in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. 

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Grapes Take Center Stage for Ag Literacy Week

From Empire Farm & Dairy magazine

By LESLIE SHELDON

Second-graders across New York state will have the opportunity to learn about grapes during Agricultural Literacy Week, which is March 20 to 24.
 

The book to be read during Ag Literacy Week

In celebration of New York agriculture, volunteers will visit elementary schools to read the book, “The Grapes Grow Sweet,” by Lynne Tuft and Tessa DeCarlo.
 
The book is about 4-year-old Julian, who is finally old enough to help with the grape harvest at his family’s vineyard. The story follows the development of grapes from blooms to harvest.
 
The book was chosen because of the emergence and growth of New York’s grape industry. There are 1,600 family-owned vineyards in New York state.
 
New York ranks third nationally in grape production, with 75 percent of grapes produced made into grape juice and the remainder processed into wine and used in the craft beverage industry, according to the Ag in the Classroom website.
 
Students and teachers also will benefit from hands-on lessons and receive follow-up activities.
 
The book will be donated to the school or classroom library. Last year thousands of second-graders participated in this activity, and 2,000 books were donated to schools.
 
Ag Literacy Week is sponsored by the New York Ag in the Classroom program. The focus last year was apples, and topics other years were weaving fibers, beekeeping, poultry, maple syrup, cheese, planting trees, and gardening.
 
To volunteer or for more information, visit www.agclassroom.org/ny/programs/literacy.htm
National Agriculture Day is March 21, and this year’s theme is “Agriculture: Food for Life.” Visit www.agday.org to learn about events scheduled around the country.

Drought Stresses Crops Throughout New York State

By JOE LEATHERSICH, MALLORY DIEFENBACH,
JIM KRENCIK and DEBRA J. GROOM
Empire Farm & Dairy
 
It’s hot.
 
It’s dry.
 
It’s not raining.
 

Drought map as of early August

That’s the forecast farmers have been dealing with since they began putting crops in the ground a few months ago. It doesn’t matter what they’re growing, the crops have been stressed due to the ongoing drought hitting a good part of New York state.
 
“Many areas of the state are in a severe drought,” said Aaron Reynolds, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo. “The precipitation has been real spotty in nature. And that is producing stress in the crops.”
 
According to a map put out by the National Weather Service, the worst of the drought is in Western New York. The map shows a severe drought area along the Southern Tier from Binghamton west, the Finger Lakes region, the Suffolk County area of Long Island and most of Western New York.
 
Patches of the Hudson Valley, Nassau County on Long Island and most of Central New York, such as Onondaga, Oswego and Jefferson counties, are in a moderate drought. The north country is deemed “abnormally dry.”
 
It doesn’t seem the weather will get any better any time soon.
 
Though rain is forecasted for short periods, it’s going to take a lot more than that to break the drought. And even then, the damage has been done to many of Western New York’s farms.
 
Crops struggling
 
Some farmers are fighting a two-front war as the drought worsens — with one problem not as obvious as the other.
 
Most obviously, the lack of water is hurting the crop harvest. Yields are way down as plants are struggling to grow. By this time of year, corn stalks should be above your head, but this year’s crop is topping out at about two feet high. And it’s not like the corn is behind schedule — it’s just done growing.
 
John Starowitz of Starowitz Farms in Byron, Genesee County, said his corn crop has already “tasselled,” meaning the corn is as good as it’s going to get, and it’s barely above your knee.
 
“When you have crops and vegetables, they all rely on water, and you’ve got to have a certain amount of water,” he said. “When you don’t have water, everything is skimpy and small.”
 
Jason Turek, who runs the third-largest vegetable farm in the state — Turek Farm near King Ferry in Cayuga County — grows 4,000 acres of vegetables that are sold throughout the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states. Of that, 2,500 acres are sweet corn.
 
He said he is harvesting only about a quarter of each field in early harvest vegetables, like corn and green beans. “It is hurting us — we’re in denial,” he said.
 
He said his corn is “hurt for sure” and by now, he should have cut 20,000 boxes of cabbage for shipment. He’s cut 1,000 boxes.
Ironically, his farm is spread out along the shore of Cayuga Lake. 

He’s lacking water but there’s a whole lake nearby.
 
But Turek said it really doesn’t make any difference. If he could draw water from the lake, he would be allowed by regulation to take only 100,000 gallons a day. He said he needs 65 million gallons to water his entire farm.
 
“It’s like fighting a forest fire with a garden hose,” he said.
 
