ALBION – Nine farms in two watersheds will share $204,812 in matching grants to plant cover crops after the main crop has been harvested. The cover crops will reduce soil erosion and improve soil health, likely boosting farmers’ yields, said Dennis Kirby, manager for the Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Soil & Water was awarded the grant and will distribute the funding over three years to two farmers in the Johnson Creek Watershed and seven farms in the Sandy Creek Watershed.

Johnson Creek Watershed is in the towns of Carlton, Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby. The Sandy Creek Watershed is mostly on the eastern end of the county and the town of Albion.

The grant to Orleans was part of $13.8 million in state grants approved for more than 200 farmers in 32 counties.

“Investing in our farms will help keep our agricultural industry competitive while maintaining the high standards of agricultural products that the Empire State is known for,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “By enhancing conservation methods, we are ensuring the continued economic success of our farms as well as the protection of our natural resources. These grants will not only have an immediate effect on our agricultural sector but will also make New York a cleaner, greener, more sustainable state for future generations.”

The grant in Orleans will help pay for the costs of planting cover crops after farmers harvest corn, vegetables or other cash crops, Kirby said.

“By keeping a living crop growing on the land as long as possible, the soil biology is improved, helping the next cash crop to grow and yield better,” he said. “The growing cover helps storm water soak into the soil, rather than run off taking sediment and nutrients with it.”

Cover crops also recycle nutrients left from the cash crop, making them available for the next crop. The cover crop will often help suppress weed growth and diseases, while encouraging beneficial insect habitat, Kirby said.

“This will result in reduced pesticide use in the future,” he said.

Soil and Water obtained a similar grant last year for nine farms in the Oak Orchard Watershed in the towns of Barre, Albion, Ridgeway, Gaines and Carlton.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jayne Bannister of Waterport is serving as Niagara-Orleans dairy princess this year. She visited the Orleans County Legislature this afternoon and talked up the benefits of the dairy industry for the Western New York economy. (Legislature Chairman David Callard is in background.)

Dairy farms are growing and nearby Batavia is home to two new Greek yogurt plants. The industry offers good-paying jobs for local residents, Jayne said. Milk and dairy products are also good for strong teeth and bones.

She accepted a proclamation from the Legislature, declaring June as “Dairy Month.”

1 farmworker earns citizenship, others improve English

Photos by Tom Rivers – Octaviano Gomez holds an American flag while being recognized for becoming a U.S. citizen on Monday when he and other students were praised for their efforts to learn English and other skills.

Claudio Fernandes of Brazil smiles while holding a certificate in recognition of his efforts to learn English. Fernandes works at Intergrow Greenhouses in the town of Gaines. Linda Redfield, program director, is at left. Students took classes who were from Brazil, Mexico, China, Bulgaria and Indonesia.

WATERPORT Every Monday and Wednesday evening, often after hours of work in local fields or dairy barns, farmworkers will learn English, computer skills and some even study U.S. Civics in preparation for the citizenship test.

The students were all praised and given certificates during a recognition program on Monday at the World Life Institute. The organization partners with the Orleans-Niagara BOCES to run the English, computer and civics classes.

“You’ve become a model for your children,” Becky Albright, BOCES board president, told the students. “It takes a lot of courage to be in a foreign country and to go back to school after you’ve been working.”

Officials from the Orleans-Niagara BOCES attended Monday’s recognition program. The trio includes, from left: Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent for BOCES; Susan Diemert, adult literacy coordinator for BOCES; and Becky Albright, BOCES board president.

Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of BOCES, attended the recognition ceremony and praised the 44 students and their teachers for their work.

“We’ve been hearing about your story and it is a story of success,” Godshall told them. “You’re paving the way for the future of your children.”

Manuel Torres smiles after singing a song and playing his guitar during the recognition program.

Manuel Torres, 30, started taking classes in the program about five months ago. He works at a dairy farm in Middleport, feeding calves.

He said he often felt shy at work and in the community because he didn’t have a good grasp of English.

