5 acres will be used for corn, including a maze

Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion FFA members Jenny McKenna and Aaron Burnside empty a bag of seeds in a corn planter this afternoon.

The FFA planted its first crop this afternoon on its 5-acre land lab along Clarendon Road.

ALBION – Today was truly a ground-breaking celebration for Albion FFA students. With some help from the local ag community, students planted their first crop of corn on a 5-acre “land lab” along Clarendon Road.

The district set aside the 5 acres in September, wanting to give FFA students more hands-on experience in agriculture. They will have 4 acres of corn plots with another acre set aside for a corn maze that will be opened to elementary school students in the fall.

“Our goal today is to learn about the process and how GPS works,” said Jenny McKenna, the FFA president.

She put corn seed donated from Channel into a planter driven by Adam Kirby, a local farmer. Kirby, 24, is a FFA alum. He volunteered to plant the seeds.

Before the planter went to work, FFA students and local farmer Adam Kirby had some last-second tinkering with the machine. Pictured, from left: FFA students Aaron Burnside, Jenny McKenna, Kirby, Riley Kelly and FFA advisor Adam Krenning.

“It’s for a good cause and it helps make people more aware of agriculture,” he said.

Another FFA alum Chris Flansburg secured the donated seed and will run test plots. He will share that knowledge with students.

He is co-owner of BCA Ag Technologies, which uses precision agriculture to help measure seeds and bushels of yields per acre. He will work with students on soil testing, agronomy and pest scouting for the crop.

The FFA also is working with Panek Farms, an Albion farm that planted 63 acres of corn on Saturday next to the land lab. Panek will work with students on growing and selling the crop, and will turn over profits to the school’s agriculture program.

Chris Flansburg, left, and Adam Kirby talk strategy this afternoon before planting corn at the Albion FFA’s land lab. Both are FFA alumni, volunteering with the students.

Adam Krenning, the school’s agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, expects FFA students will share the crop-growing project with biology and other classrooms.

He said the project has already been a big benefit for students, connecting them with local farmers and other ag businesses.

“They’ve been able to build relationships,” Krenning said.

After the corn is harvested in late in the fall, he said the FFA plans to plant some apple trees on a portion of the land lab.

Albion FFA member Aaron Burnside, right, rides in a corn planter with Adam Kirby of Jim Kirby Farms, which worked with the FFA to plant the crop this afternoon.

Overnight irrigation helps protect crop from cold

Photos by Tom Rivers – Ice coats the blossoms on the blueberry bushes at Brown’s Berry Patch in Waterport.

This riser sprays water on blueberry bushes at Brown’s.

CARLTON – This morning the blueberry blossoms at Brown’s Berry Patch were coated with about a half-inch of ice after being doused with water overnight.

It may seem counterintuitive to spray water on orchards when it’s freezing, but the ice provides some protection for the crops. As the ice freezes, it gives off heat to keep the buds from dropping below 32 and freezing.

Brown’s pulled an all-nighter last night running an irrigation system for the blueberries and strawberries. The plants were in full-blown blossom stage when the cold hit last night. Brown’s was ready, spending the previous days setting up irrigation systems, running pipes into the orchards with sprinklers and risers.

“Your early bloom is your biggest berries,” said Eric Brown, co-owner of Brown’s Berry Patch and Orchard Dale Fruit Farm. “They’re in the delicate stage. You have to protect them.”

Brown walked through the orchards this morning, and inspected the blossoms. He didn’t see black in the flowers, which would have been a sign the blossoms were dead. He believes the irrigation made a difference overnight and helped stave off big losses. The freeze can kill off blossoms when they are so vulnerable in early May.

That happened last year when a very warm March caused fruit trees to blossom early, and then a deep freeze hit in late April with several days of temperatures in the low 20s. That caused widespread damage to the apple crop, resulting in the worst season since 1945.

“Last year there was damage everywhere,” Brown said.

Eric Brown looks over a field of strawberries this morning after an overnight freeze.

Last night the temperatures didn’t plunge into the low 20s. Apples, when they’re in the blossom stage, can endure 30 to 31 degrees, the low temperatures earlier today in Waterport.

Apples are heartier than strawberries and blueberries. That’s why Brown’s focused on keeping the berries alive by running the irrigation system.

“You buy it as insurance and hope you never have to use it,” Brown said at the farm a little after 6 this morning.

The farm set up an irrigation system to help strawberries survive the cold.

This year’s cold spell isn’t nearly as bad as last year, when the farm irrigated the berries at least six nights. That allowed Brown’s to have a berry crop last year.

Some farmers in Wayne County lost all of their apple crop last year. Many of them have purchased wind machines that help move out cold air and pull down warm air, Brown said. A couple degrees difference in the orchard can make the difference in the blossoms surviving and the farmers having a crop.