The drought is bringing on another problem that might not be as obvious, too: pests.
 
Pests are attracted to moisture, and the only things with any semblance of it are the crops, even though they’re struggling themselves.
 
Starowitz said the bugs, deer and woodchucks are all causing damage to his crop, worse this year than past years because of the drought. The pests are “clearing out anything that’s green,” he said.
 
He hasn’t completely given up hope yet, though. He said there might be enough crop to sell to buyers, but he’s not expecting to make any money on it.
 
“Basically we’re just riding the storm out, we’re going with the punches,” Starowitz said. “There’s always hope.”
 
While some crops suffer in the drought, others are doing well. 

Onions seem to be coming through the drought OK, said Christy Hoepting, Cornell Cooperative Extension vegetable specialist.
 
“One of the benefits of it being hot and dry, and so breezy, is that we don’t have very much disease pressure,” Hoepting said. “The disease pressure is what can really be ravaging. There are a couple diseases that get going when it is cool and wet, so we don’t have to worry about any of those. The biggest pest concern is onion thrips, which do very well in the heat.”
 
However, onions — which prefer moderate temperatures — will grow quicker, and may not reach their full-size potential, especially in ground which hasn’t been irrigated. Still, Hoepting believes this season’s yields will be “pretty good.”
 
“Our (onion) quality should be excellent,” she said, explaining without the diseases to contend with, onions can produce crop of higher worth. “Quality is usually excellent in a hot, dry year at the expense of maximum bulb size.”
 
Dairy farmers feel the heat
 
Dairy farmers are having trouble handling the heat, too.
While crop farmers are dealing with the effects of the drought now as they harvest, the season will be over soon and what’s done will be done.
 
Dairy farming, however, is a 24/7, 365-day operation and can’t necessarily stop because corn and hay crops failed. But the harvests are so low that farmers are looking elsewhere for feed.
 
“We’re taking a lot of steps to purchase feed,” said Dale Stein of the multi-generational Stein Farms in Le Roy, which has about 1,000 cows on it. He’s taking these steps because his corn harvest is down 60 percent.
 
“We’re going to be so short (until next harvest),” he said.
 
Unsurprisingly, this shortage brings on a lot of financial burden. 

Stein said this shortage will cost him about $25,000 a month for 12 months until he can harvest again. Many farmers have insurance for situations just like this, as Stein does and has tapped into a little this year, but that doesn’t recoup lost revenue as much as it lightens the debt burden. 

For instance, Starowitz said if you have $100,000 in debt because of the drought, insurance might cover $90,000 of that, leaving the farm still in the red.
 
Stein said dairy farms’ problems are being compounded as well by drought; not only are they paying for feed, but small revenues are being brought in because of the low price of milk.
 
He added this has him “concerned” and “worried” that the effects of this situation might linger for another two years.
 
One glimmer of hope in all of this for some dairy farmers is that milk production is relatively stable thanks to technological advancements.
 
Cows like cooler temperatures and definitely do not like the heat. But since a lot of farms have invested in equipment that regulates the temperature in Western New York’s fickle climate, most cows are none-the-wiser.
 
“Our cows are kept cool,” Stein said.
 
Livestock impacted as well
 
The drought affects farmers in different ways, depending on their crop and what they are raising.
 
For those who raise livestock, there was no pasture available for animals to graze. While livestock typically graze about six to seven months out of the year, pasture foraging was limited because the season started so dry.
 
“A lot of livestock producers are now feeding hay, which they would normally feed during the winter,” said Nancy Glazier, small farm specialist on the Northwest Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team for Cornell Cooperative Extension. “Their hay harvest has been lighter than normal, so that’s adding another kind of a wrinkle. 

They have to purchase some hay elsewhere.”
 
While some farmers have been buying hay from their neighbors, others have been going out of the region and out of state to get what they need. She added some farmers even put in alternative feed such as oats or another type of annual grass.
 
The drought affects the livestock as well; Glazier said the drought and high heat causes more stress.
 
“Some farms may actually keep their animals in the barns, because it is a little cooler if they don’t have trees available for them in pastures,” she said.
 
“Farmers are pretty resilient,” Glazier went on. “Every year is a different year. They just have to deal with the hand they are dealt from Mother Nature.”
 
Other commodities affected by drought
 
Most people probably wouldn’t think trees would be bothered by a lack of water. Mature trees have deep roots and can draw on underground water for their needs.
 
