By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2019 at 2:31 pm
ALBION – The Albion Board of Education accepted a $2,500 grant from Monsanto on Monday through the company’s “America’s Farmers Grow Communities program.”
Monsanto chooses a customer for the grant, and that customer picks a local organization for the funding.
Phil Panek of Albion was picked by Monsanto for the grant, and he chose to support the Albion agriculture program at the school.
This is the second time a local Monsanto customer picked the Albion agriculture program to receive the grant. In 2014, Albion farmers Doug and Mitchell Kirby also chose the school’s agriculture program for the $2,500 grant.
This is the 10th year of the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, where farmers have the chance to direct a $2,500 donation to a nonprofit of their choice. So far Monsanto has awarded more than $33 million to over 8,000 nonprofits across rural America.
Provided photo: Sadie Klumpp, left, of Newfane will be the alternate Niagara-Orleans dairy princess this year while Hayley Roehling serves as the dairy princess.
HARTLAND – New royalty will be crowned on April 6 during the annual Niagara-Orleans County Dairy Princess Pageant.
The reigning princess, Gwenna Goodenough, will reflect on her accomplishments over the past year before she passes her torch to the next princess, Hayley Roehling, of Akron. The alternate this year will be Sadie Klumpp of Newfane.
Dairy princesses from across the North East region visit schools, appear at community events and attend civic meetings to talk about milk and dairy products and the dairy industry.
Both Hayley and Sadie are seniors this year and exhibit dairy cattle in the Niagara County 4-H program. They are eager to share their knowledge of the program as well as work on new ways to promote the dairy industry.
The Dairy Princess Pageant will be at 7 p.m. on April 6 at the Hartland Fire Hall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 March 2019 at 9:52 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – The 21st annual Orleans County Farmer to Neighbor Night was Saturday at the White Birch Golf Course and brought together about 150 members of the farming community.
The Albion FFA is one of the organizers of the event. The top photo shows emcee Barry Flansburg, president of the Albion FFA Alumni, and Abbie Pappalardo, a current member of the FFA. She said she enjoys making friends through the FFA.
Adam Krenning, the Albion FFA advisor and agriculture teacher, thanks the crowd for supporting the FFA program. He said many local farms and organizations back the FFA throughout the year. He is joined by, from left: FFA President Bailey Nesbitt, Harrison Brown, Melissa Robinson, Abbie Pappalardo, Bryne Dysard, Faith Woody, Kendall Derisley and Jeffrey Brown.
The Farmer to Neighbor Night celebrates the county’s leading industry. Agriculture generates more than $100 million in sales to the farms, and that doesn’t count the spinoff economic impact with tractor dealerships, veterinarians and other businesses.
The event is sponsored by Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, Soil & Water Conservation District, Chamber of Commerce and Albion FFA Alumni.
Harrison Brown, an FFA member, delivers one of the items that was up for bid. It was purchased by Tim Winters, CEO of Western New York Energy in Medina. An auction raised money to support the FFA program.
Melissa Robinson is introduced to the crowd. She said she enjoys meeting people through FFA and pushing herself in many of the FFA competitions.
Barry Flansburg chats with Paige Levandowski, a former Albion FFA member who was vice president of the FFA in New York. Levandowski now works as a middle school teacher in Albion and helps with the FFA program at her alma mater.
Fruit, vegetable and dairy operations are all labor intensive
Press Release, New York Farm Bureau
Photos by Tom Rivers: Workers at Lake Ontario Fruit in Albion fill bags and boxes with SweeTango apples in this photo from September 2014.
New York Farm Bureau on Tuesday highlighted a new report that detailed the extreme costs facing the state’s family farms should the farmworker labor bill (S. 2837/A. 2750) pass this legislative session.
Farm Credit East, a credible financial organization that works directly with farmers, analyzed economic data and determined overtime on a 40-hour work week and beyond an eight-hour day will increase labor costs on farms by $299 million or more than 17 percent. (Click here to see the report.)
The additional labor costs would also take a significant bite out of net farm income, especially at a time when the farm economy is suffering. The report says, when combined with the rising minimum wage, net farm income will drop by 23 percent.
Some of the state’s more labor-intensive commodities would take an even bigger hit financially. Vegetable growers will see net farm income decline by 43 percent. Greenhouse and nursery operations will have a 58 percent drop. Fruit growers will take a 74 percent hit. And dairy farms, will see net farm income completely wiped out with a 101 percent drop. These numbers are based on a five-year average of financial results.
