Ag & Wood as Economic Drivers

Today's guests on Watershed Wednesday will talk about how food and wood can serve as the economic saviours to our regional woes. At 1 pm, Nicole Day from the Center for Agricultural Entrepreneurship & Development shares details about the April 6th forum "3rd Rural Issues: Agriculture IS Economic Development." Spearheaded by the Central New York Agricultural Council, the all-day workshop features insights from Department of Ag & Markets Commissioner Darrel Aubertine, Pure Catskills member Ken Jaffe of Slope Farms and regional planner Nan Stolzenburg of Community Planning & Environmental Associates,

among others.

At 1:15 p, Wood Products Utilization & Marketing Specialist Josh VanBrakle joins me with Catskill WoodNet member Egon Cording of EC Woodworking. Josh recently visited Egon's Delhi shop and saw first hand how Egon is transforming destined-for-the-dump wood products into re-created home furnishings. With minimal marketing, Egon's business has flourished; find out how he's doing it on today's show.

Tune in to the live online stream of Watershed Wednesday, 1pm on WIOX Community Radio 91.3FM.

Got a bright idea for improving out local economies by promoting and supporting food- and wood-based businesses? Share your ideas below.

No Farms No Food Rally & Lobby Day 3/30/11

This week on Watershed Wednesday, two guests join me to fill the hour. At 1 pm, New York State Director David Haight at American Farmland Trust will call in with details on the upcoming No Farms, No Food Rally in Albany next Wednesday, March 30. Why are farmers, food advocates, local officials, environmentalists and other New Yorkers descending up the State Capitol to meet with legislators about the critical importance of farms and food to New York?

At 1:15 p, Caroline Foote of Maple Hill Farms of Cobleskill will call in to talk about Maple tree-sweet and the NYS Maple weekend underway. Caroline blogs, makes syrup with co-owner Victor Putnam, and has a whole lot of fun working with Mother Nature's chemistry to produce maple products. New York ranks second in the nation for maple syrup production behind Vermont. Find out more about the process, the product and life on Maple Hill Farms by tuning in to Watershed Wednesday, 1pm on WIOX Community Radio 91.3FM.

What's your favorite maple product? Post your questions for David and Caroline below.

Nat Geo Looks Under New York

We talk a lot about what we do with watershed landowners on their farms and in their forests to keep drinking water clean for nine million New Yorkers. But what happens to all that water -- 1.1+-billion gallons a day -- when it leaves the reservoirs of the Croton, Catskill and Delaware watersheds? I mean, really, it's a marvelous trek (and a topic for another post) but once it gets there, to the City, what gives?

Check out National Geographic's feature on New York City's Underground. A pictorial tour guides you through buried infrastructure where water is just one of many daily necessities found deep beneath the City That Never Sleeps.

Can you put in order the infrastructure layers at depth (from shallow to deep)? (Water, sewer, subway, electricity, bedrock, gas, steam, cable)

Photo courtesy of JoshDickPhoto.com. Check out the water view before it goes deep underground...August 18, 2010 post for an aerial tour of the Catskill-Delaware watershed and Josh's blog for the Croton fly-over.

A Year in Review: Watershed Agricultural Program BMPs

Fourteen agricultural best management practices (BMPs) are highlighted in the 20-page, 2010 Watershed Agricultural Program Report and 2011 Workload. The Watershed Agricultural Council spent over $3.5-million last year, with funding from New York City Department of Environmental Protection, USDA Agricultural Watershed Enhancement Program, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and Nutrient Credit Management Program. Leaf through the 2010 Watershed Agricultural Program Report by clicking on the icon below.

Thanks to staff at the Watershed Agricultural Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension, National Resource Conservation Service and Soil & Water Conservation District for providing content, statistics, and before-after photos that tell last year's story of watershed landowners doing the next right, on-farm BMP on behalf of clean drinking water (and nine million water consumers). These projects demonstrate how the Watershed Agricultural Program turns water pollution issues to water quality solutions. We hope others looking to pursue similar projects in their watersheds can take from these examples. If you have questions, call Program Manager Larry Hulle at (607) 865-7090.

Join us next week for Watershed Wednesday and our featured guests, David Haight of American Farmland Trust and Caroline Foote of Maple Hill Farms, Cobleskill.

Longer than an American Marriage

Did you know the average horse lives between 25 and 30 years? When you introduce a horse into your farm's livestock mix, you're engaging in a long-term relationship and long-haul investment, one that will probably last longer than the average American marriage (which incidentally lasts between 8 and 11 years).

The trick is to keep your animal safe, healthy and happy into its senior years. The Council's Rotational Grazing, Paddock Management and Composting Farm Waste brochures provide information that can help make horse life a bit more enjoyable for you both. The Rutgers Equine Science Center (ESC) also offers downloadable educational tools for horse owners like Winter Feeding for Horses.

This year, the ESC is going interactive with a Spring Webinar Series, “Care and Management of the Older Horse.” Dr. Carey Williams, Extension Equine Specialist and Associate Director of the ESC, assembled two equine industry experts in their field to offer professional insight and perspectives. Both webinars begin at 7:00 pm EST and conclude at 8:00 pm.

This week, Dr. Michael Fugaro, Associate Professor at Centenary College and owner of Mountain Pointe Veterinary Services, presents “Orthopedic Problems in the Old Horse” on March 15th.


Next week, Dr. Karyn Malinowski, Director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center, presents “Overview of Older Horse Physiology” on March 22nd.

