Adam Yanicki, a senior, takes first in nation in the Environmental and Natural Resources

Photos courtesy of Roy-Hart FFA: Senior Adam Yanicki earned 1st place in the Environmental and Natural Resources event, making him a National Champion.

Press Release, Roy-Hart Central School

MIDDLEPORT – Seventeen students from the Royalton-Hartland Central School District returned from the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, the largest youth leadership and career competition in the country.

The event brought more than 70,000 students from all 50 states, competing in rigorous contests that prove agricultural, science, business, environmental systems, and public speaking skills.

And this year, Roy-Hart won.

Senior Adam Yanicki earned 1st place in the entire nation in the Environmental and Natural Resources event, officially making him a National Champion. He described the journey to first place as one of opportunity.

“It was my first time at nationals, and a new world was opened for me,” Yanicki  said. “To prepare, we planned out our schedules on when we could get together, and we were practicing pretty much every day.

“We also studied individually for our solo pieces. I spent every minute I could studying. I competed against 171 other contestants—I knew I had the chance to be number 171 or number one. I had to do my best and keep my head up.”

Roy-Hart also garnered several additional top national finishes:

• The Agricultural Sales Team earned a Gold Ranking and placed 12th nationally.
• The Food Science Team earned Silver, with one student ranking 3rd in the nation individually.
• Five Roy-Hart students earned the American FFA Degree, an honor achieved by less than 1% of FFA members nationwide.

Roy-Hart competed against teams from powerhouse agricultural states like Texas, California, and Indiana, and came home as national leaders.

The FFA’s national competitions require students to solve real-world problems, complete written exams, and present professional-level projects judged by industry experts. Winning takes years of preparation, countless hours of practice, and an extraordinary amount of teamwork and leadership.

“FFA cultivates strong, confident leaders by giving students real-world experiences, opportunities to problem-solve, and the chance to develop teamwork and communication skills,” said Principal Matthew Sweeney of the Roy-Hart Middle School. “We are incredibly proud of this year’s national results, which reflect the dedication, hard work, and talent of our students. Having a National Champion in a Career Development Event competition is an extraordinary accomplishment that puts our school district and FFA Chapter in the national limelight. Achievements like these not only highlight individual success but also demonstrate the strength of our agriculture programs here at Royalton-Hartland, reinforcing our commitment to preparing students to excel both in and beyond the classroom.”

Environment & Natural Resources CDE

The top individuals for Environment & Natural Resources CDE include Adam Yanicki – 1st Place in Nation; Fawn Elko – Silver Ranking; Judson Heck – Silver Ranking; and Shianne Barnes – Bronze Ranking.

Participants engage in various activities and practicums, working under challenging conditions to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in environmental and natural resources management. This includes soils, water, ecosystems, waste management, navigational mapping, and environmental monitoring skills through GPS.

Roy-Hart’s CDE Team earned a Silver Ranking. Shianne Barnes, a bronze-ranked competitor, reflected on her experience: “I found passion in FFA

over the summertime with livestock evaluation. I also did showing in 4H with poultry and goats, which was a lot of fun. At the convention, I had an overall great experience. Everybody was really friendly, you could ask anything to anyone. People were there from all 50 states, and we were all joined together.”

Agriculture Sales CDE

Roy-Hart’s Agriculture Sales CDE earned a Gold Ranking. The team members include Sean Labiak, Camden Vandenbosch, Mackenzie Diamond and Anthony Adams.

The agricultural sales event evaluates students’ sales and customer service skills through individual and team activities, including written exams, sales calls, and customer service scenarios. It fosters essential communication, problem solving, and relationship-building abilities for success in agricultural sales careers.

Sean Labiak earned 7th Place and a Gold Ranking in the individual competition.

Individually the Roy-Hart students placed high, including Sean Labiak – Top 10 Individual (7th Place, Gold Ranking); Camden Vandenbosch – 30th Place Individual, Gold Ranking; Mackenzie Diamond – Silver Ranking; and Anthony Adams – Silver Ranking.

FFA Chapter President and Silver-ranked Mackenzie Diamond shared the intensity of the competition: “The Agriculture Sales CDE is a competition where you are trying to be a salesperson. This year, we pretended to sell greenhouses, and it made me more aware of being a customer in agriculture by seeing what salespeople experience trying to accommodate us.

“I’ve done nationals three years in a row, and by my third year, I got the gist of things. For me, it was all about studying. I was up every single night leading up to it. I wasn’t worried about how well I would do because I knew my studying would reflect my performance. When the speaking portion came, I was overwhelmed with excitement. I was so happy to be there. The whole competition went amazing, and each time I heard someone from my team get awarded, I started bawling. To know that you have three people from your chapter placed in the top 10 with only three teams sent is incredible.”

