Photos by Tom Rivers – This photo shows apples in an orchard in September at the corner of East State Street and Butts Road in Albion.

Press Release
NY Governor’s Office

Gov. Andrew Cuomo today announced that New York is once again the second highest producer of apples and the third highest producer of grapes in the nation, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

New York produced an estimated 1.26 billion pounds of apples and 188,000 tons of grapes last year, combining for a total $358.4 million crop. The standings come on the heels of a series of record agriculture harvests and unprecedented international recognition of New York’s agriculture products over the last four years.

“New York is home to some of the best agricultural products in the world, and these numbers show that this state remains a national leader,” Cuomo said. “A sustainable farming sector not only grows the economy and creates jobs, but also makes it clear that New York is open for business.”

With these estimates, only California and Washington exceed New York in grape production and only Washington produced more apples than the Empire State last year. The growth of the wine industry in particular was cited as a factor in New York’s naming of “Wine Region of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine last October. Other factors included the quality of wines and greatly improved business climate – particularly over the last four years with Gov. Cuomo’s support.

Paul Schwenk checks over the vidal grapes during the 2013 harvest at his vineyard in Kent. Schwenk uses a 1960 Oliver tractor to haul the crop.

According to USDA Statistics Service, New York is home to 40,000 acres of apple orchards. Apple growers produced an average of 31,500 pounds per acre of apples. Last year’s crop totaled $289 million, a 22 percent increase from 2013.

New York is also home to 37,000 acres dedicated to the production of grapes. In the wake of a very harsh winter following the best crop in the state’s history, grape growers produced 5.08 tons per acre of grapes in 2014 with crop production totaling $69.4 million.

“Our apple and grape industries are symbols of excellence within New York agriculture and I congratulate both industries on their successes in 2014,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “When agriculture does well, the New York economy does well. I see nothing but a bright future for agriculture here in New York State.”

Governor Cuomo’s Taste NY program has promoted the New York apple industry at Thruway rest stops and physical Taste NY stores located across the state, as well as through cider tastings at industry events such as the annual International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse. Many apple orchards and cideries also proudly display the Pride of NY label on their products.

In October 2013, Gov. Cuomo signed legislation making a new license available to farm cideries that use crops grown exclusively in New York State. The new law has opened new opportunities for the state’s apple industry while creating 11 farm cideries across New York.

New York apples have year-round availability in more than 20 varieties, including Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, RubyFrost and Zestar. According to the New York Apple Association, one medium apple (about 80 calories) provides one-fifth of dietary fiber requirements for cardiovascular and digestive health and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol.

“We might be number two in national apple production, but New York has the best growing conditions and best tasting apples in the country,” said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association. “That puts us number one in the hearts of consumers from around the world. Snow may be on the ground, but New York apples, ciders and other apple products are available at food establishments throughout the year.”

According to a recent economic impact study commissioned by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the grape, grape juice and wine industry has a $4.8 billion economic impact and attracts 5.3 million tourists annually to the New York State. The industry supports 25,000 full-time jobs with wages amounting to more than $1.4 billion.

“The 2014 New York grape crop turned out a lot better than many people expected after the extreme cold of three ‘polar vortex’ events upstate during the winter, followed by a relatively cool spring and summer,” said Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. “But September turned out to be pure magic for ripening, so the quality was superb and the quantity was larger than envisioned earlier. Tonnage was 9 percent below the previous year, but that’s because 2013 was the largest harvest on record. All in all, it was a very good year.”

New York has ranked second in apple production every year since 1996 and third in grape production every year since 1987, with an exception in 1996 when the state ranked second. New York State also traditionally ranks in the top ten nationally in the production of blueberries, peaches, pears, strawberries, sweet cherries and tart cherries. In 2014, the state ranked fourth in pear production, fifth in tart cherries, eighth in sweet cherries, ninth in strawberries, and eleventh in peaches and blueberries.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension recently picked its officers for 2015.

The slate includes Ed Neal, President; Erin Anheier, Vice President; Laura Bentley, Secretary; and Mike Zelazny, Treasurer. Also serving on the board are Gary Blackburn, Gary Davy, Chris Flansburg, Vince Flow III, Kathy Harling, Tim Kirby, Don O’Keefe, Charlie Pettit, and Pete Toenniessen along with County Legislature representatives Don Allport and E. John DeFilipps. Peter Landre, Cornell Cooperative Extension State Extension Specialist, serves as a liaison between the board and Cornell University.