“I only knew a few words before, but now I can introduce myself and communicate with people,” he said Monday after the recognition program. “I don’t need somebody else to interpret for me.”

Torres said he is doing better at work, too, because he can better understand the boss’s expectations.

He played a guitar and sang a Garth Brooks song, “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” during the recognition program.

“You have to let the people you love know that you love them,” Torres told the group before he started singing.

Octaviano Gomez became a U.S. citizen on May 14.

Octaviano Gomez was the first student to be recognized on Monday. He passed the U.S. citizenship test on Jan. 9 and took the Oath of Citizenship on May 14. Gomez lives in Medina with his wife and four children. He has been taking English classes at WLI for two years.

“The teachers helped me a lot, every time I came,” said Gomez, who has worked for several local fruit farms.

By becoming a citizen, he said he hopes to create more opportunities for his family.

Many of the students taking the classes have young children. The parents were praised for taking English classes and working hard to create opportunities for their families.

The WLI school on Stillwater Road also offers pottery classes on Wednesday nights for women who work in local agriculture. The pottery classes started in 2004 as an expanded family literacy program so more women and children could learn with their husbands and fathers. The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council helps to support that program. The participants learn English while creating art.

Deborah Wilson leads the pottery classes. She also handed out recognition certificates to participants.

The students’ colorful bowls, cups, platters, trays and other works were on display at the WLI school on Monday.

“They never had a chance to see what they can do themselves,” Wilson said about her students and their art. “It’s exciting to make your own things that are functional.”

Francesca Colon is congratulated by Deborah Wilson for completing English and pottery classes. Colon has an essay published in a literacy magazine in Rhode Island.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Farmers are a few weeks behind the planting season due to a wet spring. An operator at Root Brothers Farm gets the ground ready this morning at the corner of Long Bridge Road and Route 31 in the town of Albion.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County orchards are in their glory right now, with apple and fruit trees blooming for the annual spring pollination.

These photos show apple blossoms at Watt Farms on Route 98 in Albion.

The bloom is about two weeks behind schedule due to the cool spring weather, the New York Apple Association said.

“For one of the most beautiful spring sights you’ll ever see, take a ride around the countryside this weekend or next,” said NYAA President Jim Allen. “With over 55,000 acres of apple trees across the state, we’ve got millions of branches near you.”

Allen says that growers are expecting a “business as usual”-sized crop this fall following last year’s very large crop. The 2013 crop totaled out about 32 million bushels; the state’s average is 29.5 million bushels. The 2013 crop has moved to market quickly, and remaining supplies are expected to be sold out in plenty of time before the new crop arrives.

Photos  by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion FFA planted 560 apple trees this afternoon, with some help from three local farmers. Sarah Millspaugh, the FFA president, is seated in the planter.

The trees cover about a half-acre of a 5-acre “land lab” that started two years ago along Clarendon Road. After using the land for corn, the FFA decided to diversify.

Sara Millspaugh is seated in the planter. Other members of the crew, clockwise from Millspaugh, include Megan Rosato, Vivian Rivers, Adam Kirby, Adam Krenning, Steve Nesbitt and Jayne Bannister.

They planted Honeycrisp and Fuji trees that were donated by Nesbitt Fruit Farms.

The trees are spaced about 2 1/2 feet apart. They will be in a high density spindle system. It will take about four years before they bear a mature crop.

FFA alumnus Adam Kirby disked the field earlier in the day, ot break up clumps of dirt and to get more air in the ground. Steve Nesbitt worked with the students to make sure the trees were planted at a 90-degree angle and the dirt was tamped down.

FFA Advisor Adam Krenning, left, and Albion apple grower Steve Nesbitt discuss tree planting strategy at a field by Clarendon Road. Barry Flansburg is behind the steering wheel.

Barry Flansburg drove the tractor and FFA advisor Adam Krenning also worked with the crew of students that included Sara Millspaugh, Megan Rosato, Jayne Bannister and Vivian Rivers.

