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VOL.30, NO.4 VOL.30, NO.4 • • WINTER WINTER 2012 2012 New York ORGANIC News New York ORGANIC News THE LOCAL FOOD AND FARM CONNECTION THE LOCAL FOOD AND FARM CONNECTION Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York
description
Quarterly news magazine about local, organic food and farming.
Transcript of NYON Winter 2012
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New York ORGANIC NewsNew York ORGANIC NewsTHE LOCAL FOOD AND FARM CONNECTIONTHE LOCAL FOOD AND FARM CONNECTION
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New YorkNortheast Organic Farming Association of New York
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Director’s OutlookDirector’s OutlookKATE MENDENHALL
Executive Director, NOFA-NY
On the Cover:Livestock understand the
importance of resilience as they await the turning of
winter to spring. Photo by Stacey Grabski
In This Issue3 Director’s Outlook Kate Mendenhall5 Important Deadlines and Upcoming Events6 New Faces at NOFA-NY8 Resilience: NOFA-NY’s 2013 Winter Conference
10 NOFA-NY Policy Resolutions12 NOFA-NY Board Members Retiring13 Organic Seeds and Annual Reminders14 Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference Preview15 Regional Roundup16 Ethnic Greens Trial and Tribulations Robert Hadad18 Fracking the Farm Part 3 Sue Smith-Heavenrich21 Wonderful Willow Marilee Williams 24 Challenges in the H-2A Guest Worker Program Catherine Lea27 Th e Two Sides of Food Justice Elizabeth Henderson29 Th e Edible Garden Barbeque Maria Grimaldi30 Ode to Beau Marilee Williams31 Lou Lego Batt les the Downy Mildew Spore and Wins! Jill Slater
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New
York, Inc., is a nonprofi t educational organization
supported by membership dues and contributions. NOFA-NY is tax exempt
under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Charitable contributions are welcome and tax deductible.
Winter has come! Take a breath and tie on your snowshoes. (Hopefully this winter brings more precipitation than last!)
After all the excitement of the growing season, winter is always a welcome time for me to slow down and refl ect on the past year. It was a rough growing season for many of you, and I hope you were able to fi nd support from NOFA-NY and your organic farming and gardening colleagues throughout the season. As we enter into NOFA-NY’s winter programming, we will focus on the theme of our organic community’s resilience at the winter conference on January 25 through 27, 2013. With all the changes in weather we have been experiencing, resilience is a key attribute that you continue to demonstrate as a community. We hope to see you at the conference in January to talk and learn more about this together. Check out more information on the conference on page 8.
As you begin to refl ect on the past growing season, please jot down a few ideas for our 2013 educational on-farm programming. We will be asking for feedback from our farmer-members on issues they found challenging this year that would be helpful to focus on in the context of an on-farm Field Day next year. We would also like to highlight those of you who have perfected a new on-farm innovation or technique (or one you have been developing for a while) that others could benefi t from. We consider our farmers to be the experts in helping to advance the organic agricultural movement, and we would like to hear about what has excited you, and what you would like to share with others! Look for an electronic survey in the coming weeks or e-mail [email protected].
Keep tabs on NOFA-NY announcements this winter, because lots of great events will be happening throughout this season. Look for a CSA Fair near you; we will be off ering eight fairs throughout the state in 2013. Our second annual Organic Dairy & Field Crop Conference will be held in Auburn on March 1, 2013 with keynote speaker Jerry Brunetti. Field Days and intensive workshops continue throughout the winter and early spring, so check our e-news to take advantage of these great opportunities. I look forward to seeing you in January in Saratoga. Happy holidays and blessings to you all!
Executive Director Kate Mendenhall and her husband, Zach Borus, welcomed their son, Elias, into the world on November 8. Mom, Dad, and baby are all doing well, and the staff of NOFA-NY wishes them much happiness.
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THE LOCAL FOOD AND FARM CONNECTION
New York ORGANIC NewsNew York ORGANIC NewsVol.30, No.4Vol.30, No.4Winter 2012Winter 2012
NEW YORK ORGANIC NEWS is a publication of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NOFA-NY Board of Directors or the membership. Articles from this newsmagazine may not be reproduced without permission.
Send letters, suggestions, article queries, photos, and press releases to: Fern Marshall Bradley, Newsmagazine Editor – [email protected] Pr
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All rates based on electronic print-ready copy. For ad rates, sizes, and deadlines, visit www.nofany.org/advertisers or contact us at [email protected] or 585-271-1979 ext. 504.
Classifi ed Ads (Opportunities): Farmers can post ads up to 80 words in length on the NOFA-NY Web site: www.nofany.org/classifi eds/submit. Send Display and Classifi ed advertising to: Member Services, [email protected].
Advertise!Display Ads:
Full page b&w - $300Th ree-quarter page b&w - $225
Two-thirds page b&w - $200One-half page b&w - $150
One-third page b&w - $100One-quarter page b&w - $75One-sixth page b&w - $50
4-color available for all ad sizes for a 20 percent surcharge
Publication Schedule: Please submit articles, display advertising, and classifi ed ads by the deadlines listed below. Issues are distributed approximately 6 weeks following these dates.
Spring 2013: articles, Jan. 15; ads, Jan. 22 Summer 2013: articles, April 20; ads, April 22
Fall 2013: articles, July 15; ads, July 22 Winter 2013: articles, Oct. 15; ads, Oct. 22
NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC. 840 Upper Front StBinghamton,-NY 13905certifi [email protected] 607-724-9851 • Fax: 607-724-9853 Sherrie Hastings Certifi cation [email protected] Lisa Engelbert Dairy Program [email protected] Erika WordenDairy Certifi cation CoordinatorHeather OrrDairy Certifi cation [email protected] Jillian Zeigler Crop Certifi cation CoordinatorLauren LawrenceKate MillerJessica TerryCertifi cation Specialistscertifi [email protected] Nancy SandstromHandling Certifi cation [email protected] (607) 218-6188Bethany BullFinancial [email protected] WaymanAdministrative Assistantcertifi [email protected]
NOFA-NY Board of DirectorsJamie Edelstein, President
Cato,-NYMaryrose Livingston, Vice President
Marathon,-NYKaren Livingston, Treasurer
Camillus,-NYKaren Meara, Secretary
Brooklyn,-NYScott ChaskeyAmagansett,-NY
Karma GlosBerkshire,-NY
Robert HadadSpencerport,-NY
Elizabeth HendersonNewark,-NY
Laura O’DonohueNorth Salem,-NY
Anu RangarajanFreeville,-NY
Niechelle WadeWhitney Point,-NY
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc. www.nofany.org
249 Highland Ave • Rochester,-NY 14620 585-271-1979 • Fax: 585-271-7166 • [email protected]
Technical Assistance Hotline: 1-855-2NOFANY
NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC Management Committee
Kate Mendenhall Executive [email protected]
Tanya SmolinskyCommunications & Development [email protected]
Nancy ApolitoFinance & Human Resources [email protected]
Nicky DennisCSA Outreach & Food Justice [email protected]
Elizabeth HendersonFood Justice Project [email protected]
Bethany WallisOrganic Dairy & Livestock [email protected]
Robert Perry Organic Field Crops Coordinator [email protected]
Rachel Schell-LambertBeginning Farmer Program [email protected]
Maryellen SheehanOrganic Fruit & Vegetable [email protected]
Sarah RaymondMembership [email protected]
Charlene BurkeRegistration & Sponsorship [email protected]
Stephanie Backer-BertschRegistration & Administrative [email protected]
Kristeen GoeringCommunications & Outreach [email protected]
Fern Marshall Bradley Newsmagazine [email protected]
Kate Marsiglio Farm to Restaurant Conference [email protected]
Millicent CavanaughFood [email protected]
Dick AndrusBinghamton,-NYKimberly DavidsonCambridge,-NY
Liana HoodesPine Bush,-NYSharon NagleCanandaigua,-NY
Dick RiselingLiberty,-NY
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Visit the NOFA-NY Online Store!More than 25 books on
organic farming, gardening and living.
Plus… tote bags, t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats.
Shop today at www.nofany.org!
December 14 Donation forms for the Winter Conference silent auction due. (E-mail Melissa at [email protected] for information.)
December 17 Beginning Farmer Winter Conference scholarship decisions announced via e-mail.
December 19 Journeyperson Program application available online at www.nofany.org/jp and from NOFA-NY offi ce.
January 3, Beginning Farmer Winter Conference scholarship winners must confi rm their12 p.m. (noon) intention to attend.
January 4 Beginning Farmer Winter Conference scholarship wait-list winners announced.
January 18 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) applications due (information available at ny.nrcs.usda. gov).
January 25–27 NOFA-NY Winter Conference in Saratoga Springs.
January 31, 12 p.m. (noon) Journeyperson Program applications due.
February 1 Cutoff date for $50 early-bird discount (with complete application and payment) for update farm certifi cation applications.
February 7 Journeyperson Program fi rst-round decisions announced.
February 15 Cutoff date for $25 early-bird discount (with complete application and payment) for farm update certifi cation applications.
February 22 Mentorship and Technical Consultancy program application due for winter matching period (see www.nofany.org/mentorship for more information).
February 25 Journeyperson Program fi nal decisions announced.
February 28 Update farm certifi cation applications due to NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC.
After February 28 $150 late fee applies for update farm certifi cation applications.
March 1 NOFA-NY Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference in Auburn.
March 15 New farm applications for certifi cation through NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC, due.
March 16– $75 late fee applies for new-farm certifi cation applications submitted to NOFA-NYMay 1 Certifi ed Organic LLC during this period.
March 26 End of Mentorship matching period.
After May 1 $150 late fee applies for new-farm certifi cation applications submitted to NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic LLC.
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
NOFA-NY Mission StatementTh e Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York is an organization of consumers, gardeners, and farmers creating a sustainable regional food system which is ecologically sound and economically viable. Th rough demonstration and education, we promote land stewardship, organic food production, and local marketing. NOFA-NY brings consumer and farmer closer together to make high-quality food available to all people.
Pleasant Valley Field Day Photo by Fern Marshall Bradley
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All Natural OrganicLand Care Sup plies
Depot St. Bradford, VT 05033 802.222.4277 FAX 802.222.9661Email: [email protected] • web site: www.norganics.com
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Charlene BurkeRegistration and Sponsorship Coordinator
Charlene Burke is originally from Rochester. Her childhood in upstate New York included life on a small family farm homestead and as a Conesus “Lake Girl.” Her formative childhood experiences
were spent camping, hiking, and paddling in awe of New York’s bountiful natural resources. In the past year, she returned from Florida where she most recently worked on implementing sustainability best management practices at a regional planning organization. She is a lifelong conservationist who has enjoyed working
on global and local conservation initiatives for fl ora and fauna. She has led fi eld studies in the Florida Everglades, worked for tribes in wildlife management, and volunteered in wildlife rehabilitation. Like organics, she uses an ecosystems approach in her own garden, in providing environmental education as a National Wildlife Federation habitat steward, and as a partner in an award-winning native plant business. Prior to joining the NOFA-NY staff , Charlene volunteered to help with outreach events and the Winter Conference silent auction.