The CCE Board of Directors set its meeting schedule for 2015 to be at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15, March 19, May 21, Aug. 20 and Oct. 15 in the Education Center at the 4-H Fairgrounds at 12690 State Route 31, Albion.

Election of board members takes place each year at the annual meeting. The 2015 OCCCE Annual Meeting is scheduled for Dec. 1 in the Trolley Building at the Fairgrounds. All meetings are open to community members in adherence with the Open Meetings Law.

Please contact the OCCCE Program Director, Jennifer Wagester, at 585-798-4265 or orleans@cornell.edu if you have an item for consideration at an upcoming board meeting. Information about OCCCE, including board and committee minutes, newsletters, and educational opportunities, can be found online by clicking here.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, announced a new push today to prevent foodborne illness and improve food safety standards.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that each year approximately 1 in 6 Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. Gillibrand said an estimated 3 million New Yorkers get sick from the food they eat each year

According the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates, nearly a quarter of all cut-up chicken parts are contaminated by Salmonella and another Consumer Reports study found that one third of all chicken breast with Salmonella carry a drug resistant strain of the disease.

Gillibrand is a pushing a new bill introduced last week, the Safe Food Act of 2015, which would consolidate food safety authorities into a single independent food safety agency called the Food Safety Administration.

Sen. Gillibrand

Under the current system, 15 different federal agencies oversee food safety functions including inspections, enforcement, recalls and restrictions on pathogens like Salmonella and E.coli. According to a Government Accountability Agency study, the fragmented and inefficient system is a high risk to the public’s safety.

“Too many New Yorkers are getting sick and even dying from food they trusted was safe,” Gillibrand said. “New Yorkers should be able to walk into a grocery store and be confident that the food they are putting on their family’s kitchen table and serving at our schools or in our restaurants is properly inspected and safe to eat.”

The proposed consolidated agency would help prevent foodborne illness by allowing food recalls to happen more quickly once illnesses are confirmed, improving inspections, and enhancing enforcement against unsafe food. The Food Safety Administration would also protect and improve the public’s health by focusing resources to prevent and detect foodborne illness before it spreads rather than responding after New Yorkers have already fallen ill.

“We need to detect foodborne illness and stop it before it spreads rather than scramble to respond after New Yorkers have already fallen ill,” Gillibrand said. “My plan would give New York families more peace of mind when they sit down at the kitchen table by reducing bureaucracy and consolidating the 15 federal agencies that oversee food safety under one roof.”

Gillibrand is also proposing new legislation that would require stores to improve customer notification in the event of a food recall. Stores with customer loyalty card programs could use that data to call and email consumers when food they have purchased has been recalled.

Gillibrand’s proposed legislation, the Meat and Poultry Recall Notification Act, would grant authority to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to require companies to recall dangerous food and notify consumers and local health officials. Gillibrand’s new legislation would also create a 1-page Recall Summary Notice that could be prominently displayed on the store shelf where the recalled food was sold or at the cash register for stores that lack customer loyalty card programs.

“We need to make sure that if dangerous food does end up at the grocery store that it gets recalled, pulled off the shelf and out of freezers faster,” Gillibrand said. “Every time you swipe a loyalty card to save a few cents, the grocery store makes a record of what food you’re bringing home. When a recall happens, stores should use that information to call and email people to tell them to not eat the food they have purchased.”

RubyFrost gets star treatment from Wegmans, other grocers

Provided photo – Brett Kast, right, of Kast Farms in Albion is pictured with his wife Amanda on Saturday at the Wegmans in Buffalo on Sheridan Drive. Peter Weisenborn, a Kast family cousin, stopped by to sample the new RubyFrost apple.

An apple that debuted last year at farm markets is out in bigger numbers this time, and local growers are helping to promote the new variety.

RubyFrost is one of two new varieties developed exclusively for New York apple growers. The apple is a late season variety. After spending some time in storage, New York apple growers and several big grocery chains are pushing the apple right now throughout the state and the Northeast.

Many of the apple farmers are taking turns in stores, answering consumers’ questions about the RubyFrost variety. Brett Kast, a partner and orchard manager at Kast Farms, was at a Wegmans in Buffalo last Saturday with his wife Amanda.
Customers sampled the apple, and Kast said people were overwhelmingly positive.

“It was a great experience to see the hard work you put into it and then see the consumers’ reaction,” Kast said. “Everybody who tried it absolutely loved it.”