Most of the land lab will continue to be used for corn. Some of the ground will be devoted to pumpkins.

The trees were spaced 2 1/2 apart. They should bear a full crop of apples in about four years.

Local farmers play rock concert for students

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The FFA State Convention is a showcase for student achievement and also inspirational speakers. On Friday night the winner of the extemporaneous speaking contest, Kaylee Eaton of the Cattaraugus-Little Valley FFA, delivers her winning speech in front of a crowd of about 1,000 people in the Medina High School Auditorium.

Eaton’s speech was about the emergence and promise of urban farming. There has been a “huge revolution in agriculture” with hydroponics, aquaculture and rooftop gardening, Eaton said. Urban farmers benefit with customers who are close by, she said.

Matt Lohr of Virginia shared about his experiences in the FFA and meeting his wife Andrea through the program. Lohr said his wife was a giving person who inspired others. She died at age 36 on July 10, 2011, after a five-year battle with breast cancer.

“The ultimate gift you can do is make a difference in the lives of people around us,” Lohr said.

He also shared about Roger Bannister, an Englishman who was the first to run a mile in under 4 minutes. For 75 years, runners tried to break that threshold but it didn’t happen until May 6, 1954.

Bannister’s achievement was a breakthrough for runners, and he showed the world it was possible.

“Now 3,500 runners have done it,” Lohr said.

He urged the FFA students to set high goals.

“Are you living life with a dream? Do you have a purpose?”

One of the parking areas by Medina High School is lined with tractors.

A local band, Savage Cabbage, performed Friday night in the high school gymnasium. Here lead singer Frank Starowitz belts out a note from a hard-rocking song. Mike Moore is in the middle with Gary Tarr at left.

Frank and his brother John Starowitz perform in the band together. They are also co-owners of Star Growers.

John Starowitz plays the guitar with the band Savage Cabbage.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Two local FFA students – Jayne Bannister, left, of Albion and Jack Hill of Medina – were recognized during the FFA State Convention today in Medina.

Jack, a Medina eighth-grader, won first place in the state for reciting and delivering the FFA junior creed. That qualifies him to compete in the National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky in October.

Jack was judged on his accuracy and mannerisms in delivering the creed. Judges then asked follow-up questions.

Jack said he loves FFA and the agriculture community.

“I’m in love with tractors and farming in general,” he said. “I’ve grown up loving anything with an engine in it.”

Jayne Bannister, a junior at Albion, was elected president of District 9 for the FFA. That includes chapters in Albion, Medina, the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, Letchworth, Pioneer and two new chapters at Barker and Roy-Hart.

Jayne will connect with the local chapters, sharing leadership development programs and other FFA initiatives. She also was recently picked as the Niagara-Orleans dairy princess.

Jayne said she will use the roles to help educate the public about agriculture.

“There is a misunderstanding about what agriculture is with the general public,” she said. “We need to bridge that gap.”

After high school, she plans to major in animal science with a minor in education. She said she may pursue being an agricultural teacher. She also would be happy returning to her family’s beef and fruit farm at Point Breeze.

Orleans jumped from $101M in 2007 to $150M in 2012

File photo by Tom Rivers – Ken Nice, a fruit grower in Knowlesville, walks through his orchard last May when the trees were in bloom. Orleans County’s farm revenue is dominated by fruit, vegetables and other crops.

The revenue from Orleans County 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.

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, according to the federal Ag Census, which is done every five years.

The county breakdowns show the agricultural is a very big business locally, especially in the four GLOW counties. Wyoming County, which was ranked second overall in 2007, has claimed the top spot in the state with the new Census. Revenue at Wyoming County farms totaled $318.5 million in 2012, up from the $229.9 million in 2007.

Suffolk County, which has a thriving greenhouse and aquaculture industry on Long Island, was the top farm county in 2007 but has fallen to third in the new Census. Suffolk is behind Wyoming and Cayuga, another strong dairy county, at $293.5 million.

