'New York Drinks New York' Celebrates NY Wines

If you're going to New York City in March, the Big Apple is taking on wines from throughout New York in its  "New York Drinks New York" events.

It's important for New York state wine producers to get their products out into the New York City market. Jim Trezise of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation said "New York City is the world's most competitive wine market, and we get no break as New Yorkers; we have to prove ourselves like everyone else.  But we've got the quality, the passion, and the determination to get our slice of the Big Apple."

During March, New Yorkers will have the pleasure of sampling wines from their own state at free tastnigs, wine flights, winemakers dinners, and other events throughout the month. 

Here is more from Trezise:

The highlight of the month is the NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting on March 18 at Astor Center, with a special session for media and trade from noon to 4 pm, followed by a consumer tasting from 6 to 8 pm.  More that 200 wines will be presented by 40 wineries from the Long Island, Hudson River, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment, Lake Erie, and Thousand Islands regions.

Complementing the wines will be a selection of all-New York cheeses, charcuterie and hors d'oeuvres provided by the New York Wine & Culinary Center based in the Finger Lakes.

The consumer tasting, including all food and drink, costs only $35, with tickets available at www.nydrinksny.com/tasting until they are sold out.  (People started buying tickets before the event was even advertised this year, since last year's event sold out.)

Several fine restaurants are also hosting wine dinners and offering special limited-release wines as well as wine flights, including Terroir Park Slope, Sample, and Seersucker.

In addition, more than 30 free in-store tastings have been scheduled at fine wine stores throughout the City such as 67 Wines, Brooklyn Wine Exchange, and Union Square Wines & Spirits.  A full listing of participating wineries, restaurants and stores, and more information about the special events, is available at www.nydrinksny.com/partner-events.

Improved Drought Picture Over Last Year

This week's USDA TV feature is about the drought outlook for this coming planting season.

Jefferson County Officials Recognized for Helping Ag

I picked this up off Facebook.

Congrats to all.

The Board of Directors of the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corporation this week was recognized for its service to agriculture.

The corporation is being dissolved to order to comply with the state Comptroller's office concerns about IDA's staffing local development corporations. Many of the corporation board members have been appointed to the new ag advisory committee formed by Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency.

Ag Secretary to Appoint Members to County Farm Service Agency Committees

Here is information from the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday he will appoint voting members from socially disadvantaged (SDA) communities to serve on Farm Service Agency county committees in county jurisdictions that lack fair SDA representation under the authority granted in the 2002 Farm Bill.

Appointments will be made beginning next week. The final rule that will be published in the March 4 Federal Register affirms the interim rule from June 4, 2012.



“For decades, county committees have played a critical role in delivering important federal farm programs to citizens of rural communities across our nation,” said Vilsack. “By strengthening county committees so that they fully represent the ethnic, racial and gender segments within the counties they serve, we are helping to ensure that these governing bodies play a vital and relevant role well into the future.”

Vilsack will use the authority granted in the 2002 Farm Bill to appoint SDA committee members with voting privileges. The appointed SDA committee members do not replace voting members who were elected but will supplement the existing election process. 

Currently there are 7,700 elected county committee members representing 2,244 county jurisdictions. Individuals who serve as non-voting minority advisers were encouraged to submit a nomination form indicating their willingness to serve.

Nomination forms also have been accepted from community-based organizations representing SDA producers. The Secretary will appoint SDA voting members from the nominations received.


FSA will continue outreach efforts to increase SDA voter participation and SDA representation on county committees through the regular election process. Additionally, each year, USDA will conduct a fresh statistical analysis, and appointments with voting authority will continue to occur in areas identified as under-representing the diversity of area producers.

County committees were formed in the 1930s to oversee federal farm programs, a tool for grassroots engagement whereby locally elected committees give farmers effective self-government authority.

That authority continues today, making farmers primary stewards of farm programs passed by Congress, including administration and outreach to all farmers and ranchers in their area.


For more information about FSA County Committee elections, visit the FSA website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Finger Lakes Chees Trail Events for the Weekend

News from the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail Facebook page:

Several of our Creameries are out and about this weekend! Be sure to catch Vanillen Dairy at the Downtown Canandaigua Wine Walk Saturday, Sunset View Creamery at Sheldrake Point on Seneca Saturday, and Muranda Cheese Company at Studebaker's Grille in Lyons on Sunday. Plus our Associate Member, The Little Bleu Cheese Shop will be at Savor the Flavors of Fairport Sunday!

Life on a Hobby Farm in Wisconsin

Here is an http://www.agweb.com/article/guest_column_farming_isnt_all_fun_but_its_worth_it/ article written by a 13-year-old about his life on a hobby farm.

Really well done.

March is Here!

Welcome to March, everyone.

With spring right around the corner, many farmers are thinking about the day when they'll be able to get their tractors in the fields again and ready the soil for this summer's crops.

The maple producers are gearing up for their season, which will start any minute now. The state's Maple Weekends are March 16 and 17 and March 23 and 24, with many producers across the state opening their sites for tours and pancake breakfasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days.
Go to http://www.mapleweekend.com/maple_producers.php for more information. 

Honey producers also are awaiting more activity from their bees.

Speaking of bees and honey, also remember that Ag Literacy Week is set for March 18-22 and this year's focus is on that sweet nectar of the honeybee. The books to be read this year are about honey production -- "The Beeman," by Laurie Krebs and Valeria Cis and "The Honeybee Man," by Lela Nargi and Kyrsten Brooker.
Go to this link for Ag in the Classroom to learn more about this annual event and how you can volunteer to read to an elementary school class.