By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 March 2018 at 11:30 am
File photo: This photo from July 2013 shows Extension Director Robert Batt, who was then the president of the Fair Board, and Kerri Richardson, who was then community educator for the Cornell Cooperative Extension, gearing up for 4-H Fair in Knowlesville. The Extension will soon get a new digital sign allowing the organization to list more events.
KNOWLESVILLE – The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County has been awarded a $4,535.75 to purchase and install a multicolor LED sign on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. The new sign will allow the Extension to better promote agriculture education and events.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced the funding on Friday. It was part of nearly $600,000 for research, promotion, and development projects to strengthen New York State’s diverse agricultural industry and spur economic growth across the state.
The funding for the Extension was approved by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority.
Other grants approved by the GVRMA include $300,000 to the New York State Agricultural Experimental Station in Geneva with $260,000 going to malting barley research in New York State and $40,000 dedicated to enhance the location of the Institute for Food Safety.
The Board also awarded $200,000 to the New York Wine & Grape Foundation to support its successful NY Drinks NY program, a promotional effort showcasing New York’s wine and grape industries.
In addition, the GVRMA Board awarded the following projects that will boost the promotion and marketing of New York’s agricultural industry:
• NYS Wine & Culinary Center – $15,000 for the promotion of its annual craft beer festival, a public awareness campaign to promote beer production and hops growers.
• Finger Lakes Wine Alliance – $15,000 for the promotion of NYS Rieslings in the Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany markets.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County – $15,000 to support Monroe County farmers in their efforts to create and promote agritourism on their farms.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County – $4,535.75 to purchase and install a multicolor LED sign on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
• Irondequoit Farmers’ Market – $5,736.12 to develop a “Nutritional Fact Book” and promotional materials that will promote the value of fresh fruits, vegetables and plants available at the market.
• Bishop Kearney High School – $15,000 to build a vegetable garden greenhouse where students will learn the importance of sustainable agriculture and develop a deeper understanding of the food that they consume.
• City of Geneva – $11,842 to purchase an open burners range and two dry storage cages, which will be used in the City of Geneva’s KitGen, a shared culinary incubator production space for tenants.
• Homesteads for Hope – $15,000 for a construction and cost feasibility study for an Agri-Enterprise Center, which would be used as a general store, farm café, community classroom and rentable event space on Homesteads for Hope’s 55-acre farm property for young adults with autism.
“These investments in research, promotion, and business development are critical to sustaining and growing a wide range of projects that benefit the agricultural community,” Commissioner Ball said. “I thank GVRMA for their partnership, which has allowed for resources to be targeted to assisting the industry across the Genesee Valley and New York State.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 March 2018 at 2:48 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – An elementary student gets a close look at chick that recently hatched in the Albion ag shop.
There were many of the chicks, just a few days old, featured at Mini-Farm Day today at Albion Central School.
FFA members introduced elementary students to a variety of animals and farm equipment.
Abbie Pappalardo, a sophomore at Albion, introduces elementary students to a Holland lop-eared rabbit as part of Mini-Farm Day. Abbie was joined by Kendall Derisley, left.
Myra Rosario and Paige Derisley show off a goat named Gus.
Nick Sacco and Bryce Pritchard discuss a sprayer and its long booms to a group of fifth graders. Panek Farms brought the sprayer and two tractors for the Mini-Farm Day. Poverty Hill Farms, a dairy in Albion, also brought a chopper for the display.
Meganne Moore walks Oops, her miniature horse, before returning to the ag shop where Oops was popular with the elementary students.
Provided photos from Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County
This week has been Agricultural Literacy Week across New York State and 2nd graders around Orleans County have been reading “Before We Eat, From Farm To Table” by Pat Brisson, illustrated by Mary Azarian, to learn more about agriculture and the food system in New York State.
Molly Kotarski, the Orleans County Ag in the Classroom Educator, visited second graders in Lyndonville today. She brought along items which allowed the students to “dress up” as different workers and parts of the local food system – including the cows which provide milk for the making of yogurt.
Other workers include farmers/growers, truck drivers (including a milk truck driver), processing plant worker, grocery store worker. Students discussed what careers are available within the local food system.
The book teaches students how fruit and vegetable crops as well as dairy products are grown, stored, processed and sold to consumers.
Kotarski is shown on Wednesday when she visited Kendall students. Kristina Gabalski, the 4-H program coordinator for the Cooperative Extension, read to Holley students on Tuesday. The Extension provided books and lesson plans to the Albion and Medina FFA for those chapters to reach out to second-graders in their schools.
According to New York Agriculture in the Classroom, understanding not only how food grows, but the systems in place to safely move that food to our plates is powerful. Through building student awareness and understanding of local food systems, we are empowering them to choose a career that will directly impact their local economies and health of their communities.
