Threats to Our Forest: Free Seminar 3/17/11

Specialists from the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) will talk about the native and invasive species that are attacking the Catskill forest. The program, “Threats to Our Forest: Defoliators and Worse,” will held Thursday, March 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Okun Theater, Farrell Student and Community Center, SUNY Delhi. The seminar is free and open to the public.

Speakers at the March 17 program will be Joshua VanBrakle, Wood Products Specialist at WAC, and J. Rebecca Hargrave, Natural Resources Educator with CCE Chenango County. Moderating the discussion will be Jack Tessier, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, SUNY Delhi. Together, they will discuss life cycles, detection and means of combating defoliators such as gypsy moth and forest tent caterpillars, as well as destructive pests like the Emerald Ash Borer (also known as EAB, pictured above), which has the potential to decimate the ash tree population in the Catskills.

VanBrakle oversees WAC’s Catskill WoodNet initiative, supports woody biomass research and projects in the region, reviews forest management plans and develops initiatives to support the economic viability of forestry in the NYC Watershed region. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Economics and Policy from Lebanon Valley College, and an M.S. in Forest Resource Management from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Hargrave provides technical assistance on horticulture, agroforestry and invasive species management to youth and adult audiences. She earned BS and MS degrees in Forest Science from Penn State and the University of Minnesota. She is currently working on the Emerald Ash Borer Early Detection and Rapid Response Program in conjunction with Mark Whitmore, Forest Entomologist at Cornell University

“Threats to Our Forest: Defoliators and Worse,” is sponsored by the Catskill Institute for the Environment with support from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. It is part of an ongoing series of lectures and panel discussions titled “20/20 Vision for the Catskills.” The series is intended to cast a spotlight on issues facing the region today that will impact Catskill people, waters and lands in 2020. The CIE, established in 1998, is a consortium of representatives of colleges, institutions and individuals that coordinates symposia and special programming to promote environmental awareness, education and scientific cooperation in the Catskill region. Upcoming 20/20 Vision programs will focus on aquatic invasives threatening our waterways, bioaccumulation of mercury in flora and fauna, and trends in wildlife populations, including comebacks of some previously threatened species.

For more information, contact Dr. Morton (Sam) Adams, chairman,(607) 746-4483.

Photo: New York State Invasive Species

Regsiter Onlne for the Farm to Market Conference

Producers, processors and purchasers of local food are invited to the Farm to Market Connection on March 27th from 9 am to 5 pm at the CVI Building at One Cablevision Center in Liberty. Organized by the Pure Catskills Buy Local Campaign, the event will serve as both an educational and networking opportunity for key players in local food across our region. The day will include panel discussions featuring farmers and business people from across New York State, workshops related to direct-sales marketing of farm products, a lunch of local food and an afternoon tradeshow for farmers and buyers.Building upon the success of the 2010 Farm to Market Connection, with over 150 in attendance, each of the day’s workshops will feature local farmers, regional buyers and agricultural advocates. Planned workshops will address increasing sales success at farmers’ markets, production of local grain and flour, connecting with community groups through buying clubs, whole carcass marketing of local meat and recent policy developments related to regional food infrastructure.
Full conference details are available at purecatskills.com. The fee to register is $25 before March 22nd. Early registration is strongly encouraged as the event regularly sells out. For more information or to register, visit purecatskills.com or contact Challey Comer at ccomer@nycwatershed.org or (607) 865-7090.

Additional support for this event has been provided by the Norcross Foundation, the Gerry Foundation and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Pure Catskills is an economic initiative of the Watershed Agricultural Council. The purpose of WAC is to protect both the rural, land-based economy of the watershed region and the drinking water quality of over nine million people. Working with farmers, agribusinesses, forest landowners, forest industry professionals and others, WAC seeks to enhance both business profitability and environmental stewardship. It also champions the use of conservation easements as an option to keep land within a working landscape context. The Council works through partnerships with other nonprofits organizations, government agencies and community stakeholders to achieve its purpose.

Today on Watershed Wednesday: Karen Rauter

Karen Rauter, Stream Management Coordinator for the Rondout and Neversink basins, is the featured guest on Watershed Wednesday with Tara Collins of the Watershed Agricultural Council TODAY (February 23) at 1 p.m. Karen will share information about the Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative and outline the events and programs available to watershed landowners. Listen to WIOX Community Radio 91.3FM (or streaming audio).

The Flock Starter Challenge

Love farm fresh eggs? Ready to dabble in a flock of your own? Chickens are an easy way to begin connecting with the land and raising your own food. It may also allow you to "take a crack" at starting a small farm in the watershed.