Food Science CDE

Simon Fournier won 3rd Place and earned a Gold Ranking in Food Science & Technology.

The food science and technology event focuses on developing skills needed in the food science and technology industry through various individual and team activities. Participants are tasked with creating products based on scenarios provided, such as developing side dishes or snacks for specific markets.

Additionally, teams perform a food safety audit by evaluating given situations and identifying issues, corrective actions, and related policies. This event helps students gain hands-on experience and knowledge in food science, safety, and product development.

The CDE Team earned a Silver Ranking.

Roy-Hart’s Food Science CDE individuals also earned honors, including Simon Fournier – Top 10 Individual (3rd Place, Gold Ranking); Nico Schuster – Silver Ranking; Collin Nicosia – Silver Ranking; and Paityn Babiarz – Bronze Ranking.

Top-three Gold-ranked Simon Fournier shared what made the event memorable.

“Going into the competition, my strength was the math and chemistry parts, so that helped my team a lot,” Fournier said. “Teaching others helped me understand the content more. It was a lot of fun. We had to prepare a fake food product and advertise it to a panel of judges. It was so fun going up there, flexing my skills, and showing our hard work to them.”

American FFA Degree

Five from Roy-Hart earned American FFA degrees including, from left: Nicholas Armenia, Sophia Santella, Vanessa Grant and Cayla Burch. Joshua Kennedy isn’t in the photo but also earned the American FFA degree.

Less than 1% of the organization’s 1.4 million members earn this prestigious honor, including these five past graduates who returned to achieve it this year.

Roy-Hart FFA members are shown at the National Convention.

Photos courtesy of Assemblyman Hawley

BROCKPORT – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley on Tuesday presented a citation to the Kirby family in Albion for being on the NYS Historic Business Preservation Registry.

The Kirby family runs Kirby’s Farm Market on Route 104, just past the Orleans County line in the town of Clarkson.

The market was established in 1970 by brothers George and Bob Kirby. George’s son Tim and his wife Linda have been owners of the market since 1989. They run it today with their daughter Stacey Steward, son Chad and his wife Mandy, as well as their dedicated employees.

The Historic Business Preservation Registry was established by the State Legislature in 2020. The program is administered by the Division for Historic Preservation at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Steve Hawley joins the Kirby family at the market on Tuesday. Pictured in front from left include Linda and Tim Kirby, and Stacey Kirby Steward. In back are Mandy and Chad Kirby with Steve Hawley.

The farm market has expanded from one-room garage-style building to a “cozy market” with gift shop, five greenhouses, and CSA with 320 members getting weekly subscription of fruits and vegetables.

“Kirby’s Farm Market creates an environment where family shares knowledge freely and endeavors to bring out the best in local farming,” the citation from Hawley states. “They are committed to cultivating and managing resources to ensure services are available for generations to come.”

Most of the fruits and vegetables are grown in Albion. Kirby’s is a “regenerative farm” with a strong focus on healthy soils and plants.

Business run by Albion family honored for more than 50 years on Ridge Road in Brockport

Photos by Tom Rivers: Linda and Tim Kirby, front, have been part of Kirby’s Farm Market for more than 50 years. The business was started in 1970 by Tim’s dad George and George’s brother Bob. In back are their daughter, Stacey Kirby Steward; daughter-in-law, Mandy Kirby; and son, Chad Kirby. They are shown in front of the market with some of their pumpkins.

BROCKPORT – A business run by an Albion family has been welcomed into the NYS Historic Business Preservation Registry, which honors businesses that have endured for more than 50 years and also are an important part of their community’s fabric.

Kirby’s Farm Market is located just outside Orleans County on Ridge Road in the town of Clarkson. The market was built in 1970 by George and Bob Kirby, brothers from Albion. Since 1989, it has been run by George’s son, Tim and his wife Linda.

The site today offers fruit and vegetables, including 320 customers on a weekly subscription in a Community Supported Agriculture membership that goes for 23 weeks. Kirby’s remains a farm-driven operation that has expanded into a gift shop and greenhouse market.

Most of the fruits and vegetables are grown in Albion. Kirby’s is a “regenerative farm” with a strong focus on healthy soils and plants.

“We’re growing the most nutrient dense food possible,” said Chad Kirby, who has worked full-time at the farm the past 12 years. “Healthy food is medicine.”