Some of the dairy animals are pictured at Poverty Hill Farms in Albion. Dairy and livestock make up a small portion of the Orleans County farm sector.

Genesee, Orleans County’s southern neighbor, ranks fourth overall in the state at $236.9 million, which is up from the $177.8 million in 2007. Livingston is ranked eighth overall in the state at $186.8 million.

Orleans is just out of the top 10. It ranks 13^th at $150.3 million. The county’s ag bounty is nearly all crops at $138.5 million. Dairy, poultry and livestock make up less than 10 percent at $11.9 million.

The county’s ag revenue has more than doubled in 10 years. In 2002, the total was $68.9 million. State-wide ag revenue jumped 74 percent from 2002 to 2012, from $3.18 billion to $5.54 billion.

Corn prices were on the rise between 2007 and 2012, helping to fuel the increase in farm revenues. This photo shows the grain storage facilities owned by Panek Farms on County House Road in Albion.

Here is a list of the state’s top 15 counties for ag revenue:

1) Wyoming: $318.5 million

2) Cayuga: $293.5 million

3) Suffolk: $239.8 million

4) Genesee: $237.0 million

5) Wayne: $205.6 million

6) St. Lawrence: $187.4 million

7) Steuben: $187.2 million

8) Livingston: $186.8 million

9) Jefferson: $183.6 million

10) Ontario: $180.3 million

11) Chautauqua: $161.8 million

12) Onondaga: $152.1 million

13) Orleans: $150.3 million

14) Clinton: $149.0 million

15) Washington: $139.1 million

Press release, Congressman Chris Collins

More than 200 members of the House of Representatives, from both parties, are joining Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) in telling the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to back off its plan to expand federal control under the Clean Water Act.

Both agencies are seeking a rule change to give the federal government more authority by expanding the already overly broad definition of ‘navigable waters’ under the CWA.

Congressman Collins (R-Clarence) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) authored a letter to the EPA and USACE outlining strong concerns about the negative impact the proposed rule will have on farms all across the country. The letter attracted a total of 231 signatures from both Republicans and Democrats, representing more than half of the House.

The EPA and USACE proposed rule would redefine the scope of federal power under the CWA, giving the CWA jurisdiction over almost all physical areas with a connection to downstream navigable waters.

This would put features such as ditches, natural or man-made ponds, flood plains, and prairie potholes, among others, under federal control. The Members say the new rule would directly contradict prior U.S. Supreme Court decisions and is based on incomplete scientific and economic analyses.

“EPA’s overreach is already causing real harm for farmers and stalling business development across our country,” said Congressman Collins.  “When I visit with farmers in my district, the heavy burdens under the Clean Water Act come up each and every time. When the bureaucrats at the EPA decide to call a divot in the ground that fills with rain a ‘navigable waterway’ under the CWA, we know our federal government has run amuck. The fact that the EPA and USACE are now looking to formally broaden the definition of ‘navigable waters’ is an insult to hard working farmers all across this country.”

“The EPA’s proposed rule is going to cause more harm than good,” said Congressman Schrader. “By adding yet another layer of unnecessary regulatory burden on our agriculture and business communities, this proposal will further hinder our country’s economic recovery and stifle job creation. The Clean Water Act is working, but this rule will create needless confusion based on bad science. I hope the administration acknowledges our concerns and heeds the advice of myself and my colleagues when we say: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“It is refreshing to see that members of Congress agree with the American Farm Bureau that it is time to ditch this rule,” said Don Parrish, senior director of regulatory relations for American Farm Bureau Federation. “This regulatory proposal is an end run around Congress and the Supreme Court, and we appreciate the efforts of Mr. Collins and Mr. Schrader to highlight the many concerns our members are expressing about the rule.”

You can read the letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Department of the Army Secretary John M. McHugh and see a list of co-signers by clicking here.

More than 100 state and national organizations are lending their support to block this proposed rule.