Photo by Tom Rivers: A farmer works a field by an orchard on Route 31 in Ridgeway in May.

Press Release, Gov. Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $1.5 million is available to help New York fruit and vegetable farmers join the New York State Grown & Certified program.

The $1.5 million comes from the Environmental Protection Fund to help farms implement an Agricultural Environmental Management plan, and a reimbursement of up to $1,000 is available for growers who participate in a third party audit of safe food handling practices.

Farmers must participate in programs supporting good agricultural practices and environmental management to be eligible for New York State Grown & Certified, and this funding will help more farms join the certification program.

“New York farms produce world-renowned, high-quality food, and the New York State Grown & Certified program strengthens the link between producers and consumers and promotes environmentally sustainable and safe practices,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will help more farmers certify their products to these higher standards and access the many opportunities offered by New York State Grown & Certified.”

Launched in August, the New York State Grown & Certified program assures consumers that the food they are buying is local and produced to a higher standard by requiring participating producers to adopt good agricultural practices and enroll in an environmental management program.

Reimbursement for Good Agricultural Practices Audits

Administered through the United States Department of Agriculture, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Good Agricultural Practices program verifies that safe food handling practices are being used on farms, from growing and harvesting to packaging and handling. The Good Agricultural Practices program certifies the fresh fruit and vegetable farms that have implemented the necessary steps in their operations to minimize the possibility of product contamination and food-borne illness in accordance with USDA regulations.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, through a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant, is providing up to $1,000 to reimburse farms for Good Agricultural Practices audits. The Department has conducted 234 audits in 2016 so far, already exceeding last year’s total number of audits.

Cornell University is a key partner in training and education for farmers as part of the program. The university holds online courses and in-person training throughout the year to help producers learn about the program and write their own safe food handling farm plan prior to the third-party audit.

Funding for Agricultural Environmental Management Plans

The Governor on Monday also announced $1.5 million is available for the implementation of an Agricultural Environmental Management plan to assist fruit, vegetable and other specialty crop growers in producing their products in an environmentally responsible manner.

Funding for the implementation of the Agricultural Environmental Management plan is provided through the Environmental Protection Fund. Assisting specialty crop farms to produce foods with the highest environmental standards will protect and improve New York’s natural resources, including water and soil quality.

New York’s County Soil and Water Conservation Districts are eligible to apply for the program on behalf of farmers. Maximum award amounts for projects are $50,000. Applications are due January 20, 2017.

Benefits for Growers, Buyers and Consumers

For growers, participation in Agricultural Environmental Management and Good Agricultural Practices certification allows for greater access to programs, especially New York State Grown & Certified, which includes a major marketing campaign to promote New York producers who meet the program standards. This includes on-product labels and promotional materials, such as a website, video and sales materials, to encourage program participation among producers and to educate retail, wholesale and institutional buyers on the value of the program. Consumer advertising and retail promotion will begin this fall.

The Good Agricultural Practices certification also provides producers access to the Farm to School procurement pilot program, which requires growers selling to school districts to be certified. The program also helps farms prepare for potential regulation from the Food Safety Modernization Act.

In addition, the Good Agricultural Practices program is significant for buyers. By purchasing products from a farm that is certified, there is a reduction in the potential for future food safety recalls, which can be costly to buyers and also impact consumer confidence and loyalty. Many consumers are looking for reassurance that the items they purchase in the supermarket have been properly handled on the farm.

Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President, said, “New York’s farmers value the quality and safety that goes into everything they produce. This includes taking part in AEM and GAP programs that work with farmers to be good stewards of the environment and have additional safe food handling protocols in place. The additional steps the state is taking to increase access to these valuable programs will not only benefit farmers but consumers as well who are looking to New York’s family farms for fresh, local food.”

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File photo by Tom Rivers: A dairy cow is pictured during the Orleans County 4-H Fair in Knowlesville in July 2013.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced his opposition to proposed regulations that would create a barrier for New York’s dairy farmers exporting a key New York dairy product to Canada.

In a letter to Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Gov. Cuomo called on the Canadian Government to develop a national agreement that will mutually benefit trade across borders. If proposed provincial standards are implemented across Canada, they could result in a $50 million market loss for New York’s dairy industry.

“New York’s dairy sector is an essential part of our agricultural industry, and these regulations could have devastating effects on our dairy farmers and their families,” Governor Cuomo said. “I urge our Canadian neighbors to reconsider these potentially harmful regulations and to continue our courteous, mutually beneficial trade relations.”

