By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – The 4-H’ers have arrived at the fairgrounds in Knowlesville with a menagerie of animals: horses, rabbits, cows, poultry, pigs, goats and many other creatures.
It’s not all fun and games. This morning the animals had their cages and stalls cleaned, while bigger livestock were washed.
In the top photo, Faith Woody, 11, of Albion dumps dirty sawdust from her horse’s stall. Faith will be competing in some of the horse shows this week. “I’m happy it’s fair week because I get to hang out with my friends.”
Jenny McKenna, 19, of Barre cleans a dairy animal this morning, giving Jack Cecchini, 8, and his sister Jenna, 3, of Medina some tips. This is Jenny’s last time showing at 4-H and Jack’s debut. “It’s bittersweet, being my last year,” Jenny said. “Being able to teach them the ropes makes it fun and worthwhile.”
Amelia Sidonio, 12, of Holley cleans out a cage for one of the three rabbits she is showing at the fair this week.
Kaitlin Zwifka, 14, of Albion cleans Sundance’s stall, one of two horses she will be riding at the fair. She will be competing four days this week.
Janie Schutz, 18, of Waterport blow dries a heifer, one of three she and her sister Rylie Lear, 14, brought to the fair. They also brought a calf. The sisters slept on hay bales in the barn last night.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Alice Mathes, a 4-H club leader, decorates the Trolley Building for next week’s 4-H Fair. She is joined by Robert Batt, the 4-H educator, who has a puppet of a chicken that will be part of a “Farmer for a day” exhibit.
KNOWLESVILLE – Organizers of next week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair want to make growing the 4-H program a focus of the week-long Fair.
There are about 300 4-H’ers in the county. Robert Batt, the 4-H educator, wants to grow the program by at least 35 more 4-H’ers. That is the 4-H program’s goal, to sign up at least that many new kids during the Fair.
If 4-H can add that many new members, Batt has offered an incentive: He will wear a green spandex suit on July 26 for the last day of the Fair.
Batt said the program has expanded from traditional clubs with animals and home economics. Those clubs are still the core of the program, but 4-H has added robotics and a Lego Club. (For more on the 4-H program, click here.)
The opportunities are available for only a $5 enrollment fee, a major bargain, Batt said. Many youth sports leagues can easily get into hundreds of dollars per child.
“We are keeping the fee at $5 so we can keep it open to as many people as we can,” said Batt.
Many of the 4-H Clubs will have displays in the Trolley Building to educate the public about opportunities in 4-H.
About 25,000 people typically attend the Fair, which runs from July 21-26. Batt said the Fair Board has lined up a full schedule of entertainment, while keeping many fair favorites, such as the pie-eating contest, grease pole competition and many livestock events.
“We’ve work hard to preserve the Fair traditions while bringing in new attractions,” Batt said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Cornell Cooperative extension in Orleans County is considering a 70-by-120-foot building in this green space south of the Trolley Building.
Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension
KNOWLESVILLE – Next week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair will give fair-goers a chance to look into what the future could hold for the fairgrounds.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County is in the early stages of investigating the feasibility of a 70-by-120 foot commercial kitchen/conference center for the fairgrounds. It would be south of the Trolley Building on what is now a grass field.
Extension wants to hear from the public if they would use the building, and if they see it as an asset for the fairgrounds. Some initial renderings of the building will be on display. The building would be bigger than the Trolley Building.
“We want to start the conversation,” said Jennifer Wagester, Extension executive director. “Is this something we want? Is this something we need?”
She sees the site as a draw for many events and conferences, and also as a business incubator for chefs, restaurants and food businesses that could rent the commercial kitchen.
The Trolley Building’s kitchen isn’t big enough to be used as a commercial kitchen, and the building doesn’t quite seat enough for many potential conferences and events, she said. That building also is often used for 4-H events, including rabbit shows.
“It’s a good space and the kids use it,” she said. “But we don’t want to mix it with food.”
The new building would also have room for several organizations to move out of cramped food booths. The Senior Council Stand, pie stand, French fry stand and milkshake booth all need upgrades. They also are short on storage space, requiring daily deliveries during the fair.
The new building would replace the need for this series of food booths that lack storage space and need upgrades.
The new building would have more space to store food, and the site could be used year-round, Wagester said.
She would like the site to be energy efficient. That could help secure grant funding from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority).
The building would be low profile and modest, and would blend in with the neighboring Education Center, Wagester said.
The Extension doesn’t have bids or quotes for the 8,400-square-foot building. She and other Extension leaders will pursue those numbers soon.
The Extension board asked Wagester to look for projects that would bring more resources into the county, and also position the organization for the future. She sees many potential partnerships if the project goes forward. The commercial kitchen could be linked with GCC’s food processing program. Chefs and food businesses could partner with the local ag community, which would produce the food that would be prepared in the kitchen.
“This would reposition us in our place with nutrition and food science,” Wagester said. “In Orleans County we’re an agricultural economy. It would make sense to capitalize on what we have here because food is our biggest resource.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Agricultural Educators name Albion outstanding ag program in NYS, citing community service and instruction
File photos by Tom Rivers – The Albion FFA chapter delivered 19,000 pounds of produce to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee last December, one of the chapter’s community outreach efforts.
ALBION – At Albion the FFA program is more than learning about agriculture and leadership. The program, behind teacher Adam Krenning, has put community service and partnerships with local farmers at the top of its mission.
The FFA last December worked with local farmers to collect and deliver 19,000 pounds of donated produce for local food pantries.
