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.