New York Farm Bureau spoke about the report during a press conference at the Capitol in Albany as part of its annual lobby day. More than 200 farmers from across the state visited with their representatives and adopted lawmakers from New York City.
The average farm wage is more than $14 an hour, well above minimum wage. Farms compete for labor, and they could not attract or keep workers if employees did not earn a fair wage. Many also earn other benefits including free housing, transportation, utilities, and paid time off. In addition, it is a myth that farms do not pay workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance. Based on state formulas virtually all farms with employees meet these standards and pay workers’ comp and unemployment insurance.
During the press event, NYFB President David Fisher said the repercussions of this legislation based on economic analysis will be felt far beyond the state’s family farms and extend to the further decline of the rural economy both upstate and on Long Island. Already, according to the USDA, New York has lost nearly 20 percent of its dairy farms in the past five years. Undoubtedly, this legislation would make that dire situation worse. Fewer farms means fewer jobs on the farm and off as farm spending supports other rural businesses in their local areas.
The Elba Muck stretches into Barre and Clarendon in Orleans County, as well as Elba and Byron in Genesee County. Onions, potatoes and other crops are grown on the muck, shown in October 2015.
“We understand supporters of this bill mean well,” Fisher said. “We also mean well. We greatly appreciate the contributions our farmworkers make to our farms and our food supply, but these numbers demonstrate that it will be incredibly difficult for farms to meet the proposed labor mandates. It would be difficult for farms to compete in the marketplace when they can’t control their prices and must take what the markets demand.”
Judi Whittaker, of Whittaker Farms in Broome County, has a dairy farm that has been in the family for more than 100 years and she fears her grandchildren will not be able to continue the tradition. She said the overtime provision would force payroll up on her farm by more than $200,000, from the current $500,000 payroll.
“We value our employees greatly,” she said. “We house our employees and pay them everything they need free of charge. Having the payroll go up by that much will put us out of business. We haven’t paid ourselves in pretty much a year. We are trying to do what is right and paying our employees and paying our bills. My family is at the bottom of the list. There needs to be a more workable number to keep those of us family farms here for the future. You all eat. You need us.”
Sarah Dressel, of Dressel Farms in New Paltz, said during the event that as an apple grower who utilizes the federal H-2A guest worker visa program, this bill would bring income on her family’s farm to record lows. The H-2A rate for this year for New York will be over $13 per hour. With a 40-hour overtime, she would be forced to pay employees over $20 per hour, plus room and board at no cost to the employee, in addition to increased employment taxes.
“Workers that come through the H-2A program want to work as many hours as they can within their contract dates, and I’m seriously concerned that we will lose some help that has been coming for years when we have to cut the amount of hours they can work so that we can be economically sustainable,” Dressel said. “I’m the fourth generation to work my family farm, and I have serious concerns about the future of our orchard, and agriculture in general. Regulations and rising costs of doing business in New York are contrary to the prices that the national and global markets will allow.”
Brian Reeves, of Reeves Farms in Baldwinsville, has a 350-acre vegetable farm growing both conventional and organic crops. With labor costs already making up 40 percent of his expenses, overtime after 40 hours per week would cost his farm an additional $133,137 in wages per year, or approximately a 15 percent increase, based on 2018 numbers. This does not include the additional cost for taxes and workers compensation which would also increase with the higher wages.
Reeves added that an eight-hour per day restriction is a high overtime burden, especially considering this is not current law for other employers in New York. His employees may work six hours one day because of poor weather conditions and need to work 10 hours the next day to make up for lost time. It is conceivable that a farmworker may only work 40 hours in a week yet have several hours of overtime because all the hours occurred in four days due to weather restrictions.
“As our costs increase and we have no ability to recoup that increased cost, our future as a viable business is put into jeopardy,” Reeves said. “The next generation of our family has to seriously consider if they can continue to operate a profitable fresh market vegetable farm in New York State.”
New York Farm Bureau will continue to have positive conversations with lawmakers, including the bill’s sponsors. The organization has repeatedly asked for hearings, both upstate and on Long Island, where Senators and Assembly Members can hear from the people who will be directly impacted by the bill. We are pleased that the chairs of both the Labor and Agriculture Committees in the Senate and Assembly are working to make this happen.
“If supporters of this bill don’t take the farm community’s concerns seriously, the face of New York agriculture as we know it will change,” said Jeff Williams, NYFB Public Policy Director. “Rural New York matters. Local food production matters. We need to make sure farms have the opportunity to not only survive but thrive for the sake of their families and employees.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 March 2019 at 5:20 pm
Photo courtesy of Albion FFA
ALBANY – Albion students in the FFA have spent the past two days in Albany meeting with state legislators and agriculture officials.