Provided photo: Albion FFA students joined Farm Bureau members from Genesee and Erie counties at meeting with State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer at Lobby Days. Pictured, from left, front row: Bailey Nesbitt, Haley Black, Alex Rustay and Karli Henchen. Pictured in back row: Christian Yunker (Genesee CFB), Adam Krenning (Albion FFA Advisor), Justin Robinson (Albion FFA), Natasha Sutherland (Genesee CFB), Senator Ranzenhofer, James Kingston (Genesee CFB), Hal Kreher and Daren Phillips (both from Erie CFB).
Press Release, Orleans County Farm Bureau
ALBANY – Representatives from the Orleans County Farm Bureau spent two days in Albany visiting with lawmakers on March 5-6 to highlight the organization’s state public policy priorities for the year.
The Orleans County farm Bureau also sponsored five students from the Albion FFA to attend. They kicked things off with the popular Taste of New York Reception for state lawmakers, commissioners and staff. Following the evening event, members participated in the annual Lobby Day on Tuesday, March 6, where they met with both their local state senators and Assembly members as well as New York City lawmakers that the Orleans County Farm Bureau adopted.
Orleans County Farm Bureau advocated for a number of priorities this year. The organization supports doubling of the minimum wage tax credit from $30 million to $60 million. The minimum wage tax credit, while only covering a fraction of the mandated increased labor costs, would be especially important in light of the down farm economy.
Farmers also advocated for important budget funding for a myriad of agricultural research, promotion and marketing programs. They also asked for funding to support Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences capital and faculty seed funds to maintain facilities and keep and attract much needed faculty and research. Farm Bureau also supports increasing the state’s lunch reimbursement rate for school districts that purchase 30 percent of New York grown, produced and processed food. In addition, Farm Bureau is supporting the Environmental Protection Fund program that provide cost sharing for critical water quality and farmland protection projects.
Finally, New York Farm Bureau’s priorities include allowing for the registration of UTV’s for legal travel on roads from farm to field, opposing unworkable farm labor mandates and supporting the removal of an acreage requirement for farms in the agricultural assessment program as long as they meet income eligibility requirements.
These priorities are based on member-approved public policies that originate every year at the county Farm Bureau level and are passed by the full delegate body at New York Farm Bureau’s State Annual Meeting in December.
In addition to advocating for priorities with lawmakers, Orleans County Farm Bureau members also participated in a special panel discussion with the Commissioners from the Departments of Agriculture and Markets and Labor as well as the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Chief of Staff. Members were able to ask questions about a number of issues facing the state’s family farms.
Orleans County Farm Bureau members took time away from their farms to travel to the State Capitol to visit with their lawmakers about many important issues facing agriculture. It is imperative for famers to share their stories with every level of government. The better our representatives understand the impact of their decisions on agriculture, the better it will be for local farmers and our rural communities.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2018 at 4:23 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Olivia Krenning, an Albion seventh-grader, recites the FFA creed during the Orleans County Farmer to Neighbor Dinner last Saturday.
Olivia’s father, Adam, is the Albion FFA advisor and agriculture teacher. Mr. Krenning has served in the role for 18 years. When he started, he said there were only 70 FFA programs in the state and now there are nearly 200, with new chapters recently starting nearby in Barker, Roy-Hart, Warsaw, Pavilion and Attica.
Albion has started a land lab where students grow crops with some expertise from local farmers. That food is harvested and used in a field to table class, where students learn about canning, dehydration, freezing and cooking. Kenning said the program is looking to add an ag engineering class.
State Sen. Rob Ortt said five FFA students from Albion recently visited him in Albion to voice their support for agriculture and FFA programs. Alan Panek, second from right, is the Orleans County Farm Bureau president. Farm Bureau paid for the students’ expenses with the trip to the state capitol.
The three students, from left, include: Justin Robinson, Haley Black and Carli Henchen.
Ortt said agriculture is an important “economic driver” for the state, especially in the rural communities.
He said he would push in the state budget negotiations to keep funding for agriculture programs, including research and development.
Barry Flansburg served as emcee for the event, which was attended by 170 people at the White Birch Golf Course on March 10. The Farmer to Neighbor Night is now in its 20th year, an annual event before the busy spring planting season.
Flansburg is a member of the Albion FFA Alumni, which helps organize the annual Farmer to Neighbor Night and also the annual food drive where farmers donate more than 30,000 pounds of produce to Community Action.
Leaders from different agricultural agencies addressed the group. Robert Batt is executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, which has several specialists working with fruit, vegetable and other farm sectors.
Amanda Krenning-Muoio is a senior field representative for Orleans County. She said Farm Bureau continues to advocate for farmers at the local, state and national levels. Mike Southcott of the Southcott Agency, in back, is a long-time sponsor of Farmer to Neighbor Night.
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today announced new legislation, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act, to create a new “price floor” for milk that would help New York’s dairy farmers continue operating while milk prices are historically low.