Photo by Tom Rivers – About 160 FFA students crowd into the middle school band room, waiting to be awarded Empire Degrees. The auditorium was full so these students had to wait in a different room.

ALBION – Don’t expect to see the FFA state convention return to Albion again. The school is too small to accommodate the growing crowd of students, advisors, chaperones and parents who come from all corners of the state.

“We’re done because we’ve run out of room,” said Adam Krenning, Albion’s FFA advisor and agriculture teacher.

In 2007, about 800 FFA students, advisors and chaperones came to Albion for the three-day state FFA convention.

When the school hosted the event May 2-4, there were 1,106 students and about 500 more adults on the school campus for the convention.

There weren’t enough seats in the middle school auditorium for closing ceremonies on May 4, forcing Albion to crowd 160 students into the band room. Those students were receiving their Empire Degrees, the highest award for FFA in New York. They watched the closing ceremonies on television while waiting their turn on stage.

FFA has soared in popularity in recent years with new chapters opening and existing chapters adding members. That reality makes it difficult to find a school that can handle the influx of people.

Not only does the school need a big auditorium with about 2,000 seats, but it needs several nearby hotels to house all the guests. Most of the visiting FFA students stayed in Batavia, a half-hour drive, during the recent convention.

Most rural schools don’t have 1,000 hotel rooms so close by. And most rural schools that offer FFA programs don’t have auditoriums that can fit the FFA crowd.

Medina will host the convention next year. That school has a smaller auditorium than Albion’s. Medina will need to use technology so students and guests can witness the events live in other rooms, besides the auditorium, said Todd Eick, Medina’s FFA advisor.

“It’s an outstanding problem to have,” he said about the space crunch. “There are some new schools started chapters and the numbers are rising.”

The big numbers for the convention are eliminating some long-time host sites, and may result in designating regional locations for the FFA convention. That could mean the convention center in Rochester, said Krenning, a member of the state FFA’s governing board.

The convention was held two years in a row at Cobleskill State College. Those conventions in 2010 and ’11, were in partnership with the Walton and Sidney FFA chapters.

Jenny McKenna, the Albion FFA president, prefers to see the convention rotate sites so students can experience new areas.

“If they do it in the same location so many years in a row, it’s not as exciting for the students,” she said.

The experience on the college campus didn’t work too well when junior high and high school students were sharing a campus with college students. But Krenning said the FFA leaders are wondering if the convention could be at a college following commencement when the campus is mostly empty. The students could then stay in dorms, have access to classrooms and a big auditorium, and participate in tours of local agriculture.

Some FFA officials have suggested two schools close together share their facilities for a convention. But that would still leave FFA with an auditorium that’s too small. And Krenning said he wouldn’t want to be split up on two campuses for a convention.

FFA leaders need to work out a solution so the students can all be accommodated, Eick said.

“It’s definitely something that needs to be talked about,” he said.

Provided photo – State Sen. George Maziarz received an honorary Empire Degree from the FFA during last weekend’s state convention in Albion. He is pictured with state FFA officers, including Adam Eick of Medina, next to Maziarz at right.

ALBION – Last week’s state FFA convention, which drew 1,100 students from across New York to Albion, wouldn’t have been possible without an army of local volunteers and generous community donations.

Many of those supporters were recognized by the local FFA chapter with honorary “Empire Degrees,” the highest honor an FFA student can attain in New York.

FFA advisor Adam Krenning and FFA students presented the honors to FFA Alumni President Barry Flansburg, Paula and Steve Nesbitt, Gary Kludt, Jim and Kerry Panek, Alan Panek, Kathy and Jacob Jurs, Jeremy and Tina Neal, Ed Neal and local contractor Jim Babcock.

“They’re always here to help out,” Krenning said about the honorees. “They’re huge supporters of the FFA. They have the same vision I have for keeping agriculture thriving in our county.”

The FFA also gave Empire Degrees to Albion Central School leaders, who welcomed the three-day convention to the school campus. The FFA honored Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent; Leslie Stauss, high school principal; and Mary Leto, the assistant superintendent.

The state FFA also bestowed two honorary degrees to politicians who the organization said have been advocates for agriculture. State Sen. George Maziarz, who represents all of Orleans County, was given an Empire Degree. He is regularly recognized as a “Friend of Agriculture” by New York Farm Bureau.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-Brooklyn, also was honored by the FFA, although he was unable to accept the award in person. Schumer attended the convention in 2007, the last time Albion hosted the event.

He frequently is in the area, visiting fruit and dairy farms. He is a key leader of the immigration initiative in Congress that would increase the number of legal foreign workers for agriculture, an issue that farm organizations say is a top priority.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Amanda Rhodes, the state FFA president, is cheered by the state line officers after delivering a speech Saturday about the need for grace and forgiveness.

ALBION – Grace, forgiveness, living with purpose. I would expect to hear that at church, not from teen-age girls who lead the state FFA.

