By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 March 2025 at 7:15 pm
Provided photo
ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Bill Eick (left), a retired dairy farmer, presents a proclamation on Tuesday declaring March as “Agriculture Month” in Orleans County. Eick hands the proclamation from the County Legislature to Chad Kirby, president of the Orleans County Farm Bureau.
Kirby, a fruit and vegetable grower, thanked the legislators and said farmers will soon be extra busy with the planting season.
The 2022 Agricultural Census put Orleans County’s ag revenue at $233.6 million, which was a 50.4 percent jump from the $155.3 million in 2017, a growth of $78.3 million.
Orleans County ranks 15th among the state’s 62 counties for ag revenue. Cayuga is first at $461.9 million. The GLOW counties are all big ag producers. Wyoming is second in the state at $421.0 million, with Genesee at fifth with $359.7 million and Livingston at 8th with $288.1 million.
“Whereas, March signifies a national celebration of the importance of food and agriculture in the United States as it provides almost everything we eat and use each day,” the Legislature said in the proclamation. “This month we recognize and celebrate the diversity and abundance provided by New York’s farms and our growing food and agricultural sector and the contributions of Orleans County’s family farmers.”
State-wide there are 33,400 farms working 6.9 million acres of farmland. The ag economy contributes $5.4 billion to the state economy.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2025 at 9:21 am
Orleans EDA offering $454K in incentives for project
Photo by Tom Rivers: Helena Agri-Enterprises will be expanding at 3956 Allis Rd. in Ridgeway. The company built its facility in 2017 to serve the local agricultural community.
RIDGEWAY – A business serving local farmers will be expanding on Allis Road in Ridgeway.
Helena Agri-Enterprises expects to break ground this spring on a new facility for blending and storing fertilizer. Helena estimates the new complex will be complete Dec. 31, 2026.
The new 15,000-square-foot facility will give Helena more capacity to serve farm operations of all sizes, especially the larger ones in planting season where there is often a small weather window to get fertilizer in the ground.
“This will eliminate bottlenecks,” said John Ivison, Helena branch manager.
Helena has been operating in Orleans County for about 22 years, first in Albion before building the new complex in Ridgeway in 2017.
The new building will have storage for 4,000 tons of product. That is enough plant food and fertilizer for about 30,000 acres.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency held a public hearing on Wednesday for financial incentives for the estimated $4,275,000 project.
The EDA is proposing $454,663 in incentives over 10 years while Helena pays $158,288 to local governments in a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes).
The company would get a sales tax exemption, saving Helena $261,200 or 8 percent on $3,265,000. It will get a sliding scale tax abatement over 10 years, with $35,175 exempted the first year and then 10 percent added over 10 years. Those exemption will save the company $193,463 in property taxes on the new facility over the decade.
Helena employs 15 people in Ridgeway and will add two full-time positions in the first year, and then a third position in year three with the average salaries at $55,000, according to its filing with the Orleans EDA.
Helena officials said the incentives will help mitigate the higher labor and energy costs in New York. Scott Gilliam, division manager for Helena, in a letter to the EDA board said the company’s labor costs are 20 percent higher in New York, and its energy expenses 15 percent more compared to the average in other states.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 March 2025 at 10:38 am
‘Adding even more costs and reducing markets for American agricultural goods could create an economic burden some farmers may not be able to bear.’
Photo by Tom Rivers: These apples are in a bin at a local farm from the fall 2023.
The leader of the American Farm Bureau Federation is concerned tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China will hurt agriculture in the United States.
The Trump Administration is imposing 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent on China. All three countries will be imposing retaliatory tariffs on American goods, including many farm products.
Zippy Duvall, the Farm Bureau president, on Tuesday issued this statement on the tariffs.
“Farmers support the goals of ensuring security and fair trade with other nations, but additional tariffs, along with expected retaliatory tariffs, will take a toll on rural America.
“Farmers and ranchers are concerned with the decision to impose increased tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China – our top trading partners. Last year, the U.S. exported more than $83 billion in agricultural products to the three countries.
“Approximately 85% of our total potash supply – a key ingredient in fertilizer – is imported from Canada. For the third straight year, farmers are losing money on almost every major crop planted. Adding even more costs and reducing markets for American agricultural goods could create an economic burden some farmers may not be able to bear.
“We ask the president to continue working with our international partners to find ways to resolve disagreements quickly, so farmers can focus on feeding families in America and abroad.”