Gillibrand’s legislation would work in tandem with the Margin Protection Program (MPP) and would bring back effective provisions of older dairy programs to create a “price floor” for milk. The “price floor” would be set at $23.34 per hundredweight, and would adjust over time for inflation. Historically low milk prices are devastating New York’s dairy farming communities, and this legislation would improve the existing safety net to stabilize these farms during periods of very low milk prices.
“New York is blessed with more than 4,000 dairy farms, and even more hardworking men and women who wake up before the sun comes up every single day, to produce the milk we need to stay healthy,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Historically low milk prices are creating a crisis for our farmers and dairy communities, and Congress needs to fix this problem now. My new bill, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act guarantees a minimum price for dairy farmers, to ensure that our farmers don’t go bankrupt every time prices drop.”
When milk prices drop below the price floor, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act would automatically trigger a payment to stabilize New York dairy farm operations. The current MPP program would continue to operate for dairy farmers’ milk prices when they are above the price floor, but during periods of very low milk prices, the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act would pay eligible farmers 45 percent of the difference between $23.34 per hundredweight and the current All Milk price. MPP-participating farms would be eligible for payments from the Dairy Farm Sustainability Act on up to the first 5 million pounds of production.
The Dairy Farm Sustainability Act would be included as a provision in the new five-year Farm Bill being drafted in the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Gary and Nancy Thering accept the Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) award for Conservation Farmer of the Year from Katie Sommerfeldt, the district technician for the Orleans County Sol & Water Conservation District.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2018 at 9:37 am
Thering Family Farm works to protect soil, environment
Gary Thering thanked the Soil & Water staff for helping the farm implement many conservation practices.
GAINES – A Yates family that has been farming together on Millers Road since 1976 was honored on Wednesday for their years of conservation practices.
Gary and Nancy Thering grow corn, mixed hay and apples. They also have 85 cows, 25 heifers, 42 calves and Black Angus bulls. The Therings are known for their mini straw bales. They designed and built a twine baler that turns 800-pound round straw bales into mini bales.
The Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District honored the farm on Wednesday as the 2017 “Conservation Farmer of the Year.”
The farm has worked to optimize soil health and reduce erosion by installing drainage tile, rotating crops, and reducing chemical usage as part of Integrated Pest Management. The Therings target use of pesticides.
They built a covered feedlot and also an Agrichemical Handling and Mixing facility which reduces runoff.
“We never could have done it by ourselves,” Gary Thering said during a luncheon Wednesday at Tillman’s Village Inn.
He thanked the Soil & Water staff for their expertise in helping the farm implement many of the soil-saving practices. The Therings have worked with Soil & Water since 1999 to participate in the Agricultural Environmental Management program.
“We’re very, very grateful,” Thering said. “It makes our farm better. It makes our community better.”
Soil & Water presented these photos of Thering Family Farm, where Gary and Nancy have been farming together since 1976 on Millers Road.
During the meeting 73rd annual meeting of Soil & Water on Wednesday, staff reviewed accomplishments from 2017, which included:
• Surveying and designing 56 miles of drainage tile for farmers
• Working with local highway departments to survey and design 22 culvert replacements and 8,175 feet of drainage ditches
• Implementing Best Management Practices for several farms, with projects including two grassed waterways, a silage leachate collection and treatment system, a covered feedlot, 3,340 feet of exclusion fencing to keep livestock out of local streams, 55 acres of conservation cover, and 1,959 acres of cover crops
• Purchasing a new tractor and boom mower that was shared with the 10 towns, county and Oak Orchard Small Watershed Protection District to mow and clean drainage ditches throughout the county, which helps keep water moving and reduces flooding. The “Slashbuster” was used to clear and open up 17,315 feet of stream blockages.
• Soil & Water also was awarded several grants. One from the NYS Ag Non Point Source Pollution program helped pay for a covered feedlot for a local farm.
• Soil & Water also used 10 separate grants from the NYS Grown & Certified program for five variable rate sprayers, four micro irrigation systems, and one Agrichemical Handling Facility.
• The district also received funding the through the North Atlantic Aquatic Conductivity Collaborative program to assess 160 culverts in the lower Oak Orchard Watershed for structural integrity and aquatic conductivity (fish passage).
• The district also distributed 8,000 tree and shrub seedlings and transplants to 120 landowners for conservation practices.
• Soil & Water also runs a fish program and distributed 2,800 yearling bass, bluegill and minnows to seven farm fishpond owners, and also distributed 27 grass carp to four pond owners to help control nuisance weeds.
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced new legislation, the Dairy Premium Refund Act, to return insurance premiums to farmers who paid millions of dollars for an insurance program that left them empty-handed when milk prices plummeted.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service 2016 reports, New York State dairy farmers are a major economic driver in the state and produce more than $2.51 billion worth of milk per year on 4,420 farms across 53 counties.