RubyFrost is a cross between Braeburn with Autumn Crisp. The new apple is 95 percent red. It is firm with a sweet taste. Kast said the flavor matures while the apple is in storage.

New York apple growers also partnered with Cornell to grow and market SnapDragon. That apple is a cross between Honeycrisp and NY 752. The apple is ready earlier in the season.

The apple growers formed a new cooperative, New York Apple Growers LLC, to manage where the apples would be grown. The new varieties have been planted on 930 acres in apple-growing regions throughout the state. Roger Lamont of Albion is chairman of the cooperative.

The new apples won’t be grown in other states. Michigan and Washington, which are big apple producers, won’t have access to SnapDragon and RubyFrost. The exclusivity will be a benefit to New York growers.

But they need to make consumers of aware of the new varieties. That’s why Kast and other growers are appearing in stores to introduce consumers to SnapDragon and RubyFrost, and to let the public know the apples are excusively grown in New York. For consumers in the Buffalo and Rochester markets, the apples may have been grown only a short distance away, perhaps at orchards in Orleans or Wayne counties.

Kast said most of the consumers who tried the apple decided to buy a bag of the RubyFrost.

“I didn’t have to push too hard to sell the apple,” he said.

For more information on RubyFrost and where it is available, click here.

File photo by Tom Rivers – This photo was taken in 2013 in an Albion orchard on Zig-Zag Road.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Chris Collins (R-Clarence) says will he try again to get legislation passed in Congress to promote the cider industry.

Collins and Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, are reintroducing the bipartisan Cider Industry Deserves Equal Regulation (CIDER) Act. The Act, HR 600, would amend the section of the tax code that deals with wine and related beverages, 26 USC § 5041, to support the growing number of craft and entrepreneurial cider makers, and tailor IRS rules to reflect variations in craft ciders across the country.

“I am proud to introduce legislation that will support our nation’s apple growers and cider makers,” Collins said. “The CIDER Act will help spur growth in these industries by restructuring taxes to fairer rates that take into account the natural variations in the cider making process.”

During the fermentation process, a variety of factors can lead to small changes in the composition of a cider’s alcohol content and carbonation. Because of the narrow way that hard cider is currently defined in the tax code, these small variations can lead to cider being taxed at a rate fifteen times higher than what the statute clearly intended.

The Collins-Blumenauer bill would update the tax definitions to greatly reduce the chance that improper taxation could occur. The bill would also broaden the definition to include both pear and apple ciders.

The changes proposed by Blumenauer and Collins will update the existing federal definition of cider to better reflect the industry and keep American cider competitive in the international marketplace, Collins said.

Production nationally has been robust, more than tripling from 9.4 million gallons in 2011 to 32 million gallons in 2013. Cider revenues in the U.S. have been just as impressive, tripling from $178 million in 2007 to $601 million in 2012.

“Cider making is sometimes closer to an art than a science,” Blumenauer said. “As the American apple and pear hard cider industry becomes more prominent on the world stage, and cider becomes a beverage choice for more Americans’ developing palettes, we need to ensure that cideries have every opportunity to expand and meet the needs of this growing market without an unfair tax burden.”

Collins previously introduced CIDER legislation in 2013. He held a news conference in September 2013 at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina, trying to promote and highlight the legislation.

Wendy Wilson, the winery’s president, said then that a change in the tax code, taxing hard cider at a reduced rate, would save the winery about $8,000 annually in taxes. That money could be used for more marketing to draw more people to the area, she said.

Failing bridges and infrastructure also a challenge for agriculture industry

File photo by Tom Rivers – SweeTango apples head down the packing line at Lake Ontario Fruit in Gaines in this photo taken in September. Lake Ontario Fruit packs about 1.1 million bushels of apples each year for the fresh market.

Press Release, NY Farm Bureau

New York Farm Bureau outlined its 2015 state priorities for creating a stronger economic climate for every farmer in the state. Farm Bureau President Dean Norton of Elba presented the legislative agenda with NYFB’s Public Policy Director Jeff Williams during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

“Investing in agriculture is investing in New York,” Norton said. “Our farms make large contributions to their rural economies and the character of their communities both upstate and on Long Island.”

Norton highlighted a couple of initiatives that look to drive the farm economy including support for a refundable investment tax credit. This would encourage greater investment into equipment and also be helpful for younger farmers who may be in greater need of capital to handle the startup costs of owning a farm. That money typically stays right in their communities. Purchasing construction supplies, machinery, or new technology has a multiplier effect supporting additional local businesses and jobs.