NY urges farmers to notify state about potential impacts from tariffs with Canada, Mexico and China
Gov. Kathy Hochul convened a roundtable in Albany on Tuesday with agricultural leaders in the state. She said the tariffs are projected to increase costs by as much as $1,200 a year for the average New Yorker, while hurting many businesses that send products to China, Mexico and Canada.
Hochul encourages businesses, including New York’s farms, to report the effects of these tariffs on their work to TariffImpact@esd.ny.gov.
“From the North Country to the Southern Tier, farmers are the backbone of New York State,” Hochul said. “Many of our farmers rely on export sales of their products, and I’ll continue to do everything in my power to fight against this misguided tariff policy and ensure the government is doing what it is supposed to do, which is help, not hurt, New York farmers.”
Hochul said agriculture is a cornerstone of New York’s economy. The state’s investments in agricultural priorities are up 60 percent since 2022, she said.
“We appreciate Governor Hochul’s willingness to invite our members to the table to discuss the issues most important to New York agriculture, including how tariffs will directly affect farmers’ bottom line,” said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher. “By telling our stories and sharing our real, everyday challenges, we make our voices heard so that we can continue to provide healthy, accessible food for all New Yorkers – and keep farming sustainable and successful.”
LOCKPORT – On March 14 the annual Agribusiness Outreach Forum will be held at the Niagara County Cooperative Extension.
It is sponsored by the Niagara County Center for Economic Development, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, Niagara County Farm Bureau, the Niagara County Small Business Development Center and National Grid. As with past years, there will be two parts to the program.
First is a series of workshops. These include building your agribusiness through marketing and networking, mastering the art of find, writing and being awarded Ag grants, understanding state and federal priorities for CCE, and recruiting and retaining H2A workers.
Throughout the day, various agricultural organizations will have displays and personnel on hand to answer your questions. In the past year, these have included to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, Empire State Development, Farm Credit East, NCCC Small Business Development Center, National Grid, NY FarmNet, NYS Department of Ag and Markets, NYSERDA, NC Dept of Economic Development and IDA, Niagara County Farm Bureau, NC Soil and Water Conservation District, Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce and the Farm Service Agency.
This year’s facilitator is Niagara County Farm Bureau President Kevin Bittner.
“This event is designed to bring together farmers across the region for educational sessions on topics important to agriculture,” he said.
In addition to learning about the various topics, he enjoys the networking with other farmers, companies and agencies. Because this is geared to new and growing farms, there are many long term benefits to the community.
Every year this forum has concentrated on various topics. Past presentations have focused on energy, creating business plans, health care for migrant workers, and ag district laws and regulations. At the end of the day, participants are invited to give suggestions for next year’s program.
Registration is free. Click here for information to sign up.
Provided photo: Matthew Sweeney, Roy-Hart Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, welcomes retired Ag teacher from Barker School, Matt Costello, and his wife Fran, at the recent Roy-Hart Ag Foundation Pancake Breakfast at the Middleport Fire Hall.
MIDDLEPORT – At Middleport High School, the first Future Farmers of America (FFA) Club began during the 1939-1940 school year, when an addition was built onto the school which opened the agricultural field of study to the high school students.
The chief purpose of the club was to carry on studies and experiments supplemental to the agricultural course. The Middleport yearbook states, “Thus the F. F. A., newly formed this year, has made remarkable progress, and has created a field of diverse activity for Middleport students from rural communities, and so promises to become one of the school’s leading organizations.”
Despite protests from district farmers and community members, the Agriculture classes and FFA were eliminated from the school’s curriculum in 1987. In 2016, Agriculture classes were reinstated with Matthew Sweeney as the teacher and FFA advisor.
In 2020 the Royalton-Hartland Agriculture Foundation was established as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit entity to support the rapidly expanding agricultural education program benefiting students from K-12. The foundation conducts fundraising events and seeks donors to support the program.
Over the last nine years, the Roy-Hart students and Sweeney have had great success in community service work, honors and awards at the local, district, state and national level.
It was 85 years after the first Roy-Hart Agriculture class was taught, and with the support of the Roy-Hart Board of Education and administration, Royalton-Hartland Agriculture Foundation and Roy-Hart school community, groundbreaking for the first outdoor learning lab was held.
Jill Heck, Superintendent of Schools stated, “This is a three-year journey and reaching agricultural excellence has been designed to help hundreds of K-12 students who are exploring and learning about agriculture.”