“I’ve heard from dairy farmers all over New York that the current dairy insurance program is not working,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Right now, our dairy farmers are in the midst of a serious financial slump through no fault of their own. Milk prices are now much lower than the cost it takes for farmers to produce that milk, and farmers are struggling to pay their workers and their bills. The Dairy Margin Protection Program was supposed to help our dairy farmers in situations like this, but even though farmers have paid millions of dollars into the program, they’ve barely been paid out a dime. My bill would put all of those unused insurance premiums back into the pockets of our dairy farmers, who work day and night to provide milk for our families are and deserve better than the raw deal they’re getting with the current dairy insurance program.”
The Dairy Margin Protection Program (DMPP) is the primary insurance option for dairy farmers when the price paid to farmers falls or feed costs rise. Thousands of New York dairy farmers paid millions of dollars to the USDA for this insurance, but when milk prices and feed prices fall at the same time as they did last year, farmers often lose money on every pound of milk they sell and few farmers receive an insurance payment.
Senator Gillibrand’s legislation would ensure that dairy farmers automatically receive a check in the mail at the end of the production year for any insurance premium funds not used to pay claims to them during the previous year. Currently, these leftover funds are given to the U.S. Department of Treasury rather than to the farmers who paid them. This bill proposes no new spending, would provide payments retroactively since the DMPP program was implemented in 2015, and would apply to all future MPP program years.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Adam Krenning, Albion FFA advisor and agricultural teacher, helps unload food donated by local farmers during the FFA’s annual food drive on Dec. 16. More than 35,000 pounds of food was donated by local farmers.
Local farmers can now get a state tax credit for produce donations to food banks and other emergency food programs.
The credit is worth 25 percent of the fair market value of the donations, with the credit capped at $5,000 a year. For example, if a farmer donated $12,000 worth of food, the farmer could be eligible for 25 percent of that or $3,000 in a tax credit.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today urged New York farmers to pursue the tax credit, beginning January 1, 2018.
The tax credit is expected to save farmers a total of $10 million annually. According to the New York Farm Bureau, farmers across the state donated more than nine million pounds of food in 2017, which helped provide more than seven million meals to New Yorkers in need.
“This administration is committed to stomping out hunger in every corner of New York, and by establishing an incentive to increase access to farm-fresh products, we are one step closer to this goal,” Governor Cuomo said. “Refunding farmers for their generous food donations not only supports the state’s agricultural economy, but encourages more New Yorkers to help end hunger in our communities once and for all.”
Following a recommendation of Governor Cuomo’s Anti-Hunger Task Force, the tax credit was enacted to compensate farmers for costs associated with harvesting, packaging, and distributing local products to eligible food pantries, food banks and other emergency food programs across the state. Increased donations will help meet the growing demand for fresh, healthful foods in underserved communities across New York.
The tax credit is supported by the New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy. Eligible donations include fresh fruits and vegetables grown or produced in New York State and provided to emergency food programs that qualify for tax exempt status. To claim the credit, the taxpayer must receive proof of the donation in the form of a receipt or written acknowledgment from the eligible food program.
A fact sheet on eligibility requirements for the tax credit is available by clicking here.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said, “Our farmers aren’t just great at growing food, every year they are among the leading donors to food banks, food pantries and similar organizations. Their donations provide fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables to millions of New York families that may otherwise go without. At the Governor’s direction, the State has worked hard to develop this tax credit to reward farmers for their generosity and spur economic growth in the agricultural industry, and to feed even more New Yorkers who need it most.”
New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “New York Farm Bureau is excited to see the rollout of the Farm to Food Bank Tax Credit. This has been a priority issue for our organization’s members who routinely donate to their regional food banks and local pantries. The credit will help offset the costs of picking, packing and transporting the food to the donation centers, while also increasing access of fresh, local food to New Yorkers in need. We appreciate Governor Cuomo and his agency staff’s efforts to make this day a reality.”
Orleans had 13th most ag revenue out of 62 counties last time in Census
Photo by Tom Rivers: Onions grow on the muck, which covers about 5,000 acres in Orleans and Genesee counties.
WASHINGTON – Farmers have a week to respond to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture.
Every five years the National Agricultural Statistics Service does the Census of Agriculture. Producers should respond online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail by February 5. The online questionnaire offers new timesaving features.
The Census of Agriculture is the only NASS questionnaire mailed to every producer across the country. The Census provides a complete account of the industry, its changes, and emerging trends. Census data are widely used, often relied on when developing the Farm Bill and other farm policy, and when making decisions about disaster relief, community planning, technology development, and more.
“We are asking producers to help show our nation the value and importance of American agriculture,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “We need to hear from all of our farmers and ranchers, no matter how big or how small their part of agriculture. The Census is their voice, their future, their opportunity. Please respond now.”
The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed a big jump in farm revenue in Orleans County. The revenue from farms totaled $150.3 million in 2012 for sales of fruit, vegetables, milk, livestock and other farm products, a 48.8 percent jump from the $101.0 million recorded in 2007, according to the Agricultural Census.