Pure Catskills member Phil Metzger of Cooper’s Ark Farm in Schoharie is coordinating a mass chicken buying effort and will have 17-week-old brown egg layers (also known as pullets) available the end of April. Call him between 6a and 7p to order yours now (518) 295-7662 or you can email him at ebcn@midtel.net. Price depends on quantity and delivery, but you can work that out with Phil. Get a couple neighbors together and have a coop-warming party at your house to distribute the new arrivals.

Pastured hens lay eggs that contain:

• 5 times more vitamin D
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

These stats came from Mother Earth News research; thanks to the CheeseSlave blog for the tip on where to find it and the explanation on cage-free vs. pastured chickens. Are you ready to take the Flock Starter Challenge?

NRCS State Conservationist Astor Boozer and Public Relations Specialist Ivy Allen on Watershed Wednesday 2/16/11

Over the last month, I've posted quite a few NRCS offerings -- on-farm energy audits, oil spill prevention and organic farming assistance, conservation stewardship programs -- just to name a few. So I figured it was time for NRCS State Conservationist Astor Boozer to join me for Watershed Wednesday to talk about the USDA National Resource Conservation Service and its many New York Programs. Public Relations Specialist Ivy Allen and Assistant State Conservationist Dianna Power join us to fill in the details. NRCS is one of the Watershed Agricultural Council's key partners in protecting water quality in the New York City Watershed on both sides of the Hudson.

If you have question about NRCS or a comment on your experience with one of their programs, post it below or visit our FaceBook Page. Watershed Wednesday is sponsored by the Watershed Agricultural Council with funding from New York City Environmental Protection, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S.D.A. Listen to the WIOX 91.3FM radio program streaming live on the web or look for the recorded show online next week.

Water Man & NYC DEP Commissioner Share Strategy

New York City Department of Environmental Protection recently released its 2011-2014 Strategic Plan in which DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway stands up for clean water (pictured on page 24 with Water Man at the Delaware County Fair last August).

The Strategic Plan also reveals more about the City's future vision for water delivery, infrastructure, sustainability and customer service. The plan also specifically mentions the Watershed Agricultural Council and the NYC DEP's long-term commitment to the watershed region (see pages 20-28). At 75 pages, it's an easy read with 100 key points for action. It also gives you a good idea of what the DEP has on its plate for the next five years. Give it a quick look through and let us know what you think in the Comments section below.

Drink All You Want, For Free

The hard work that regional farm and forest landowners do at the headwaters is startling evident in New York City...when someone opens the water faucet. Through the Watershed Agricultural Council's programs in forestry, agriculture and conservation easements, we're doing our part to keep water clean, and drinkable, for nine million New Yorkers. And with the help of New York City Environmental Protection, this tasty finite resource regularly tests high on the water quality scale. Each day, our water flows downstream, fulfilling our city neighbors' needs to a tune of 1+billion gallons of water a day. They don't call it "The Champagne of the Catskills" for nothing...yes, our water tastes really good.

Tap It is a national organization that educates people about clean drinking water and encourages them to kick the bottled water habit. Plastic water bottles produced for the U.S. use 1.5 million barrels of oil a year—enough to power 250,000 homes or 100,000 cars all year. And it takes more than 3 liters of water to produce each bottled liter of water.

Tap It's initiatives have also included advocating that cities bring back "The Water Fountain," and provide residents with free drinking water access and a place to refill the now fashionable re-usable canteen. NYC DEP has stepped up with its Water-On-The-Go program. Next time you're in New York City, you can refill that water bottle easily by locating a drinking fountain through the Tap It Google Map. They're even offering a free TapItWater app for your phone (download it here).

We're so proud of the water we protect through our farmland protection and land conservation programs, we want you to enjoy...Drink all you want, for free, at a water fountain near you and tell us where you used a NYC water fountain...

It's in the Soup on Watershed Wednesday

Denise Warren of Stone & Thistle Farm co-hosts Farm Chatter on Watershed Wednesday with Tara Collins of the Watershed Agricultural Council today at 1 p.m. on WIOX. According to Denise, "It's in the Soup"...what is? Everything. No ingredient, locally grown or patiently stored, is safe from her stockpot.

You can find today's recipe for Nan's Tomato Rice Soup on Denise's blog, Farm & Fable Musings.

Listen to WIOX Community Radio 91.3FM (or streaming audio) to learn how to use more local foods by experimenting with vegetables, meats and spices within the context of this liquid-based medium. Be it broth or cream, drinkable or dipable, soup's on the show's menu today.

What's your favorite soup? Share your recipe below or post the link for all to enjoy! You can ask questions easily on the Watershed Agricultural Council's Facebook Page or in the comment section below.

Photo credit: bigfoto.com

Name NY's Top 5 Veggies Produced in 2010

According to King Whetstone, director of the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York field office, the value of all New York vegetable production in 2010 totaled $409 million.

That's a lot of veggies.