Royalton-Hartland is the sole Niagara County school-based agriculture education program. Many of the accolades from the 2024 school year were on display at the Pancake Breakfast which featured local grown and produced foods. Over 700 people were served and more than 80 baskets/cards contributed to the success of the 3rd annual Pancake Breakfast to support Roy-Hart Ag Education.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 December 2024 at 9:49 pm
File photo: Adam Kirby holds the trophy for winning the 2019 corn yield contest in New York.
ALBION – A local corn grower is the state winner for highest corn yield in conventional irrigated class.
Adam Kirby of Albion won the title with a yield of 290.548 bushels per acre. He grew the crop with a Pioneer hybrid seed – PO859AM*. He used a John Deere planter and a Case IH to harvest in the corn.
Kirby’s top yield was announced by the National Corn Growers Association in its 60th annual yield contest. Kirby won one of the state categories from 2019 to 2021.
He will be honored at Commodity Classic in Denver, Colorado, from March 2-4 with 27 national and 535 state winners from around the country.
David Hula of Charles City, Virginia had the top yield in United States at 490.6276 bushels per acre in the strip-till irrigated division.
For more information on the corn yield contest, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 December 2024 at 4:11 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion FFA today delivered 45,000 pounds of produce donated by local farmers to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, and other local food pantries.
The top photo shows FFA members Loralei Gailie, Logan Scott and Jimmy Harris moving a big box of squash to a tractor trailer outside the Ag Shop at the high school.
“It’s helping the community,” said Harris, a senior who arrived at 7:10 this morning to load up the food.
About 20 Albion FFA members helped with the food drive, calling local farmers and arranging for pickups and deliveries of the food.
FFA members are pictured next to three vehicles filled with food before the delivery to Community Action at about 9 this morning.
The donors include Panek’s, Circle R, Lynn-Ette and Sons, Preston’s, Van Lieshout’s, Heberle, Nesbitt’s, Brightly’s, Kludt’s, Orchard Dale, Kreher’s, Intergrow Greenhouses (Sungrow), Save A Lot, Root Brothers, Martin Farms, My-T Acres, Poverty Hill, Partyka’s, Orleans County Farm Bureau, Lamb’s, CY Farms, Torrey Farms, Hu-Lane Farm, Kirby’s, Kirby’s Cider Mill, Barilla, Triple G, Farm Fresh First LLC, Margaret and Charlie Swan, Peter Gaylard, Christ Farms, Kast Farms and Haylett Farm Enterprises.
FFA President Kaitlynn Basinait, right, and FFA secretary Kaitlin Bennett carry a sack of cabbage.
Basinait said farmers were very generous this year, even though many suffered big losses from hail storms. Those farms still contributed to the effort. Other farms who didn’t lose crops to hail stepped up even more knowing some of their farming neighbors didn’t have as much to give this food drive, Bennett said.
“The hail storm hurt several of the farmers,” she said.
The 45,000 pounds topped last year’s drive with 37,000 pounds.
The FFA started the food drive in 2010 with 3,000 pounds in the first effort. The food drive record is 53,000 pounds in 2020.
Bennett said the FFA is proud to facilitate the food drive every year.
“It makes my heart feel happy,” she said.
FFA members Matthew Bloom and Hailey Lonnen fill boxes with Pink Lady apples.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley helped unload the vehicles this morning. He has attended the food drive delivery for many years.
Community Action and other volunteers from local food pantries helped sort and move the food on a chilly morning at the Community Action site on East State Street.
The food is shared with about 20 different food pantries, churches and other organizations in Orleans County.
Barry Flansburg is one of several Albion FFA alumni who help with the food drive each year. Pete Gaylard from the Albion Central School buildings and grounds moves a pallet for of tomatoes into a tractor trailer from Panek Farms.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 November 2024 at 12:25 pm
White House photo: President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned two turkeys in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. He was joined in the annual ceremony by John Zimmerman, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, and his son Grant.
The average cost for a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 has declined from $61.17 a year ago to $58.08, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported in its annual Thanksgiving dinner survey. In 2022, the cost was an average of $64.05.
The cost for this year is still up significantly from the $53.31 average in 2021. The cost jumped nearly $12 from 2021 to 2022, but has been coming down since then.
“Two years of declines don’t erase dramatic increases that led to a record high cost of $64.06 in 2022,” American Farm Bureau stated in a news release. “Despite the encouraging momentum, a Thanksgiving meal is still 19% higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact inflation has had on food prices – and farmers’ costs – since the pandemic.”
The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $25.67, which $1.60 per pound, down 6% from last year, the organization reported.
Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices Nov. 1-7, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. This year’s national average cost was calculated using surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices in person and online using grocery store apps and websites. They looked for the best possible prices without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or combined purchase deals, American Farm Bureau stated.
The Thanksgiving dinner survey was first conducted by American Farm Bureau in 1986.
Individual Prices
16-pound turkey: $25.67 or $1.60 per pound (down 6.1%)
14-ounces of cubed stuffing mix: $4.08 (up 8.2%)
2 frozen pie crusts: $3.40 (down 2.9%)
Half pint of whipping cream: $1.81 (up 4.7%)
1 pound of frozen peas: $1.73 (down 8.1%)
1 dozen dinner rolls: $4.16 (up 8.4%)
Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $3.75 (down 5.1%)
30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.15 (down 6.5%)
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 November 2024 at 7:49 am
Markets offer fresh and healthy food, provide boost for local agriculture
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Canal Village Farmers’ Market manager Gail Miller and volunteer Matthew Backlas stand by a sign advising shoppers they can use their EBT cards and SNAP benefits at the market to buy fresh produce.
MEDINA – A recent ranking of farmers’ markets by inFlow has been shared by digital public relations outreach specialist Kevin Geer and provides insight to the popularity of farmers’ markets, such as Medina’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market. (In Orleans County there is also a farmers’ market in Albion at the Save-A-Lot parking lot. It was open on Sundays from July 7 to Oct. 27.)
The report revealed the state of New York, with more than 670 farmers’ markets, ranks second in the country in the number of farmers’ markets, bested only by California with 760. In this survey, 88.1% of respondents felt sustainable food production was important, according to Geer. Also, only four of the top 10 agricultural states also ranked among the top 10 states with the most farmers’ markets.
Key findings, with which Canal Village Farmers’ Market manager Gail Miller and ORG president Chris Busch agree, include affordable pricing (95% found prices affordable), friendly market sellers and freshness of produce as reasons for popularity of farmers’ markets.
Photos by Chris Busch: Confection Connection, an Albion bakery, is a regular at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market.
The report (click here to see it) continued to say farmers markets not only offer fresh, locally sourced produce, but foster a sense of community and support local economies.
Miller said they are devoted to promoting community and provide a space weekly for non-profits to come and share information about their organization. She has also come up with events to interest children, including a weekly treasure hunt and earlier this summer, zucchini races.
A key benefit of farmers’ markets is supporting local farms, which in turn supports the economy.
Busch said that is an important factor.
“From our market, you can drive less than one-quarter mile in any direction and be in farm country,” he said.
Another benefit to farmers is cutting out the middleman, thereby retaining a higher percentage of their earnings, which then boosts the local economy. A farmers’ market allows farmers to interact with their customers, receive immediate feedback and build a loyal customer base.
In addition to freshness of produce and support for local farmers and community, other benefits identified are the availability of unique or hard to find products, organic or health-conscious options and the social atmosphere.
Customers line up at Black Button Distilling’s booth on a sunny day at Medina’s Canal Village Farmer’s Market.
Medina’s first farmers’ market took place in 1975 for Canal Fest.
In 2004, Deb Roberts at the request of the Office for the Aging, handed out senior and WIC coupons that could be redeemed for fresh produce, but there was no market locally.
Roberts formed a committee with Bob Barrus and a representative from Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Farmers Market Federation and representatives from seven or eight farms.
They set up bylaws and the first regular market opened in Albion in 2005, then moved to Medina’s canal basin in 2007. Ann Nice, Jill Botner and one other were on the board.
By 2014, participation in the market had waned and it was no longer viable. Then Cindy Robinson, president of Medina Business Association; Chris Busch, president of Orleans Renaissance Group; and Gail Miller hatched a plan to hold a farmers’ market at the corner of West Center Street and West Avenue, in a parking lot on property donated to ORG by Bank of America when they left Medina.
Through the years they have had a nice variety of vendors, including wineries, Renko Sausages, SK Herefords, Shirt Factory Café, Baker’s Farm, LynOaken Farms, Panek’s, 810 Meadworks, Herbalty Cottage, the Bread Basket and English Rose Tea Shoppe.
They added features, including weekly musical entertainment, children’s events and El Grande Burrito, whose food truck is set up on site permanently.
TN Smokehouse can often be found at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market, serving up his smoked breakfast and lunch specials.
Many vendors are regulars and others rotate. They include Dot’s Pantry of Amherst, TN Smokehouse, Hartland Organics, Baker Farms, Human Farms, Bower Family Farms, Lock Ridge Apiary, Confection Connection Bakery, Gardner’s Gourmet, Dubby’s Wood Fire Pizza and Greenlief food truck, among others.