Orleans ranked 13th of the 62 counties in New York for farm revenue. Wyoming County claimed the top spot in the state at $318.5 million in 2012.
State-wide, the numbers increased 24.9 percent to $5.52 billion in 2012. That was up by $1.1 billion from the $4.42 billion in 2007.
Everyone who received the 2017 Census of Agriculture questionnaire is to return it, even if they are not currently farming, NASS said. The first few qualifying questions on the form will determine whether completing the entire questionnaire is necessary.
After the Feb. 5 deadline, NASS will begin following-up with additional mailings, e-mails, phone calls, and personal appointments. To avoid these additional contacts, farmers and ranchers are asked to complete their Census as soon as possible.
“It is important that every producer respond to the Census of Agriculture so that they are represented and reflected in the data,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “These statistics can directly impact producers for years. Without their input, our hardworking farmers and ranchers risk being underserved.”
For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. For questions or assistance with the Census, call toll-free (888) 424-7828.
Photo from NYS Ag Society: Pictured from left include at the New York State Agricultural Society meeting in Syracuse on Jan. 4 include from left: Commissioner Richard Ball, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; John and Cheryl Kast; Amanda and Brett Kast; Elizabeth Claypoole, NYS Ag Society; Mark Modzeleski, The Voss Group, award sponsor.
Staff Reports Posted 16 January 2018 at 9:31 am
Brett and John Kast embrace new technology, apple varieties and other crops
Press Release, NYS Agricultural Society
SYRACUSE – An Albion farm was recognized recently with a “Next Generation Farmer Award” at the New York State Agricultural Society annual meeting.
Kast Farms is a Century Farm dating back to 1884. Brett and John Kast are brothers who represent the fifth family generation to operate this diversified fruit, vegetable and grain operation in Orleans County.
Using new precision technology, partnering with Cornell University and others, and trying their hand at experimental crops like industrial hemp has enabled the brothers to uniquely challenge the status quo to help grow farm profitability, the Ag Society said.
The Kast family got their start in farming in 1884 when Aldelbert Chapman purchased the original 140-acre farmstead. Since that time, the Albion-based operation has grown to 4,500 acres. It’s a diversified fruit, vegetable, and grain operation that takes full advantage of Orleans County soil and climate afforded by its proximity to Lake Ontario.
John and Brett Kast pursued separate careers off the farm prior to returning home within the last 10 years. Until 2012, John was employed by the Buffalo and Fort Worth zoos. Brett worked in the Texas oil business before returning in 2008. The family business has immediately felt their combined impact. Owned and leased orchard acreage has increased, and the brothers created their own land limited liability corporation, adding another 600 acres of crop land.
Using new precision technology has allowed the pair to put their own stamp on Kast Farms, including prescription planting, fertilizing and spraying. Working with Cornell University and others, new consumer-friendly apples such as RubyFrost and SnapDragon are being grown on tall spindles and the future may dictate even more diverse varieties. For the past four years, Kast Farms has been malting barley and growing industrial hemp. Partnering with Farm Fresh First, they’ve expanded into spinach production, all with an eye to adapt and drive efficiencies for where customers and new markets are driving.
Both brothers believe that having off-the-farm work experience has enabled them to uniquely challenge the status quo to help grow farm profitability. But they’re quick to look to long time employees, vendors and Cornell to mine for new ideas, efficiencies and mentoring. “It’s this combination that has allowed the farm to continue to grow and be profitable,” John said.
Established in 1832, the mission of the NYS Agricultural Society is to foster, promote, and improve the NYS food and agricultural industry through education, leadership development and recognition programs. It has played a vital role in the development of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Cornell University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, the NYS Fair, and the Empire State Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute (LEAD NY). In 2011, the NYS Agricultural Society Foundation was formed.
Provided photo: NYS Ag and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, front left, congratulates Jim Bittner on being recognized with the New York State Agricultural Society Distinguished Service Citation on Thursday in Syracuse. Also pictured, front row, third from left: Margo Sue Bittner, NY Farm Bureau representative Sandy Prokop, and NY AG Society President Beth Claypoole. Back Row: Kevin Bittner of Barker, David Bittner of Lyndonville, Janet Walker of Holley, and Award Committee Chair Richard Church.
The New York State Agricultural Society, the oldest Agricultural organization in New York State, honored Jim Bittner of Appleton with a Distinguished Service Citation at its 186th annual meeting on Thursday in Syracuse.
New York State Commissioner of Ag and Markets Richard Ball thanked Bittner for his service on various committees and pointed out that the Ag Society is like a family reunion. Producers, academics, political leaders and others involved in some aspect of agriculture come to celebrate this vital industry.
After relating Bittner’s history on the family beef farm and with Bittner Singer Orchards, presenter Richard Church, quoted nominator David Grusemeyer, New York Farm Viability Executive Director, who said, “Jim was a founding board member and later led the NYFVI as its chair with a level head, steady hand, and inquisitive spirit.”
Commissioner Ball confirmed that adding, “The industry is stronger today because of his great work.”