The photo shows, from left, FFA Advisor Adam Krenning, Lauren Beam, Bryne Dysard, Albion chapter president Bailey Nesbitt and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
They meet at the Taste of New York reception on Monday, sponsored by the New York Farm Bureau. This event highlights agricultural products produced in New York State. The reception was held at the Empire State Plaza Convention Hall.
Students also met with State Sen. Robert Ortt and Richard Ball, commissioner of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2019 at 8:24 am
6 local farms highlighted on tour for International Fruit Tree Association
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENT – Roger Bannister, owner of Excelsior Farms in Kent, gives a tour of a block of apple trees on Route 98 near Lake Ontario.
Excelsior was one of six apple farms in Orleans County on a tour Tuesday by the International Tree Fruit Association. There were 350 people on the tour with apple growers from Washington, Michigan and other states as well as growers from Australia, Israel, Canada, China and New Zealand.
“We have a lot of cutting-edge growers,” said Craig Kahlke, a fruit specialist with Cornell’s Lake Ontario Fruit Program. “They each are featuring something different. The goal is to help put more money in growers’ pockets.”
The IFTA is having its annual conference in Rochester. The conference was in New Zealand last year. The four-day conference is offering growers tips on reducing costs and increasing efficiencies.
Rod Farrow, co-owner of Fish Creek Orchards (formerly known as Lamont Fruit Farm) in Waterport, is the current president of the International Tree Fruit Association.
Tour buses stopped at Excelsior Farms and five other apple orchards in Orleans County on Tuesday. There were 350 people on the tour.
Excelsior Farms has a high-density orchard with multi-leader trees. Using multi-leader trees saves farms from planting more trees, compared to ones that are one leader. Excelsior also spaces the rows at 8.5 feet. That distance allows for lots of sunshine on the trees.
Other farms on the tour included:
• Kast Farms in Albion, which showcased a Geneva rootstock trial.
• Sandy Knoll Farms in Lyndonville, which demonstrated three-dimensional to two-dimensional tree architecture conversion.
• Fish Creek Orchards, formerly known as Lamont Fruit Farm in Waterport, which discussed a robot-ready fruiting wall and bloom thinning trials, where a robot takes images of a tree and helps to quickly identify how many apples need to be removed for an optimum crop.
• Zingler Farms in Kendall, which featured for an organized vertical canopy. The trees are very similar and that increases predictability, making it easier for workers to thin and prune trees.
• Orchard Dale Farms in Carlton demonstrated grafted blocks using beaver and side grafts.
Photo courtesy of Molly Zingler: Mike Zingler, right, and his son James were featured speakers on the tour of Zingler Farms in Kendall.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District on Thursday presented Triple G Farms with the “Conservation Farm of the Year” in Orleans County for 2018. Pictured form left include: Megan McAnn, a technician for Soil & Water; Guy Smith, Triple G co-owner; and Katie Sommerfeldt, Soil & Water district manager.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2019 at 9:32 am
ALBION – A muck farm that started in 1925 was named the 2018 “Conservation Farm of the Year” in Orleans County. Triple G Farms is now run by brothers Guy and Greg Smith, and their nephew Pete Smith.
They grow potatoes and onions on 645 acres of muckland in Barre, Clarendon and Elba.
Megan McAnn, the Soil & Water technician, holds the Ag Environmental Management sign that Triple G can display for its conservation work. Guy Smith, Triple G co-owner, holds the trophy for the award.
Triple G has worked hard to preserve the soil and improve the soil health, putting in many miles of drainage tile, and putting in cover crops and wind breaks. They have also reduced chemical usage through Integrated Pest Management, including field scouting and targeted application of pesticides, the Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District said on Thursday when it presented the farm with the award.
Triple G also has installed an agrichemical handling and mixing facility which prevents pesticides and chemicals from spilling onto the soil.
“Triple G Farms takes pride in packing a quality product to be enjoyed by consumers while proving their excellent stewardship of the land and desire to protect our natural resources,” Sil & Water leaders said in presenting the award at the agency’s annual meeting at Tillman’s Village Inn.
Guy Smith, one of the farm co-owners, thanked Soil & Water staff for their work in helping the farm implement many of the initiatives at the farm.
“The mucklands are highly erodible and we need to preserve it so it’s there for the next generation,” said Smith, who was worked at the farm full-time since 1981.
