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Canadian tariffs impose crippling stress on local farmers

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Falling milk prices over the past four years have put crippling stress on local dairy farmers, putting many out of business. And the brewing trade war with Canada has many farmers concerned it could get worse. “The impact here is pretty simple, our net income right now is zero,” Hal Adams, Black Brook Farms says. A few months back, News10NBC... more

Mr. Kriese’s Agricultural opus in Yates County

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Penn Yan Academy Agriculture teacher John Kriese knows how to grow things, how to build things, and how to fix things. His ability to mentor, support, and guide young people, looking past weaknesses to help students find a direction for their future brought a large and appreciative crowd out for the 87th Penn Yan FFA Chapter Banquet at Penn Yan... more

DEC ‘pursuing’ Owasco dairy farm for clean water violations

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An Owasco dairy farm previously cited for worker housing conditions is also being investigated by the state for violating clean water regulations. In February, four adults and five children moved out of the workers’ house at Melrose Farm after a town of Owasco cease-and-desist order was issued to the farm’s owner, Joe Tidd, due to unsafe conditions at the living... more

Dairy Farms in Crisis Part III: A threat to our way of life

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While many readers may think the survival of small, family-owned dairy farms is not important to their way of life, that would be short-sighted. Whatever your own occupation and source of income may be, the tax base and productive economy of Yates County is dominated by agriculture; and a large portion of that is in dairy farms or in service... more

Milo supports farmland protection

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At last month’s Milo Town Board meeting, the members agreed to sign a letter of support for Robert Henderson’s application for the New York State Farmland Implementation Program. Elizabeth Newbold, formerly of Cornell Cooperative Extension and now with the University of Vermont (but who still assists in these applications) says Henderson applied in the past for the Farmland Protection Program,... more

Canandaigua Farmers Market opens Saturday for season

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It’s not a billboard and it’s not an advertisement. But the hope is that a new mural that soon will brighten the inside of the pavilion at the Canandaigua Farmers Market, which opens for its 17th season at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, will help to build awareness of the market on Mill Street and the goods offered by its vendors. Artist... more

Giants farms ‘milking’ the system in Yates

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A common scene in Yates County — the bucolic setting of a vibrant green pasture dotted by dairy cattle contentedly grazing after their morning milking — is being threatened, and along with it, the survival of the sustainable family dairy farm. Why? Because decades of changes in calculating milk prices are squeezing small producers out of the picture. The price... more

Empire Farm Days names new management team

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Last December, Melanie Wickham of Stanley announced her resignation as executive director of the Empire State Potato Growers Association and as director of the association’s popular Empire Farm Days after 32 years. At the time, Karl Hofmann, president of the potato growers association, said it would take two people to fill Wickham’s roles. Hofmann was off by one. It was... more

FARMING IN THE FINGER LAKES: A great future for beef in the Finger Lakes

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“Beef production in the Finger Lakes is on the rise, and the future appears to be very promising and poised for growth,” said John Kriese, current president of the New York Beef Producers Association. Kriese, a third-generation beef cattle producer, is the owner of Spring Pond Farm and co-owner of Finger Lakes Cattle Co. in Branchport as well as Penn... more

Lyons man killed in farm accident

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Wayne County Sheriff Barry Virts says his office investigated a fatal agricultural accident in the Town of Lyons on Wednesday around 3 p.m. Patrol units along with the Lyons Fire and Rescue and Lyons Town Ambulance were dispatched to 876 Sohn Alloway Road for an off-road accident involving a bulldozer. Upon arrival it was discovered that Richard A. Lyon, 84... more

Massive fire at Aurora Ridge Dairy under investigation

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Firefighters were called to the scene of a barn fire in the Poplar Ridge Fire District around 9:20 p.m. First responders say there were approximately 300 calves inside the barn, and that there was an active structure fire confirmed when crews arrived. Barn fire in a calf barn in Ledyard. pic.twitter.com/jOiuHHz822 — Kevin Rivoli (@KevinRivoli) May 1, 2018 Poplar Ridge,... more

Schumer pushes for grape research funds

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U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-New York, is urging the Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service to provide a robust investment in new equipment for the Grape Genetics Research Unit in Geneva. Schumer said in a press statement that upgrades to the unit’s technology are necessary to ensure researchers have the state-of-the-art tools needed to respond to the... more

Got Stress? Falling milk prices push Helming to host seminar with FarmNet, Farm Bureau

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Staying stress-free in the world of agriculture can be a challenge. Senator Pam Helming (R-54) announced that she has joined with New York FarmNet and New York Farm Bureau to host a free seminar on recognizing and managing stress for farmers, farm families, and agri-service providers. Many reports have highlighted the negative impact falling milk and commodity prices are having... more

‘Scary scene’ for New York dairy farmers

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Cheaper milk on grocery store shelves is bad news for dairy farmers. It’s the fourth year of falling milk prices, and the crisis is hitting farm families hard. “There have been farms that have gone out of business,” said Elizabeth Wolters of the New York Farm Bureau. “Farms have had to take out additional lines of credit. Some farms have... more

Scipio Center farm, landowner settle lawsuit

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A land dispute between the Elizabeth Lacey Trust and a Scipio Center farm has been settled after approximately five years of litigation. The trust, which owns land in the towns of Venice and Scipio, leased a parcel to Sharon VanNostrand and Vans Ridge Dairy, a concentrated animal feeding operation. The Lacey Trust decided to sell about 260 acres through a... more

Easy, breezy energy helps power Union Springs farm

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A Union Springs farm will soon be harvesting more than just crops. DuMond Farms is the site of a new vertical wind turbine installed this week, which will harness energy from the slightest breeze to powerful hurricane-force gales, converting it into electricity. More typical turbines look like windmills, but this one has panels that harness the energy and spin like... more

Gillibrand seeks milk ‘price floor’ to help NY dairy farmers

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As dairy farmers struggle with low milk prices, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is proposing a solution that could provide some support for farms. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., unveiled legislation Tuesday that would establish $23.34 per hundredweight as the price floor for milk. It would be modeled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Price Loss Coverage program for corn and soybean farmers. Under... more

Cayuga County farms awarded over $1.1M for manure storage

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Three Cayuga County farms are getting some state aid to upgrade their manure storage, assistance greatly needed at a time when farms are dealing with new regulations and falling milk prices. Sennett farm Peters Dairy, Scipio farm Van Ridge Dairy and Valley Mound Farm in Scipio Center are all concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) benefiting from the latest round of... more
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