NOFA-NY NewsNew Faces at NOFA-NY
Four new members joined the NOFA-NY team this fall.
Nicky Dennis CSA Outreach and Food Justice Coordinator
Nicky Dennis graduated from Colgate University in 2011 with a degree in environmental geography. At Colgate, she conducted a research internship with Shapna Tea and Coff ee company, whose mission is to fi ght poverty and environmental injustice using sustainable practices in growing and selling tea and coff ee. She helped lead Colgate’s Compost Club and worked to permanently integrate composting at Colgate. Nicky spent a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain, and has also traveled to Ecuador. After graduating, she continued to pursue her passion for sustainable agriculture and completed Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener training program. Th is summer, Nicky worked at the Wegman’s Organic Farm in Canandaigua. She loves spending time on the lake, eating, and being with her family.
Photo by Fiona Harrar
Field Day at Hudson Valley Seed Library Photo by Maria Grimaldi
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organicOrganics fromBejoOrganics fromBejoOrganics fromBejo
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Sarah Raymond Membership Coordinator
Sarah Raymond grew up in the Rochester area. She began her career as a Youth Apprentice at East-
man Kodak Company in the Skilled Trades Di-vision. She continued to work as a welder and scientifi c glassblower in the Rochester area af-ter graduating high school. Her experienc-es working with various materials within the trades sparked her interest in our connection to the environment and use of natural resourc-es. Her interests led her to SUNY Plattsburgh,
where she worked under a New York state research grant to reconstruct paleogeologic events in the New England region. After receiving her BS in geology, she moved to New Orleans to teach in its Recover-ing School District, post Hurricane Katrina. While in New Orleans, she migrated back to her profession-al roots, working as a Geotechnical Consultant and a Materials Testing Quality Assurance Manager on the reconstruction of the hurricane protection sys-tem in Mississippi and Louisiana. Working at the Army Corps of Engineers on this project inspired her to return to school for a master’s degree in Public Ad-ministration. Shortly after graduating Marist Col-lege with her MPA, she started a successful general contracting construction business with her husband. Sarah looks forward to using her experiences for a cause that speaks to her personal commitments.
Tanya SmolinskyCommunications and Development Director
Tanya Smolinsky has worked at small grassroots organizations for most of her career. As Program Director at the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, she developed and implemented a wide range of programs that served youth and adults, and she coordinated the organization’s fund-raising events, led membership development, and administered grants. As Operations and Development Director at Metro Justice, a member-led organization working for social and economic justice, she coordinated membership development and fundraising events and oversaw general operations and fi nances. Tanya and her partner, Julie, successfully led a community eff ort to raise enough shares to enable Rochester’s fi rst and only food co-op—Abundance Co-operative Market—to open its doors in 2001. Before creating a bountiful urban organic garden on their driveway, she and her family had been members of the Genesee Valley Organic CSA for nearly a decade and enjoyed their member workdays out in the fi elds on Peacework Organic Farm in Newark. When she isn’t working, Tanya spends every possible moment outdoors gardening, hiking, biking, kayaking, trail running, or cross-country skiing. She is thrilled to bring her 20 years of experience in fund-raising, communications, and organizational development and her passion for fostering a sustainable, organic food system to her new position at NOFA-NY.
Photo by Rachel Louise Lodder
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NOFA-NY’s Annual Winter Conference gathers New York’s organic and sustainable farmers, gardeners, consumers, and advocates for several days of workshops, networking, and one-of-a-kind fun. However, anyone who has attended a NOFA-NY Conference will attest to the magic in the air that builds over the three days of teaching, learning, talking, connecting, eating, singing (yes, it happens!), and dancing. Th e quiet moments shared between longtime friends teach us the value in regularly connecting with our peers, year after year. Th e sparkling eyes of someone bursting with new ideas they can’t wait to try out once the ground thaws reminds us that we can always have our minds opened just a bit more.
NOFA-NY was inspired by these moments in a specifi c way at our 2012 Conference, which followed a tumultuous growing season that brought us Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. After the post-conference excitement abated
(and after a few weeks of good sleep), one thing was clear: our community is resilient. From the farmers who remained steadfast to their commitment to feed and clothe their neighbors despite their losses of crops, animals, and equipment to the outspoken advocates who marched on the Capital with loaves of New York bread; from the children who dressed up like their farmer heroes to the loyal companies that engaged with us at the conference trade show, the NOFA-NY staff and Board were inspired by all of YOU to celebrate this resilient community with carefully selected topics, presenters, and keynote speakers.
Join us at the 2013 conference on January 25 through 27 as we gather and spread the practical and innovative information that equips us to prevent problems, lessen the eff ects of setbacks, and bounce back from challenges. Once again, we are eagerly anticipating our roster of presenters and lineup of fi lms and fun activities. Every activity has been carefully chosen so
the conference will represent a range of experiences, with many opportunities to explore our conference theme of resilience: springing forth and growing from diffi cult situations and often devastating losses. You are all an inspiration!
Keynote: Shinji HashimotoTh is year, our two keynote
speakers will share with us
NOFA-NY EventsNOFA-NY EventsResilience: NOFA-NY’s 2013 Winter Conference to Inspire and Inform
Since 2002!Join the growing Registry of Farmers
and Gardeners who annually joinThe Farmer’s Pledge©!
Learn all about The Farmer’s Pledge by visiting: www.nofany.org/farmerspledge.htm
The Farmer's Pledge is a commitment to a broad set of principles that go beyond the National Organic Program
by addressing labor issues, community values and marketing.It is a commitment that either certified organic farmers or
uncertified organic farmers and gardeners can make to theircustomers and neighbors. The Farmer’s Pledge Registry helps
to identify small farmers who have a very strong ecologicalapproach to farming, are treating and paying labor in a
socially responsible way and are working towards once againmaking farming an integral part of communities everywhere.
Tasting heritage grains at the 2011 conference
Conference trade show in action.
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their motivational farming experiences that demonstrate the kind of resilience that keeps organic food and farming moving forward. Shinji Hashimoto will join us from Ichijima Tanba City in Japan, where he has been an organic farmer since 1989. During that time, he has helped lead and grow the Japanese Teiki, or CSA, farmers’ association. He also has survived and helped other farmers to continue farming through the massive Kobe earthquake of 1995, typhoons, development pressure, avian fl u, and the catastrophic tsunami and resulting Fukushima nuclear catastrophe of 2011. It is an honor to have him join our conference this winter, and we are looking forward to hearing about his experiences, message of resilience, and good spirit!
Keynote: Scott ChaskyOur 2013 Farmer of the Year
is Scott Chaskey, whom many of you know from years of attending NOFA-NY conferences. Scott fi rst learned the act of springing back while gardening on the cliff meadows of Cornwall, England during the 1980s. As a poet, an educator, a conservationist, and a community farmer, he has directed one of the original CSAs in this country, Quail Hill Farm, for the past 23 years and been a leader in helping grow NOFA-NY
over the years. In 2012, the Quail Hill Farm seed inventory listed over 500 varieties. Since 1983 his employer, the Peconic Land Trust, has protected over 10,000 acres of land on the east end of Long Island. His experiences as a farmer on the tip of Long Island, faced with a changing agricultural landscape, development pressure, and weather changes have helped shape him as a resilient farmer with a spirit of hope and message of lasting inspiration.
We are proud to share this exciting program with you. If you haven’t received your Winter Conference Brochure in the mail, it should be arriving soon. Please check www.nofanyconference.org for an online version of the brochure, updates, and exciting additions to the program. We can’t wait to see you in January!
Tool-sharpening workshop at the 2010 conference
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1. Glyphosate Ban
Whereas glyphosate (commonly marketed under Monsanto’s brand name Roundup) is already used heavily in agriculture, and scientifi cally has been shown to be a powerful soil biocide, resulting in the increase of microbial plant pathogens, some of which form mycotoxins. Th rough natural selection, widespread use of glyphosate is creating the rapid development of herbicide-resistant weeds, limiting the longevity of this chemical as a weed-control tool. Glyphosate is being implicated as a possible threat to animal health and ecological diversity, both through its direct eff ects and through the eff ects of mycotoxins in our food. Given the real and documented risk of these toxic eff ects, there is no valid justifi cation to increase the use of glyphosate in the environment by growing or developing new glyphosate-resistant plants, or by any other means.
And whereas the discovery of glyphosate in the bloodstream of unborn babies suggests that everyone in North America may have glyphosate in their systems due to the enormous agricultural, suburban, and urban acreage around the country doused with this herbicide. Th is presence, persistence and the consequent problems from glyphosate use are inconsistent with industry-funded research and claims resulting in U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of this herbicide and the patented crops genetically engineered to tolerate it.
And whereas there are much better ways to control weeds, improve soil health, grow healthy nutrient-dense crops, and make for productive, profi table farms than increasing the use of glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba, and other synthetic herbicides. Rather than increasing the volume of these chemicals used by perpetuating unwise farming practices and the continuing development of herbicide-resistant genetically modifi ed organisms (GMOs), it is much more important for government to encourage farmers to adopt alternative practices that improve soil health, soil microbial diversity and competition, natural weed control, and crop health and that produce healthy, reasonably priced food and feed.
Resolution: Th e members of NOFA-NY resolve that in view of the many troubling questions about livestock and human infertility, health and environmental impacts linked to the production and consumption of Roundup-ready GMOs, the precautionary principle requires us to ban glyphosate until it is proven safe. We support mandatory disclosure of all glyphosate-related research fi ndings, including any industry-funded research that may reveal threats to public well- being. We support government mandates allowing independent research of genetically engineered crops, including any patented chemicals these GMOs have been engineered to work with. We urge testing for glyphosate be made a regular procedure that doctors can prescribe for their patients.
NOFA-NY NewsNOFA-NY 2013 Annual Membership Meeting
Saturday, January 26, 2013, 12 p.m. Th e Saratoga Hilton and City Center, Saratoga Springs
The meeting will take place during the NOFA-NY Winter Conference, beginning at noon. Admission to the Annual Meeting is open to and FREE for all current NOFA-NY members. If you are not currently a NOFA-NY member, you may join now to participate.
During the Annual Meeting, NOFA-NY members will vote on a series of annual policy resolutions and changes to the organization’s bylaws and will elect board members. We hope that you can join us for the in-person discussion and vote at the Annual Meeting on January 26, 2013.