In addition, Norton called for reforming New York’s inherent risk law for equine operations. Many horse farms across the state are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of insurance for horse boarding operations and riding stables. Many 4-H clubs no longer can house horses because of the insurance liability. Forty-six states recognize this concern and it is time for New York to join their ranks. Without reform, running a horse-related business that also supports tourism and the joy of riding is becoming more difficult.

A number of NYFB priorities for this year look to expand access to local food. This includes support for regional food hubs and requiring the NYS Office of General Services to provide OGS warehouse space to house local food product for transport to state institutions and schools. A stronger food distribution system will help connect farms with more consumers, especially in urban areas.

To encourage even greater farmer participation in donation programs and to get more food to low-income New Yorkers who need it, NYFB is advocating for a tax credit for locally grown donations by farmers to food banks. This will help offset some of the production costs while also supporting some of New York’s neediest families who are looking to put healthy food on their dinner tables.

NYFB has long been a supporter of the State’s Environmental Protection Fund. This money provides for the cost-sharing of a number of critical programs farmers use to protect water quality. It is also earmarked for Soil and Water Conservation Districts, farmland preservation, and efforts to combat invasive species.

NYFB is encouraged by the funding increase in Governor Cuomo’s budget and will work with the State Legislature to secure even more money for these necessary programs. The same goes for additional dollars to fund research and promotion programs for many different commodities including wine and grapes, apples, maple, bees, turf grass and Christmas trees.

NYFB also is asking the Legislature to re-establish funding in the state budget for Quality Assurance and Quality Control programs for CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) planners across New York. These are the people who design and implement certified nutrient management plans on farms to help safeguard the environment and public health. It is essential that we invest in the planners so they can all perform at the same high standards. In addition, this would support continued conservation efforts on dairy farms across the state.

Finally, growing locally produced food means nothing if farmers cannot get the goods to market. That is why NYFB is encouraging additional funding for infrastructure improvements. Some municipalities have had to lower weight limits on bridges instead of addressing real structural issues. This causes large farm equipment and transport trucks to go miles out of their way, wasting fuel and driving up transportation costs.

On a similar note, NYFB would like to see the creation of a “Farm E-Z Pass” that would provide a discount to farmers hauling product along the Thruway. This would again reduce road and bridge tolls for farms delivering food to places like New York City, making the trip, and ultimately the food, more affordable for farmers and consumers alike.

“We are the largest industry in upstate New York and we can help a lot of local communities with their job growth and tax base by investing into food and farming programs,” said Jeff Williams, NYFB Public Policy director.

Wilbert Rhinehart, 85, had ‘gift of gab’

Provided photos – Wilbert Rhinehart is pictured with bales of straw in this photo from 2010.

MIDDLEPORT – The Western New York agricultural community is mourning the loss of Wilbert H. Rhinehart, a popular owner of a feed, fertilizer and farm store in Middleport.

Rhinehart, 85, was killed on Saturday in Royalton on Akron Road when a southbound vehicle, driven by 39-year-old James Zak of Royalton, slid into his vehicle, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Mr. Rhinehart is a former hog and chicken farmer who built up a feed and fertilizer business that survived and grew amidst intense competition from corporate giants.

“He was popular and well respected,” said Mike Zelazny, a grain farmer in Medina. “He always took the time to talk to farmers.”

Zelazny’s father Walter started the farm a half century ago. He was a Rhinehart customer, and a big fan.

Wilbert Rhinehart is pictured around 1960.

Rhinehart did more than offer customers a good price, Mike Zelazny said. Rhinehart enjoyed dispensing advice about planting techniques, fertilizer applications, seed depths and populations, and he had lots of ideas for marketing corn, wheat and soybeans.

Zelazny said his father would often go to deliver a load of grain. When trucks were backed up at a mill, Rhinehart was often the center of attention, telling stories and giving tips. Farmers would gather around Rhinehart while waiting for their turn to unload their crop.

Rhinehart was always industrious, his son Butch said. “Wil” grew up in the Great Depression in the City of Lockport. Rhinehart as a kid had chickens and sold their eggs to make a little money. He had friends who lived on farms, and Rhinehart preferred life in the country.

He had chickens and hogs, and sold fertilizer and lime on the side. He would receive 50-pound bags of fertilizer from railroad cars and bring the product home. He would sell it over the winter and spring. He also had a spreader for lime.

At one point, Rhinehart has 10,000 chickens and about 500 pigs. Butch, now 60, would get up at 5 a.m. as a kid to collect the eggs.