Busch said the market is sponsored by Takeform, and this year live music was sponsored by Medina Hardware and Lumber.
Medina’s farmers’ market is unique in that is runs all year. It is open on West Center and West Avenue from June 1 until the end of October. Then it moves indoors on North Main Street from Nov. 1 to May 31 in space donated by Craig Lacy where his NAPA store used to be.
Busch added a very successful Farm to Table dinner served in the middle of Main Street before Covid benefited the market and another is in the planning.
He also stressed big improvements will be coming to the Canal Village Farmers’ Market at the site on West Center and West Avenue.
“We are fortunate to be included as a recipient of the $4.5 million New York Forward Grant,” Busch said. “We are in the design phase of reimagining this entire corner. Work will begin next year and provide indoor space and green space.”
Miller and Busch added a final comment, that they wholeheartedly agree with the findings of inFlow’s survey, and added a local survey they did resulted in much the same responses.
“When you buy from a farmers’ market you have the availability of fresh produce, and we promote a sense of community,” Miller said. “A purchase from a farmers’ market supports small local business and farms, and you know where your food is coming from.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 November 2024 at 7:54 pm
37,000 pounds of produce delivered to Community Action last year by FFA
Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion FFA students, alumni and other volunteers unload vehicles and trailers on Dec. 9 last year. Scott Oldenburg, left, is the Albion FFA advisor. Kaitlynn Basinait, second from left, is the FFA president.
ALBION – The FFA chapter in Albion is again organizing a big food drive from the agricultural community. Last year, farmers donated 37,000 pounds of produce for the FFA food drive.
That food was collected by the FFA at the high school and then delivered to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee on State Street in Albion.
About 25 different food pantries were able to share the food.
The FFA started the food drive in 2010 with 3,000 pounds in the first effort and it typically tops 30,000 pounds in more recent years. The record is 53,000 pounds in 2020.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2024 at 9:10 pm
UdderWays developed by Neal family wins 2nd place in Grow-NY competition
Provided photo: Zachary Neal and his father Jody Neal discuss UdderWays during the Grow-NY competition held in Ithaca the past two days. Jody’s son Jayden also is part of the UdderWays team.
ALBION – An Albion family won second place and $500,000 in the Grow-NY competition featuring 20 finalists in food and agriculture startups from around the world.
UdderWays LLC in Albion was developed by Jody Neal and his sons, Zachary and Jayden. They competed with 19 other finalists for a combined total of $3 million in prize money from the Grow-NY business competition. It is focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture innovation cluster in upstate New York.
There were 312 startups that applied from 26 states and 50 countries for the competition. UdderWays made the 20 finalists and emerged as one of the top winners.
UdderWays last January finished second in an agricultural innovation challenge at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. They won $20,000 at that event.
The Neals have developed a new system to sanitize and prepare udders for milking. The Neals worked on their udder cleaning system for nearly a decade. The device is used just before a cow is milked. Their invention uses a unique, brushless technology to gently stimulate cows and ensure clean and dry teats.
Jody Neal is a partner a Poverty Hill Farms in Albion, a dairy farm on West County House Road. His sons were active in the Orleans County 4-H Robotics program, where they learned programming and tech skills as part of a team that competed in the Rochester region.
The winners in the Grow-NY competition include:
$1 million grand prize winner: Unibaio of New York City offers naturally derived particles that trap the active ingredients of pesticides, fertilizers, and phytosanitary, enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently.
$500K winner: PureNanoTech – From Parsippany, N.J., PureNanoTech created a nanobubble irrigation solution to maximize irrigation performance and optimize energy usage in the agriculture, pond and lake restoration, wastewater treatment, and disinfection industries.
$500K winner: UdderWays – From Albion, the UdderWays uses a unique, brushless technology to gently stimulate cows and ensure clean and dry teats. With the startup’s patented vortex-style application, farmers can achieve consistent stimulation and effortlessly promote milk letdown.
$250K winner: Clean Crop Technologies – Based in Holyoke, M.A., it combines electricity and food-grade gasses to remove pathogens from seeds before they are planted, increasing yields, reducing waste, and improving food safety without preservatives.
$250K winner: ClearLeaf – Based in San José, Costa Rica, ClearLeaf offers safe fungicides and bactericides protects soil and crops from a wide range of pre- and post-harvest pathogens, without harming the environment or human health.
