An interesting and sad story.
Check it out at https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/24/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-agriculture-.html?_r=0&referer=android-app%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com
Showing posts with label weather disasters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather disasters. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Friday, September 15, 2017
Dairy Farmers Deal With Post Hurricane Realities
This isn't from New York state, but still an interesting read.
Go to http://www.bradenton.com/news/business/article173124796.html to see the story.
Go to http://www.bradenton.com/news/business/article173124796.html to see the story.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
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.
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.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Help is Here for Farms Dealing With Winter Storm Stella
From Cornell University:
Keith Tidball, director of the
Extension Disaster Education Network,
put together some a list of resources and actions steps to assist
farmers with dealing with Winter Storm Stella.
As the recent winter storm loses steam and thoughts
turn towards digging out, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Disaster
Education Network (NY EDEN -
http://eden.cce.cornell.edu)
continues to assist the citizens of New York state with helpful
resources.
Examples of evidence-based resources being distributed
throughout the state before, during, and after the storm
via the Cooperative Extension System include:
- Farmstead Recovery Checklist: Snow Load & Barn Collapse
- Roof Ice Damming and Attic Condensation Problems
- Preparing for the Thaw
- Heavy Snow Loads and Agricultural Buildings
- Do’s and Don’ts for Barn Snow Removal
Also note that the Cornell Cooperative
Extension Disaster Education Network hosts an active Twitter account where
timely information is posted beyond the resources above, as well as
updates and situation reports as incidents unfold. Find the Twitter account at https://twitter.com/CCE_Disaster
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Ag Commissioner Ball Tours Drought-Stricken Southern Tier, Finger Lakes
From NYS Agriculture and Markets:
Two weeks ago, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 24 counties across Upstate New York had been designated as a natural disaster area and since then, two additional counties have been added for a total of 26 counties.
There are also additional requests being reviewed by Farm Service Agency for counties seeking disaster declaration. These designations mean that farmers in those areas may be eligible for assistance, including emergency loans, from the Farm Service Agency.
Steuben and Yates counties were both designated as primary disaster counties, enabling eligible farms in these affected areas to qualify for loans and other assistance programs.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today (Sept. 13) joined
state leaders, representatives from the New York Farm Bureau, members
of the U.S.Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben and Yates
counties to tour several farms in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes
regions affected by this summer’s drought.
In addition, Ball announced a new drought guide to help impacted
farmers navigate the various resources available. The commissioner
provided the resource guide to participants during a roundtable
gathering hosted by state Sen. Thomas O’Mara to discuss the extent
of the drought and plan to help farmers with recovery.
Two weeks ago, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 24 counties across Upstate New York had been designated as a natural disaster area and since then, two additional counties have been added for a total of 26 counties.
There are also additional requests being reviewed by Farm Service Agency for counties seeking disaster declaration. These designations mean that farmers in those areas may be eligible for assistance, including emergency loans, from the Farm Service Agency.
Steuben and Yates counties were both designated as primary disaster counties, enabling eligible farms in these affected areas to qualify for loans and other assistance programs.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
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.
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.
The department also will tour affected farms in Western New York, the North Country and the Southern Tier.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Cornell's Climate Smart Farming Extension Team Helps Farmers Deal with Weather Woes
From EMPIRE FARM & DAIRY MAGAZINE
By DARCY TELENKO
CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming Extension Team was established to help farmers increase their resiliency to climate impacts and reduce risks and costs on their farms.
The team provides New York farmers with access to top extension specialists with the expertise needed to help manage the risks posed by increasing extreme weather, climate variability and long-term change.
The team works in partnership with the Cornell Climate Smart Farming program and faculty at Cornell, and draws on the latest science to answer producers’ questions about changes they can make on their farm to help increase future sustainability.
The six-member team of Luke Haggerty, Laura McDermott, Kimberley Morrill, Kitty O’Neil, Jesse Strzok and Darcy Telenko provides a wealth of expertise in fields such as: dairy management, agricultural economics, field crops and soil health, vegetables and integrated pest management, viticulture and enology and small fruit production.
Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming Extension Team was created in partnership with the Cornell Climate Smart Farming program to help farmers increase their resiliency, reduce risks and reduce costs on their farms.
The team gives New York farmers access to top extension specialists with the particular expertise to help manage the risks posed by increasing extreme weather, climate variability and long-term change.
Climate change can impact New York agriculture in many ways, and the Climate Smart Farming team is adept in helping farmers identify practices that can be implemented to mitigate these impacts.
Here is a brief overview of some of these impacts and tactics:
Precipitation events: The trend of an increase in the intensity and unpredictability of precipitation events (both rain and snow) in the Northeastern U.S., which can lead to flooding and storm damage, is expected to continue.
Precipitation will likely continue to fall in fewer, more intense events, which can lead to periods of short-term drought during the growing season when rain is needed the most, causing reduction and variation in crop yields. Intense rainfall events can also cause soil erosion, planting and harvesting interference and nutrient runoff.
Adaptation options: Farmers can adapt to both of these issues in tandem by focusing on the health of their soils – by increasing soil organic matter and allowing water infiltration through reduced tillage, cover cropping, and infrastructure investments (e.g. irrigation or drainage systems).
Heat Stress: The growing season across New York has increased by an average of eight days, however the number of heat stress days (exceeding 90 degrees) is also expected to increase, with winters continuing to grow milder.
Heat stress, induced by an increasing number of days above 90 degrees, and longer growing seasons with more sporadic rainfall also pose challenges to farmers.
These challenges include lower crop yield and quality for some varieties, and conditions that reduce productivity and reproductive capacity for livestock.
Adaptation options: To combat this, producers can explore new varieties and diversification of crops to reduce reliance on heat-sensitive crops. For livestock in particular, farmers can strive to minimize heat exposure, increase water availability, adjust cows’ diets, and prevent over-crowding, thus improving barn-cooling capacity.
Disease, Insects and Weeds: Interactions between the climate, crops, insects, weeds and diseases are complex. However, evidence suggests climate change will increase disease, pest, and weed pressure, as more pests and weeds survive mild winters and warmer summers allow for new species to invade and native ones to develop faster.
Adaptation options: To prepare for increased pest pressure, growers need to develop rapid response plans and monitor management options that allow for targeted control of weeds, diseases, and insects. Wide adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) will also help farmers manage new pests with minimal economic, environmental, and health risks.
Freeze Risk: In the past few years, late season freeze events have struck orchards and vineyards after plants had already bloomed, causing serious crop losses.
Adaptation options: Producers can implement several strategies to guard against these freezes. These include: using heaters and wind machines to circulate warmer air in vineyards or orchards, irrigating before or during potential freezes, and paying close attention to detailed weather forecasts.
The Climate Smart Farming Extension Team is equipped with the knowledge and information to provide constructive advice for farmers to combat these stresses. The goal of the Cornell Climate Smart Farming Program is to provide research-based information, training and tools to help famers make the most informed decisions they can.
Cornell has developed several new decision support tools based on long term climate data, weather forecasts and agronomic models – the tools include a new Growing Degree Day calculator, Freeze Risk Tools and Irrigation Scheduler – and can be found on the CSF website (climatesmartfarming.org), along with the contact information for the CSF Extension Team members in New York.
By DARCY TELENKO
CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming Extension Team was established to help farmers increase their resiliency to climate impacts and reduce risks and costs on their farms.
The team provides New York farmers with access to top extension specialists with the expertise needed to help manage the risks posed by increasing extreme weather, climate variability and long-term change.
The team works in partnership with the Cornell Climate Smart Farming program and faculty at Cornell, and draws on the latest science to answer producers’ questions about changes they can make on their farm to help increase future sustainability.