Church then listed the various agricultural organizations in which Bittner is involved: Niagara County and NY Farm Bureau, US Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching, NYS Advisory Council on Agriculture, New York Specialty Crop Advisory Committee, Agricultural Labor Advisory Group, SILO committee, Cornell School of Ag and Life Science’s Deans Advisory Committee, and Council of Agricultural Organizations. In addition, he has served on the NYS Horticultural Society Board of Directors.
In the community, Bittner is a long-time member of the Barker Lions Club and works with the Lewiston Kiwanis to have Niagara County peaches at their annual festival.
New York Farm Bureau Executive Director Jeff Williams thanked Jim for his service pointing out that they have worked together since 1975 when they were NY Future Farmers of America officers together. Williams pointed out the numerous lobbying activities in both Albany and Washington in which Bittner has participated.
In his “thank you” speech, Bittner acknowledged those who helped and supported him along the way: his parents, Joe and Theresa Bittner; children Kevin, Janet and David; wife Margo; and the two farmers who gave him the opportunity to farm, Frederick Atwater and Tom Singer.
Bittner also encouraged the group to reach out to those outside of agriculture to promote understanding.
“If you aren’t at the table, you may be on the menu,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 December 2017 at 3:24 pm
Three local state legislators are among the 172 elected officials named to New York Farm Bureau’s “Circle of Friends.”
State Assembly members Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, and Michael Norris, R-Lockport, both made the list and so did State Sen. Robert Ortt, R-North Tonawanda. Hawley’s district includes all of Orleans except Shelby, as well as Genesee and western Monroe. Norris’s district includes Shelby in Orleans, as well as parts of Niagara and Erie counties. Ortt’s district includes all of Orleans, Niagara and western Monroe.
New York Farm Bureau has released its annual “Circle of Friends,” naming 172 New York State Legislators to the distinguished list. The award is an indication of the individual lawmaker’s support of New York agriculture and Farm Bureau, NYFB said.
The “Circle of Friends” is not an endorsement, and this distinction only recognizes the 2017 legislative session. The honor is based upon each legislator’s voting record on issues of agricultural importance as well as other evidence of legislative support, including sponsorship of bills that New York Farm Bureau has either supported or opposed during the most recent legislative session.
“New York Farm Bureau selected these Senators and Assembly members because of their commitment to the hard-working farm families in New York,” said David Fisher, President of New York Farm Bureau. “We appreciated their support on a whole host of bills and budget items this year, and we look forward to collaborating with them as a new session is about to begin. It is imperative that we work together to support local food production and the agricultural economy that benefit all New Yorkers.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 December 2017 at 11:50 am
Wins yield contest with 322-bushels-per-acre
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from August 2016 shows corn on Brown Road in Albion.
KENDALL – Matt Kludt from Kludt Brothers Farm is the state champion for the third straight year in an annual corn yield contest.
Kludt won the no-till/strip-till non-irrigated class with a yield of 322.4 bushels per acre. He used a seed from Channel 201-00DGVT2PRIB.
Ryan Swede of Pavilion was second at 307.6 bushels per acre with Kludt close behind in third place with another entry at 306.6 bushels per acre.
Last year Kludt won with a yield of 298.5 acres in the no-till/strip-till non-irrigated class. Kludt also won the title in 2015 with 319.7 bushels per acre.
The National Corn Growers Association has announced the winners of the 2017 National Corn Yield Contest. There were five national entries that surpassed the 400-plus bushel per acre mark, including David Hula of Charles City, VA, with the biggest yield – 542.3 bushels with a seed from Pioneer. Hula competes in the no-till/strip-till irrigated class.
The contest is in its 53rd year and remains NCGA’s most popular program for members.
“The contest provides farmers more than just an opportunity for friendly competition; it generates data that impacts future production practices across the industry,” said Roger Zylstra, chair of NCGA’s Stewardship Action Team. “The techniques first developed by contest winners grow into far-reaching advances, helping farmers across the country excel in a variety of situations. Our contest emphasizes innovation both from growers and technology providers, thus enabling us to meet the growing demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber.”
Winners receive national recognition in publications such as the NCYC Corn Yield Guide, as well as cash trips or other awards from participating sponsoring seed, chemical and crop protection companies. The winners will be honored during Commodity Classic 2018 in Anaheim, Calif.
Click here to visit National Corn Growers Association website www.ncga.com for the complete list of National and State winners.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Tim Winters is president and chief executive officer of Western New York Energy in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 December 2017 at 11:17 am
MEDINA – Tim Winters, 48, is chief executive officer of Western New York Energy, a company that celebrated its 10th anniversary of production last week.
Winters joined the in September 2007, soon before it opened and began turning corn into ethanol. WNY Energy initially planned to use 20 million bushels of corn annually to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol.
The output proved a conservative number because the company is on pace to produce 62 million gallons this year. All of the ethanol is blended and used in the Rochester and Buffalo markets.