But the lack of rain and excessive heat still can stress trees. Christmas tree growers, maple syrup producers and apple growers all are worried about this year’s crop or future crops.
 
Mary Jeanne Packer, president of the Christmas Tree Growers of New York, said some producers have lost up to half their crop of new trees planted this spring. Each year, growers replace the trees they harvested and sold last holiday season and it’s these young trees that have trouble in a drought.
 
“Some have set up irrigation,” she said. “Most of the problem is west of Syracuse.”
 
The loss of young trees won’t affect consumers immediately, but you never know down the road. Packer said if growers lose half of their young trees this summer, they will have to plant double the amount next spring and that damages their bottom lines.
 
Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, said both apple trees and grape vines are stressed this summer from lack of rain.
 
With the apples, the drought won’t kill the trees, but it will affect the size of the fruit.
 
“The apples will be much smaller. They will be good and very sweet because there will be less water in them and more sugar,” he said.
 
It won’t be good financially for the apple growers either because the drought also will reduce the number of apples on the trees, cutting their yields. He said they shouldn’t have a problem with new trees planted in the spring because most growers irrigate these.
 
Maple trees won’t die from the drought, said Helen Thomas, executive director of the New York Maple Producers Association.
 
But, “if the water table is low and continues through the winter, the trees won’t have enough water to make as much sap in the spring,” she said. This means there could be a lot less syrup and other maple goodies next year.
 
What’s causing record dryness
 
David Thomas, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo, said the recent summers that could take the silver or bronze medal in the Drought Olympics were 2012, 1995 and 1988. 

In all three cases, the past droughts followed particularly dry years, with isolated or widespread droughts across Western New York in the March 1 to July 31 period, that were eased by later summer weather.
 
“2012 was also dry from spring into the summer,” Thomas said. “It was a little wetter than this year (with rain picking up in the summer). It helped (end) the drought, but we did have a dry period from March to July.”
 
The National Weather Service monitors droughts via multiple measures, with precipitation at airports an input that Thomas said shows this as the driest summer in 75 years. It’s been a confluence of factors to get here.
 
In Western New York, multi-year droughts like the one hitting California are prevented by the shear accumulation of snow that provides an annual replenishing of the water table and soil moisture.
 
Batavia experienced a reprieve from heavy snowfall in 2016 after back-to-back winters that brought blizzards, sustained deep freezes and snow-bound misery, but that wasn’t helpful below ground.
 
An upper-level wind pattern that frequently blew from the northeast prevented the “no doubters” of Gulf of Mexico-fueled spring rains that commonly add to the precipitation scoreboard.
 
“We didn’t have a really snowy winter, and that led into a dry spring that really caused the ground to dry out quickly across the region,” Thomas said. “The bright, sunny days through the spring and drier air allowed the drought conditions.”
 
Even the timing of weather systems hasn’t helped. Cold fronts have generally appeared over Western New York during the more atmospherically stable overnight hours, whereas an afternoon conflict with the daytime heat would lift the formation of clouds and thunderstorms.
 
“Without the sun’s heat, there’s not as many showers and thunderstorms,” Thomas said.
 
More than a little rain needed
 
This far into a drought, the region needs more than a sustained rainfall. Thomas said it will take months of above-normal precipitation to replenish the water table and have lawns, fields and trees recover.
 
“It won’t be one particular event or a week-long stretch,” he said.
 
A wayward hurricane ready to unload a flash of rain in Western New York, similar to the late stages of Hurricane Frances in 2004, wouldn’t be the solution. Thomas said a tropical storm would bring an abundance of rainfall, but forecasting one to pass over the region is next to impossible at this point.
 
And a flood doesn’t “fix” the problems of a drought. It just creates problems of its own.
 
At Fenton Farms in Batavia, Paul Fenton and his wife Gail have been fortunate to catch a portion of the handful of rain events that have punctuated the worst drought in their 30 years of farming an area between the city and Thruway. But each week the benefit has been weaker.
 
“It’s just evaporating so fast, the subsoil is absorbing the showers we do get, and with the high temperatures — we have three days of 85 degrees plus this week — the evaporation is just intense,” Fenton said. 

“We’re still producing nice stuff where it’s getting water, but the work to produce the product (is unprecedented). We’re irrigating seven days a week.”

New Executive Director Chosen for New York Wine and Grape Foundation

News from the New York Wine and Grape Foundation:

               

Filler

Samuel Filler will become the executive director of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation as of Jan. 1, said foundation board chair Trent Preszler.