The farm continuously is focused on drainage tile, putting in new drainage or replacing tile from decades ago that has deteriorated. The tile helps move water off the muck. Smith said the big rain storms used to be an inch, but now they are 2 inches. That water can flood fields and submerge crops without proper drainage.
The cover crops help hold down the soil after a planting or when a field is plowed. Triple G tends to plant barley as a cover crop for onions and rye in its field of potatoes.
“I just want to thank the Soil & Water staff,” Smith said. “Without the staff we wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2019 at 7:44 pm
Apple exports were down 30% or about $300 million last year
Photo by Tom Rivers: SnapDragon apples are pictured on Tuesday at the Albion Tops.
Export sales of apples grown in the U.S. plunged 30 percent or about $300 million last year. The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is urging President Donald Trump to resolve trade disputes and promote the U.S. agricultural sector.
Orleans County is the second-leading apple growing county in the state, behind only Wayne County, and New York is the country’s second-leading apple producing state, behind Washington.
“The U.S. Apple Association welcomes President Trump’s State of the Union remarks on the importance of trade, especially as it pertains to the agriculture sector,” Jim Bair, president and CEO of USApple, said in a news release. “With more than 30 percent of fresh apples destined for overseas markets, trade policies play a critical role in the health of the apple industry.”
U.S. Apple said Mexico and Canada are leading export markets for apples, totaling nearly $500 million in sales. The association supports ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“The agreement is good for apples as it maintains duty-free access and other important provisions from the North American Free Trade Agreement, including dispute resolution,” Blair said. “However, because of current trade disputes regarding U.S.-imposed section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, and resulting retaliatory tariffs by our major trading partners, apple exports are down 30 percent, or about $300 million. Exports to our number one market Mexico are down 23 percent, and down 70 percent and 40 percent respectively to growth markets India and China.”
USApple is asking Congress to ratify the USMCA and the Trump Administration to remove the steel and aluminum tariffs on important trading partners, particularly Mexico and Canada.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2019 at 2:52 pm
Flansburg siblings started company that provides precision agriculture services to farmers
Provided photos: Ben Flansburg is the manager of the BCA Ag Technologies division and leads the technology sales team. He is pictured with his wife Sara and daughter Molly.
ALBION – A local precision agriculture services company has been purchased by LandPro Equipment, which is a North East John Deere dealer with 20 stores.
Ben and Chris Flansburg have been running BCA Ag Technologies. The business is based on Route 31A. They started BCA with their sister Amanda in 2008. (She now works as a manager for Western New York Energy, an ethanol plant in Medina.)
Ben and Chris will remain with BCA. Ben will manage the newly formed Ag Technologies division of LandPro. He has a degree in Agriculture Sciences from Cornell University.
Chris will lead the Agronomy and Data Management portion of the division. Chris brings with him a degree in Agronomy and Horticulture from Iowa State University. He is a Certified Crop Advisor.
The brothers are both active firefighters with the Barre Volunteer Fire Company.
“We offer a wide variety of solutions to our customers to help them become more efficient and ultimately more profitable,” Ben Flansburg said. “We’re excited to integrate those solutions into the LandPro operations.”
Chris Flansburg is the BCA Ag Technologies division agronomist and leads the data management team.
According to Tracy Buck, President of LandPro Equipment, “Ag Technology has come to play a significant role in the agriculture industry, especially as customers struggle with low milk and commodity prices. LandPro felt a responsibility to continue to get better at helping our customers in their use of technology. We believe that BCA will help our customers increase their efficiency and productivity, ultimately adding to their bottom line.”
Some of the BCA services include soil sampling, prescription mapping for fertilizer and planting, yield mapping with average bushels per acre and field variability, and data management. Tracy said the addition of BCA allows LandPro to help its customers improve their efficiencies and better utilize technology with their farm equipment.
“Both companies were built and have grown their reputations through a continued focus on customer service,” said Ryan Payment, vice president of LandPro Equipment. “We’re confident that the combination of these two companies will be an overwhelmingly positive experience for our customers and employees.”
For more information on LandPro Equipment and its new Ag Technologies Division, click here.
Photo by Tom Rivers – This photo from October 2015 shows apples at an Albion orchard.
ALBANY – New York Farm Bureau on Wednesday released its 2019 state legislative priorities that look to address important budget and economic needs of its farmer members who make up the diverse agricultural community in New York. The priorities are based upon member approved public policy positions.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the value of agriculture production for 2017, the latest numbers available, is just over $5 billion. It remains more than a $1 billion below where it was five years ago, a testament to the lingering downturn of the farm economy.