Proposed Policy Resolutions
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2. Manufacturer Responsibility for Consequences of 2,4-D and Dicamba
Whereas there is a likely increase in the use of 2,-D and dicamba as Roundup’s eff ectiveness as an herbicide decreases and GMO varieties resistant to 2,4-D and dicamba are commercialized.
Whereas organic and conventional farms that choose to grow non-GMO crops should not suff er crop losses or contamination due to the actions of these herbicides and should be able to seek compensation from the manufacturer.
Whereas 2,4-D and dicamba must be used much more carefully than Roundup and have a signifi cant risk of volatilizing, causing problems well beyond the buff er zone. For example, a sprayer could be some distance from the damaged crop and it may not be possible to identify which farm actually did the spraying that impacted the crop on a nearby organic or non-GMO farm.
Resolution: Th e members of NOFA-NY reaffi rm our position that the manufacturers of 2,4-D and dicam-ba herbicides must be held responsible and liable for the consequences of the spraying of these herbicides. Th e farm that suff ers damage should be able to claim compensation that refl ects the farm’s actual losses; i.e., if the farm is 100% retail, the loss in retail sales, not an arbitrary wholesale value.
3. State Minimum Wage for Farmworkers
Resolution: Th e members of NOFA-NY support perma-nent linkage of states’ minimum wage to federal min-imum wage as a fl oor for farm workers’ hourly wage.
4. Liquid Natural Gas Exportation
Whereas the extraction and production of natural gas puts our soil and water at risk, adding greenhouse gases to the air.
And whereas developing a nonrenewable resource that will be exported does not increase U.S. energy independence while it harms all farmers, both organic and conventional, endangering the purity of locally produced food.
Resolution: Th e members of NOFA-NY resolve that we oppose the export of natural gas and the develop-ment of liquid natural gas export facilities.
5. Federal Ethanol Purchasing Mandates
Resolution: Th e members of NOFA-NY oppose feder-al ethanol purchasing mandates because these man-dates raise the price of feed and food.
6. Extension of the National Labor Relations Act & Fair Labor Standards Act
Resolution: Th e members of NOFA-NY call for an ex-tension of the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act to all currently exempted groups and for the expansion of unemployment in-surance coverage to all workers with a change in the funding mechanism to make the expense more aff ord-able to small-scale employers.
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Scott Chaskey has been on the Board of Directors of NOFA-NY since 1998, including a stint as Vice-President and several years as Board President. Scott has inspired us not only with his poet’s sensibility and eloquence, but with his huge heart. NOFA-NY has endured some growing pains since its founding in 1983, and Scott always brought a healthy measure of humanity and kindness to all of his interactions with NOFA-NY members, staff , and the Board. He has been the farm manager of Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett since 1990. He is author of Th is Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm. His newest book, Seedtime: Th e History, Husbandry, Politics, and Promise of Seeds is scheduled to be published by Rodale in 2014.
Karma Glos has served on the Board of NOFA-NY for three years, and she and her husband, Michael Glos, have been active members of the organization since founding Kingbird Farm in Berkshire 15 years ago. Karma always brought her trademark irreverence to Board meetings, but we also relied on her sharp intellect and working knowledge of diverse farm practices to inform the organization’s policy direction. Karma is the author of Remedies for Health Problems of the Organic Laying Flock and Humane and Healthy Poultry Production: A Manual for Organic Growers. She will devote more time to her newest passion, roller derby. You can see her skating as her alter ego, Fanny Farmer, in the Ithaca League of Women Rollers Bluestockings roller derby team.
Elizabeth Henderson has been on the Board of Directors of NOFA-NY since 1989. She has served not only as the institutional memory of the organization, but often as its conscience. Th rough her continued activism on behalf of farmers, low-income consumers, and the environment, she has challenged all of us to remember that farming is a political act. Elizabeth is one of the founders of Peacework Farm in Wayne County, and a pioneer in the Community Supported Agriculture movement. She is one of the authors of Th e Real Dirt: Farmers Tell about Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. She is also lead author of Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture and wrote A Manual of Whole Farm Planning with Karl North. Elizabeth will continue her work on behalf of organic farmers worldwide though her involvement with the Agricultural Justice Project and the Domestic Fair Trade Association.
NOFA-NY NewsNOFA-NY Board Members Retiring —Maryrose Livingston
NOFA-NY would like to thank three remarkable individuals who will retire from their positions on the Board of Directors this January. Serving on the Board of Directors requires dedication; Board members are unpaid, and must fulfi ll their Board responsibilities while trying to keep their farms and businesses running. Th ese Board members brought passion, integrity, and commitment to bear in their work on NOFA-NY’s behalf.
Maryrose Livingston farms at Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon and serves as Vice-President of the NOFA-NY Board of Directors.Remembering Richard B. Colledge
Richard B. Colledge, 48, passed away Th ursday, September 27. Richard was born in Ridgewood,-NY, and lived in New York until six years ago, when he moved to Montclair, NJ. Th ere he, with his wife Natalie Colledge owned the restaurant Plum on Park. Richard enjoyed the outdoors and frequenting his home in Pitcher,-NY. We were touched to hear that during such a trying time, Natalie requested donations be made to NOFA-NY in lieu of fl owers or other off erings. Please keep the Colledge family and friends in your thoughts, as we will here at NOFA-NY. Photo above by Joshua Levine
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To request a free catalog, visit www.highmowingseeds.com or call 802.472.6174
Just one of over 650 varieties including high-yielding hybrid, unique heirloom and
open-pollinated varieties.
Rhonda F1 beet
Update from Certifi cationUpdate from Certifi cation
Ah, winter. Cold air, perhaps a bit of snow, a crackling fi re, and … seed catalogs! Indeed, it’s that time of year once again; time to peruse our seed catalogs in anticipation of another spring and another growing season. If your operation is certifi ed organic, take heed before placing your orders! Th e National Organic Program (NOP) Seeds and Planting Stock Standard requires that certifi ed operations use organic seed, annual seedlings, and planting stock, with only a few exceptions.
Use of non-organic seeds and planting stock is an option only if organic equivalents are not available in the quality, quantity, or form needed (aka not “commercially available”), and only with supporting documentation to verify they were not genetically modifi ed or treated with prohibited materials. Organic seed is required without exception if producing edible sprouts.
Organic annual seedlings are required unless an offi cial temporary variance has been granted by the NOP Administrator.
Planting stock to be used for perennial crops may be non-organic but must be managed organically for a minimum of one year before crops may be represented as organic.
Treatment of seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock with prohibited materials is allowed only if required by Federal or State phytosanitary regulations.
Be sure to seek out organic seed and planting stock from a minimum of three viable sources. If your search is unsuccessful, then you may choose untreated, non-GMO seed. But be sure to document your seed search!
Important RemindersNOFA-NY certifi ed operations will receive
their update applications in late December with a February 28, 2013 due date. For those interested in getting the paperwork out of the way, we’re off ering additional incentive this year with two early-bird discounts. To be eligible for one of the early-bird discounts, applications must be complete (all paperwork completed, full payment of certifi cation fee required). Submit your complete application postmarked by February 15, 2013 and receive a $25 discount, postmark by February 1 to receive a $50 discount.
Organic Seeds and Annual RemindersWe recommend that certifi ed operations annually
notify local utility companies, health departments, highway departments, etc., of the operation’s organic status and request that the companies refrain from spraying pesticides or herbicides on their property. After notifi cation letters are submitted, you may receive a request for additional information required to properly identify the property. Please be sure to reply to any requests received to enable the utility, highway, or health department to locate your property and honor your request.
Th e staff of NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC wishes you all abundant warmth and good health throughout the holidays and winter season.
Photo above by Maria Grimaldi
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Join NOFA-NY on March 1, 2013 for our second Annual Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference at the Holiday Inn in Auburn featuring experienced organic keynote speaker Jerry Brunetti, founder of Agri-Dynamics.
In 1979, Jerry Brunetti founded Agri-Dynamics with a vision of providing a line of holistic animal remedies for farm livestock, equine, and pets. After witnessing fi rsthand the devastating results of conventional, chemically dependent, grain-based rationed farming practices, Jerry embarked on a crusade to educate and consult for farmers who made the wise choice to transition to ecologically responsible and sustainable farming. Jerry works towards improving soil and crop quality and livestock performance and health on certifi ed organic farms. Hear Jerry Brunetti speak on the benefi ts of organic soil management as it relates to improved crop quantity and quality and on how to build soil to be more sustainable in extreme weather conditions.
Th e day’s program will highlight workshop topics including: Soil Sampling and Test Reading with CROPP soil
Agronomist Mark Kopecky; Herd Health with founder of Agri-Dynamics Jerry Brunetti; Growing Small Grains with Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens, owners of Lakeview Organic Grain; Sprouting Fodder with dairyman John Stoltzfus; and more.
Th e conference will include a half-day intensive session on transitioning to organic dairy management; new farmers and farmers interested in transitioning are encouraged to attend.
NOFA-NY Certifi ed LLC staff will be available again
this year throughout the day to answer questions on organic certifi cation. Be sure to take time to visit our expanded trade show and speak with company representatives. Partake in a delicious organic lunch made with products donated by local farmers and business members and prepared by Holiday Inn Executive Chef Todd Field. Th ere will be programming for both new and veteran farmers alike, so bring your family, friends, and neighbors. Enjoy a day of learning, networking, and information exchange. We look forward to seeing you there!
Space remains available for those interested in sponsoring the event or participating in the trade show; fi nd more information at nofany.org/dairyconference.
NOFA-NY Events
Keynote speaker Jerry Brunett i
For more program details visit the NOFA-NY Web site or contact Bethany Wallis at 585-271-1979 ext.513 or [email protected].
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A second meeting to discuss Ben Hewitt’s book, Th e Town that Food Saved, and how its message might be applied in the region took place at Morgan Outdoors in Livingston Manor.
See page 29 for a story about a recent fundraiser for the Catskill Edible Garden Project.
Capital Region NOFA-NY member Amy Halloran wrote a story about Hudson Valley farmer-member David Rowley of Monkshood Nursery in Stuyvesant, “No Farmer is an Island,” for metroland.net.
New York City/Long Island Many members in this region are dealing with damage to homes and farms as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
Th e Regional Committee is organizing, working to set up a Google groups account, training people on how to add names to the regional e-mail list, planning how to grow their presence on Twitter and Facebook, and contemplating a holiday party for members in the region.
An article about Quail Hill Farm, “After Graduating From College, It’s Time to Plow, Plant and Harvest” appeared in the September 24 edition of the New York Times.
Regional representative Melissa Danielle appeared as a member of a speakers’ panel at Harvesting Opportunities, American Farmland Trust’s Conference in Albany in November.
North Country Th e second annual StewFest in downtown Glens Falls in October off ered local eateries and brave regional contestants a chance to showcase their skills with their unique varieties of stew.