The FFA participates in many community festivals, reads books about growing food to elementary students, and runs an annual “mini-farm” where animals and farm equipment come to the school for elementary students to tour.
The Albion chapter hosted the state FFA convention in 2013, welcoming more than 1,000 students to Albion.
The New York Association of Agricultural Educators has taken notice of the Albion program and has named it the state winner of the “outstanding Middle School/Secondary School Program.” Albion will receive the honor later this week during an FFA training program at Camp Oswegatchie.
These Albion High School students – Aaron Burnside, Gary Moore and Dillon Black – were out in a corn field with other members of Adam Krenning’s agricultural science class last September. The corn was planted in the ag program’s 5-acre land lab.
“Under the direction of Mr. Adam Krenning, the Albion Agriculture Program has excelled in the areas of quality instruction, FFA initiatives, and community involvement and has emerged as a leader and a model in our state association,” according to a letter to the Albion Board of Education from Carol Wright, NYAAE president, and Shari Lighthall, Agriculture Education Outreach program specialist for Cornell University.
Wright and Lighthall praised Krenning for his work as FFA advisor and agriculture classroom teacher. Krenning is active in state-wide professional development activities, working to improve the rigor and relevance of the Albion program.
The NYAAE said several “exceptional” candidates were considered for the award, but Krenning and the Albion program rose to the top.
Albion will now be considered at the regional level for top agriculture education program.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 July 2014 at 12:00 am
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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Greenhouse will add 7.5 acres, 10-15 jobs
Photos by Tom Rivers – Dirk Biemans is co-owner of Intergrow Greenhouses, which built its first 15-acre greenhouse in the town of Gaines in 2003. The company is planning another 7.5-acre greenhouse, bringing the total space to 55.5 acres.
GAINES – Intergrow Greenhouses is planning another expansion that will give the company 55.5 acres of greenhouses along Route 98 in Gaines. The new project, planned to start this summer and be ready for a November planting, will add 10 to 15 jobs to the site that already has 100 employees.
“We’ve been expanding,” said Dirk Biemans, co-owner of Intergrow. “Word has got out about Intergrow and it’s been a snowball effect.”
Intergrow first opened a greenhouse in Fillmore in Allegany County in 1998. The site continues to grow beefsteak tomatoes.
In 2003, Intergrow picked a flat piece of property at 2428 Oak Orchard Rd. for a new 15-acre greenhouse. The level land was ideal for the greenhouse, and the location within a 10-hour striking distance of major markets in New York, New England, and heading south and west.
“We tell our customers we pick it today and you’ll have it tonight,” Biemans said.
Intergrow currently has 100 employees, and expects to add 10 to 15 more with the expansion.
The tomatoes have proven popular, especially with a push for locally grown produce, sustainable agriculture and a quality product. Intergrow has expanded twice since the initial site in 2003 and now is planning on another 7.5-acre greenhouse this summer.
The company supplies Hannaford, Aldi, Wegmans, Whole Foods and other customers. Intergrow is seeing more demand for its tomatoes in Connecticut, Maryland, and the Carolinas, and that is fueling the need for the expansion, Beimans said.
“We’re gaining ground because of a consistent product and availability,” he said.
Intergrow grows tomatoes on the vine in near uniform shape and size. The tomatoes are grown hydroponically without soil in the ground.
Intergrow has tomatoes available nine months of the year. That compares to field grown tomatoes that tend to be available in the summer and early fall. The field crops are vulnerable to weather and pests.
Intergrow has a closed system. It captures rainwater that is used for irrigation. The company brings in hives of bees for pollination and will introduce some pests to control insects.
The vines are thick and workers will prune the plants to clusters of five. That produces five tomatoes that weigh about 28 ounces. Intergrow strives for consistent weight and appearance in the tomatoes.
Beimans said the weather can affect the crop when there are long stretches of overcast days. The tomatoes need sunlight to grow and ripen.
Biemans holds a cluster of five tomatoes that were picked this morning.
Intergrow has been hosting international students since 2001. They have come from every continent and many return to poor countries with a goal of helping their communities be more dependent in producing food.
“Most of them come from undeveloped countries,” Biemans said about the interns. “We feel it’s our obligation to teach and share our knowledge.”
The company won’t be expanding again in Gaines after the latest project because there won’t be any more open space on the company property. The newest expansion will be on the west end of the greenhouse complex.
Biemans hopes to plant the first tomatoes in the new greenhouses in November.
The expansion plan will go before the Orleans County Planning Board today at 7 p.m.
The greenhouses are located at 2428 Oak Orchard Rd. (Route 98)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 June 2014 at 12:00 am
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.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2014 at 12:00 am
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.
Provided photos – Albion FFA member Elizabeth Bentley works with students in Mrs. Perry’s third grade class to plant their squash seeds on Monday at the school’s Land Lab along Clarendon Road.
By Sara Millspaugh, Albion FFA president
ALBION – FFA members and all of the third grade classes went out to the Land Lab to plant the squash. This was a great opportunity to get some of the younger kids of the school district involved in bettering the community.
Each class came out one by one to plant their squash on Monday afternoon. Each student planted two squash seeds per hole and got to put seeds in two different holes, totaling four seeds per student.
While they were out in the field they learned all about the process of germination and the care of plants. This was a new experience for some of the students who had never planted before. Everyone was very excited to be involved.
Now we just have to wait for fall, when we will bring the fourth graders, which are the current third graders, out to harvest the squash they planted.
We will then take the squash and donate it to local food kitchens in Orleans County. The students are only in third grade and are already taking actions to better our community. Imagine what they will be able to do when they get to high school.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2014 at 12:00 am
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.
