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Page 8 Grassroots November 2011 From the field Flood, Disaster, Recovery, and Hope Region 9 Bambi A. Baehrel bbaehrel@nyfb.org In nearly 26 years as a field advisor, I don’t remember ever seeing the kind of destruction I have seen since Irene and Lee ripped through the area. What I did see was communities and people coming together to help rebuild lives. I saw hope, determination, compassion and an outpouring of love and faith. To all those I have had the honor of working with these last two months, thank you. From agencies to volunteers to Farm Bureau members— you all made a difference. Someone asked me why and how everyone wanted to help. I got an answer from a good friend, John Radliff, who said, “There by the grace of God go I,” as he got a load of hay ready to donate to neighbors. That says it all. Albany In the middle of storm recovery effort, Albany County Farm Bureau planned its annual meeting, held policy development meetings, attended town planning sessions and contacted nonrenewals to remind them to save $10 before Nov. 1. The county Farm Bureau helped identify the needs of friends and neighbors, and passed the information to me. Chenango Before the county got hit with the flooding of Hurricane Lee, they were in the process of helping Texas with the exact opposite problem. Chenango County learned how to put a disaster assistance program together—pairing with Herm Sherwood-Sitts, who started the “Hay for Texas” campaign. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Chenango County Farm Bureau jumped in to help. The hay donations were easy. The transportation was harder to arrange, but with the help of Don Metch, a former resident of the county and currently a director on the Van Zandt County Farm Bureau board in Canton, Texas, it got arranged. President Bradd Vickers was pleased by the learning experience. “The contacts gained from this can also be used to help with the relief efforts here in New York,” Vickers said. The county Farm Bureau also helped an Agriculture Disaster Information Meeting at the Mt. Upton Fire House. The meeting brought all the agencies together and was well attended by farmers seeking information. The county Farm Bureau is planning its annual meeting for Nov. 1 at the Silo Restaurant. The guest speaker will be Alice Young, a nationally recognized FFA speaker. Delaware When the flooding hit Delaware County, county Farm Bureau President Duane Martin reached out to establish what the needs were. It was mostly infrastructure damage—roads were gone, main streets were wiped out. The big need came from the volunteers doing the clean up. They needed gloves, masks and tools. Duane called me, giving me the information, and I knew who to ask: Julie Sorenson at NYCAMH (New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health). I talked about the need and location to drop off, and within two hours the masks and gloves were there. Through phone calls and e-mails, North Country farmers organized a hay donation event for farmers impacted by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Pictured above is Randy Ooms, a dairy farmer and NYFB member, loading hay into a trailer headed for the Mohawk Valley. Duane was able to inventory many of the losses and direct assistance to the right place. The county Farm Bureau also held a policy development meeting on Aug. 18. Greene Irene came through this county like a freight train, taking out roads and homes and bridges and dropping more than 15 inches of rain. When the rain finally stopped and the magnitude of destruction was realized, the owner of the Great American grocery store in Cairo had a relief fund in place through the Bank of Greene County. He would match donations up to $5,000. Greene County Farm Bureau immediately donated $5,000 to the relief effort. Jim VanOrden from Greene County Farm Bureau helped me identify the immediate needs on the various farms that got directly impacted. Volunteer fire companies went up the mountain to Prattsville to help with the clean up, while the Coxsackie Sportsmen’s Club volunteered a day to go and cook meals for the volunteers and residents. Fundraisers were set up and the community came together. A disaster informational meeting with all the agencies was held at the Cooperative Extension Agro Forestry Resource center (once they got power back). At the Greene County Farm Bureau annual meeting, Assemblyman Pete Lopez was the guest speaker. He told of all the things he has seen after the flood and of the love and determination of all those affected by it, including stories of his dad’s house being destroyed. Otsego Otsego County Farm Bureau wanted to help Schoharie