Th e Garlic Festival at the Riverfront Farmers Market in the Warrensburg Mills Historic District Park in early October featured locally grown garlic, horticulture, folklore, recipe contests, crafts, and more.
Castorland Th under Lane Dairy hosted an afternoon fi eld tour on the benefi ts and challenges of growing no-till, green manure cover crops in Northern New York.
Regional Roundup
Center for Sustainable Rural Communities Opens
Th e Center for Sustainable Rural Communities opened in Richmondville (Schoharie County) in October. In her comments at the opening ceremony, Board of Directors member Dr. Amy Freeth said that the “opening of the doors of the Center was symbolic of the doors that have been opened by this grassroots movement in support of a more sustainable future for upstate New York.” She indicated that the Center was an eff ort to “respond to challenges faced by the region including how we can expand local economies while maintaining the rural character of our communities.”
Th e nonprofi t center will provide programs and initiatives in support of environmentally-compatible economic development, sustainable agriculture, open space and historic preservation, increased access to technology and more. For additional information about the Center visit: www.ruralcommunities.org.
Capital Region Denison Farm in Schaghticoke hosted a Brazilian Raw Food Demo and Farm Tour in September. Th e event was organized by Capital District Community Gardens and the Agricultural Stewardship Association, which recently conserved the farm’s land.
Kilpatrick Family Farm leader Michael Kilpatrick returned to his farm in Middle Granville in October from a four-month internship at Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm in Virginia. While there, Michael joined a team of interns to learn everything he could at Polyface, which raises pastured beef, pigs, turkeys, broilers, layers and rabbits on more than 1,200 acres.
Speaking of Joel Salatin, NOFA-NY member Tracy Frisch interviewed Salatin for an extensive piece in the October 2012 issue of Th e Sun magazine. Th eir wide-ranging discussion touched on topics including the humane treatment of animals, food, and agriculture regulations, and the valuable lessons children can learn by growing or raising something that is alive.
Catskills/Hudson Valley Indoor farmers markets and growing “undercover” look to extend the region’s growing season. More producers are adding value to their products through processing and diversifi cation of products.
To learn more about what’s happening in your NOFA-NY region, visit nofany.org/join/nys-regions/chapters.
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What makes a crop an ethnic vegetable? Simply put, it’s a crop associated with a particular cultural community. Th e range of ethnic crops includes vegetables as familiar as tomatoes, peppers, and squash, but called by diff erent names. Other types of ethnic vegetables are unique and exotic. As new ethnic groups move into the regions across New York state, the marketplace opens up wider to new and exciting vegetables to grow and sell.
In December 2011, Jim Ochterski of Ontario County Cooperative Extension and I held an ethnic vegetable workshop in Canandaigua. More than 40 farmers attended this daylong workshop on the production and marketing of various types of vegetables representing a broad ethnic background. Th e interest from the attendees in exploring growing ethnic vegetables was quite high. In response, with a little funding from the Western NY Cornell Cooperative Extension Association group, I launched a two-year ethnic vegetable variety and marketing trial. Th e focus is to see how well an assortment of ethnic vegetables perform here in Western New York under our wildly fl uctuating weather conditions. We’ll also explore how growers can market these new crops, how customers respond to them at the market, and what is needed to reach targeted communities.
Th e fi rst trial was held on Firefl y Farm in Canandaigua, with crops planted and maintained by our gracious farmer cooperator Sharon Nagle. Sharon is an organic grower who sells fresh produce to chefs in the Finger Lakes area (and also a member of the Volunteer Management Committee of NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC). In the 2012 growing season, the trial focused on Asian and Italian greens that might have appeal as restaurant menu ingredients. Plants were grown as transplants set out on August 8. We spaced the Asian greens tightly at about 3 to 4 inches within rows and 6 to 8 inches between rows. Th e Italian chicories and radicchio were spaced about 12 inches apart.
Asian GreensEven in the tightly spaced conditions of our
trial, yield and plant quality were good. Flea beetle pressure was less in the latter half of the season but still a nuisance. Some varieties stood up the pest pressure better than the others. Th e Pung Pop greens had the best fl ea beetle tolerance rating (1
Ethnic Greens Trial and Tribulations —Robert Hadad
Potential new specialty crops for vegetable growers show promise in an ongoing research trial.
Research ReportResearch Report
out of 5); Toraziroh had the worst (2.5 out of 5). Germination rates were high, there were no disease issues, and no problems with other pests. Due to the weather, water stress may have been a problem but the plants seem to have withstood the dryness despite some afternoon wilting episodes.
Pung Pop is a group of mustards selected from an open genetic population of mustards by FEDCO seeds. Th e crosses made behind the selections came primarily from Indian mustard varieties. Th e plants grew quickly with dark green leaves and red-veined stems. Th e fl avor was very strong and hot. Due to this fl avor component, it was felt that Pung Pop did not lend itself well to use in entrée dishes, but if picked small, as “baby” leaves, it would add nice fl air for salads. Fair to good tolerance to fl ea beetle; 40+ days to maturity.
Toraziroh from FEDCO had large leaves and strong stems and grew quickly. It was slow to bolt even in extreme heat. Th e fl avor was distinctively zesty and more of the atypical Asian fl avor, not as pungent as other mustards. 45 days to maturity.
Maruba Santoh from FEDCO grew quickly and was easily harvestable after 35 days. Th e shape and texture of the plant was reminiscent of Michilli cabbage, with tall, wide leaves with thick midribs. Leaves could be picked for salads or leaves with stems for stir-fry, and even bolting stems with fl ower buds are good for cooking. Th is variety preferred cooler temperatures for longer leaf production and did not stand up to heat as well as the others.
Yokatta Na is in the Brassica rapa family. It matures in 45 days and can be picked young for salad mix. Best grown in cooler temperatures early in the spring or later in the year, Yokatta Na is an ideal candidate for extended season production. In our trial, this variety performed quite well. Th e plants grew quickly, producing nicely formed, uniform stems and leaves with a spoon-like shape. Th e texture is crunchy and fl avor is mildly zesty.
Pink Lettucy Mix is another B. rapa relative from FEDCO. Th e leaves are light green and oval on long petioles with hints of pink in the veins. Lighter pigmentation might be due to the heat. It was quick growing, maturing between 40 and 45 days. Th e fl avor and texture of the leaves was tasty and sweet, making it a favorite with the chefs.
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Mei Qing is a well-known pac choi from Johnny’s Selected Seeds (JSS) with an overall smaller size than the standard choi varieties. Th is vase-shaped plant grows 8 to 10 inches tall with wide dark green leaves and white thick petioles. It matures in 45 days and can tolerate heat but prefers cooler temperatures. Th is variety can be picked young or grown to full size; it has good bolt tolerance and is somewhat tolerant of fl ea beetles.
Shiro is another JSS entry. It is a small pac choi with a bright white midrib, excellent for baby pickings. It does not stand up well to heat and cannot be held long in the fi eld. Once it matures there is little time to waste in picking it before it bolts.
Red Choi from JSS is a mid-sized choi with purplish tinges; it reaches 9 to 12 inches tall and matures at 40 to 45 days. Th is choi would probably work best for fall harvest, because cooler weather accentuates the color. Quick to bolt under stress and doesn’t have much holding time in the fi eld.
Semposai is from FEDCO and is a cross between a Japanese mustard spinach and cabbage. Th is F1 hybrid is a fantastic grower with large grayish-green leaves and thick midribs. It totally resembles collards or the Portuguese Tronchuda kales. It has a mild collard taste, but the leaves are softer yet crisp. Th is crop needs space and room to grow. Each plant produces a large harvest of greens.
Chicory and RadicchioWe trialed several of these gourmet greens native
to Italy; seeds of most varieties were supplied by Seeds From Italy. Cicoria pan di Zucchero is a tall sugarloaf-type heading chicory. Th e heads look like tight Romaine lettuce with light green leaves and thick white petioles. Th e tight heads really fi rm up in the cooler weather. Chicory has a bitterer fl avor than radicchio and is used in traditional Italian recipes and as a bitter herb in salad mixes. Th e fl avor does mellow a bit as the temperatures drop in the fall. Maturity runs 80 to 90 days. Sharon seeded the chicories in fl ats and then transplanted them out.
Th is ensures less variability in germination than direct seeding and also more consistent maturity at harvest. Chicory and radicchio have few pests. Slugs can cause some damage in the fall, but the biggest problem is deer. Keep deer out at all costs. Once they get a taste for these greens, they will go after them big time.
Cicoria Orchidea Rosea, also known as Red Orchid is a beautifully colored round-headed chicory. At 75 days, it is earlier than most other varieties. Th e red intensifi es with cool temperatures. Easy to germinate and grow. Heads reach 4 to 6 inches in diameter.
Fiero is a tall radicchio with that characteristic sugarloaf shape. It has bright red coloration and matures quickly at 65 to 68 days.
Radicchio di Chioggia is another easier-to-grow variety. It works well in the fall but can be grown from transplants in the spring before the hot weather forces bolting. Red-and-white-striped heads mature at 75 to 80 days and 4 to 5 inches in size.
Virtus is a radicchio from JSS that matures in 65 to 70 days and is a tall heading type. It can tolerate heat but prefers cooler temperatures. Th e leaves are light green with whitish-green markings. In our trial, Virtus was the quickest to head up. Th e spacing for the radicchio and chicories is usually 1 foot within and between rows. Virtus can be grown a little tighter. Th e wide outer leaves of these varieties can act as shade to deter weeds from getting too bad after a few cultivations.
General ObservationsSharon commented that she really was pleased
with most of the varieties trialed and her chefs found that several fi t nicely into their menus. When asked, Sharon stated that she would continue to grow at least three of the Asian greens and a couple of the chicories and radicchio. Th ese would be a welcome addition to her off erings to chefs in the area.
Next season we plan to expand our trial to more types of greens, including some from several other cultures. We will also look at peppers, vine crops, and beans. I would like to thank Sharon Nagle for her participation, careful attention to detail, and organizational skills, which helped make this trial a success despite a crazy growing season. And thanks to our Cornell Vegetable Team’s technician, Elizabeth Buck, for taking great pictures and keeping track of the fi eld notes.
Robert Hadad is Cornell Vegetable Program Fresh Market Specialist and serves on the board of NOFA-NY. Look for additional photos and the fi nal report of this trial at the Cornell Vegetable Team’s Web site at cvp.cce.cornell.edu.
Red Orchid chicory is one of several types of Italian greens included in the 2012 ethnic greens trials. Photo by Elizabeth Buck
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Call or write for complete price list
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Agricultural IssuesAgricultural Issues
Research for this series is supported with a grant from the Fund for Environmental Journalism.