He will replace outgoing President Jim Trezise, who has served in that position since the foundation was created over 30 years ago.

"When Jim announced his intention to step aside at the end of this year, the board began conducting an extensive search," Preszler said. "During that process, Mr. Filler clearly rose to the top and his appointment was approved unanimously by the board. 

"I am confident that his experience in economic development and his passion for the New York grape and wine industry make him a perfect fit for NYWGF at this particular moment in our history. I anticipate in the coming months and years we will see our vital organization rise to even greater heights," Preszler said.

Since 2012, Filler has been director of industry development for Empire State Development Corp. and directed the "One Stop Shop" and served as a vital liaison between state government and New York's wine, beer, spirits and cider industries. In that role, he administered $9 million in funding for craft beverage advertising, marketing, and tourism projects.

"Sam's direct experience with our industry in the regulatory, financial, and promotional arenas make him the ideal choice to propel the Foundation and industry forward into an even brighter future," said Trezise. "He is well-known and highly respected throughout the industry, and brings the energy and talent required to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."

Filler also has worked in economic development and public service positions in New York City, Washington D.C., and California. He completed leadership training as part of the Empire State Fellows Program, and is  enrolled in Cornell University's LEAD NY program for leaders in the food, agriculture and natural resources industries.  

Filler has a bachelor's degree from Vassar College, and a master's of urban planning from New York University.

"I am honored to be selected as executive director, and excited about this opportunity," said Filler. "The New York Wine and Grape Foundation has an extraordinary history of catalyzing the transformation of an industry from an economic crisis into a major economic development engine. 

"I am excited to build on the solid foundation created by Jim Trezise and the staff of NYWGF, and I look forward to using my experience in economic development and the knowledge I have acquired about this industry to advance that success," Filler said.

Filler will remain at ESD for the rest of 2016. Trezise will remain president of NYWGF until March 31,  working closely with Filler to ensure a smooth transition into the future. 

Cornell Grape Research Gets Federal Money

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $6 million to Cornell University for grape research. 

Go to http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/10/cornell-grape-research-boosted-6-million-grant this link to read more about the grant.

New Initiatives Come Out of Wine, Beer, Spirits and Cider Summit

This information about the Wine, Beer, Spirits and Cider Summit is from Jim Trezise of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced more than $16 million in new investments to grow New York's craft beverage industry.  

Included is $5 million for promotion including direct spending ($2 million), tourism promotion ($1 million), and targeted advertising ($1 million)--plus a $3 million competitive matching grants program.  

In addition, $400,000 is specifically dedicated to getting tourists from New York City to the eastern Long Island wine region.

On the research side, nearly $7 million was committed to the New York State Food Venture Center at the Geneva Experiment Station, which will accelerate the growth of the craft beverage sectors.  This investment reflects the importance of Cornell University and Cooperative Extension in the industry's advancement, complemented by Finger Lakes Community College.

In addition, the incredibly valuable "One Stop Shop" ombudsman service of state government, first created at the 2012 Summit and staffed by Sam Filler and Molly Bauer, will be enhanced with a subset within the State Liquor Authority, since about 90 percent of all industry inquiries involve the Alcohol Beverage Control law or SLA rules, so direct calls make more sense.

There were also about a dozen new initiatives designed to cut bureaucracy in various ways: allowing salespeople to work for multiple craft beverage manufacturers; letting craft beverage manufacturers collaborate in operating a "branch office" (satellite store); permitting the sales of off-premise beer in growlers; letting wineries operate "home winemaker centers" where hobbyists can use the facilities and equipment to make their "homemade" wine; and simplifying the licensing for bona fide wine educators.

Partnerships Will Boost NY Beverage Industry

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

Two new partnerships to further support and grow the beverage industry in the Finger Lakes region have been announced.

A new partnership between Taste NY and the New York Wine & Culinary Center was unveiled following a successful listening session with beverage industry stakeholders during Gov. Cuomo’s Capital for a Day in Rochester.  

In addition, $200,000 will be provided to Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva for research on hops and malting barley, the two major ingredients in the production of beer.  

Capital for a Day was created by Cuomo to bring state government directly to the people it serves. The day-long event partnered state officials with residents, local leaders and stakeholders to examine first-hand the needs of a community and how New York state government can build upon its strengths and make a positive impact on its residents.

The New York Wine & Culinary Center, a premier attraction in the Finger Lakes that showcases New York’s dynamic agriculture, food and beverage industries through its classes, events, and farm-to-table restaurant, is partnering with Taste NY to further expand its dedication to New York-sourced products and ingredients, as well as promote and educate visitors about the diversity of New York agricultural products.
 