“It is important for lawmakers, many of whom are new to the Senate and Assembly this year, to understand not only the economic situation many farmers find themselves in, but also the positive impacts farms make to the rural economy and overall well-being of New York State,” said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher during a press conference call with members of the media.
A top priority for New York Farm Bureau is making sure the final state budget agreement reflects the needs of farmers. The organization was very pleased to see Governor Cuomo increase the aid to localities budget for agriculture by $5 million to more than $29 million. This commitment to much needed research, promotion and marketing programs supports a wide range of commodities, including dairy, wine, maple, apple, Christmas trees, onions and more.
The Governor’s office has traditionally left this funding to the legislature to fill in the gaps, but with a new Senate majority, the Governor is expressing to the members and the rest of the state, why agriculture funding is so important.
“New York Farm Bureau will firmly make the case that this appropriation is much needed so New York farms can access the latest research available and improve their ability to compete in the marketplace,” said Fisher.
New York Farm Bureau also supports the $300 million slated for the Environmental Protection Fund, including money to assist farms that must cope with extreme weather conditions and to improve soil health.
“Farmers take great pride in passing on their land to the next generation, and that means having productive land and clean water that are protected for the future,” said Fisher.
Another legislative priority this year is for New York State to expand on the Farm Workforce Retention Tax Credit that left out many farm families when it was enacted in 2016.
New York Farm Bureau has repeatedly expressed how the rising minimum wage in New York makes it difficult on farms’ bottom lines. The minimum wage climbed again at the end of last year. It is now $11.10 in upstate New York and $12 on Long Island and Westchester County.
Farm Bureau opposed the hike but was successful in getting an employee tax credit to offset a fraction of the rising costs. However, it did not apply to all farm employers including Christmas tree and maple operations, farm wineries and cideries. New York Farm Bureau is hoping that will change.
“State investment can help offset a portion of the state mandated wage hike. We were pleased to see the Governor has included this in his budget as well,” said Fisher.
Another public policy goal is to change the unemployment insurance law that currently requires farmers to pay unemployment insurance for H-2A workers, even though the workers are unable to collect it.
H-2A is a federal guest worker program that allows farms to hire and transport seasonal workers from other countries to New York for a set period of time. Once a farmworker’s contract expires, the employee must return to their home country. However, New York requires farms to pay the unemployment insurance on these farmworkers…even though the employees will never collect it. If they leave the job, they must return home and are ineligible to collect. The money is then absorbed by New York State.
“This is a common-sense fix to a long-standing regulation that increases the cost of doing business with no tangible benefit to the farmworker or farm,” said Jeff Williams, New York Farm Bureau’s Director of Public Policy.
Another top priority for New York Farm Bureau is to support training for police and district attorneys who investigate animal cruelty laws under the current statute in Agriculture and Markets Law.
New York Farm Bureau was successful in 2015, by working with the New York State Humane Association, to pass a law to help train law enforcement on animal cruelty laws already on the books. However, there has been no budget funding made available to implement this training. New York Farm, Bureau believes that needs to change.
“Farmers take animal care seriously and believe law enforcement could be better equipped to deal with abuse cases by receiving adequate training on Agriculture and Markets Law,” said Williams.
In the end, President Fisher said, “New York Farm Bureau will work hard to educate lawmakers, especially new members of the State Legislature, on the value our farms provide to all of New York and hopefully help them understand the impacts their decisions have, both positively and negatively, on our farm families, farmworkers and the rural economy.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 January 2019 at 9:51 am
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily reopened some Farm Service Agency offices during the government shutdown to help farmers process payments.
The FSA office in Albion remains closed, but Genesee County’s office in Batavia is open today and on Tuesday. Orleans County farmers are welcome to go there for any assistance.
The office is at 29 Liberty St., Batavia. Call (585) 343-9167 for more information. The FSA wants to help farmers close out the calendar year and process their 1099 tax forms.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that many Farm Service Agency offices will reopen temporarily in the coming days to perform certain limited services for farmers and ranchers.
FSA offices have been closed since Dec. 28 because of the lapse in federal funding. The USDA has recalled about 2,500 FSA employees to open offices yesterday, today and Tuesday during normal business hours. The offices will be closed for the federal Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday.
In almost half of FSA locations, FSA staff will be available to assist agricultural producers with existing farm loans and to ensure the agency provides 1099 tax documents to borrowers by the Internal Revenue Service’s deadline.