According to the article in the Herkimer Telegram, New York ranks fifth nationwide in area harvested and sixth in value of principal fresh market vegetables ($361 million in fresh veggies alone last year). This is good news for NYC watershed farmers, because Agriculture has prominent place in our state economy. And it isn't going anywhere. But we still have lots to do, like train new farmers and connect them with affordable land and move those products to market.

So where did our beloved Empire State rank among other agricultural producers in 2010?

1. Pumpkins: New York lead the nation last year in pumpkin production. Valued at $35.1 million, NY farmers harvested 6,800 acres for a production of 1.46 million hundredweight. Value of production in 2010 increased 61 percent from 2009, said Whetstone.

2. Cabbage: New York’s fresh market cabbage production, estimated at 4.34 million hundredweight in 2010, caught us the #2 spot in the nation for the main ingredient in cole slaw and sauerkraut. Who knew?

3. Snap beans: New York ranked third nationwide on value of its 2010 market snap bean crop, at $39.2 million. While harvested acres remained at 6,700 acres, yield increased from 40 hundredweight per acre to 70 hundredweight per acre.

4. Corn: Fresh market sweet corn acreage was up in 2010. Farmers harvested 22,800 acres, a six percent increase from last year. Yields increased from 100 hundredweight per acre in 2009 to 120 hundredweight per acre in 2010. Total value was at $71.1 million, up 22 percent from last year.

5. Onions: New York onion production, down from 2009, still tipped the scales at an estimated 3.32 million hundredweight. While down in value 20 percent, NY onions brought in a respectable $54.2 million...for onions!

The really good news is that watershed farmers don't have to limit themselves to just pumpkins, cabbage, snap beans, sweet corn, and onions. Regionally, and historically, farmers have done well with cauliflower, garlic, potatoes and grass...yes grass, for pasture-based dairy and meat products. Innovative growers are using hoop houses to extend the growing seasons for strawberries, blueberries and mixed greens. If you want to be a New York farmer, you just gotta get started. At the Watershed Agricultural Council, we're here to help.

Credit: Free photos from acobox.com

Grants for Watershed Organic Producers due March 4

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that $775,000 in funding is available to help New York organic producers and transitioning producers implement soil and water conservation practices on their agricultural operations. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis, with the funding cutoff date set for March 4, 2011.

What does this mean for participants in the Watershed Agricultural Council's agricultural programs? Eligible producers include those certified through USDA’s National Organic Program, those transitioning to certified organic production, and those who meet organic standards but are exempt from certification because their gross annual organic sales are less than $5,000. Under Organic Initiative contract, producers are paid a practice payment rate for each implemented practice. Beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers are paid at a higher practice payment rate. The program provides up to $20,000 a year per person or legal entity, with a maximum total of $80,000 over six years.
“Under the Organic Initiative and over the past three years, New York producers have used funding to plant cover crops, establish grazing systems, and implement nutrient management systems consistent with organic certification standards,” said Astor Boozer, State Conservationist. “Last year, NRCS New York funded more than $1 million through the Organic Initiative to help producers implement conservation practices.”

The 2008 Farm Bill provided for assistance specifically for organic farm operations and those transitioning to organic production. Organic Initiative funding is provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a voluntary conservation program administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality.

Producers interested in applying must submit applications through their local USDA Service Center.

Credit: Free photos from acobox.com

Answer the Phone!

According to a recent article in the January 25 issue of The Post-Standard by Debra J. Groom, "Farmers will soon receive Cash Rents and Leases Survey for 2011."

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be mailing and calling New York farmers to answer questions in the 2011 Cash Rents and Leases Survey. USDA relies on average cash rental rates at the county level to develop and administer programs that benefit New York’s farmers and rural communities.

Why should you bother answering the phone and being truthful about your land rents and leases? Along with ensuring New York gets is fair share of USDA program monies, your information will help the NASS and farmers, ,ranchers and landowners negotiate 2012 rental agreements and making other business decisions. The service will publish the average cash rental rates at the national, state and county levels for non-irrigated cropland, irrigated cropland and pastureland on September 9. NASS publishes only aggregate-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.

What does this mean for farmers in the Council's Watershed Agricultural Program? If you're a watershed farmers and you're negotiating a land lease with a second homeowner, the DEP or your retired neighbor farmer, you'll have a reference point for what the going rate is. You can use that rate as leverage and is an objective number, one that isn't over-inflated by one party or the other.

The NASS will mail the survey to 4,176 producers in New York. If 3% responsed (the average response rate for direct mail), that's input from 125 people. By picking up the phone, the NASS hopes to reach many more people and improve the survey's statistical validity. For more information about the Cash Rents and Leases Survey, call the NASS New York Field Office at (800)821-1276.

So when the phone rings next week, answer it already!

Credit: Free images from acobox.com