INVITATION TO ATTEND

VEGETABLE FARM PRODUCER MEETING – 2014 SEASON

Friday, January 3, 2014

1:00 PM to 3:30 PM

At

Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie County

173 South Grand Street, Cobleskill, NY

The Corbin Hill Food Project (CHFP) is entering its fifth year of working with farmers primarily in the Mohawk Valley Region. CHFP expects to serve approximately 1,000 Shareholders across four communities - South Bronx, Harlem, Queens and Bedford Styversant (Brooklyn) this coming summer and winter season. CHFP also will be expanding its wholesale operations through its Community Health Partnership program, again providing produce over the summer and winter months. We invite you to attend the vegetable farm producer briefing to learn about our mission and operations and decide if you would be interested in participating as a vegetable producer for the coming season. Our invitation is extended to other producers beyond vegetable producers since we have expanded our shares to now include specialty add-on items ranging from cheeses to honey to maple syrup and lamb. We are also interested in discussing with producers additional add-value items that CHFP may consider adding to its produce list.

CCE ENYCHP is proposing a project to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ( NYSERDA) focusing on innovations to maximize energy efficiency and quality of transplant production. One of the projects that would be developed is energy efficient growth/germination chambers  that would be relatively easy for a variety of growers to adopt.   If you are a grower who germinates seeds or propagates plants, we need your input to develop a compelling proposal to NYSERDA.  Would you please respond this very quick survey? Our deadline is just around the corner so it would be much appreciated if you could fill out this survey as soon as possible.

Go to this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YKBF9JL

Stump Culture photo from Canadian Xmas Tree Assoc (click for website)

Many gardening and horticulture pursuits are on pause for the dormant season this winter, but many homeowners affect their surrounding landscapes with a traditional purchase for inside the home: the Christmas tree. Approximately 25 to 30 million trees are sold each year in the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Consumer demand for trees makes for a large impact, with over 350, 000 US acres currently in Christmas tree production.

Christmas tree farming has a mixed environmental impact. The trees, which take anywhere from 4 to 20 years to mature, provide wildlife habitat and hold soil and water as compared to annual field crops. Some farms have to use pesticides to deal with pest problems and have to mow frequently to keep grasses down. (see NC State Extension for more information on environmental impacts). And at the end a stands life-cycle, the ground has to be plowed and re-planted from imported seedlings.

Rosemary plants are popping up in nurseries at the holidays among the mini-Christmas tree alternatives. Image credit: Sharon Dowdy.

Rosemary plants are gaining popularity as a holiday gift and miniature, living Christmas tree. After the holidays, you can use it as an indoor houseplant. With a little care, holiday rosemary plants can be added to the landscape in the spring.

Botanically speaking, Rosmarinus officinalis is an aromatic, woody shrub that originated in the Mediterranean. The word “rosemary” is derived from the Latin rosmarinus, meaning, “dew of the sea.” This refers to where it grows natively, among the misty hills of the Mediterranean coast, in France, Italy, Spain and the Dalmatian Islands.

Informational Meetings on OSHA Inspection Program for Dairy Farms
In 2014, New York dairy farms will be the focus of a targeted inspection program called Local
Emphasis Program (LEP) by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To prepare
dairy farmers for this LEP, NY OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialist Ron Williams will discuss OSHA’s
regulatory expectations for dairy farms on Monday, December 16th from 10 am – 1 pm at the
Iroquois Lane’s Banquet Hall located at 192 Erie Boulevard Canajoharie, NY 13317.
This same topic will be covered via a rebroadcast webinar on Thursday, December 19th from 9:30 am
– 11:45 am at the 4‐H Training Center, 566 Middle Line Rd., Ballston Spa, NY 12020 and again on
Thursday, January 9th at 12:30 pm ‐ 2:45 pm at the CCE Chenango County office in Norwich, 99 N.
Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815. An OSHA staff person will be available by phone at the conclusion to
answer questions.