This photos from the 1950s shows Dennis Kirby on the tractor with his sons, from left: Francis, Bob, George and John.

Chad, 34, earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and was planning to be a physical therapist. But he switched to farming with his family, believing he good make a bigger impact on the health of the community by offering fruits, vegetables and nutritional knowledge.

He has added some fruits and vegetables to the market, including tatsoi, a leafy Asian green. Chad also is the Orleans County Farm Bureau president.

Chad’s wife, Mandy, is a key part of the market. She switched from being a school teacher to working with the public at Kirby’s.

Chad’s sister, Stacey Kirby Steward, also helps run the market, and keeps up Kirby’s social media presence, website and newsletter. She also works on the events at Kirby’s with open houses and greenhouse tours.

“The focus is connecting with the community,” she said.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley will present the honor of being in the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry to the Kirby’s on Tuesday at 1 p.m.

The Historic Business Preservation Registry was established by the State Legislature in 2020. The program is administered by the Division for Historic Preservation at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. No business in Orleans County is currently listed in the registry.

Some nearby businesses in the registry include Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport, Max Pies and Chapin Manufacturing in Batavia, Liberty Pumps and Viking Valhalla Restaurant at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, and Lapp Insulators LLC in LeRoy.

The Kirby family is shown inside the market at 9739 West Ridge Rd., Brockport. Linda, Tim, Mandy, Chad and Stacey have turned the site into a farm market with a gift shop. On Tuesday at 1 p.m., Assemblyman Steve Hawley will present them with the honor of being in the NYS Historic Business Preservation Registry. The sign notes Kirby’s is a “regenerative farm” with a focus on healthy soil and plants.

Linda Kirby said she became aware of the registry when Lift Bridge Book Shop was honored. Kirby’s was encouraged to apply for the distinction by Town of Clarkson officials. Linda completed the application, which also needed testimonials from the community.

The Kirby family for many years grew tomatoes for large processors, including Hunt-Wesson which closed in Albion in 1970. Other large canning factories in the county also closed around that time. Duffy-Mott shut down in Holley in 1971 and H.V. Heinz closed its Medina site in 1963. The area also lost the Morton Canning Company, Wallace Dale Canning Factory in Barre Center and the Birdseye Plant in Medina.

The Kirby brothers needed a market for their product, a market that wouldn’t suddenly shut down and leave them in the lurch.

When the brothers were considering their future, they stopped by Zehr’s Market in Burt, Niagara County. That farm had a market, and the customers came right to the site to buy directly from the farm.

“My dad was impressed by what they were doing,” said Tim Kirby, George’s son.

George also was a people-person who enjoyed interacting with the public. The farm market was a great fit for him.

The brothers considered locations for their market and what they could afford. They wanted to get close to the larger population base in Monroe County. The site for their market used to be a melon farm.

Tim and Linda Kirby have run Kirby’s Farm Market together since 1989.

Tim Kirby has been part of the operation since the beginning. His wife, Linda, started working there in 1972. Tim and Linda became owners of the site in 1989.

The Kirby family grows most of the produce in Albion for the market. The site in Clarkson also has 30 acres of good sandy soil for growing crops.

Kirby’s Farm Market looks a lot different from its early from a one-room garage-style building to a cozy market with a gift shop. Kirby’s has five greenhouses and they start their own seedlings in March that they then can transport into the fields.

The market also has thousands of annuals in the spring. The perennial area has expanded to hundreds of varieties. Kirby’s has extended its season into December, offering Christmas trees, wreaths and Poinsettias.

“We’ve changed with the times,” Tim said. “But we remain farm-driven with a focus on consistency.”

Photo courtesy of Jim Panek

ALBION – This combine from Panek Farms is out at sunrise to harvest soybeans on Route 98 between Route 31A and Barre Center.

The farm is trying to beat the rain this morning.

It’s been a tough year for the farmers due to the drought conditions in Orleans County. Jim Panek said the farm’s soybean yields are down to about 60 percent of normal.

‘This global experience had to be one of the most impactful things that ever happened to me on a personal level, spiritually and educationally’ – Todd Eick

Photos courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES: (Left) Todd Eick, former Medina teacher now an animal science teacher for Orleans/Niagara BOCES, holds a pig in Uganda. (Right) This group builds a structure.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Todd Eick, the Animal Science teacher at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center, recently spent a month over the summer in Uganda with fellow educators to support education initiatives in a small village at the Lira Secondary School.

“It is without a doubt the best professional development and experience I have ever had,” said Eick, who previously worked in Medina for 14 years as FFA advisor and animal science teacher.  “There are not enough adjectives to describe that trip.”