Fracking the FarmPart 3: Impacts on Marketing and Food Safety —Sue Smith-Heavenrich
Th is is the third of a three-part series of articles concerning the possible impacts of industrialized shale gas drilling on New York’s foodshed.
On an August Sunday in 2009, Angel and Wayne Smith were relaxing on their porch after fi nishing the farm chores. Suddenly they heard an explosion.
“It sounded like a jet engine blew up,” said Angel. “And then we heard something like rain hitting the tin roof. But there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.”
Th e explosion was Spectra Energy’s Steckman Ridge gas compressor station, located half a mile from the Smith’s farm. Th e pattering droplets they heard was 1,629 pounds of used gear-lubricating oil turned into an aerosol mist by the explosion. Oil wasn’t the only thing released that day; more than 6,400 pounds of methane and volatile organic compounds were also sprayed into the air. Th e oily mist settled on gardens, cars, and hayfi elds up to one and a half miles from the compressor plant.
Th e Smiths and their neighbors were told to not eat any vegetables or fruit from their gardens and to throw away toys that had been exposed. “But the oil covered everything,” said Angel Smith, “our house, garage, the hay wagons … we lost all our tomatoes and our berry crop.”
Th e gear oil mist landed on the Smiths’ beef cattle. It coated the tarp covering their winter hay supply and contaminated the exposed parts of bales. Th e oil landed on the corn, the pastures, and the hayfi elds. “We ended up cutting it and leaving it in the fi eld,” says Angel Smith. She estimates they lost well over $25,000 in crops and hay; Wayne pegs the fi gure closer to $40,000. Th en there are the additional expenses they’ve incurred to protect their livestock and harvest: a new shed to store hay ($22,000) and more than $4,000 in water tests. Th e problem, she says, is that they don’t know what they should be testing for.
But nothing they do has been able to save their once-thriving U-pick blueberry operation. Before the compressor accident, they could count on a steady fl ow of ten families a day, each hauling out fi ve gallons or more of berries. But now, even after three years, only a handful of people drop by.
“We’ve got 550 plants and no one wants to pick berries,” says Angel Smith. She can’t fault people for being worried about contamination from the compressor and the surrounding gas wells. “At least the beef go to auction,” she says, noting that no one has ever questioned the safety of her beef.
What’s the Beef?While some buyers bid for beef raised in
gas country, others have made no bones about boycotting food grown near wells. Two years ago the Park Slope Food Co-op publicly stated that if hydrofracking were allowed in New York, they would “research alternatives to New York state products.” Th e 15,800-member retail food cooperative purchases more than $1.5 million in New York state
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fruits and vegetables and another $1 million in poultry, beef, lamb, and pork. Th ey also purchase NY-made yogurt, cheese, eggs, cider, and milk and take their responsibility to “buy local” seriously.
Fracking—even if it weren’t on the producer’s farm—would be a deal-breaker. One that, says NOFA-NY member Ken Jaff e, would have a dramatic eff ect on his farm.
Jaff e raises grass-fed beef on hilly pastures in the Western Catskills. Slope Farm is situated on 100 acres in Delaware County, located near the headwaters of the Susquehanna River and just outside the “no fracking” buff er zone protecting the New York City watershed. He leases another 300 acres of pastures and hayfi elds and contracts grazing with other farmers. Some of his beef ends up at the Park Slope Co-op and other NYC markets, so Jaff e takes extra care to ensure his cattle are raised well away from drilling areas. But what happens when drilling moves into an area?
Th at’s not a rhetorical question for Jaff e. Just a few months ago he began negotiating a two-year grazing contract with a Tioga County farmer. But at the end of September, Houston-based Carrizo Oil and Gas started drilling an exploratory Marcellus well in Owego. Now Jaff e’s rethinking that contract, especially since Governor Andrew Cuomo has indicated he’d allow horizontal hydrofracking in Tioga and other Southern Tier counties.
Th ere’s a lack of knowledge about what kinds of toxic substances concentrate in the various organs and body parts after exposure.
“Th ere is no eff ort to do that kind of investigation,” Jaff e says, “and it’s exactly the sort of study we need.” Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald agree. Th e research team has spent the past two years collecting case studies of drilling impacts on animals.
Out of ten herds exposed to drilling chemical and wastewater spills, only one was quarantined—that dairy herd in PA. And that, says Bamberger, is because state investigators found strontium in their tests. “Farmers are continuing to produce food products (milk and meat) without testing.”
Th e proximity of gas drilling chemicals and waste fl uids to food production raises questions about the safety of grain and vegetables as well as the meat, eggs, and dairy products. Bamberger also questions the safety of producing poultry feed from rendered fl esh of animals exposed to drilling fl uids.
“Th e biggest problem is that we don’t know enough,” she says. Not only is there no federal funding for research on the impacts of chemical contamination on food, there are also no required tests for contaminants. Th ere are no mandatory “hold times” or quarantines for animals exposed to drilling chemicals either, says Bamberger.
Break Bread, Not ShaleTesting won’t make much diff erence, though,
if there’s a perception that food comes from a contaminated place. And place is important, says Stefan Senders. Th e number of organic farms in New York State is growing, he notes, and that trend is helping to spur the growth of local economies.
Almost two years ago he started Wide Awake Bakery, a tiny bakery located in Mecklenburg, just
Testing, Testing…Th e primary concern for Jaff e’s buyers is what’s
in the meat. “No one at the regulatory level is investigating this,” he says, disbelief in his voice. He cites the Pennsylvania case where 28 cows were quarantined after exposure to drilling fl uids. “And then what?” he asks. No one, to his knowledge, has looked for any chemical residues in those animals.
On this Butler County, PA, farm, organically grown corn surrounds newly “planted” storage tanks for drilling fl uids. Photo courtesy of Michelle Bamberger
Two new drilling sites disrupt the rural landscape in this scene of Bradford County, PA. Photo by Sue Smith-Heavenrich
COLOR PAGE
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west of Ithaca. Production is small—between 500 to 700 loaves a week—but the focus, Senders says, is to nurture a local economy. One neighbor grows the organic grains, another neighbor mills them, and Senders bakes them into wholesome loaves.
“Th e wheat, the fl our, and the bread are wholesome,” says Senders. “Th ey bring our communities together, give us work, nourish us, and make our bodies and our land healthier.” Fracking threatens that.
“Because bread needs water,” Senders explains, “lots of water.” Bread works because of gluten, and gluten works because you wet the fl our. His rye
fl our requires nearly equal proportions of water and fl our, and the purity of that water is critical. “What happens if you put your second ingredient at risk?”
Should drilling contaminate local wells, Senders could truck in water. But no farmer can aff ord to truck in irrigation water, he says. And without local grain, what’s a miller to grind? Th e illusion, says Senders is that you only need to fi x one thing—such as bringing in water. “But when you frack, eventually everything fractures.”
From the air, the industrial nature of gas drilling is easy to see.Photo by Sue Smith-Heavenrich
Clouds hang over the Lathrop compressor station in Susquehanna County, PA, aft er the compressor exploded in March 2012. Photo by Frank Finan
Agriculture and environmental journalist Sue Smith-Heavenrich has writt en about the potential impacts of gas drilling on livestock and crops.
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Willow is in the news these days as a material for biomass energy production, but willow also has many other traditional uses: baskets and furniture known as wickerwork; trellises, arbors, and plant supports; and woven fencing called wattle. Certain species of willow (the genus Salix) are particularly well suited for weaving because they develop long pliant shoots in summer.
Willow is known as a pioneer plant—the fi rst to begin growing in a barren environment. As farmers and gardeners, we can take advantage of this characteristic and grow willow on marginal land that may be too wet for crops or pasture. Its quick growth makes willow perfect for erosion control, yet we can still harvest a crop of useful cuttings each season, leaving the roots in place to protect and stabilize the soil.
Willow cultivation is straightforward and requires little input. Any spot that is sunny and moist with moderate fertility is suitable. As with any crop, weed control is essential, and planning in advance is very helpful for long-term weed suppression. Options include cover cropping for a season or two before planting, carefully planning plant spacing to accommodate the equipment you use for cultivation, and mulching after planting.
Planting willow is simple: stick a cutting in the soil and stand back! Seriously, it is nearly that simple. An easy method is to mow existing vegetation close
Wonderful Willow —Marilee William
Willows are handsome, hardy, adaptable plants with many uses—and they’re easy to grow, too.
Crop ProductionCrop Production
to the ground and then stick the cuttings through the sod, but that may make weed control more challenging. A more successful strategy is to prepare the planting site by plowing or tilling fi rst and applying any needed amendments.
Creating CuttingsYou can buy willow cuttings
from nurseries or take your own. Simply explore your property, and you’ll probably fi nd willows growing there already. Willows are some of the fi rst trees to show signs of spring growth; look for a soft yellowish-green coloring from the tiny fl owers. Willow leaves are long, narrow, and fi nely toothed, turning yellow in autumn. Consult a tree fi eld guide to identify individual species of willows, but tracking down the identity to species level is not critical unless you will be growing willows on a commercial scale for
use in specifi c products. Th e best varieties for weaving have long, fl exible shoots.
Cuttings can be taken at any time during the dormant season (usually November through March in New York). Cut a shoot and look at its interior structure. Varieties with the smallest core, or pith, will create the most durable end products because they contain the greatest percentage of wood. If you can bend the rod 90 degrees without snapping it, it will be usable for weaving.
Th e best cuttings are from the lower two-thirds of one- to two-year-old wood. Using a very sharp knife, cut sections of willow into 10- to 12-inch lengths. A smooth cut surface with little injury to the bark will ensure the greatest chance of success. Cuttings need to be planted with their buds pointing up. An easy way to ensure this is to always follow the
Living willow structures like this willow tunnel designed by Bonnie Gale add an imaginative fl air to the landscape. You can size a tunnel for children to play in or adults to stroll through.Photo by Bonnie Gale
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same technique in the fi eld when you’re taking cuttings: cut the top end straight across, and cut the lower end at an angle. Th en when it’s time to plant, you know that the angled end is the end to insert into the prepared ground.
If you have identifi ed plants as particular species of willow, bundle your cuttings according to species with growth direction aligned. Label each bundle! Store the cuttings in moist sand or sawdust v a cool spot or even outside in the shade of a building, covered with straw. It’s important to not let them dry out: a thick layer of straw provides better protection, but may also lead to invasion by unwanted rodents.
If you prefer to purchase your willows, try a quick search on the Internet; you’ll fi nd many sources. One advantage to purchased cuttings is the vast choice of bark colors available, which can add interest to your woven products. You’ll also fi nd the characteristics of each species carefully described. Some varieties produce longer, more fl exible rods, which bend more easily into tight curves; others grow into larger, stronger rods that can be woven into sturdy furniture and arbors. Whatever you wish to produce, there is a willow that will fulfi ll your needs.