County, after they had helped their own friends and neighbors. I would especially like to thank Harold Palmer for jumping in a getting a load of lumber delivered to Todd VanAllers in Middleburgh. Otsego County Farm Bureau also sent out a challenge to all other county Farm Bureaus—to donate money for a ROPS (rollover protective structure). They got the chance to do this in a big way, thanks to Barbra Bayes at NYCA- MH—who created a Publisher’s Clearinghouse-size check to present to their ROPS recipient. Farm Family agent Tom Kohlberg also got honored for all his years of service to the Farm Bureau when State Board Member Richard Ball presented Tom with a plaque from NYFB. Schoharie This was ground zero for Tropical Storm Irene, especially the towns of Middleburgh and Schoharie. The flooding, destruction and heartbreak were unbelievable. Like the phoenix rising out of the ashes, the communities are rebuilding. Farmers, residents and businesses all came together. I was fortunate to work with some of the best people: David Cox from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Anne MacCuish from the Emergency Management Office, Alicia Terry and Penny Heritage from the Schoharie Planning Department, Extension Dairy Specialist David Balbian, Schoharie County Farm Bureau Vice President Jim Saddlemire (my eyes and ears on the ground), farmer and State Board Member Richard Ball (who said to me, “I am tired of being a victim. It’s time to move on.”), and Schoharie County Farm Bureau President and best friend Winnie Nelson and her husband, Paul (also known as Winnie’s secretary). Thank you to everyone for the support and help. To all those who donated and offered their assistance and to all those who lost everything—I am so proud of you all. To my co-worker and friend, Sandra Prokop, thanks for believing I could help make a difference. Weather was the news in lower Hudson Valley Region 10 Marilyn Howard mhoward@nyfb.org What a summer! Cool and wet, hot and dry, then wet, wet, wet! I hope you survived the terrible weather. We look forward to a good try again next year. District 10 had a summer meeting to hear about new developments in Albany and Washington, with District Director Charlie Larsen and New York Farm Bureau Vice President Eric Ooms bringing everyone up to speed. Columbia The Columbia County Fair was a great success with Adrian and Deni Ooms tending the Columbia County Farm Bureau booth. Down the lane, member Linda Fix took care of the Ag Building and the Farm Bureau Foundation’s kiosk. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Columbia County held a wonderful Ag Innovations Tour. It included visits to the Altobelli Farm, where owner John Altobelli and Chuck Bornt of CCE gave a great presentation on the advantages of zone tillage. When asked what organizations helped farmers the most, John said, “Farm Bureau.” No, I did not pay him to say that, but thanks, John. The next stop was Milk Thistle Organic Dairy Farm, which processes its own milk. Trowbridge Cattle Company hosted the lunch, with Phil Trowbridge speaking on black angus, Mike Shanahan (Shanahan Cattle Promotions) speaking on setting up websites to promote your farm and Mike Schrader (In Front Training Center) speaking about the training and rehabilitation of race horses. Also on the itinerary were Kinderhook Farm, which raises beef, sheep, chickens and eggs for New York City restaurants, grocers and for their own farm market. The tour ended at Golden Harvest Farm, a large apple orchard and farm market, to see the new Golden Harvest Apple Distlillery—an addition by Derek Grout. It produces apple and pear vodka and other spirits. Dutchess-Putnam-Westchester The policy development picnic in July was a great success. The meal featured local food from Mike Athanas’s farm (potatoes and sweet corn), from Doug Giles’s Walbridge Farm (beef hot dogs and sausage) and from Mary and Jerry Stephens’ Up Hill Farm (hamburgers). Members brought a dish to pass and we had quite a feast. CCE of Dutchess County and our local Farm Bureau held an open house to celebrate 100 years of collaboration.