The Global Teach Ag Network sent 12 educators, across the United States, to work with local schools in East Africa on global issues like agriculture and food security.  The Teach Ag Uganda project is funded by the USDE (United States Department of Education) Fulbright-Hays Program and partners with Field of Hope.

The teachers had the opportunity to work one-on-one with peer educator colleagues in Uganda to advance agriculture projects in local schools. Eick was assigned to work on a team with the students on building a piggery for pig farming.  He worked directly with two US teachers, one from Indiana and the other from Washington state, and three Uganda educators.

“We are all still in a group chat all the time” says Eick.  “We built great friendships and had so much fun together. Such amazing memories and knowledge to share. I love telling people I know someone who knows something about this and that. I had such a wonderful time there.”

The staff at a school joins for a group photo.

Eick had applied for the grant opportunity to take part in the program last October and was thrilled to find out that he was selected to be part of the project.

“I was kind of the elder statesman since I had more time in education than anyone else on the team, but I learned a lot from everyone I worked with,” he said. “We helped the school build the piggery and showed them how to select the pigs and care for them. We left educational artifacts for them to use after we returned home to help them run the farm.”

The visiting teachers were fascinated on how the Lira Secondary school was run.  A boarding school, there are 20-80 students in a classroom and the teachers rotate through each classroom.

Classes ran three weeks on and then three weeks off to allow the students to go home and help their families, many of them using the skills they learned in school to help their families generate extra money.

The students would be considered sophomores, juniors and seniors here.  “Most of the seniors were learning so they could take the state test and had a lot of project-based learning as part of their education as well,” Eick said. “The students were shy at first, but they warmed up pretty quickly to us. They were so eager to learn. How they implemented their curriculum was cool. For one hands-on learning project, we worked together to string a barbed wire fence. The students caught on very fast.”

There was no cafeteria, but everyone ate together. “We stood in line with the students with our bowls and we usually had some sort of stew made with beans, maize and rice,” explained Eick. “It was fascinating. It is a very poor country, but they were rich in hospitality.  They are truly the kindest, warmest people I have ever met.”

Eick, along with his fellow educators, also enjoyed a morning and evening safari to see the wildlife.

“It was magical,” he said. “We went to the Nile River. I must have taken hundreds of photos.   We visited several villages and a dairy farm and that was eye-opening on how varied milk production is there than it is here.”

He brought back a Uganda hoe as a souvenir.  “It cost me $3.75 and I had no idea how to use it, so the students had to show me. They thought it was hysterical. I have to say I learned as much from them as they did from me. I love this kind of teaching. It is a hand up not a handout. This global experience had to be one of the most impactful things that ever happened to me on a personal level, spiritually and educationally.  I am enjoying bringing these lessons into my classroom, especially doing more with less and embracing a worldwide perspective on things. My students here have really embraced this and we now share things in class from art to the practical from different countries. I am really looking forward to taking some of the students to Belgium and the Netherlands next year to learn about their agriculture and way of life. I really want them to have the same experience I did with seeing a different culture.”

Photo by Assemblyman Steve Hawley: The site of a former farm field in Elba, which once produced large amounts of crops, is now a parking area where a developer plans to install industrial-grade solar panels throughout the rest of the property.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) recently sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her administration to halt two large-scale solar projects underway in Genesee County.

Hawley voiced strong opposition to the $950 million Cider Solar project and the $345 million Excelsior Solar project, both of which would consume nearly 6,000 acres of productive farmland. He noted that Genesee County is one of New York’s leading agricultural regions, yet the state has seen alarming losses in recent years. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, New York lost 14% of its farms and more than 9% of its farmland.

“While farmers across Western New York are struggling to keep the lights on, Gov. Hochul is busy taking away thousands of acres of vital farmlands to advance her radical climate agenda,” Hawley said.

As part of his letter, Hawley invited Gov. Hochul and members of her administration to visit his district, which overlaps with part of her former congressional district, to hear directly from local residents whose livelihoods are at risk.

 “My colleagues and I have spent decades fighting in Albany to make sure local agriculture is not left behind,” Hawley said. “Now, this administration is forcing taxpayers to foot the bill while they bulldoze and pave over the lifeblood of so many families and small businesses. Western New Yorkers are tired of politicians who’ve never stepped foot on a farm making policy for agriculture. It’s time for Gov. Hochul to put the shovel down and start protecting our farms, not putting them out of business.”