The facility also produces high-protein distiller’s grains for livestock and the CO2 is captured and used for food and soda industries. The company pays more than $1 million in taxes locally each year.
John Sawyer and his son Mike were influential in getting the plant built. John was the company’s first CEO and president. He died from leukemia at age 72 on Oct. 13, 2013. Mike followed his father as the company’s CEO and president. Mike died while hiking in the Adirondacks at age 43 due a medical condition on Aug. 18, 2016.
Tim Winters said the two Sawyers were critical in getting the plant built and in its success. Winters was interviewed on Friday at his office at WNY Energy, which is located at the corner of Bates Road and Maple Ridge Road.
A banner at the entrance of the plant notes that WNY Energy has produced more than 500 million gallons of ethanol in the past decade.
Question: What did you do at the start your career?
Answer: I was in the family business for several years and then had a couple different jobs. Then I moved out West for six years and worked for a large grain company in Oklahoma.
Question: Was that where you were right before Western New York Energy?
Answer: Yes.
Question: What did they do to lure you back home?
Answer: I was actually here getting remarried and was nosing around the company. The company I was with was talking with companies about building ethanol plants and grain elevators in Oklahoma. While I was back here I wondered what this new plant was all about. I ended up meeting Mike (Sawyer) and emailing Mike. He asked me what is it I do and I told him I was a controller. He said he was looking for a controller. It just kind of happened very quickly from there.
Question: What does a controller do?
Answer: A lot of everything. In a normal capacity it’s just accounting functions. But for us here at this company it’s a lot of dealing with some of the marketing, operational and working with the plant, helping to analyze data. I also do a fair amount of the IT. I have some grain experience so I was involved in that.
We’re a large company but it is small enough where I had the title of controller, but it was always whatever needed to be done.
A truck with grain from H & E Farms in Albion is unloaded last Friday at the ethanol plant.
Question: When you guys started I think you were taking in 20 million bushels to make 50 million gallons of ethanol. I thought the output ended up being more.
Answer: It was 50 million as the original name plate, that’s what the plant was designed for. We started running pretty much over that within months when we started.
Question: Was that because it was a conservative number?
Answer: They design these to be able to run a little bit harder. We were able to gain efficiencies and learn more about the plant to get more gallons out. It’s been pretty much a continuous trajectory up since then. Currently today we are running about 62 million gallons with a potential to run even higher.
Question: With 20 million bushels?
Answer: Yes. Twenty million is what we’ll grind this year. It will probably be 21 million next year. When we started we were probably grinding 17 to 18 million.
Question: That’s significant because I know one of the criticisms I’ve heard about ethanol is the amount of energy to produce it. You’ve made gains getting more out of the corn. It looks like you’re about 3 gallons for every bushel of corn.
Answer: A lot in the industry when it was started was about 2.7 to 2.75. Our average over the years I would say has been 2.9-plus. Every year you try to close in on that magic 3 number.
Question: Has it happened for you?
Answer: Not yet, but with the technology each year we’re getting a little bit closer.
Question: I wonder what could clinch it for you to hit the 3 level?
Answer: It doesn’t sound like a lot to go from 2.9 to a 3, but that’s actually a lot. For every hundredth that you get it’s a big step. It takes quite a bit to gain those little bits. When you think about it, take that .01 and multiply it by 20 million bushels. That’s a lot of gallons.
Question: (During the interview several trucks stop at the weigh station outside by Winters’ office) Is this a normal occurrence for you, having all of these trucks here?
Answer: Generally on average we take 75 a day.
Question: And that is throughout the year?
Answer: Yes. We have times in the year where there are more. It could be a hundred or more. We have unloaded as many as 200 corn trucks in a day in the past. Sometimes, it’s 40-50 a day. It really depends on how much is bought and the time of the year.
Question: In terms of the impact for the local farmers, they used to have to drive much farther, to Dunkirk perhaps to the Purina plant.
Answer: Or Arcade or Batavia.
Tim Winters keeps an eye on market prices at his office.
Question: When you’re driving farther, it can gobble up your day just with the added time.
Answer: Yes. An hour-and-a-half to 2-hour drive is not uncommon at all each way.
Question: With the local growers, including some in Medina, it must be awesome having you here so close by. And you can see all of the new grain bins that have been put up in the last 10 years, including the new one by Western New York Energy. (The WNY Energy bin can hold 800,000 bushels and was built about two years ago.) What was the reason for the new grain bin you added?
Answer: One of the big reasons we decided to do it was because as we continue to produce more, we needed to have more days of run time available. What if you got into a winter storm in the middle of January? With only a million bushels of storage, that was only around 15 to 17 days for us. That was kind of uncomfortable. So a larger capacity gives us that insurance if we have bad weather and at the same time gives us more options throughout the year. We can buy more during harvest than we could before.
Question: I think 50 people work here.
Answer: It’s 51 today. That includes Shelby Transportation.