The six-member team of Luke Haggerty, Laura McDermott, Kimberley Morrill, Kitty O’Neil, Jesse Strzok and Darcy Telenko provides a wealth of expertise in fields such as: dairy management, agricultural economics, field crops and soil health, vegetables and integrated pest management, viticulture and enology and small fruit production.
Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming Extension Team was created in partnership with the Cornell Climate Smart Farming program to help farmers increase their resiliency, reduce risks and reduce costs on their farms.
The team gives New York farmers access to top extension specialists with the particular expertise to help manage the risks posed by increasing extreme weather, climate variability and long-term change.
Climate change can impact New York agriculture in many ways, and the Climate Smart Farming team is adept in helping farmers identify practices that can be implemented to mitigate these impacts.
Here is a brief overview of some of these impacts and tactics:
Precipitation events: The trend of an increase in the intensity and unpredictability of precipitation events (both rain and snow) in the Northeastern U.S., which can lead to flooding and storm damage, is expected to continue.
Precipitation will likely continue to fall in fewer, more intense events, which can lead to periods of short-term drought during the growing season when rain is needed the most, causing reduction and variation in crop yields. Intense rainfall events can also cause soil erosion, planting and harvesting interference and nutrient runoff.
Adaptation options: Farmers can adapt to both of these issues in tandem by focusing on the health of their soils – by increasing soil organic matter and allowing water infiltration through reduced tillage, cover cropping, and infrastructure investments (e.g. irrigation or drainage systems).
Heat Stress: The growing season across New York has increased by an average of eight days, however the number of heat stress days (exceeding 90 degrees) is also expected to increase, with winters continuing to grow milder.
Heat stress, induced by an increasing number of days above 90 degrees, and longer growing seasons with more sporadic rainfall also pose challenges to farmers.
These challenges include lower crop yield and quality for some varieties, and conditions that reduce productivity and reproductive capacity for livestock.
Adaptation options: To combat this, producers can explore new varieties and diversification of crops to reduce reliance on heat-sensitive crops. For livestock in particular, farmers can strive to minimize heat exposure, increase water availability, adjust cows’ diets, and prevent over-crowding, thus improving barn-cooling capacity.
Disease, Insects and Weeds: Interactions between the climate, crops, insects, weeds and diseases are complex. However, evidence suggests climate change will increase disease, pest, and weed pressure, as more pests and weeds survive mild winters and warmer summers allow for new species to invade and native ones to develop faster.
Adaptation options: To prepare for increased pest pressure, growers need to develop rapid response plans and monitor management options that allow for targeted control of weeds, diseases, and insects. Wide adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) will also help farmers manage new pests with minimal economic, environmental, and health risks.
Freeze Risk: In the past few years, late season freeze events have struck orchards and vineyards after plants had already bloomed, causing serious crop losses.
Adaptation options: Producers can implement several strategies to guard against these freezes. These include: using heaters and wind machines to circulate warmer air in vineyards or orchards, irrigating before or during potential freezes, and paying close attention to detailed weather forecasts.
The Climate Smart Farming Extension Team is equipped with the knowledge and information to provide constructive advice for farmers to combat these stresses. The goal of the Cornell Climate Smart Farming Program is to provide research-based information, training and tools to help famers make the most informed decisions they can.
Cornell has developed several new decision support tools based on long term climate data, weather forecasts and agronomic models – the tools include a new Growing Degree Day calculator, Freeze Risk Tools and Irrigation Scheduler – and can be found on the CSF website (climatesmartfarming.org), along with the contact information for the CSF Extension Team members in New York.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Deadline Extended to Nov. 13 for Obtaining or Modifying Levels through Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program
The deadline has been extended for producers to obtain or modify higher levels of coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
This program protects against poor forage crop quality due to drought or other natural disasters where the forage is intended for mechanical harvest. USDA NY Farm Service Agency Executive Director James Barber said the deadline is now Nov. 13.