Empowering Women in Agriculture
Annie's Project Designed for Women in Agriculture Starts February 6, 2014

Annie's Project is an introductory agricultural risk management program designed to empower women in managing farm business decision making. The target audience is farm women with a passion for business and an involvement in today's farming industry.

Now in its third year in New York, Annie's Project is a six-week course designed for today's technology based information systems used in agricultural business decision making and will help participants build a network of personal support regionally and statewide.

The program will run for six consecutive Thursdays, February 6 through March 13, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which includes a lunch to encourage networking among participants. Sessions will combine lecture, discussion, individual and small group activities, and software training and address risk management in agricultural production, farm business planning, financial statements, recordkeeping, marketing, estate planning and employee relations.

Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and Annie's Project co-leaders David Cox and Bonnie Collins secured funding from USDA to collaborate with Cooperative Extension agriculture educators statewide to facilitate the 2014 Annie's Project (introductory, level I) curriculum.

HAY NET

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The Basics of Maple Syrup Production (for Beginners and Small Maple Producers)

  Date:     Friday, November 15, 2013         Cost :   $12.00 per maple farm/family

                                                                       (handouts and refreshments)

 Time:     6:30- 8:30 p.m.                            Registration deadline :  November 13, 2013

Location: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Saratoga County

                50 West High Street

                Ballston Spa, NY  12885                                                             

 To register call : 518-885-8995

 Presenter : Steve Childs, Cornell University Dept. of Natural Resources

Many woodland owners who have access to maple trees have the opportunity to harvest maple syrup.  Fall is the perfect time to start planning this late winter, early spring activity.

The workshop will cover the basics of maple production including:  Why make maple syrup, what trees can you tap, how to tap, sap collection, sap processing, when is it syrup, canning and preserving syrup, what else can I make from maple syrup and regulations related to making maple syrup. Instructor Steve Childs conducts applied research in maple production, marketing and business management.

All stored manure can produce gas levels of concern in some conditions. Some gases (like hydrogen sulfide [H2S]) are toxic and heavier than air and therefore are prone to sink to low areas like storage pits, sumps, or other depressions. These areas are the most dangerous. When mixed before spreading, manure pits and storages that hold manure from barns where gypsum is used for cow bedding may be at increased risk to release H2S gas at levels that are hazardous and could even be life threatening. As wind currents mix H2S with air, the hazard is quickly reduced so the main concern is the area right around manure storage, especially during agitation.

For more information about gypsum bedding and manure storage pits read the full length article below.

Farm Energy Field Days Features Solar as Renewable Energy Solution to On-farm Energy Demands

Sourcing Solar: On-Farm Production to Retail – from 10 a.m. to noon, at Schoharie Valley Farms, 5605 State Route 30, Schoharie, NY 12157. Field day is free and open to the public; refreshments will be provided.  Pre-registration is preferred by emailing Ryan Maher at ryan.maher@cornell.edu at the Cornell Small Farms Program.  Walk-ins are welcome.

This farmer-led tour will give a first-hand look at what it takes to integrate renewable energy technologies into farms and/or homesteads.  Find out how farmers are innovating to turn their farm into an energy producer!  Learn how to assess your own energy use, explore your renewable energy options, seek financing and grants, and work with technical experts.  Get “How to” information, view customized equipment, and network with other energy enthusiasts.

Join proprietor/producer Richard Ball for a tour of one of the premier diversified vegetable farms and retail outlets in the region.  Located off a high volume state highway (SR 30) a short distance from I-88, Schoharie Valley Farms draws consistently heavy customer traffic seeking locally sourced farm products.  Learn how the energy derived from a large solar array installation benefits farm production, processing, cold storage, food service, and retail.  Treat yourself to a marvelous lunch and/or baked goods following the tour.

Farm Energy Field Days are sponsored by the Northeast SARE and the Cornell Small Farms Program in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension. To learn more about funding opportunities from NE SARE, visit www.nesare.org.  Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. Visit http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/ resources/farm-energy/ for more information about farm energy and Farm Energy Field Days 2013 .