Proper PlantingIt’s best to plant willow cuttings
as soon as the soil is frost-free in the spring. If the planting bed is soft and friable, simply push the twigs into the prepared soil. In a fi rmer soil, push or pound in a metal rod to create planting holes. Either way, plant the cuttings deeply enough so that only one or two buds remain above ground on each cutting. Firm the soil around the cuttings to prevent them from drying out.
Once the willows are planted, moderate irrigation is benefi cial if rains are sparse. Keeping the weeds shorter than the willows will help your crop to get off to a good start. Mulching, of course, helps with both.
Harvest TimeOne of the
best aspects of growing willows is that harvest doesn’t take place until the dormant season, when many of the other demands of farming and gardening have slackened a bit. Cut willow rods for weaving any time after the leaves have fallen from your willow stand and before growth begins in the spring. Traditionally, the waning moon of December was considered optimal harvest time. In New York, that can present the grower with widely varying conditions, from pawing through snow several inches deep to harvesting on a warm snowless day wearing a T-shirt. I do feel that timing the harvest for the waning moon is best for the plant, because the vitality will be strongest in the root system then, ensuring future harvests. And cutting when temperatures are above freezing will prevent the willow from splintering and improve the harvester’s mood as well!
Use clippers to harvest the fi rst two seasons, so that young
plants are not uprooted by the tugging of other methods. If the fi rst year’s rods are too short for your desired products, use them to make more cuttings to expand your plantation. By the second year, though, with adequate moisture and weed control, you can expect rods 4 to 9 feet long, depending on the variety and the season. No matter the length, willow intended for weaving must be harvested every year, so rods remain pliant, with no branching.
Cut willow rods as close to the ground as possible and gather them in bundles right in the fi eld. Tie the gathered rods in several places to help keep them straight. Store the bundled rods in a dry place, either upright, leaning against a wall, or lying fl at. Spanning the trusses or rafters of a barn or garage will keep the rods out of the way but still provide good air circulation
Students from the Chenango Bridge Elementary School in Binghamton work together to weave a living fence. Photo by Bonnie Gale
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for even drying. Be aware of unwanted critters that may nibble or leave droppings on your carefully harvested crop, and take measures to keep them away.
Weave AwayAfter the harvest comes the
fun. Sort your rods by length, so that when you are ready to weave, the proper size rod will be ready for your nimble fi ngers. To do this, place a bundle cut end down in a wide, deep container, such as a barrel. Pull the longest rods from the barrel fi rst and set them aside, then the next longest and so on. You’ll end up with separate piles of equal lengths, ready for your weaving project.
Willow can be woven “green” directly after cutting, but as it dries it will shrink, losing nearly half its thickness. Green weaving should be done tightly
Willow WaterTh e genus Salix has many medicinal uses. One
constituent, salicylic acid, is the basis for the aspirin we reach for to quell a headache. As a soak or spray, this property can be put to good use on new plantings to promote Systemic Acquired Resistance, or SAR, which acts to prevent injury from microbial attack. A simple mixture can be made by dissolving 3 aspirins in 4 gallons of water and spraying liberally.
One hormone in willow, indolebutyric acid (IBA), promotes rapid rooting in new plants and cuttings. A synthetic form of this is used in the commercially produced rooting hormones that are widely available. Th is property of willow was understood by Native Americans, and the recipe for their willow water was shared with early settlers.
It’s easy to make willow water. For the greatest potency, collect willow branches during the growing season. Strip off the leaves from pencil-thin branches and chop the branches into 1- to 3-inch-long pieces. Steep 2 cups of the chopped twigs in 2 quarts of boiling water and let sit overnight; or, use warm water and soak the twigs for 24 to 48 hours. Strain the brew before using or storing it.
Soak cuttings in the willow water overnight before planting; you can also use the brew to water the soil around new plantings. Two applications are usually suffi cient. Refrigerate any leftover willow water and use it up within two months.
MORE ABOUT WILLOWS Willow Basketry by Bernard and Regula Verdt-Fierz (Interweave Press, 1993)
Making Rustic Furniture by Daniel Mack (Lark Books, 1992)
Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates and Fences by Jim Long (Storey Publishing, 1998)
Basket Willow Culture in New York State by John Wallace Stephen M.S.F.
Basket maker Bonnie Gale (www.bonniegale.com) off ers willow weaving materials, makes exquisite baskets and living willow structures, gives presentation, and individual and group classes.
and beaten well, but it will still loosen considerably when dried, so the basket or fence will be less sturdy. It is not recommended for furniture. For the strongest, most durable product, it’s best to fi rst dry the rods and then soak them right before weaving.
Th ere are several methods of preparing willow for weaving. Bark may be stripped off or left on and rods may be split or dyed, but that requires investing in a few more tools. Th e simplest technique is just to soak the rods, generally one day for each foot of length. While the rods are soaking, you can plan your project and gather your tools. Books abound on weaving baskets and trellises or building willow furniture. Working with an experienced basket weaver can shorten the learning curve and help you develop proper
techniques, but a teacher is not essential. Let your creative juices fl ow, your imagination soar, and weave away. You, too, can discover the wonders of willow.
Marilee Williams grows and weaves willows and more in the Finger Lakes region.
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Across the country, farms large and small face a common challenge: there just aren’t enough Americans interested in agricultural jobs. Despite high unemployment and a renewed public awareness of food and farming issues, the demanding day-to-day work of growing and harvesting food is a hard sell to many U.S. workers. Experts estimate that undocumented workers from abroad comprise just over half of our country’s agricultural workforce. Th e H-2A program for temporary guest workers jointly administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Justice provides an alternative: it lets employers apply for permission to hire foreign farm workers for temporary or seasonal positions. Th e program, which was authorized under the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952, applies to workers in almost every agricultural sector, in every state. Th e number of H-2A workers has been increasing over the past several years; a 2011 paper by Farmworker Justice reported around 80 thousand certifi ed H-2A guest workers in the country. As of 2010, New York accounted for 3,858 of those workers. Th ough it accounts for only a small percent of farm labor in the United States, the H-2A program is an established, widely used way to legally employ foreign workers in an industry heavily dependent on undocumented immigrant labor. But the program has been controversial, criticized both by farmers who fi nd its procedure unmanageable and by farm-worker advocates who call it exploitative.
To use the H-2A program, employers must prove a shortage of workers in their region who are “able, willing, qualifi ed or available” for farm work. Th ey must actively recruit U.S. workers before applying for H-2A and certify that hiring a guest worker will not “adversely aff ect” the wages or conditions of American workers. Once they hire guest workers, farmers must off er an “adverse eff ect wage rate” (AEWR): a minimum wage rate tied to the annual hourly wage rate for similar work nearby. Work conditions under H-2A are regulated by the Department of Labor and include housing standards and fair compensation. However, H-2A workers are excluded from any protections off ered under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker
Agricultural IssuesAgricultural IssuesChallenges in the H-2A Guest Worker Program —Catherine M. Lea
Exploring why the H-2A program is a second-rate and second-class solution to the farm labor shortage in New York and beyond
Protection Act. Only non-immigrants are eligible to be H-2A workers; they must have no intention of staying in the United States once their work is done. Th ey are not off ered the chance to become a legal resident alien or a U.S. citizen, and their visa is tied to their employment; once it expires, they must return to their country of origin (Mexico, in the majority of cases).
H-2A at Norwich MeadowsNOFA-NY farmer member Zaid Kurdieh has been
employing H-2A guest workers at his operation, Norwich Meadows Farm, for over a decade. Every year, he advertises in the local paper for workers and sees the same results. “We get nobody with experience,” he says. He does have a few longtime local employees who work year-round; apart from that crew, he hires guest workers. He knows farmers have been criticized for hiring from abroad during a time of high U.S. unemployment. “Th ey use the term ‘taking our jobs away’,” Kurdieh says. “Well, you don’t even want those jobs.” He has tried many times to hire locals, but “some of them don’t even last half a day on the job.” Farming, Kurdieh says, is “very hard work, and only people who have been doing this a long time, who are trained in it, can do it.” Most of the 15 or so workers he’s hired through H-2A are experienced farmers, and all have what he calls an “incredible” work ethic—something he says his community notices and appreciates. Since he started using the program, he has hired back the same workers, taking on a few more as his farm has expanded.
While he praises the workers, Kurdieh has mixed feelings about the H-2A program itself, which he calls “extremely cumbersome” and “almost out of control” in its ineffi ciencies. He must go through four separate government agencies to prove a need
A recent report by Farmworker Justice
found employers across the country engaging in wage
theft , exploitative productivity
standards, and discrimination against H-2A
workers.
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for workers every year, even when he’s rehiring the same workers. “If we’ve been doing this program successfully and we haven’t violated any of the rules… and we show that there’s a perpetual lack of [local] employees, then we would hope that they could not certify us every year but every two, three, or fi ve years.” Meanwhile, Kurdieh says, the paperwork is so convoluted that for the past two years he’s had to hire attorneys to oversee the process. Despite specifying a “date of need” for the guest workers’ arrival, he may have to wait months to hear back from the agencies. A delay of up to six months is signifi cant when it comes to seasonal work. “At the embassy level,” he says, “somebody within government has to recognize that we don’t have six months… Every year our business is at the
mercy of [these agencies]. Every person is crucial. Every delay sets us back, and I haven’t seen where anybody cares.”
Fundamental FlawsNelson Carrasquillo is the general coordinator
of the farmworker support organization Comité de Apoyo a Los Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA). He agrees that there is a disconnect between farms and the policies that govern their workforce—but he believes the problems with guest worker programs run much deeper than ineffi ciency. He sees fundamental fl aws in a food system dependent on imported labor, documented or not. Carrasquillo points to damaging trade policies that have undermined local economies in places like rural Mexico, “bringing about the downfall of many farmers.” Displaced workers turned to the U.S. in desperation, and when foreign workers are “willing to do whatever it takes to work, they often tolerate unfair working conditions [and] abuse by employers.”
Even with work visas, Carrasquillo says, temporary guest workers are very vulnerable, and they are subject to mistreatment by employers less conscientious than Zaid Kurdieh. A recent report by Farmworker Justice found employers across the country engaging in wage theft, exploitative productivity standards, and discrimination against H-2A workers. Because workers’ visas are dependent on a single employer who can send them home at will, they are often “fearful of retaliation”—they worry that “if they demand the wages owed to them they will be fi red and deported or refused re-hire next year.” Th is vulnerability and inadequate protection, says Carrasquillo, puts workers “in a subservience level that gives the employer full control.” A Southern Poverty Law Center report
Gett ing InvolvedIf you want to do more to help eff ect change in the
farm labor system, contact Elizabeth Henderson, co-chair of the NOFA-NY Policy committee and member of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) Labor and Trade Working Group. Or you can join the NESAWG Labor and Trade Working Group. To join, go to www.nesawg.org, scroll down to the list of groups on the right hand side of the page and click on the Labor and Trade Working Group.