For complete webinar information and the link to view, go to the Equine Science Center website, or contact Bakir Lawson at 732-932-9514, or Dr. Carey Williams at 732-932-5529.

Share your horse owner tip or story below.

Photo: DrewHarty.com

Wightman Specialty Products on WIOX 3/9/11

Natalie Wightman of Wightman Specialty Products joins me and co-host Josh VanBrakle, the Council's Wood Products Utilization and Marketing Specialist, on Watershed Wednesday today at 1 p.m. We'll talk about the challenges of maintaining a competitive, family-run business for 65 years, sourcing local woods and keeping pace with the international wood-products market.

Most of the raw materials that Wightman uses come from within a 60-mile radius of their mill in Portlandville, New York. A Catskill WoodNet member, Wightman uses these Catskill-regional woods to create flooring, moulding, siding, stair treads, wainscot, paneling. In the business since 1945, Wightman excels at customer service, helping its customers manage wood from "tree to table." For an off-the-trail wood business, Wightman manages keeps its customers up to date through its weekly blog.

Post your questions for Natalie and Josh here or on the Watershed Agricultural Council's FaceBook page. Listen in to live streaming audio too.

Next Round of AWEP

If you're a watershed farmer looking to harness the agricultural waste issues on your property, it's time for you to apply for the latest grant opportunity through the Watershed Agricultural Program. The USDA NRCS and Watershed Agricultural Council will direct $254,000 towards farm improvements in Delaware, Sullivan, Schoharie, Greene and Ulster Counties through the 2011 AWEP, Agricultural Watershed Enhancement Program.

Farmers are eligible for funding that will subsidize farm improvements, infrastructure and land conservation methods, known as Best Management Practices or BMPs, that benefit water quality. Livestock farmers within the project area must sign up for the program by April 1, 2011.

Wondering what AWEP covers? In 2010, the Council and NRCS put $120,000 of AWEP funding to work on several farms via nutrient management plans. In 2011, depending on farmer needs, AWEP may cover costs associated with livestock waste storage facilities, drainage and heavy-use area pads (HUAPs for short, pictured above), too. Depending on who applies and how NRCS rankings shake out, your farm can receive assistance to address animal waste pollution issues this year...but you have to apply by April 1.

Livestock farmers within the watershed can find more information, or submit an application, by calling NRCS Resource Conservationist Suzanne Baker at (607) 865-7090, ext. 270. Visit the AWEP page of the NRCS web page for more information.

AWEP was established by the 2008 Farm Bill and funding comes from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The NRCS administers the program for USDA. AWEP promotes ground and surface water conservation and improves water quality by helping farmers implement agricultural water enhancement activities. NRCS works with the Council and our partnering agencies to address water quality issues in the NYC watershed in order to protect clean drinking water for nine million New Yorkers.

These Stories and More...

This month's eNews from the Watershed Agricultural Council features stories on:

• the free seminar on Catskill invasive species, "Threats to Our Forest: Defoliatiors and More" at SUNY-Delhi on March 17 with WAC Wood Products Specialist Josh VanBrakle and J. Rebecca Hargrave, Natural Resources Educator with CCE Chenango County.


• Last call for Farm to Market Connection registrations -- we're almost sold out! Order online today.


• A video on what nonpoint source pollution in the watershed actually means.


• And lots "Of Interest" items including the new DEP Strategic Plan and a composting guide from Cornell Waste Management Institute.

Get this eNewsletter FREE in your email inbox the first week of every month. Simply sign up today and we'll share our resources with you!

Photo: EmeraldAshBorer.info

Got Your Goat on Watershed Wednesday 3/2/2011

Denise Warren of Stone & Thistle Farm co-hosts Farm Chatter on Watershed Wednesday with Tara Collins of the Watershed Agricultural Council. This week's topic? Goats...

Bearded, horned, hooved, and miraculously mischievous, goats (and their meat and dairy products) are carving out more than a niche for themselves in farmstands, groceries and consumer refrigerators. Goats are small ruminants that many beginner farmers add to a farm business model for various reasons. Goats are small (by comparison to cattle), easy to handle (still up for debate) and have a lot to offer a farm struggling to solidify its bottom line. Goats are quick to put on weight, eat grass, produce offspring regularly, and provide a variety of products. But there are some tricks to raising these wonderful creatures. Denise will explain how to prepare and cook them. Pure Catskills member Linda Smith of Sherman Hill Farm (Franklin) joins the show to talk about various types of goat cheese and how it's made.

Want to learn more? Or just curious how we're going to fill an hour on goats? Listen to Watershed Wednesday on WIOX Community Radio 91.3FM at 1 p.m. and post your questions to the Watershed Agricultural Council's Facebook Page or in the comment section below.

Have a funny goat story of your own? Do tell!

TLCLogger Class 3/4/11

The Watershed Agricultural Council's Forestry Program, in conjunction with CCE-Greene County, is offering Trained Logger Certification - Adult First Aid and CPR course on Friday, March 4 at the Soil & Water Conservation District Office Building - 2nd Floor, 44 West Street, Walton. Cost is $25.

Other upcoming classes include:

April 8 Hardwood Log Bucking: Tips and Techniques

April 5 Trained Logger Certification - Game of Logging: Level 1

May 6 Forest Ecology, Silviculture & BMPs

July 15 Hands-On BMP Installation Workshop

To register, contact CCE Greene County (518) 622-9820.