November 2011 Grassroots Page 9 From the field DPW Farm Bureau President Mark Adams was honored with an award. Dave Tetor, Mark Doyle, Mark Adams and I exhibited a display and the Foundation’s kiosk at the event. The Dutchess County Fair had a great start and we had a wonderful booth, but the tropical storm caused the cancellation of Saturday and Sunday. Special thanks to Bob Grems and Andy Imperati for their help. Dave Tetor, a loyal Farm Bureau member and leader who is also a retired agricultural agent for CCE of Dutchess County and currently president of the NYS Agricultural Society, was honored with the National Extension Agent Lifetime Award this summer. The Town of Stanford held a Farm Tour and all stops were Farm Bureau members: Aaron Zyher’s dairy, Rocky Reef Farm Pumpkin Patch with Gareth Howard, Big Rock Farm with Mark Burdick, and Sisters Hill CSA with Dave Hambelton. It was a beautiful day, with the education of town people being the main objective. Lunch and desserts were furnished by local farmers and prepared by local restaurants Red Devin and Home Plate. The FFA Fall Festival at Pine Plains was the largest and best attended in several years. We were blessed with a beautiful day, many displays and booths, animal shows, and lots of food. NYFB District 10 Director Charlie Larsen served as announcer for the tractor pull, and Dave Tetor announced the horse pull. Good luck to the students on their trip to the National FFA Convention. Orange Sen. Charles Schumer (center) held a press conference at the Pawelski families’s onion farm in Orange County. Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene hit parts of Orange County hard. With the flooding along the Wallkill River, many of the farmers lost their crops. After the waters receded, there were emergency meetings to let people know what was available for them. I attended the ones in Orange and Greene counties, providing fact sheets that included helpful information from Farm Bureau. Sen. Charles Schumer held a press conference at the Chris Pawelski’s farm, with many local farmers in attendance, including county Farm Bureau President John Lupinski, Paul Ruszkiewicz and Russ Kowal. The senator brought the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency with him and declared his support for farmers. Gov. Cuomo also visited the Black Dirt area at the Glebocki Farm, with New York Farm Bureau staffer Julie Suarez and Vice President Eric Ooms attending. The governor announced his $15 million fund for tropical storm assistance. Aside from storm-related activities, several partners of CCE of Orange County held an agribusiness tour to show the growth of agriculture. The first stop was Mark Ford Stables and Training Center, where we toured the barns, watched the track and were amazed at the cost of the sulkies. We then watched them swim a horse for exercise in their pool. This state-of-the-art facility is home to many of the top harness racing stables on the east coast. The tour then moved on to Crist Bros. Orchards, a nationally renowned apple orchard of 600 acres, owned and run by Joy and Jeff Crist. They expanded their packing facility in 2010 to 35,000 square feet and process about 400,000-500,000 bushels of apples annually. Next was Hoeffner Farms, a 300-acre farm with 80,000 square feet of greenhouse. Jack Hoeffner sells at his own market, to farmers’ markets in New York City and at local farmers markets. He grows flowers and vegetables and has been instrumental in the New York City greenmarket program. The last stop—Smiley Farm—is a dairy farm of 40 milking cows and 40 replacement stock on 235 acres. It is involved in a farmland preservation program. One of the top-producing dairies in the county, Russell Smiley puts a lot of focus on nutrient management and cow comfort. Ulster CCE of Ulster County organized a tour for government officials to see firsthand the flood damage from Tropical Storms Irene and Lee. The first visit was Kelder’s Farm. Chris Kelder is the county Farm Bureau president. Flood waters were 15 feet deep on the flats behind his market. Many of the farmers spoke about their farms on the Rondout Creek and other rivers in the area. Bruce Davenport, president of Rondout Valley Growers Association, spoke on crop loss by all farmers along the rivers. Jack Gill mentioned that the rivers flood, but the floods are usually in the spring before planting. This was at harvest, which was why it was so devastating. The next stop was Wallkill View Farm on the Wallkill River. They lost most of their crops and their retail market flooded once from Irene and again from Lee. Pete Ferrante and his family had beautiful sunflowers around the fields along the road. Now it’s just mud. The biggest fear expressed on the tour was that people would not come this fall and buy their goods. Most have reopened, filling the shelves with produce from nearby farms that were not flooded. They are looking forward to a prosperous fall. Sullivan Sullivan County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting was well attended and President Will Highson did a great job presiding. Sandra Prokop, director of the New York Farm Bureau Foundation for Agricultural Education, explained the work of the foundation and had the audience on the edge of their seats