$250K winner: For Bitter For Worse – The Portland, Oregon company has a distillery using certified organic, locally farmed ingredients to create a healthier, more inclusive culture with their non-alcoholic cocktails.
$250K winner: Zordi of Oakfield in Genesee County Zordi builds autonomous greenhouses with robots and AI to make delicious, high-quality produce available anywhere.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 November 2024 at 8:47 am
‘We’ve hit a number of roadblocks,’ family says, citing higher operating costs, lower revenue and weather challenges
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Several members of the Oakes family pose in the tasting room of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on Ridge Road, Medina, after confirming they are exiting the wholesale apple business and closing the winery. From left are Darrel Oakes and his wife Linda, daughter-in-law Katie Oakes and Darrel’s sister Wendy Oakes Wilson.
MEDINA – An agribusiness with deep roots in the community will be discontinuing most of its farm operation after 105 years.
When Leonard Oakes bought land in Lyndonville in 1919, he made many smart decisions. He planted orchards and vegetables, raised chickens, worked hard and raised a family, in whom he instilled his love of agriculture and a hard work ethic. When Leonard passed away in 1951, the farm was passed on to his four children.
As the family grew, so did their interests, acquiring land on Ridge Road. When they purchased the Ridge Road property in 2004, it was already a controlled atmosphere cold storage and they invested in transforming the property into a winery tasting room and planted a U-pick orchard with more than 350 varieties.
“In 2018 we added a new packing room and apple packing line onto the cold storage that would allow us to expand our brands throughout Central and Western New York,” said general manager, Wendy Oakes Wilson.
The Oakes family also planted six acres and 14 varieties of grapes at their farm in Lyndonville in 2003. This expansion created a winery that opened in 2008, and in 2011, another expansion brought the birth of SteamPunk Cider. Their wines and cider earned awards and were hot-sellers on the market.
Through the years, some of the extended family didn’t want to be in farming. The original four family members left their stock to their spouses and children, many of whom did not live or work in the area, said Darrel’s wife Linda Oakes, who ran the Gift Shop. “They are far removed from the farm operation,” she said.
In spite of making some sound business decisions during the years, there were two things the Oakes could not control: the weather and the national apple market.
“During the last two years, we have had frost and hail, which devastated our crop,” said Darrel Oakes, who was honored as the national apple grower of the year in 2004 by the American Fruit Grower magazine. “In order to keep going, we borrowed money. That is added to the money we borrowed to buy this property and expand.”
But the real culprit was in 2023 when the state of Washington flooded New York state’s market with their biggest crop of apples ever. This caused a 50 percent drop in prices for certain varieties, which means LynOaken Farms didn’t earn enough revenue to cover their costs, said daughter-in-law Katie Oakes, who runs the U-Pick operation.
“With the two years of bad weather, that created the third year of losses, while our expenses increased 25 to 30 percent,” Wendy said.
“At the same time, third-party packing companies were taking much longer to pay for packed apples,” Wendy said. “In fact, we are still owed for four different varieties from the 2023 crop. There is no guarantee of revenue, and no recourse for growers to demand more. In this business you have to be a climate expert, market expert, legal expert, finance expert and accounting expert.”
Darrel also added that agriculture is heavily dependent on labor and those costs have also risen 20-25% in the last five years.
“We’ve hit a number of roadblocks, including Covid,” he said.
Additionally, three spouses of the original four owners have passed away this year and have left their shares to their children. Because of all these events, the family had a shareholders’ meeting in August and made the decision to close down LynOaken’s wholesale production.
With several of the family members pointing out that the farm’s debt load was too large and apple production not profitable, new shareholders believed the time was right to sell assets to pay off their loans and have funds available to pay shareholders, Wendy said.
“The non-working shareholders have been very supportive of us, but also understood the market and how difficult it would be to carry on,” Wendy said.
Darrel said they have sold all of their productive land, to a buyer he is not yet ready to disclose.
Katie will continue to manage the U-pick operation.
“The sad part is two of our sons and Wendy have to go find a job,” Darrel said.
“I never thought at the age of 58 I would be looking for a job,” said Wendy, fighting back tears. “I thought I’d retire from the farm in due time.”
“We are exiting the production of apples for the wholesale market, and it’s hard to give that up,” Darrel said. “But we are doing it with honesty and respect. We will not owe anybody.”
The Oakes’ don’t know yet what will happen to the wine and cider operation. Customer tastes have changed since Covid, and people are not coming out for tasting parties or a glass of wine like they used to, Wendy said. Next Friday, Saturday and Sunday they will have special hours to sell the rest of their bottled wines.