“Until Congress sends President Trump an appropriations bill in the form that he will sign, we are doing our best to minimize the impact of the partial federal funding lapse on America’s agricultural producers,” Perdue said in a news release. “We are bringing back part of our FSA team to help producers with existing farm loans. Meanwhile, we continue to examine our legal authorities to ensure we are providing services to our customers to the greatest extent possible during the shutdown.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 January 2019 at 9:58 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: A combine is shown on Oct. 12 in Barre on West Barre Road during the harvest season.
Tractors and other slow-moving vehicles will be able to go faster on public roads in New York after the governor signed legislation, increasing the maximum speed from 25 to 35 miles per hour.
“A NYFB legislative victory in 2018 is now law thanks to the Governor’s signature,” New York Farm Bureau posted on Twitter on Friday. “Farm equipment can now travel at speeds up to 35 mph while using the slow moving vehicle emblem.”
The legislation will take effect in the spring.
The tractors, combines and construction vehicles need to have orange triangular signs to show they are slow-moving vehicles.
The legislation was sponsored in the State Senate by Pam Helming, a Republican from Canandaigua, and in the Assembly by Carrie Woerner, a Democrat from Saratoga County.
State legislators approved the higher speed limit, saying farm equipment has improved and can go faster than 25 mph – even 35 mph.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 January 2019 at 8:06 pm
ALBANY – The New York Farm Bureau has recognized three state legislators whose districts include part of Orleans County to the annual “Circle of Friends.”
The award is an indication of the individual lawmaker’s support of New York agriculture and Farm Bureau, NYFB said. The Circle of Friends includes 160 of the state’s 213 members of the Legislature.
State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, and Assembly members Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, and Michael Norris, R-Lockport, were all named to the Circle of Friends.
The designation is not an endorsement, and this distinction only recognizes the 2018 legislative session, NYFB said.
“New York Farm Bureau recognizes these Senators and Assembly members for their legislative work that has a positive impact on the diverse agricultural community in this state,” David Fisher, president of New York Farm Bureau, said about the 160 state legislators. “We appreciate their support of bills and budget items that matter to farm families, and we look forward to continuing the partnership in the 2019 session. The collaboration ultimately benefits the rural economy and all the people who value local food production.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 December 2018 at 9:32 am
BATAVIA – Next month’s Corn Congress will include advice from three corn growers who have topped 300 bushels per acre in yields.
Matt Kludt of Kendall, Henry Everman of Dansville and Jay Swede of Pavilion will be panelists at the Corn Congress on Jan. 9 in Batavia and Jan. 10 in Waterloo.
Kludt of Kludt Brothers Farm in 2017 was the state champion for the third straight year in an annual corn yield contest. Kludt won the title last year with a yield of 322.4 bushels per acre.
Cornell Cooperative Extension’s NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team organizes the Corn Congress to help farmers improve corn grain and silage production.
The three farmers will be on a panel – “NY 300 Bushel Corn Club – How Do They Do It?” Reaching 300-bushel corn is not an easy feat to accomplish in the Corn Belt let alone New York, the Extension said.
“It takes a lot of knowledge of your land, good agronomics, some experimentation, good soils and the right weather from Mother Nature,” the Extension said.
These three farmers have all topped the 300-bushel milestone in official corn yield contests.
The guest speaker for the Corn Congress will be Dr. J. Julian Smith, who will discuss, “Fertility Management for High Yield Corn.”
Dr. Smith is currently president and co-founder of CZO Agronomics, a global consulting group devoted to technical advisory and end-to-end project management services in agribusiness and horticulture. His career has been primarily concerned with plant nutrition and specialty products, as well as their positioning within the agricultural market-places of North America and Europe. The latter half of Dr. Smith’s career has focused on micro-nutrient, bio-stimulant, biological and plant growth regulator product application for all crops.
The forum on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 will also include discussion about corn diseases in 2018; the Pigweed Invasion: Waterhemp and Palmer Amaranth; pesticides and pollinators; Corn caterpillar pests on the rise; and the new farm Bill.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2018 at 9:38 pm
Photo courtesy of Tony Piedimonte
Holley vegetable grower Tony Piedimonte took this photo last week in New York City when he was at the New York Produce Show and Conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Piedimonte spotted this display at the show and was impressed with the creativity. The red stripes in the flag were created with rows of red peppers and the white stripes are cauliflower. The stars in the upper left corner are garlic.
Piedimonte said the show is a chance for farmers and ag organizations to connect with wholesalers, chain stores and other buyers in the New York City area and northeast.