The Governor’s letter coincided with the 25th Tri-National Agricultural Accord, held last week in the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The Tri-National Agricultural Accord provides a forum for the United States, Canada and Mexico to work together toward shared priorities and discuss important topics, including climate change, trade and the expansion of food processing sectors.

The Governor’s actions are in direct response to the Province of Ontario and the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee’s regulatory plans, which include the Ontario Class 6 regulation and the proposed establishment of a new National Ingredient Strategy that could effectively restrict New York exports of ultra-filtered milk. Ultra-filtered milk is a protein-rich type of skim milk and is primarily used in the production of cheese and yogurt.

The letter calls on the Canadian government to confirm that Ontario’s Class 6 regulations and the Canadian National Ingredients Strategy are both consistent with existing World Trade Organization policies and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Over the course of the last several months, New York State has made several attempts to find a solution agreeable to both parties. During a recent visit to Canada, New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul raised the concerns of New York State with Canadian officials, and in August, New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard Ball sent a letter to his counterpart in the Province of Ontario, outlining the critical nature of the proposal and its effects on New York State. Commissioner Ball attended the Tri-National Agricultural Accord last week to raise New York State’s concerns in person.

New York exports more to Canada than to any other country in the world. Last year, the bilateral trade relationship totaled $32.93 billion in goods and supported over 500,000 jobs regionally. New York’s dairy industry is the State’s largest agricultural sector. With more than 5,000 farms, the majority of which are family-run operations, the dairy industry supports the framework of the agricultural economy. The dairy community brought in $2.5 billion in sales, and the dairy industry hired almost 20,000 people in New York in 2015. New York’s dairy products also account for at least 50 percent of all New York State agricultural commodities exported internationally.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “New York’s dairy farmers rely heavily on the export of their products and we need to do what we can to ensure they continue to have a home for their milk. We are hopeful the Canadian government, as it weighs its options, will take into account its long and successful trade partnership with New York, and act to resolve this issue that would be detrimental to our agricultural industry.”

John Gould, Chairman of the Board of Directors of O-AT-KA said, “O-AT-KA Milk Products is a business that reflects the effort, investment and hopes of hundreds of dairy farmers in Western New York and the hundreds of people we employ in Batavia. Canada continually attempts to erect trade barriers where there should be none and this behavior places 20% of our sales or about 180 million pounds of annual milk production at risk of not having a market. We greatly appreciate the Governor’s support in fighting back as Canada should not be able to unilaterally change regulations that contradict their obligations to longstanding trade agreements.”

Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President, said, “Canada is an important trading partner for New York State and our agricultural community. At a time when low milk prices are threatening the viability of some family farms, any step by Canadian leaders to unfairly restrict the flow of milk into the Ontario province and beyond will have detrimental impacts on farmers and the overall farm economy. We appreciate Governor Cuomo and his administration for raising this issue with the Prime Minister, and New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with our state and federal leaders to keep milk flowing across the border.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: A cow is pictured recently at Post Farms in Elba.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have been joined by several other senators in seeking federal appropriators to include funding for dairy farmers across the nation in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

Specifically, the senators in the bipartisan letter requested appropriators to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to refund farmers for the $73 million that they paid into the Dairy Margin Protection Program (DMPP) in 2015.

The senators are also calling on the committee to allow the USDA to provide emergency assistance to dairy farmers and take greater action to support dairy producers by excluding any provision preventing the USDA from implementing clause 3 of Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935 or from engaging in surplus removal and price support activities under section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.

Gillibrand and Schumer have been joined by Susan Collins (R-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Angus King Jr. (I-ME), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D- NH), Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Chris S. Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kelly A. Ayotte (R-NH), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D- RI) in sending a bipartisan letter, seeking release of the federal funds.

“As you know, dairy farmers across the country are struggling to stay in business.  This year alone, dairy farms in a number of states have been forced to close at alarmingly high levels,” the senators wrote in their joint letter. “The Dairy Margin Protection Program has not provided the safety net for farmers that was anticipated when the program was created. We believe that there are key measures that can be taken that will provide critical near-term support to cash-strapped dairy farmers and pave the way for longer-term sustainability in the industry.”

Milk prices have dropped by more than 40 percent over the past two years, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts low prices to continue for the near future. Dairy production costs continue to rise, and severe drought in some regions of the country has driven costs up further.

The letter concludes with the senators imploring the Appropriations Committee “to help our nation’s dairy farmers during this crisis.”