“For some 2016 forage crops, the application deadline for NAP occurred before information became available to measure losses due to quality that could influence loss payments, so we extended the deadline so that producers have more time to decide what type of modified coverage works best for their operation,” said Barber.
The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program protects agricultural crops for which crop insurance is not available from losses due to natural disasters, such as drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes. The program offers basic coverage at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses exceeding 50 percent of expected production, and higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of expected production at 100 percent of the average market price. Higher coverage is not available on grazing crops.
However, the extension does not afford producers the opportunity to purchase basic 50/55 NAP coverage.
Producers interested in adjusting their NAP coverage must submit the appropriate paperwork to their local FSA county office before the Nov. 13 deadline. To find your local USDA Service Center go to http://offices.usda.gov. For more details on the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap.
This program protects against poor forage crop quality due to drought or other natural disasters where the forage is intended for mechanical harvest. USDA NY Farm Service Agency Executive Director James Barber said the deadline is now Nov. 13.
“For some 2016 forage crops, the application deadline for NAP occurred before information became available to measure losses due to quality that could influence loss payments, so we extended the deadline so that producers have more time to decide what type of modified coverage works best for their operation,” said Barber.
The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program protects agricultural crops for which crop insurance is not available from losses due to natural disasters, such as drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes. The program offers basic coverage at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses exceeding 50 percent of expected production, and higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of expected production at 100 percent of the average market price. Higher coverage is not available on grazing crops.
However, the extension does not afford producers the opportunity to purchase basic 50/55 NAP coverage.
Producers interested in adjusting their NAP coverage must submit the appropriate paperwork to their local FSA county office before the Nov. 13 deadline. To find your local USDA Service Center go to http://offices.usda.gov. For more details on the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Ag Secretary's Weekly Column
Farmers,
ranchers and foresters have long understood the need to care for our
land and water — not only because preserving those resources for our
children and their children is the right thing to do, but because they
know that our farms and forests are more productive and efficient when
they’re properly cared for.
Science
and technology has expanded our capability and improved our
understanding over the years, but this core mission remains the same.
Today’s farmers and ranchers have risen to the twin responsibilities of
producing safe, affordable food while employing cutting edge
conservation practices on their operations to conserve water, minimize
runoff, prevent soil erosion, and preserve wildlife habitat. They know
that this will only become more critical as we take on the challenges of
feeding a growing global population and dealing with the impacts of a
changing climate.
This past week, the White House released the Third National Climate Assessment
(NCA) report, which provides an unprecedented look at what many of us
in agriculture already know: climate change is not just a problem for
the future.
We’ve
seen firsthand the impact of increasingly severe drought, floods,
extreme temperatures, and other dramatic weather patterns. Drought alone
was estimated to cost the U.S. $50 billion from 2011 to 2013.
Farmers
and ranchers know that severe and extreme weather means crop damage,
delayed spring planting, delayed harvest, and reduced yields, and they
know that those things have happened with increasing frequency over the
past decade.
The
NCA authors — 240 of the nation’s leading scientists and experts,
including researchers from USDA — confirm our on-the-ground understanding.
The authors found that climate disruptions to agriculture have increased in the past 40 years, and project that those disruptions will increase over the next 25.
Thus
far, agriculture has been able to adapt, and USDA has been there to
buffer and protect producers from weather-related risks through programs
like disaster assistance.
However, as the impacts of climate change become more prevalent,
farmers and ranchers will need new tools and techniques to protect their
bottom line and ensure the future food security of our nation.
USDA has undertaken a multipronged, multiyear approach to protect producers from the negative impacts of climate change.
Our regional Climate Hubs collect data, conduct research, and develop
practical, science-based conservation tools and techniques tailored
specifically to the differing needs of each region of the country.
We
support cutting edge research by our land-grant university partners,
including $6 million to ten schools to study the effects of climate on agriculture and an additional $6 million to develop tools to improve water resource quantity and quality.
This research will help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners deal
with the complex consequences of climate change in the short term.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)