Photo by Sara Worden
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describes worker abuses as “the foreseeable outcome of a system that treats foreign workers as commodities to be imported as needed without aff ording them adequate legal safeguards or the protections of the free market.” When it comes to the H-2A program, Carrasquillo doesn’t mince
words: “Yesterday’s slaves are today’s guest workers,” he says.
Even if many farmers want to ensure a decent living and good conditions for their workers, systemic problems like the vulnerability of H-2A workers are often out of their hands. “Th e national discussion about the guest worker program goes hand in hand with ensuring a stable work force” in agriculture, says Carrasquillo, but
“small farmers are mostly out of the discussion because they lack the leverage.” Groups like CATA and Farmworker Justice advocate major policy and hiring changes to address this problem. One such proposal is the adoption of fair labor standards put forth by the Agricultural Justice Project. Another is granting farm workers certain rights, including the ability to change employers and the option to apply for citizenship. Many simply call for stricter government oversight and enforcement of labor standards.
Meanwhile, farmers like Kurdieh continue to struggle with a disinterested and inexperienced local workforce. Mexican workers continue to turn to U.S. farm for jobs that sometimes support—but more often exploit—them. And small farmers and foreign farm workers alike continue to struggle with a fl awed food system, one that doesn’t always seem to have their best interests at heart.
While he praises the workers, farmer
Zaid Kurdieh has mixed feelings about
the H-2A program itself, which he
calls “extremely cumbersome” and
“almost out of control” in its ineffi ciencies.
MORE ABOUT FARM LABOR ISSUES Agricultural Justice Project: agriculturaljusticeproject.org
Cornell Farmworker Program: devsoc.cals.cornell.edu/outreach/cfp
Domestic Fair Trade Association: thedfta.org
Farmworker Justice: farmworkerjustice.org
Farm Hands by Tom Rivers: farmhandsbook.com
Catherine Lea is a Farm Labor Intern at Just Food, a nonprofi t organization that connects communities and local farms with the resources and support they need to make fresh, locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers.
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Access for inner-city and low-income people to healthy, clean, nutritious food is what you hear about most in news reports about food justice. But there is another side that is every bit as crucial—fair treatment and living wages for the people who grow, wash, cook, transport, and sell our food. Over 17 percent of the jobs in the United States are food related. If everyone who touches food as part of their work (including farm workers and farmers) were paid enough that they could aff ord to purchase high-quality food for themselves and their families, our food system would be on its way to greater fairness and long-term economic viability. Th e job of Food Justice Coordinator for NOFA-NY is to make some progress in both parts of this struggle.
Under a USDA grant from the Farmers Market Promotion Program, NOFA-NY has begun the Neighborhood Farm Share program, providing a partial subsidy for limited-income residents of Buff alo and Rochester who join an organic CSA (one off ered by a certifi ed organic or Farmer’s Pledge farm). Th is fi nancial support is made possible by the grant and a generous donation from a New York state family foundation. Th is project launched too late to include many CSAs during the 2012 season, but we hope that all CSAs in the Buff alo and Rochester areas will consider reaching out to local low-income people as new members for their CSAs for the 2013 season. Our goal is 80 new members in Rochester and 40 in Buff alo. Households in “food desert” zip codes in rural areas
Circles of CaringCircles of CaringTh e Two Sides of Food Justice: Food Access and Job Fairness
—Elizabeth Henderson, NOFA-NY Food Justice Project Consultant
could also qualify for the subsidy. NOFA-NY is ready to assist you with training in processing food stamps and various other mechanisms for making CSA membership fi nancially possible for low-income people. Th ese topics were covered in the two CSA schools that took place in Batavia on October 27 (for CSAs that have some experience) and November 3 (for new or not yet started CSAs).
We are revising the Neighborhood Farm Share program for 2013 based on our experience in piloting it with a few CSAs in 2012. Please let us know if you would like to participate by sending an e-mail to [email protected]!
Healthy Rebates for CSA Members
To further strengthen the CSA network in New York, the NOFA-NY staff is trying to persuade health insurance companies in New York state to give their healthy rebate for membership in organic CSAs. (Some insurance programs off er a rebate of $50 to $200 to customers to cover the cost of undertaking a healthy activity, like joining a gym.) In the Madison, Wisconsin area, where the Fair Share Coalition (aka MACSAC) has been successful in partnering with insurance companies, the number of CSA members has increased steadily. NOFA-NY staff is contacting insurance companies and will be meeting with their policy makers. CSA farmers can help with this project by asking CSA members to push from below by requesting
this rebate from their insurance providers. Th e NOFA-NY Food Justice staff has drafted a letter that farmers can provide to their CSA members in their farm newsletter or blog or forward in an e-mail. Please contact the NOFA-NY offi ce for a copy.
While the CSA model gives farmers the chance to have a stronger voice in setting the terms of trade with their customers, all kinds of organic farms need to receive prices that cover their full costs of production. It is NOFA’s mission to support farms with every possible marketing strategy. Over the past few years, NOFA involvement in the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) has provided some of the resources to help farmers to better calculate their costs. You will fi nd a listing of resources along with the high standards for this domestic fair-trade label on the AJP Web site, agriculturaljusticeproject.org. Th e resources are part of the Farmer Tool-kit, which also provides templates for labor policies to enable a farm to qualify to use this label. In addition, NOFA-NY Board member and Extension Specialist Robert Hadad is giving regular workshops on production costs and two farms are piloting the AJP Food Justice Pledge. In the next year or so, the NOFA-NY Certifi cation program will begin off ering Food Justice Certifi cation. By displaying the Food Justice label, the farms and other food businesses that qualify attract customers who believe that farmers and all food workers deserve fair wages with safe, respectful working conditions.
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Hills Country Inn in Callicoon Center was packed with locavores, kids, and the organizers of the Catskill Edible Garden Project on October 14 for a day of music, local food, and education.
Th e event was hosted by Slow Food UpDeRiva, one of NOFA-NY’s partners in the Catskills Region, and sponsored by local farm/food advocates including Jeff Bank, Farmhearts, Hills Country Inn, Th e Lazy Beagle Pub & Grill, and several NOFA-NY members, including Channery Hill Farm, River Rats Rubs, Root ’n Roost Farm, and Willow Wisp Farm.
Besides being a Slow Food event, the barbeque was a “slow money” style event as well: all of the food
Th e Edible Garden Barbeque —Maria Grimaldi, Catskill/Hudson Regional Representative
was purchased from local farms and producers and included baked goods from Brandenburg Pastry Bakery in Jeff ersonville (Brandenburg uses organic fl our milled in the Finger Lakes from Cayuga Pure Organics), grass-fed beef from Wahl Farms in Callicoon, hot dogs from Snowdance Farm in Livingston Manor, milk from Tonjes Farm Dairy in Jeff ersonville, and apple cider frotm Maynard Farms in Ulster Park. Lively fi ddle music was provided by the Brinkerhoff s of Milanville, PA.
Catskill Mountainkeeper, along with local groups and leaders, have formed the Catskill Edible Garden Project to help schools create and sustain gardens, provide students with a
learning experience about the local food system, and encourage them to develop an increased understanding of the importance of agriculture in our region. Th e program participates in garden design and construction, contributes toward the materials needed to build each garden, and consults with schools on garden-based education programs.
Th e next phase of the project is to bring education about wholesome organic food into the schools and perhaps even into the school cafeteria. Some of the students honored at the barbeque took part in a school lunch boycott to call attention to the poor nutritional value of the food being served at their schools.
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Ode to BeauI sit on the sofa
my bare feet on the spot
where you breathed your last breath.
Th e warmth from your body
feels precious beneath my feet
my soles
touching the lingering presence of your soul.
My Little Man
My Lovey
there will never be another BeauBeau.
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to off er you comfort in your retirement.
Rest well, rest deeply
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Herd the heavenly fl ock
until I can smooth your wavy red coat again.
Th e earthly pain you leave behind
has found another home
in my heart.—Marilee Williams
Photo by Julie Louisa Hagenbuch
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The NOFA-NY Organic Research Symposium in January 2012 brought together a great group of academic researchers, farmers, and on-farm researchers as well as gardeners, journalists, and students. One of the on-farm researchers who presented is Louis Lego, owner and farmer of Elderberry Pond. Elderberry Pond is a 100-acre farm replete with 100 varieties of apples, vegetables, herbs, and cut fl owers, as well as heritage pigs and chickens. Lou, who also served on the Symposium’s Advisory Board, presented a poster on growing scab-free apples without fungicides and participated in a couple of round-table sessions highlighting the ups and downs of on-farm research.
In March of this year, Lou was awarded a SARE grant to test a downy mildew spore-resistant hoophouse. Th is was the tenth grant award that Lou and his wife, Merby, have received over the past 20 years. In fact, the Legos have never had a grant request rejected! Th ey take the application process very seriously and enjoy the fi nancial and outreach opportunities these grants aff ord. A few of Lou’s favorite past grants supported his eff orts to build a small-scale cider pasteurizer, to innovate fungicide-free growing practices for apples, to perfect a mulching technique that would preclude bringing straw into the fi eld, and to start a restaurant on his property that would serve the sustainably grown vegetables, fruit, and meat harvested onsite.
Lou Lego Battles the Downy Mildew Spore and Wins! —Jill Slater, Northeast Organic Research Symposium Coordinator
A creative farmer fi nds an ingenious solution to a diffi cult disease problem.
Research ReportResearch Report
Outsmarting a Dreaded DiseaseLou and Merby sought their present SARE grant
in response to an unfortunate trend Lou recognized a couple of years ago. Many of his fellow farmers’ entire cucurbit crops were dead by midsummer! Spores of the fungus that causes downy mildew were bouncing up out of fi elds of winter squash and summer squash in Maryland and the Carolinas and traveling north on wind currents. In rainy or foggy conditions, the spores then rained down on fi elds, and the resulting explosion of disease killed cucurbits through the Northeast. “Th ese Southern farms used to be fi ne,” explains Lou. But now the high volume of pesticides used have resulted in widespread pesticide resistance in the downy mildew fungus, and thus greater spore production.
A useful but bittersweet outcome of this spore invasion are the computer models and weather models developed by North Carolina State University (NCSU) to carefully document, quantify, and locate the spores’ whereabouts. Farmers on the spores’ path receive daily e-mails from the university as to the status, impact, and travel patterns of the downy mildew spores. However, also these e-mails keep a farmer informed, there is little recourse once the spores arrive. Lou didn’t want to just sit by and watch as his cucurbits were decimated. He wanted to be able to take advantage of this incredibly precise warning from NCSU and arm himself and his fellow farmers with a proactive tool. Th us began Lou’s exploration for a solution.