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ELBA – Three teams in the Orleans 4-H Legos program visited two dairy farms on Monday to see how the farms use technology to milk cows and improve efficiencies in their operations. Jeff Post, co-owner of Post farms on Batavia-Elba Townline Road, gives the 4-H’ers a tour of the farm, which uses four robots to milk cows.

This year all of the First Lego League teams in the country have to do a project on “Animal Allies.” The Orleans 4-H’ers in the FLL program are researching animals and will need to present that information during next month’s competitions. The 4-H’ers also need to build and program a robot to perform different tasks.

There are three teams in the Orleans 4-H program competing in the First Lego League. The local program is led by Erik and Marlene Seielstad of Albion.

This photo shows a robot milking a cow. Post Farms added the robots seven years ago. Jeff Post said the robots are reliable, saving the farm on labor costs. Technology allows the robots to keep track of each cow’s milk production (an average of 78 pounds a day). Sensors are used for the robots to see the udder and attach to the cow.

This cow takes a peak at the group visiting the farm. The cows milk on their own schedule at Post Farms. The farm is expanding and adding more robots.

Post Farms also has a windmill that provides about one-third of the farm’s electricity.

The 4-H’ers also visited Lamb Farms in Oakfield, one of the largest dairies in the state. Lamb Farms uses a rotary milking parlor that can fit 60 cows. The farm uses technology to help detect any health issues with the animals, track milk output, determine the best times for breeding and other issues, including cow comfort.

Lamb Farms added the rotary milking parlor 15 years ago. Matt Lamb, co-owner of the farm, said milking cows remains a physical job with lots of hand labor at Lamb Farms. He estimated that only 1 to 2 percent of cows in the country are milked by robots.

Lamb Farms also has a manure digester that uses the methane gas to power engines, creating electricity.

Emma Foote of Barre takes a picture of the cows on the rotary parlor. Emma and the other 4-H’ers visited two farms to get ideas for their projects in the First Lego League competition.

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Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion fourth-graders harvested squash this afternoon from the Land Lab on Clarendon Road that is used by the FFA and agriculture students.

The students planted the squash last spring when they were in third grade. Some of the students are pictured with Alexis Bentley, left, a member of the FFA.

About 40 bushels of squash were harvested and will be donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

This fourth-grader handles the butternut squash with one hand. The squashed will be boxed up by the FFA and delivered to Community Action.

Harrison Brown, a member of the FFA, welcomes the fourth-graders to the Land Lab.

The FFA planted these pumpkins last spring and they have grown to a good size. They will be part of a harvest festival Oct. 25-26.

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File photo by Tom Rivers:  Barry Flansburg, president of the Albion Alumni FFA, leads an auction to benefit the FFA. Jenny McKenna of Albion holds one of the items up for bid during this photo from March 2015 during the annual Farmer-to-Neighbor night.

The president of the Albion FFA Alumni attended a regional conference with FFA leaders from several states this past weekend in Rochester.

Barry Flansburg was able to share how the Albion FFA Alumni have built an army of FFA supporters to help the Albion FFA chapter put on events, including competitions that draw FFA students from the region and state.

The Albion FFA Alumni also help round up fruits and vegetables after the harvest, which are part of the 30,000 pounds donated each year to Community Action and other local food pantries.

The alumni drop off tractors, gates and animals for the Mini Farm Day, and also help plant and harvest crops at the school’s Land Lab.

“We know how to get lots of volunteers to do lots of things,” said Flansburg. “You serve as an extended hand for your ag teacher and help put on events.”

There are about 200 FFA chapters in the state, but Albion is one of only seven that has an alumni chapter. Flansburg and the representative from the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill FFA Alumni Chapter near Utica represented NY at the regional conference.

The National FFA is looking for ways to strengthen alumni connections, to serve graduates and supporters of the FFA program, and also to utilize their skills in helping current FFA students.

The work of the Albion FFA Alumni hasn’t gone unnoticed, Flansburg said.

“As alumni, it is our responsibility to serve as a source of relief for our agriculture educators as well as attract new volunteers and supporters to help our FFA programs,” said National FFA Alumni Executive Director Josh Rusk. “Our hope is that the regional development conferences will give alumni the tools and support they need to be successful in that endeavor.”

This conference was one of six to be held this year. The other locations for the conferences include Oklahoma City, Burbank, Wash.; Ankeny, Iowa, Atlanta, Ga. and Oxford, Ohio.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 629,367 student members who belong to one of 7,757 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Flansburg said the FFA is looking to establish a database of FFA students and alumni that will include resumes and opportunities to network for job opportunities or to help FFA chapters with projects.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: An apple orchard is pictured late Friday from the canal bridge on Presbyterian Road in Albion.