MEDINA – The Canal Village Farmers’ Market will have a special feature on Saturday, as they celebrate the family farms who have supported them.

Earlier this month, market manager Gail Miller was trying to figure out how to celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week.

“I wanted to make our market celebration a celebration of the farmers that make up the farmers’ market,” Miller said. “I thought of my own farm history. It was such hard work every day, but my siblings and I remember the fun we had picking cherries with classmates, while WKBW played on the radio, and the long walks in the orchards. I remembered going to the large Buffalo market at 2 a.m. with my father. My family often talks about growing up on the farm, and I thought it would be nice to find out about the history of the market’s farmers.”

Miller knew several of the farms, but wanted to share the history of all the farmers at the market.

“Many friends fondly recall their experiences on family farms, and I hope this will bring back memories for them, as well as allow people who are unfamiliar with farms a chance to get a glimpse of farm life,” Miller said. “It is important to celebrate the farms and farmers who grow our food.”

At the market this Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a few antique farming implements on display from the Medina Historical Society, Miller’s family farm and another vendor’s father who collects farming equipment. There will also be old pictures and books on display, with a short summary of each farmer’s history on their tables.

There will also be picture opportunities and a chance to speak with the farmers, who will include Baker Farm, Human Farms and Greenhouse, Bower Family Farm and Greenhouse and Rosario Farm, a first-generation farm. History will also be available on Miller’s family farm, the Herbst Farm, and the Larry Jantzi family farm.

“It is my hope that people coming to the market will see that many farms and farmers have been working their farms for a few generations,” Miller said. “Also, that they will note that all of the farms are very local in Orleans and Niagara counties. Hopefully, market visitors will find the displays interesting and educational – showing how labor intensive farming was and continues to be. There is such a rich history of farming in our two counties.”

There will also be a game on Saturday for kids to identify some historical items found at the market.

The Canal Village Farmers’ Market is located at the corner of West Center Street and West Avenue.

Eligible farmers can seek reimbursement for overtime paid since Jan. 1, 2025

File photo by Tom Rivers: These farmworkers pick cucumbers in August 2019 along Townline Road in Barre.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that eligible farm employers may now apply for the Farm Employer Overtime Credit Advance program and receive reimbursement for eligible overtime paid to employees since January 1, 2025.

Now in its second year, the Farm Employer Overtime Credit Advance program is a part of Governor Hochul’s plan to support New York’s farmers through a series of new and increased tax credits and other initiatives and helps to ensure that farm employers can continue to support their workers while reducing their tax burden.

“Our farmers and farm workers are the backbone of New York, and I’m doing everything in my power to ensure that they can thrive in their essential work of bringing fresh, local products to communities across New York,” Hochul said. “The Farm Employer Overtime Credit Advance is a big part of that, reducing the tax burden for our farm businesses while helping them to continue supporting their hardworking staff, caring for animals and harvesting perishable products. I encourage all eligible farmers to learn more about this program and submit their applications now for a certificate of advance payment.”

The Farm Employer Overtime Credit is a refundable tax credit available for farm employers who pay overtime wages, based on the phase-in of an overtime threshold in New York State. Beginning today, farm employers may submit an application to the Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) for a certificate of advance payment of eligible overtime paid between January 1 and July 31, 2025 so they can receive reimbursement from the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF).

Farms that used a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) in 2024 may also apply for certification for eligible overtime paid between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Applications must be submitted to AGM by September 30.

After eligibility review, AGM will issue a certificate of payment to each approved farm employer. With a certificate of advance payment, the approved farmer or business owners (for example, partners or shareholders) can then request their share of the payment from the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF). This request must be made no later than November 1, using the online services account at DTF’s website.

Farmers can apply for this refundable credit if they or their business:

• is/are an eligible farmer; and
• directly employ eligible farm employees that were paid eligible overtime or indirectly pay eligible overtime via the services of a PEO.

The deadline to apply for an advance credit certificate from AGM is September 30, 2025. Farmers are encouraged to reach out to FarmOTAdvance@agriculture.ny.gov with any questions. More information about the program, including guidance documents, is available on AGM’s website at agriculture.ny.gov/farming/farm-employer-overtime-credit-advance.

AGM hosted a special webinar in July to help eligible farmers prepare for the launch of the program. A recording of the webinar is available on AGM’s YouTube page.

New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Farm labor is a critical issue, and we are working hard to ensure that farmers have the resources they need to support their workforce while meeting their food production goals. Last year, the Overtime Tax Credit initiative had a great start, and we are looking forward to continuing to grow the program and make sure that our farmers and farm workers have the support they need.”