The three-day state FFA convention in Albion wasn’t just a big “rah-rah” fest, although there was plenty of celebration, with more than 160 students earning Empire Degrees, the highest honor an FFA student attain in New York. Many other students excelled in 26 different competitions in public speaking and technical skills.

State officers in sessions spread over three days took turns addressing more than 1,000 students in the middle school auditorium. The FFA students were impressive in their poise and purpose.

The FFA state officers avoided sugary sound bites about daring to dream, working hard and being a leader. The theme for the 88^th annual convention – “It’s all heart from here” – shifted the focus away from trophies, ribbons and rank.

I attended the opening session on Thursday night and the concluding program on Saturday afternoon. The state president, Amanda Rhodes, delivered a moving speech Saturday about the need for forgiveness and grace. Rhodes told the high-achieving students to not forget we are all humans who need to give and receive compassion.

Rhodes spoke of losing her best friend about a year ago in a tragic death. She shared of her own embarrassment and shame when a former boyfriend shared private pictures of her.

“Letting a mistake take hold of you can destroy you,” said Rhodes from the Belleville-Henderson FFA.

She needed to forgive herself, and accept grace from her teachers and family. After her speech, the other state officers ran onto the stage and hugged Rhodes, who wiped away tears.

Lindsey Anderson, vice president of the FFA National Western Region, address 1,100 FFA students Saturday in Albion.

Paige Levandowski of Albion served as vice president of the 4,000-member state FFA this year. She addressed the convention during the opening session on Thursday and told more than 1,000 people to not let distractions get in the way of being fully present in their lives.

Levandowski talked about Nick Kovaleski, a 15-year-old from Albion who died from leukemia two years ago. Nick was a star athlete, an altar server and a loving friend. Many community members continue to wear “Live with Purpose” T-shirts and bracelets in Nick’s honor. A “Live with Purpose” scholarship has been established in Nick’s honor.

“Nick had an ability to motivate others to use their gifts and ‘Live with Purpose,’” Levandowski told the FFA students across the state. “Be like Nick. Live lives with purpose.”

Other speakers talked about overcoming adversity. Lyndsey Anderson, the vice president of National FFA in the Western Region, lives in the central valley in California. She led workshops for students during the convention and delivered a keynote speech Saturday.

“Make your obstacles small and your opportunities big,” she told the group.

The FFA students did most of the talking during the convention, but a professional motivational speaker kicked off the convention’s opening session. Ben Glenn, a motivation speaker and chalk artist from Indianapolis, shared about moving past the “uglies,” the unexpected hardships in life.

Glenn created a beautiful landscape drawing for the crowd, and then drew dark lines across it, marring the painting. Some of the students gasped and yelled at Glenn for ruining the artwork.

He then made the dark lines blend into the picture, making it look even better than before.

“When bad things happen, we have to keep moving forward,” Glenn said.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Mitchell Ling, a sixth grade junior FFA member from Pioneer, sits atop a 3020 John Deere form the mid-1960s. The Western New York 2-Cylinder Club brought nine John Deere tractors to the state convention.

FFA members are taking turns at a booth promoting agricultural education. The booth is among many displays promoting careers in agriculture in the middle school gym. This group of students is from the Cazenovia FFA. They include, from left: Easton Young, Paige Horan and Tim Hunt.

ALBION – It’s not all work and no play for the 1,100 FFA students in Albion for the state convention.

With temperatures near 80 degrees on a glorious sunny day, many of the students took to the outdoors to lounge on the grass, play on a swing set, and climb old tractors this afternoon.

It’s been a busy first two days of the convention with students competing in 26 events, picking new officers, and attending numerous leadership seminars and career fairs.

Students are looking forward to a concert in the high school gym tonight by country music singer JJ Lawhorn.

The convention wraps up tomorrow.

Kelsey Delles, left, and Brittany Allen – both members of the Indian River FFA near Watertown – relax on the high school front lawn this afternoon. The two competed in a foods competition, making frozen raspberry yogurt. They were waiting for the results from the competition. Twelve students from Indian River are attending the state FFA convention in Albion.

A.J. Fletcher, a ninth-grader from the Cobleskill FFA, swings on the middle school playground this afternoon. There are 19 Cobleskill students in Albion for the state FFA convention.

Fruit orchards start spring bloom in Orleans

Photos by Tom Rivers

Ken Nice, co-owner of Nice Farms in Knowlesville, walks through a fruit orchard this afternoon along Knowlesville Road. He is checking how the bees are pollinating the fruit crop. The pink blossoms will bear white nectarines while the white blossoms will be plums. Nice expects a much better year after a freeze in April 2012 wiped out a lot of the local fruit crop last year. Nice said the blossoming trees are a visual and olfactory feast. “It’s like a perfume factory,” he said.