with pictures of her own experiences with the Schoharie County floods. District 9 Director Richard Ball added words of wisdom of the importance of Farm Bureau. Please save the date for the Sullivan County Agricultural Summit and Trade Show on Nov. 28 at Villa Roma in Callicoon. Join us for a series of agriculture-focused workshops and discussions. Topics will include assessing the strengths, challenges, and opportunitiesfacing our farms; identifying key agricultural initiatives to be undertaken; and developing a plan and timeline for action. For more information or to register, call 845-807-0532. Promoting Long Island agriculture With Irene behind us and a tough road of recovery ahead, Long Island Farm Bureau has been working with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Sen. Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand, Rep. Bishop and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets to ensure that any federal and/or state disaster programs will include Long Island. Region 11 Heavy rain events before, during and after Irene have been documented. If you think you may need assistance from any programs that become available, please contact the Farm Service Agency to document farm crop damage, as well as damage to greenhouses and other farm buildings. 14th Annual LIFB golf outing As usual, Long Island Farm Bureau Joe Gergela jgergela@lifb.com was blessed with fantastic weather on Oct. 6 for its 14th annual Golf Outing. The North Fork Country Club and its staff, including John Ross, were wonderful hosts. Many thanks to all our sponsors and volunteers for their efforts and donations. Radio ads We hope you have heard one of the twice-daily underwriting announcements aired on 88.3, WPPB—Peconic Public Broadcasting—all through September and October. Fully funded by New York Farm Bureau, the announcements promote “Grown on Long Island” and New York Farm Bureau’s “Local Farms, Local Food” program, which offers Farm Bureau members a membersonly discount at 150 participating farm stands, farm markets, and farm wineries across the state, many of them on Long Island. Annual Meeting Long Island Farm Bureau held its annual meeting Monday, Oct. 24, to discuss Farm Bureau business and future policies of the organization. It was held at the Stonewalls Restaurant at The Woods golf course in Riverhead. Ideas discussed and agreed upon there will be forwarded to the New York Farm Bureau state office and will meet further debate at the State Annual Meeting in December, to be held in Binghamton. State senate ag chair hosts local forum State Sen. Patty Ritchie (R-St. Lawrence County), chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has been hosting agribusiness forums across New York State. On Oct. 20, she brought her listening tour to Riverhead to hear what Long Islanders had to say about “growing New York’s number one industry.” Long Island Farm Bureau was well represented. For those who could not attend, Sen. Ritchie has created a way to offer ideas, suggestions, and perspectives via the Internet. Go to www.ritchie.nysenate. gov and click on the “share your ideas to strengthen New York State farming” picture at the left side of the website. Gift, estate tax workshop for farmland owners An important educational evening for farmland owners will be held on Nov. 10 at 7.p.m. at Hyatt Place, 451 East Main St, Riverhead. The topic will be gift and estate taxes and their impact on farmland and farm businesses. High real estate values on Long Island mean that owners of farmland and natural lands are often faced with the prospect of onerous estate taxes. There has been a concerted effort on the East End by farming and conservation organizations to enact tax reform in order to prevent farms from being broken up or sold due to, or in anticipation of, the estate tax. Congress recently enacted estate and gift tax legislation that increased the tax-free lifetime gift to $5 million. This provides opportunities for farmers and other landowners to pass land to the next generation with a reduced tax exposure. These tax changes are only in effect until Dec. 31, 2012, and now is the time for landowners to carefully consider their options. Please join us, and invite your tax and estate advisors to come along. Come prepared with information on your own estate. Practical worksheets and handouts will be provided that can help you plan for the future. For more information, contact Julie Zaykowski at the Peconic Land Trust by phone at 631-283-3195, ext. 32, or by e- mail at jzaykowski@peconiclandtrust. org. Registration fee is $25 per farm operation or family. Advance registration is required.
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