Th e fi rst step was to fi nd out the actual size of a downy mildew spore. How does it compare to pollen or other airborne particles, for example? Well, it turns out that, at 2 microns, the spores are relatively large—larger than cigarette smoke and pollen. Lou thought the common fi lters sold at Home Depot for the purpose of trapping cigarette smoke might be adapted to his purpose as a spore barrier. A couple of summers ago, Lou built a little plastic hoophouse with a fi lter installed in one end wall and a small exhaust fan at the other end. Success! Th ere were no spores in the tunnel and his small sample of cucumbers planted inside was unharmed.
Once he witnessed how successful the off -the-shelf fi lter was at sparing a lucky batch of
Tomato plants in Lou Lego’s experimental spore exclusion hoophouse are disease free. Photo by Merby Lego
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cucumbers, Lou wanted to expand the scope of the experiment. Th e SARE grant supplied funding to build a large (30 feet by 100 feet) hoophouse—complete with fi lters—over outdoor raised beds. Cucumbers grown in that hoophouse would be compared to a control crop grown in a regular hoophouse without fi lters. Both houses were equipped with roll-up sides, so that the houses could remain connected to the outside environment until such time as the downy mildew spore warnings were issued. Unlike the majority of the cucumbers grown in greenhouses throughout the United States and Canada, Lou’s cucumbers were exposed to the elements. Th e fl exibility inherent to a hoophouse design means that for the majority of the season, Lou’s crops are essentially outside—surrounded by just the metal skeleton of a hoophouse.
Th e fans in the end wall of the experimental hoophouse worked to pull air through the fi lters on the other end, thus establishing slightly pressurized conditions. Th is allowed Lou to freely open the door to the hoophouse and enter the space without worrying about unfi ltered air infi ltrating the house and contaminating the protected cucurbits.
Lou’s Design Saves the CropLou completed construction of the two
hoophouses by early summer of this year—ready for an early onset of spores. In fact, the fi rst warnings from NCSU didn’t occur until late August. While his cucumbers had enjoyed fresh air and direct natural sunlight all summer long, it was time to roll down the plastic and batten down the hatches on both hoophouses. As soon as the fog lifted or the rain subsided, and North Carolina State’s models declared the air to be spore-free, Lou lifted up the sides of the hoophouse, and as he likes to say, took his crops out of “spore exclusion mode.”
Like Lou’s initial trial, this grant-funded large-scale experiment was a great success. Th e cucumbers inside the fi ltered hoophouse were delicious—com pletely unmarked and spared of any and all signs of downy mildew. Th ose inside the fi lter-free hoophouse were ravaged by downy mildew.
Lou is delighted that his relatively low-tech solution frees farmers from the limitation of
focusing solely on disease-resistant varieties of cucurbits. Th ey can choose to grow heirloom varieties, or any variety they prefer. Widespread adoption of fi ltered hoophouses would also preclude the need for extensive eff orts on the part of universities to breed downy-spore resistant plant varieties.
Most grants require an outreach component. In this way, the grantee ensures that as many people as possible learn about the farmer’s discovery, new product, or innovative growing practices. Some on-farm researchers dread this part of the grant process, but lucky for Lou, he loves sharing what he’s learned. For this grant, Lou held on-farm workshops to demonstrate how to build a downy-mildew-resistant hoophouse; he and Merby hosted tours of their farm; and Lou plans to deliver a paper on the experiment at upcoming conferences.
Lou knows that, as a farmer, he’s got fi rsthand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. Luckily, there are many grants available that support on-farm research, and there are farmers like Lou who are challenged and driven to fi nd solutions. His curiosity and creativity benefi t many farmers, and in the end, make our food taste that much better!
Th is computer-controlled apple cider pasteurizer is another of Lou’s inventions developed through a SARE research grant. Photo by Merby Lego
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What piques your memory when you think about the 2012 NOFA-NY conference? Perhaps it’s the snow that fi nally started falling on eastern New York, just in time for the Young Farmers Mixer that dark Th ursday night. Maybe it’s the vibrant hum of over 1,400 farmers, producers, educators, and advocates from around the country sharing conversations between sessions and during meals. It was a record crowd! Th e Northeast Organic Research Symposium, a fi rst in conjunction with the conference, was a wonderful way to diversify NOFA-NY’s member base. And the conference theme—the Cooperative Economy—still resonates as a worthy goal. For the folks at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, the 2012 theme could not have been more on point.
Skidmore, much like many liberal arts colleges and universities in the United States, has begun to
re-evaluate its food purchasing as part of a push for stronger sustainability eff orts. Th e school has committed to calculating the percentage of its total food purchasing that can be categorized as “real
Making ConnectionsMaking ConnectionsTaking NOFA’s 2012 Th eme to Heart(h) —Jenn Baumstein
Session on Northeast grains at NOFA-NY Conference led to a local grains connections for a college in Saratoga.
food” (food that is “local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound, and/or humane”) as part of a national campaign called the Real Food Challenge. Dining Services has hired fi ve interns over the last two years to help calculate the Real Food percentage and assess areas of improvement. In conjunctions with the Real Food eff ort, the school has sent both students and staff to the last two NOFA-NY winter conferences.
Skidmore Campus Sustainability Coordinator Riley Neugebauer supported members of the Skidmore dining and operations staff who attended the 2012 conference with tips and strong suggestions of what workshops would best benefi t Skidmore. Matt Littrell, Skidmore’s lead baker, attended the full-day session on Scaling-Up the Northeast Grains System, where he met Kevin Richardson of North Country Farms. Th at initial meeting blossomed into a business connection and more.
Skidmore College baker Matt Litt rell shows off braided breads made with fl our from North Country Farms. Photo courtesy of Skidmore College
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Makers of Living Media for Organic Growers
we speak organic
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Forging the Farm-to-Campus LinkWhen speaking to Kevin and Mark Miller, the
Director of Dining at Skidmore College, you can tell they love sharing their stories.
“Kevin was a school teacher who wanted to go back into farming, so he did,” Mark related. “Shortly after starting his business, he was banging on doors in Manhattan, giving samples of his fl our away, and two weeks later, the phone was ringing off the wall.”
After Kevin and Matt met in January, the two hatched a plan to get fl our from North Country, which is north of Syracuse, to Saratoga. Th e trip from farm to bread is less than 200 miles—includes the processing, which takes place right on the farm. Luckily one of the distributors that supplies Skidmore’s dining system agreed to pick up and deliver the fl our.
After receiving the initial pallet of potential, the school experimented with various breads, from rolls to pizza dough. Given the gluten content of the fl our, they focused on artisanal breads and some desserts. Th e school uses 50 pounds of the fl our a day—enough to keep Kevin and the bread bakers, who make fresh bread every morning, busy. Skidmore is only one of the many schools and businesses that North Country Farm works with. Kevin laughs when he talks about keeping up with demand. “Th e mill is running twelve to fourteen hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, the farms around us are producing grain again to keep up with the demand.” Th e year has been such a success that Kevin has put up a few greenhouses and is growing spinach for the school, too (Skidmore goes through eight 10-pound cases of spinach a day). “Th is is a fi rst for us. Th e greens are just coming up. We have herbs for them, too.”
Th is is not to say that Skidmore is a perfect model of local and sustainable food purchasing. Th e college’s good relationship with one local (nonorganic) farm was born through a connection that happened by chance at the NOFA-NY conference, along with pressure from the institution’s Sustainability Offi ce to localize some of its food purchasing.
If we think about it, students, who are the true drivers of change in large institutions, are also the clients of these colleges, demanding what needs to be supplied. I, for one, am happy to oblige and help them demand more of our product, since we are providing them both the inspiration for being change-makers and the food to fuel their passion.
Jenn Baumstein is the Business Manager of Th e Guest House at Lant Hill Farm, a farm-to-table bed-and-breakfast mere miles from Saratoga Springs.
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F R I DAY O C TO B E R 2 6 2 0 1 2 • P OTS DA M NY
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Farm to People140 West End AveNew York,-NY 10023(877) 564-0367www.farmtopeople.comFarm To People is an online farm stand for buying food directly from small, sustainable farmers and craft producers around the United States. Farm to People also off ers recipes, farm profi les, and food system exposés to satisfy your craving to reclaim our food system.
New York State Agricultural Mediation Program (NYSAMP)1450 Western Ave, Ste 101Albany,-NY 12203(607) 687-2240www.nysamp.comNYSAMP off ers agricultural mediation services and also provides training opportunities in communication skills, negotiation, confl ict management, mediation, and facilitation.
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Charlie Koh examines Hepworth Farm’s growing system under cover Photo by Maria Grimaldi
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©20
12 H
oriz
on
FARMERS ARE THE HEART OF HORIZONTM
Ever since Horizon® began over 20 years ago,
farmers have been at the heart of our success.
That’s why we established the HOPE Scholarship
Fund to encourage young people to
enter the field of organic agriculture.
Congratulations to our 2012 scholarship recipients.
®
www.horizonorganic.com
Ashlie HardyFarmington, ME
Mieke DeJongBonanza, ORCallie Brodt
Ferndale, CA
WANTED: Organic Dairy FarmersHorizon® is seeking new farmer partners to provide milk to the #1 organic dairy brand.*
Contact Sarah Batterson 303-635-4560
Find us on facebook.com/Horizon
*Source: IRI data ending 7/22/12.
Sierra KnightLisbon, NY
GROUNDSWELL FARM BUSINESS PLANNING COURSETh is rigorous course for serious
farming entrepreneurs will run for ten weeks from January 10 through March 14, 2013. Instructors are Monika Roth, Agriculture Program Leader, and Matt LeRoux, Agriculture Marketing Specialist, with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, and Leslie Ackerman, Director of the Business CENTS Program of Alternatives Federal Credit Union, along with area farmers and business owners whose stories illustrate the benefi ts of business planning and fi nancial management skills.
Groundswell is committed to supporting a new generation of farmers that refl ects the diversity of culture, color, and class in our community. Tuition for the class is on a sliding scale, from $120 to $400 depending on household income. Th is course will examine opportunities to lease land for farming in the Tompkins County area, and to secure fi nancing through agricultural and commercial lenders or local “Slow Money” investors.
To express your interest, contact us at [email protected] or call (607) 319-5095.
Remembering Sally BrownIt is with great sorrow that
NOFA-NY says good-bye to a longtime member. Sally Brown passed away on September 25. Sally has been infl uential in the organic dairy farming community. She was always encouraging others even through times of personal struggle. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends as they deal with this great loss.
Field Day at Hudson Valley Seed Library Photo by Maria Grimaldi
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