WASHINGTON — Orleans County has joined the list of counties in New York that have been declared primary natural disaster areas due to the drought conditions.

Orleans farmers were eligible for disaster relief because the county was contiguous to Genesee County, which made the list last month as a primary natural disaster area.

But now Orleans has its own designation following the the Sept. 9 designation by the US Department of Agriculture. Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cortland and Onondaga counties all were named to the list on Friday, bringing the total to 20 counties with primary designation, and six more that are contiguous.

Qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity, the USDA said.

Photos by Tom Rivers: An orchard is pictured on Presbyterian Road in Albion, near the Erie Canal.

Apple growers in Orleans County and New York State are in harvest-mode, and they expect a nice crop despite drought conditions.

New York is the country’s second-leading apple producer with an average harvest of 28.6 million cartons annually the last five years. (Orleans County is the second leading apple county in the state, behind only Wayne County.) This year’s crop is expected at 30 million cartons, which would top the annual average, according to the New York Apple Association.

“By the time this crop gets off the trees and to market, all New York state apple fans are going to see is ‘great’ – great variety, great quality and great flavor,” said New York Association President Jim Allen.

These apples are pictured on Allens Bridge Road in Albion.

Besides the drought, some apple growers battled a frost during the spring bloom and hail in some parts of the state.

The apples will be a little smaller this year because of the drought, Allen said.

“There are plenty of fruits on the trees this year, they’re just smaller in size than usual,” he said.

The drought has apples crunchier and sweeter. With less water content, the concentration of sugars in each apple is higher.

“Even downsides can have upsides in this industry,” Allen said.

Growers have been switching some of their acreage to high-density plantings of popular varieties, such as Honeycrisp, and new varieties – Zestar, SnapDragon and RubyFrost.

“Our growers produce more apples now on fewer acres because of technology – smaller trees that produce more fruit, computer-aided packing and sorting, and high-tech cold storage that puts apples to sleep until they are ready to ship to stores,” Allen said.

The orchards in Orleans County are loaded with apples that will be picked in the next two months. These apples are pictured at an orchard on Allens Bridge Road.

The New York Apple Association also is touting apples as healthy snacks. The association has launched the Big Apple Salad Challenge this fall, encouraging people to eat one salad a day with an apple included.

Fans who take the Big Apple Salad Challenge are invited to try NYAA’s salad recipes, and to send pictures of their own apple salads to NYAA – the association will share fan photos on its website and Facebook page. (Click here to see the NYAA website.)

“Whatever your health goal – eating cleaner, feeling better, losing weight – salads are a deliciously easy way to eat better without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction,” says NYAA Registered Dietitian Linda Quinn. “Apples add crunch, texture and flavor – as well as nutrients and fiber-related fullness – to any salad. Plus, apple cider and cider vinegar make great salad dressings!”

Quinn has developed a number of apple salad recipes to help apple fans get started on the Big Apple Salad Challenge, including: New York Apple Slaw with Sweet and Sour Cider Dressing; New York Apple-cado Salad (a fruity, crunchy twist on traditional guacamole), New York Apple Seasonal Salad with kale, quinoa and dried cranberries in a cider vinaigrette dressing.

There is also New York Grilled Apple Salad with a tangy cider mustard vinaigrette dressing, and New York Apple BYO Salad with Apple Cider Drizzle – build your own salad with what’s in your fridge.

Send NYAA a favorite salad recipe or salad photo by Oct. 31, and you will be entered in the Big Apple Salad Sweepstakes. NYAA will share sweepstakes winners’ photos after the sweepstakes has concluded. (You can also simply fill out and submit the sweepstakes entry form – no purchase, photo or recipe is necessary.)

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Murray farm one of 6 agriculture sites featured in Heritage Festival

Photos by Kristina Gabalski: Sue Hurd Machamer, left, and her daughter Amy Machamer discuss the history of the canning industry which included information on food preservation basics and personal stories such as, “Aunt Helen Salisbury and the Birdseye Research Lab.”

MURRAY – Hurd Orchards on Ridge Road was one of six farms taking part in the agricultural facet of the Orleans County Heritage Festival on Saturday.

Colorful displays at Hurd Orchards featured information about the canning industry in Orleans County, vintage cookbooks, maps and produce labels.