As part of the partnership, the New York Wine & Culinary Center will incorporate the Taste NY experience into its culinary and beverage educational classes.Recipes used in classes will include New York state products and will list the local farmers and suppliers of ingredients to familiarize students with the wide variety of New York agricultural products. 
 
The New York Wine & Culinary Center also will modify the majority of its promotional material with the addition of the Taste NY logo, such as its newly launched wine and culinary center farm-to-table food truck which features the branding.  

The food truck offers a menu that represents an extension of the cuisine of the Upstairs Bistro, the culinary center's popular restaurant, and uses nearly 100 percent New York state products on the road. 

The food truck will be on the move this summer at various events, wineries, breweries and more. 

Taste NY branding will also be added to the menu at Upstairs Bistro to reflect its dedication to local sourcing. It continues to offer a 100 percent New York wine and beer list, as well as a large number of spirit and cider products from the state.

The state will provide $200,000 to Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station for research into hops and malting barley, the two primary ingredients in beer.

The money, included in the 2015-16 state budget, builds on $133,242 previously provided by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority.

The experiment station is in the second year of a multi-year research plan aimed at testing the growing stock for malting barley, evaluating disease resistance of various varieties and evaluating which varieties are best suited to New York's climate.

The research being conducted by Cornell University will help meet the growing demand of hops and barley for use in farm-based breweries. Cuomo’s Farm Brewery Legislation, which has spurred the rapid growth of craft brewing in New York state, requires farm brewers to increase the percentage of New York-grown hops and all other ingredients in farm-brewed beer from 20 percent today to 90 percent by 2024. 

The 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture, the most recent official statistics available, shows that 7,679 acres of land in New York was used to produce barley, while 19 acres of land was in use for growing hops. 

A Cornell Cooperative Extension hops expert estimates that more than 300 acres of land is in use statewide now to grow hops, with the number growing by 75 to 100 acres a year and with larger farming organizations considering large-scale hops growing operations.

 

Naples High School Senior Wins Potato Growers Scholarship

Jacob Rathbun on his family farm

Jacob Rathbun of Naples, has been named the 2015 Empire State Potato Growers Association Scholarship winner.

The Empire State Potato Growers Association annually selects an undergraduate student residing in and attending college in New York to receive a $500 scholarship per academic year for up to four consecutive years of agricultural education.

Rathbun will graduate from Naples High School in June and then study for a degree in viticulture at Finger Lakes Community College. He plans to transfer to Cornell University to complete his bachelor's degree in viticulture and enology. 

His career goal is to start his own grape farm and winery and grain production enterprise.

Rathbun was raised on the family farm in Naples, where he has helped fit ground, plant, hill and harvest 350 acres of potatoes. This spring Jacob and his father Charles Rathbun planted 50 acres of their first crop of barley to sell to the craft brewing industry. 

He has a hobby planting of grapes on the farm. This summer he will visit vineyards and wineries in Italy. 

Grapes, Apples Still Strong in NY Agriculture

New York once again ranks second in the country in apple production and third in the country in grape production, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

New York growers produced about 1.26 billion pounds of apples and 188,000 tons of grapes last year. 

With these estimates, only California and Washington exceed New York in grape production and only Washington produced more apples than the Empire State last year. 

New York was named "Wine Region of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in October. The growth of the state's wine industry -- more and more wineries are opened in the state each year -- was cited as a reason why New York garnered the wine region title.

"The 2014 New York grape crop turned out a lot better than many people expected after the extreme cold of three 'polar vortex' events Upstate during the winter, followed by a relatively cool spring and summer," said Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation.

"But September turned out to be pure magic for ripening, so the quality was superb and the quantity was larger than envisioned earlier," Trezise said. "Tonnage was 9 percent below the previous year, but that's because 2013 was the largest harvest on record. All in all, it was a very good year."

"We might be number two in national apple production, but New York has the best growing conditions and best tasting apples in the country," said James Allen, president of the New York Apple Association. "That puts us number one in the hearts of consumers from around the world. Snow may be on the ground, but New York apples, ciders and other apple products are available at food establishments throughout the year."

According to USDA Statistics Service, New York is home to 40,000 acres of apple orchards. Apple growers produced an average of 31,500 pounds per acre of apples. Last year's crop totaled $289 million, a 22 percent increase from 2013. 