Rhinehart would shift the base of the fertilizer business from the family homestead in 1957, when W.H. Rhinehart began in Middleport. The family added a new location about a decade ago with the expanded W.H. Rhinehart store, a warehouse and fertilizer plant on Carmen Road.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Brett Rhinehart and his father Butch said they are proud of the legacy left by Wilbert Rhinehart.

Butch and his son Brett, 34, work at the site with six other employees. Wilbert Rhinehart was a daily fixture at the business seven days a week. He worked Saturday morning before the car accident.

His grandson marveled at Rhinehart’s memory, and his close friendships with so many customers.

“He loved wheeling and dealing,” Brett said on Wednesday at the Rhinehart store. “He had the gift of gab.”

His grandfather detested the Thruway and the main roads. He preferred driving on the country lanes to see what the farmers were doing.

“He knew every back road from here to Ohio and Pennsylvania,” Butch said. “He could remember roads he hadn’t been on in 20 years. He had a photographic memory.”

Rhinehart worked in the business for 40 years with his wife Joan. They would drive together in the morning and ride back together after the work day. The couple purchased the Resseguie’s Feed Mill on Orchard Street in Middleport in 1973. Mrs. Rhinehart passed away on Sept. 10, 2010.

Joan and Wilbert Rhinehart, pictured in about 1965, had four children and built a business together.

Butch said his father tried to keep prices low for farmers. If it was a bad year for a crop and farmers couldn’t pay their bill, Rhinehart would give them another year to pay when prices had rebounded.

His background as a farmer won him respect among his customers.

“Because he was a farmer at one time, they viewed him different as being from Corporate America,” Brett said.

Rhinehart was slow to embrace credit cards for the business, and he didn’t like computers. But he didn’t stand in the way when Butch and Brett pushed to modernize the operation.

“For 50 years he never advertised,” Butch said. “It was just word of mouth and it kept growing. We kept the prices low and farmers talk when the prices are low.”

Photos by Tom Rivers – One of Marcus Miller’s Jersey cows is pictured at his farm on Thursday.

RIDGEWAY – Six weeks. That’s how long it would normally take to build a milking parlor, to put in the piping, the steel, the refrigeration system and all of the pieces.

That’s been Brent Snyder’s experience. He is the owner of Trapper Creek Enterprises in Attica, which installs milking systems.

Snyder and his team worked with Marcus Miller to put in a system in four days. Today Miller expects to milk his herd of 45 Jersey cows for the first time at his farm since a fire Jan. 6 destroyed his milking parlor.

“You’re not going to find somewhere else where there is a fire and 2 ½ weeks later you’re back milking,” Snyder said at Miller’s farm on Thursday afternoon.

Marcus Miller, left, and Brent Snyder are pictured inside the milking parlor on Thursday. The parlor needs hoses, and some finishing touches. Miller expects he’ll be milking his cows at the site today.

Miller is close to being back in business. On Thursday afternoon, he was waiting on some rubber hoses and the inflations used on the milking units.

He’s been working at a frenetic pace since his milking parlor was destroyed in the fire. Miller and the Amish community torn down that parlor on Jan. 6. Within a few days a new building was erected – the same size at 42 by 70 feet.

Miller, 34, needed milking equipment. He went to a farm in Barker that was no longer milking cows. Miller and his friends used some of that equipment and he bought some new pieces to create a working Swing 10 Paraket Stall milking parlor. Miller will be able to milk 10 cows at a time on each side of the parlor.

He is a member of the Upstate Niagara Cooperative. Officials from the cooperative will be at Miller’s farm this morning, testing his rebuilt system.

Some of Marcus Miller’s Jersey herd has remained at his farm on Fruit Avenue. His milking cows were moved down the road while Miller’s parlor was rebuilt. This picture was taken on Thursday afternoon.

Here is how the site looked on Jan. 7, a day after the fire.

Miller’s neighbor on Fruit Avenue, Jim Smith, has been milking Miller’s cows since the fire. Smith, a dairy farmer, is not Amish.

Miller said many of his neighbors have pitched in to help him get his farm going. He estimated about 60 different people have helped rebuild the milking parlor and get the farm back on-line.

“It’s not what I have done,” Miller said. “It’s what everyone else has done.”

Cows tend to be creatures of habit. Miller is looking forward to getting them back at his farm and settled into a schedule.

“They’re ready to come home,” Miller said. “They like a routine and I’m ready to get back into a routine, too.”