Question: With that, you guys go get the corn? How does that work?
Answer: Yes. We get the corn and we also haul out some of the distiller’s. We do some other hauling as well.
Question: When you consider the distiller’s and the CO2, is there any waste here?
Answer: No. When we’re done there is nothing left of the corn kernel. We use every piece of it. We talked earlier about the gripe about using more energy than you’re making, but in reality in the most recent analysis it’s at least 2 to 1, sometimes 2 ½ to 1. For every energy unit we’re using, we’re creating that much more than what a gas refinery or oil refinery would be. They’re energy deficits.
The point I’m making is gaining all of those efficiencies and using all of your byproducts, you don’t have anything to burn off or waste to dispose of.
Question: I think there were more criticisms of the ethanol industry 15-20 years ago, but you don’t hear that much these days. Do you think ethanol has proven itself?
Answer: One of the great things about being in this industry is we are young, we are really just in the first 10 to 15 years of taking off. With the technology every day there is something new coming out. It’s really exciting to see what is could be coming down the pike.
Distiller’s grains are a byproduct of the ethanol process and are used to feed livestock including many cows in Western New York.
Question: I know some plants have doubled in size after they opened. Is that something that might happen here?
Answer: It’s something that we have considered, but it’s quite an investment. When you look at building capacity on that large of a scale, the cost per gallon is quite a bit higher than when we originally built the plant. It’s something you have to take a much harder look at because your payback is going to be much longer. We’ve chosen to take a more phased in approach. We built a new fermenter, we built some cooling capacity. We’ll continue to look at some of those projects maybe just building up in phases, rather than in one big lump sum. Not to say that could never happen, but right now the phased in approach is the best investment strategy for Western New York Energy.
Question: What kind of ripple effect do you think this plant has had on the farming community?
Answer: From what I remember, growing up in the family feed and grain business, yes it has had an impact. This area has always grown a lot of grain. Anybody who has lived here more than 20-30 years remembers that. There used to be a lot of government storage. There used to be a lot of excess storage and prices that the farmers received were very poor. I remember years that corn was maybe $1.50, $1.25 a bushel. Over the years that got tough for a family farm to stay in operation.
After we started – within months of after we started – farm families that I’ve known for all of my life, it wasn’t uncommon for some of them to come up to me in the grocery store and say, “Tim, we are so glad you and the plant are here because we were getting ready to sell the farm.”
Just look at the farms that have built bins, that have trucks. They are doing better to be able to make investments in new technologies and equipment. But farming is still farming. There are good years and there are bad years, but hopefully overall the averages are better than what it was.
Question: Not only are you here and the corn price is up, but the yields are also up. It seems like a good time to be a local corn grower.
Answer: Right now, if I put my farmer hat on, the price is not great. The Chicago Board of Trade today is trading around $3.50 (per bushel). That’s not great but it could be a lot worse.
There are farms out in the Midwest that are getting below $3 cash price.
Question: I thought you paid a little more than going rate?
Answer: There are a lot of factors that go into it. The term you’re looking for is basis. That’s the price, plus or minus whatever the Board is trading at. That really depends on the season and a lot of other market conditions. Sometimes it’s over. We have been under at times. But generally we’ve been paying over.
Question: Don’t you test the corn and based on the quality that affects the price?
Answer: Yes, there are several different quality factors that we evaluate for. For instance, if it is too high in moisture there is a small discount and a dockage that goes along with it. If there is too much foreign material, beeswings or weed seeds – things like that that aren’t corn – there are discounts for that. It’s all about quality, just like anything else.
Question: If it’s wetter than you want do you then have to dry it?
Answer: We don’t have a dryer. All we have are fans. We can take slightly wetter than we’re used to. But we can’t take 18 percent or even 17 percent (moisture). What ends up happening is if you take that wetter grain and put it in the middle somewhere, concrete or the bin, it will eventually rot. To store it for any amount of time it has to be 15.5 percent or below, preferably.
John Sawyer, right, and his son Mike Sawyer were the driving force in establishing Western New York Energy and the construction of the $90 million ethanol plant.
Question: The only sad part about this is that John and Mike Sawyer aren’t here today.
Answer: I agree.
Question: But they certainly brought an asset into the community. I like that the shareholders are local people. The plant has helped to bring some money into the community. If the farmers make money they often put it back in the community, including helping to fund the Extension Education Center and the new library in Albion.
Answer: Correct. That is one of things that drew me here. I didn’t know John or Mike before I came here. I checked them out and I’m sure they checked me out. I heard nothing but good.
When you heard John talk about where did this come from, it all came from his desire to help out farmers. This is what developed. It does allow us to provide not only 50 good-paying jobs for employees, but it allows us to do good things for the community – the Parade of Lights for example. As a Medina native, I’m very proud to do that. As you know, you’ve been in the area long enough, we’ve had a lot of things taken away over the years. It’s nice to bring something back for a change.