New York is also home to 37,000 acres dedicated to the production of grapes. In the wake of a very harsh winter following the best crop in the state's history, grape growers produced 5.08 tons per acre of grapes in 2014 with crop production totaling $69.4 million.
New York apples have year-round availability in more than 20 varieties, including Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, RubyFrost and Zestar.
 

According to a recent economic impact study commissioned by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the grape, grape juice and wine industry has a $4.8 billion economic impact and attracts 5.3 million tourists annually to the New York state. The industry supports 25,000 full-time jobs with wages amounting to more than $1.4 billion. 

New York has ranked second in apple production every year since 1996 and third in grape production every year since 1987, with an exception in 1996 when the state ranked second. New York state also traditionally ranks in the top 10 nationally in the production of blueberries, peaches, pears, strawberries, sweet cherries and tart cherries. 

In 2014, the state ranked fourth in pear production, fifth in tart cherries, eighth in sweet cherries, ninth in strawberries and 11th in peaches and blueberries.

USDA Researchers Come Up With Handy Innovations

I found this to be really cool. I hope you do too.

The USDA has issued a new report scientific breakthroughs discovered by USDA researchers that led to new patents and inventions with the potential for commercial application and potential economic growth. 

Innovations included in the report range from flour made out of chardonnay grape seeds that prevents weight gain to antimicrobial packets that keep food from spoiling, efforts to protect U.S. troops in Iraq from diseases carried by sand flies, new processes for turning grass clippings and raked leaves into bioenergy, and many more.

"Studies have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research returns $20 to the economy. We have accelerated commercialization of federal research and government researchers are working closely with the private sector to develop new technology and transfer it to the marketplace," said Ag Secretary Thomas Vilsack. "USDA has a proven track record of performing research that benefits the public."

USDA reports receiving 51 patents, filing 147 patent applications, and disclosing 180 new inventions in the last fiscal year, which are detailed in the Department's 2013 Annual Report on Technology Transfer released last week.

Helping drive these innovations, USDA has 259 active Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with outside investigators, which includes Universities and other organizations, including 117 with small businesses. The USDA's technology transfer program is administered by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Discoveries from USDA's 2013 Technology Transfer Report include:

• A new kind of flour made from chardonnay grape seeds that can prevent increases in cholesterol and weight-gain (the Mayo Clinic is currently conducting human clinical trials on the product);
• New ways to turn lawn clippings and tree leaves from cities into bioenergy;
• An enzyme compound that can be used to develop insecticides to combat sand flies, a disease spreading insect that poses a major problem for U.S. military in Iraq and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of childhood deaths in Africa;
• A computer-based model of the fluid milk process to lower greenhouse gas emissions (the model has been distributed to more than 100 processors in the United States and should help the dairy industry realize its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent per gallon of milk by 2020);
• Oat concentrates, a digestible, functional food from oats licensed for the production of Calorie-Trim and Nutrim;
• A new process for turning old tires into zinc fertilizer;
• A handheld device that uses gold nanoparticles to detect West Nile virus (and potentially other diseases) in blood samples;
• Window cleaners that use a biodegradable solution of nanoparticles that prevent water-beading that are superior to current cleaners;
• A small packet that when inserted in small fruit containers releases an antimicrobial vapor that helps keep fresh fruit from rotting on the shelf.

Over the years, USDA innovations have created all sorts of products Americans use every days, from cosmetics, to insect controls, leathers, shampoos, and of course food products. Here are just a few examples of things USDA research is responsible for:

• Frozen orange juice concentrate;
• "Permanent press" cotton clothing;
• Mass production of penicillin in World War II;
• Almost all breeds of blueberries and cranberries currently in production, and 80% of all varieties of citrus fruits grown in the U.S.;
• "Tifsport", a turf used on NFL, collegiate, and other sports fields across the country, specifically designed to withstand the stress and demands of major team sports. Tifsport is also used on PGA and other golf course fairways, while its sister turf, "Tifeagle", specially designed to be mowed to one-tenth of an inch daily, is used on PGA putting greens.

The 2014 Farm Bill will help to build on these accomplishments by establishing a new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research that leverages $200 million in public funding and another $200 million from the private sector to support groundbreaking agricultural research.

News About Northern Cold-Hardy Grapes

Go to http://northerngrapesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013JuneNGPnewsletter.pdf to check it out.

Finger Lakes Grape Seed Oil Tasting Friday

Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/337059799737260/ this Facebook link to read about a tasting coming up for Finger Lakes Grape Seed Oil.