They are looking ahead to things that will be hospitality and event-based, such as weddings, meeting spaces, private parties and showers, Darrel said
He and Linda came out of retirement to help this fall and look forward to continuing back down that road.
Katie praised the community and their customers for the support they’ve shown LynOaken Farms and Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.
“We have a very loyal customer base who have been very supportive of us,” Katie said. “We hope that will continue.”
She added, “This is one chapter ending. It is not the end of the book.”
File photo by Tom Rivers: Members and some employees of the Oakes family gathered for a photo under the pavilion at the winery on July 21, 2019 to celebrate the farm’s first 100 years. From left include: Dan Thurber, Diane Thurber, Jerod Thurber, Jonathan Oakes, Chris Oakes, Steve Songer, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Darelyn Songer, Linda Oakes, Darrel Oakes, Wendy Oakes Wilson, Wanda Oakes, Jeff Oakes, Dawn Oakes and Katie Oakes. Hawley presented the family with a proclamation in recognition of a century in business.
Photos courtesy of Roy-Hart FFA: The Farm & Agribusiness Management CDE Team includes, from left: FFA advisor Matthew Sweeney, Garrett Armenia, Sophia Santella, Vanessa Grant and Sean Labiak.
Posted 30 October 2024 at 11:08 am
Press Release, Royalton-Hartland FFA
MIDDLEPORT – Eleven members of the Royalton-Hartland FFA, led by Agriculture educator and FFA Advisor Matthew Sweeney, traveled to the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana last week. As New York State’s winner in the Farm & Agribusiness Management and Milk Quality & Products Career Development Event (CDE) competitions, Roy-Hart FFA members moved on to participate in these national contests and achieved historic success.
The National FFA Farm and Agribusiness Management CDE is designed to test the ability of students to apply economic principles and concepts in analyzing farm and ranch business management decisions. Participants respond to questions using financial documents and complete an in-depth problem-solving analysis section.
In this competition, Roy-Hart’s team earned a gold-ranking, placing 5th top team in the nation. Upon reviewing past state and national records, this 5th place team ranking stands to be the best result of a New York State FFA Farm & Agribusiness Mgt. CDE team in recorded history.
The team consists of students Garrett Armenia, gold-ranking individual, Sophia Santella, gold-ranking individual, Vanessa Grant, gold-ranking individual, and Sean Labiak, silver-ranking individual. In addition to this top 5 gold ranking, the team achieved the best written team activity score in the entire contest.
Milk Quality & Products CDE Team – From left include advisor Matthew Sweeney, Mackenzie Diamond, Caleb Verratti, Phinn Cousins and Joshua Kennedy.
The National FFA Milk Quality and Products CDE is a competitive event that allows students to prove their knowledge about the recognition, selection and management necessary for quality milk and dairy products. Participants must complete a written exam on milk production and marketing, evaluate milk samples for flavor and quality, identify cheeses and characteristics and complete milk acceptability tests in the team activity.
In this competition, Roy-Hart’s team earned a gold ranking, placing 10th high team in the nation.
The team consists of Phinn Cousins, gold-ranking individual; Joshua Kennedy, gold-ranking individual; Caleb Verratti, gold-ranking individual; and Mackenzie Diamond, silver-ranking individual. These Roy-Hart FFA members earned 1st place team in the California Mastitis Test (CMT) section of the competition and Joshua Kennedy was awarded 2nd High Individual in that section.
Lorna Becker is the first Roy-Hart student to earn the American FFA degree.
Lorna Becker, 2022 Royalton-Hartland graduate and former NYS FFA District 9 and Royalton-Hartland FFA Chapter President, was awarded her American FFA Degree at this year’s National Convention. She is the first recipient of the American FFA Degree for the Royalton-Hartland FFA Chapter!
The American FFA Degree, the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization, shows an FFA member’s dedication to his or her chapter and state FFA association. It demonstrates the effort that FFA members apply toward their supervised agricultural experience and the outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement they exhibited through their FFA career. American FFA Degree recipients show promise for the future and have gone above and beyond to achieve excellence. Less than 1% of the organization’s 1 million members earn this prestigious honor.
The Royalton-Hartland FFA Chapter would like to thank the continued support from the Roy-Hart CSD Board of Education and Administration, Royalton-Hartland Agriculture Foundation (RHAF), and the Roy-Hart school community. This support is integral to the local, region, state, and national successes of Niagara County’s sole school-based agriculture education program.