The Hurd Orchards program included a Living History Lunch and Lecture on “The Cannery.”

Amy Machamer and her mother, Sue Hurd Machamer discussed how agriculture and the food processing industry have been the foundation of the local economy for more than 100 years.

The Machamers explained that during the 19th and 20th centuries, almost every village in Orleans County had its own cannery, surrounded by the fields and orchards which provided fruit and vegetables for processing. Examples include the Morton Canning Company in Morton, Hunt’s in Albion and H.J. Heinz in Medina.

The Machamers also shared stories about the packing houses, trucks, characters, and the enterprising business of producing fruit for the local canneries.

The luncheon that followed included fresh baked breads with heritage preserves made from original Orleans County recipes.

A portion of the program was subsidized by the Bayer Corporation. Hurd Orchards won Bayer’s 2016 Produce Innovation Award for their educational efforts in the field of agriculture including the luncheons, classes and tastings they hold each year at their farm.

Orleans County Heritage Festival goers Saturday enjoy a luncheon at Hurd Orchards.  The menu included freshly baked bread and heritage preserves including Green Tomato Mincemeat and Plum Elegant.

Hurd Orchards offered Heritage Festival visitors samplings of heritage preserves and information about the history of the canning industry in Orleans County.

The luncheon dessert featured an apple/plum cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

Other farm operations included in the Heritage Festival included Leonard Oakes Estate Winery & LynOaken Farms in Medina, Orleans Poverty Hill Farms (dairy) in Albion, Partyka Farms in Kendall, Roberts Farm Market in Medina, and Watt Farms Country Market in Gaines.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A lone sunflower stands tall in a field of corn on Route 31 in Albion near the Long Bridge Road intersection.

Local counties, including Orleans, Genesee and Monroe, are among the 24 counties that have been designated natural disaster areas and are eligible for assistance through the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, said the designation should help farmers weather a tough growing season, when a drought stunted crops and reduced yields. State officials will be conducting on-site assessments of the damage to local farms and working with Cornell University experts to devise recovery solutions, Hawley said.

“Farmers are the backbone of New York’s already excellent, diversified and growing agriculture sector,” Hawley said. “As the former owner and operator of our family farm for many years, I can personally attest to the determination of our famers to battle ever-changing weather and devastating floods and drought in Western New York. It is important to protect the livelihood of our producers and assist them when unforeseen circumstances threaten their prosperity. I am pleased the federal government is offering our famers this much needed assistance.”

Disaster declaration is based on reporting of crop loss to the federal Farm Service Agency and an “Extreme Drought” designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The federal government declared 15 counties as primary natural disaster areas and an additional nine counties as contiguous disaster counties due to a recent drought. (Orleans is a contiguous disaster county.)

In addition, several other counties in the North Country, the Finger Lakes, Central New York, and the Southern Tier regions are also requesting primary disaster declarations, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said.

The primary counties included under this designation are in Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York, and Southern Tier.

“Strong agriculture is critical to the vibrancy of Upstate New York and this year’s hot, dry summer have created significant challenges to this crucial industry,” Governor Cuomo said. “From Western New York to the North Country, New York’s growers and producers are major drivers of our economy and the benefits they provide to the community are immeasurable. In these difficult times, we must ensure that they have full access to all the resources necessary for making a full recovery.”

The Farm Service Agency office in Orleans County is located at 446 West Ave., Albion. The phone number is (585) 589-5320.

“Our hearts go out to the farmers and ranchers affected by the drought in New York,” said United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling New York producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”

GAINES – The canal bridge on Gaines Basin Road is pictured on Sunday afternoon. This is close to the spot that is the northernmost point on the entire canal. A historical marker is west of the bridge noting that significance.

The U.S. Drought Monitor no longer considers Orleans County to be in a severe drought after recent rainfall helped bring some green back to local lawns and the landscape.

The latest report from the Drought Monitor on Sept. 1 considers Orleans in a moderate drought. Some counties south and east of Orleans continue to face extreme drought conditions, including Genesee, Monroe and Ontario counties. Visit http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NY to see the map of drought conditions in the state.)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced late last month that 15 counties in NY are considered “primary natural disaster areas.” Orleans isn’t on the list, but Genesee is included. Because Orleans is contiguous to Genesee, farmers may be eligible for some aid in low-interest emergency loans due to diminished crops and added costs for using water.

A boater stops in Albion along the Erie Canal on Friday evening between the lift bridges on Main and Ingersoll streets.