Royalton-Hartland FFA attended the 2024 National FFA Convention. From left in front include: Vanessa Grant, Sophia Santella, Lorna Becker and Mackenzie Diamond. In back: Kristopher Myers, Garrett Armenia, Caleb Verratti, Joshua Kennedy, Phinn Cousins, Sean Labiak and Anthony Adams.
Organization weighs in on many local, state and federal issues
Provided photo: Pictured from left include President Kevin Bittner, Vice President Mark Russell and Treasurer Max Russell.
Press Release, Niagara County Farm Bureau
LOCKPORT – Niagara County Farm Bureau held its annual meeting on Thursday evening. The agenda including adopting resolutions concerning local, state and national issues.
Locally, this included supporting funding for Niagara County’s Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District. Also, the group supported establishing a county wide drainage district.
On the state level, the resolutions covered a wide range of topics. They supported including backyard chickens in the definition of urban agriculture, expanding the deer damage (aka nuisance) permits, improving cellular service and improvements to the electrical grid.
Other state issues included NYS finalizing grant contracts and their reimbursement on a timely basis. The NYS Strategic Interagency Task Force Lessening Obstacles to Agriculture Working Group (SILO committee) was also supported.
Federal issues also covered a variety of issues. There are a myriad of GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certifications. Niagara County Farm Bureau supported retailers who accept SNAP benefits us the USDA Harmonized Plus GAP only.
Mancozeb is a product used in apples, grapes and onions. There is a proposal to restrict how it is used that does not align with current scientific research. Farmers who use these products want the current regulations to stay in place. The third issue dealt with the electrification of farm vehicles and the need to support those with incentive programs available to other motor vehicles.
Updates from Kevin Bittner, John Wagner, Brad Macaulay, and Matthew Sweeney completed the evening. Bittner reviewed the year, including updates on State Annual Convention, PX Days, County Fair Corn Booth and The Ag Literacy Week.
The Corn Booth was the most successful ever and during Ag Literacy weeks many farmers participated by going to schools and reading the selected book. He thanked outgoing board members Cassie Voelpel and Jeannette Miller for their service.
Wagner talked about the upcoming State Annual Convention and Young Farmers and Ranchers Program. A new feature of the State Annual Convention is bring a non-member. Nationalwide Insurance will sponsor a county resident who is not currently a member of Farm Bureau but would like to learn more at that gathering.
Macauley talked about the changes at New York Farm Bureau with the new Executive Direction Deanna Fox. He reviewed some of the legislative policy successes and encouraged everyone to attend the convention and the PX (Policy Execution) lobbying days.
The expansion of the Royalton Hartland Ag Program was Matthew Sweeney’s topic. There is now a youth FFA, called the Green Team, in the elementary school. He described many community interactions with the students and announced they have two teams going to compete at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. One of the most exciting new features of the program is the college credit course now offered. Working with Cobleskill, students earn 9 college credits when successfully completing the course.
The evening ended with the Board Elections. In addition to Bittner’s re-election, Mark Russell will continue as Vice President. New directors are Josh Bieber and Nick Sparks. Trevor Ganshaw, Kelly Raby and Max Russell were all re-elected to their positions.
Farm Bureau membership is open to those who farm, those who are involved in agribusiness and anyone who eats. For more information about membership or how you can volunteer, call (716) 735-7791 or email niagcofb@yahoo.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 October 2024 at 9:42 am
Photos courtesy of Soil & Water Conservation District: Two Orleans County fruit farms will get frost fans to help prevent damage to their orchards during a spring frost.
ALBION – The Orleans County Soil & Warer Conservation District has been awarded a $361,311 state “Climate Resilient Farming Grant” to assist three farms.
Two of the grants will go towards frost fans, while the other grant will help a farm in Kendall remove numerous ash trees along a waterway at the farm and establish a riparian buffer. The farm will replant the area with healthy, native trees, said Katie Sommerfeldt, the Soil & Water district manager.
The grant to replace a series of smudge pots with frost fans will help two farms, one in Gaines and one in Carlton, prevent frost damage to their orchards which can devastate crops, Sommerfeldt said.
The frost fans have automatic weather stations. They will blow warmer air from above through an orchard to fight a freeze in the spring when fruit buds are vulnerable to frost.
Farms now set up numerous smudge pots and power them with diesel fuel. It’s very labor-intensive, often needed manpower throughout a chilly night.
The frost fans will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and require far less manpower, Sommerfeldt said.
Many of the local fruit farms have been using smudge pots to try to warm up chilly orchards, a labor intensive effort.
