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S U M M E R 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 Northeast Organic Farming Association of New YorkNortheastOrganicFarmingAssociationofNewYork V O L . 2 8 , N O . 2 V O L . 2 8 , N O . 2 • • S U M M E R
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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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If you know which side your bread is buttered on, you know how to selectthe healthiest food for you and your family. Our premium nut butters areorganic, kosher, vegetarian, and made in small batches for freshness.They contain no added oils and no preservatives. If you are looking for thefinest organic nut butter from a sustainable company that produces mostof its energy from the sun, then look no further. �
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Telephone: 518.392.8300 / 800.ORG.NUTS2424 State Route 203, Valatie, NY 12184www.tierrafarm.com
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Director’s OutlookDirector’s OutlookKATE MENDENHALL
Executive Director, NOFA-NY
In This Issue03 Director’s Outlook Kate Mendenhall
5 New Faces at NOFA-NY
6 FAQ About NOFA-NY Membership
7 In Praise of Mark and Vince Scott Chaskey
9 Revised Pasture Rule and Food Labeling Requirements
12 Gloversville Gets a Cooperative Market Jim Strictland
17 Make a Field Day Connection Th is Summer
21 A Story of Two Young Farmers Fern Marshall Bradley and Maria Grimaldi
24 When Food is Abundant, but Time is Hard to Find
27 Chickens in the City Kate Mendenhall
35 Opportunities
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 welome
and tax deductible.
On the Cover:Krissy Faust practices
scything during a NOFA-NY Field Day held at Northland Sheep Dairy
in Marathon in August 2009. Turn to page 17 to
learn about the exciting Field Days that will take
place all around New York state this summer.
Photo by Kate Mendenhall
Yum! Summer is here and my belly is pleased. Although I love all seasons, summer is my favorite. It is full
of change, colors, and playfulness. Each week brings new crops to farmers markets, CSA shares, and the
kitchen table. New York organic farmers, thank you for creating such a diverse and delicious bounty for your
communities.
We are blessed in this state to have such grand biodiversity on our farms. Handling hundreds of varieties
of crops is not easy, though. It takes planning, hard work, dedication, and commitment to managing
farmland to mimic the natural biodiversity that creates a sustainable planet. Organic farmers’ commitment
to diversity extends to other eaters as well…so that birds, mammals, and insects have appropriate habitat
to support a healthy landscape. All of these benefi ts to our New York communities are ones that we support
when we purchase local organic New York food.
Th is summer, as you enjoy local and organic NYS food, challenge yourself by trying to fi ll as many of your
cupboards, refrigerator shelves, and plates as possible with local organic foods. In September, NOFA-NY will
be leading the state in a statewide LOCAVORE CHALLENGE
to eat 100 percent local organic food for one day, one week, or
one month. We hope you will help us lead this charge! Sign up
for the campaign on our Web site, www.nylocavorechallenge.
com. Spread the word about this exciting opportunity.
Encourage your local restaurants to participate by featuring
a local organic meal, plan a local organic potluck party with
your friends and families, or work with your local school to
host a local organic lunch.
We have an exciting line up of NOFA-NY Field Days
organized for this summer and fall. Join us in the fi elds to
learn from innovative farmers as they explain their organic
farming techniques. We’re planning some great fi eld days for
gardeners and consumers, too. We hope to see you there!
Editorial correction: In the last issue of New York Organic News, we mistakenly credited the photo
on page 5 to Kate Mendenhall. Th e photo, which shows a Scottish Highland cow and calf owned by
Amy and Wes Gillingham, was taken by Adrianne Picciano. We apologize for the error.
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New York ORGANIC NewsNew York ORGANIC NewsTHE LOCAL FOOD AND FARM CONNECTION
Vol.28, No.2Vol.28, No.2Summer 2010Summer 2010
NEW YORK ORGANIC NEWS is a publication of the Northeast Organic Farming Asso-
ciation 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. Arti-
cles from this newsletter may not be reproduced without permission.
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.
Fall 2010 deadline: July 20
Winter 2010 deadline: October 20
Spring 2011 deadline: January 20
Summer 2011 deadline: April 20
Send letters, suggestions, article queries, photos, and press releases to: Fern Marshall
Bradley, Newsletter Editor – [email protected]
• Full page 4-color - $300
• Full page b&w - $200
• Half page 4-color - $200
• Half page b&w - $125
• Quarter page b&w - $75
• Business card b&w - $35
All rates based on electronic print-ready copy. Discounts available for our Business
Members. For ad rate information and sizes, visit www.nofany.org or call the NOFA-NY
offi ce.
Classifi ed Ads (Opportunities): Members receive one free 75-word ad per issue. Send
Display and Classifi ed advertising to: Member Services, [email protected].
Advertise!Display Ads: •
NOFA-NY Board of DirectorsScott Chaskey, President
Amagansett, NY
Gunther Fishgold, Vice PresidentValatie, NY
Karen Livingston, TreasurerCamillus, NY
Jamie Edelstein, SecretaryCato, NY
Elizabeth BlackBrooklyn, NY
Karma GlosBerkshire, NY
Elizabeth HendersonNewark, NY
Maryrose LivingstonMarathon, NY
NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC Management Committee
Kate Mendenhall Executive [email protected]
Lea Kone Assistant [email protected]
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]
NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC. 840 Upper Front StBinghamton, NY 13905
certifi [email protected] 607-724-9851 • Fax: 607-724-9853
Carol KingCertifi cation [email protected]
Sherrie Hastings Certifi cation [email protected]
Maria Dixson Heather OrrNancy Sandstrom Jessica TerryBethany WallisCertifi cation Specialists
Lisa Engelbert Dairy Program [email protected]
Marilyn Murray Dairy Certifi cation [email protected]
Bethany BullFinancial Coordinator
Matt RobinsonEducation & Outreach [email protected]
Kristina Keefe-PerryFood Justice [email protected]
Michelle ProhovOffi ce [email protected]
Robert Perry Farmer [email protected]
Elizabeth DyckOrganic Research [email protected]
Fern Marshall Bradley Newsletter [email protected] Dick Riesling, Liberty, NY
Krys CailIthaca, NY
Kimberly DavidsonCambridge, NY
Liana HoodesPine Bush, NY
Sharon NagleCanandaigua, NY
Pro
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Photo by Karma Glos
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Matt Robinson Education and Outreach Coordinator
Although a Northeasterner at heart, Matt
hails most recently from Madison, Wisconsin,
where he has spent the last several years
pursuing a graduate degree
in agroecology. Matt has
worked for diversifi ed
organic vegetable producers
in both Pennsylvania and
Wisconsin. Off the farm,
he has been part of eff orts
in south central Wisconsin
to link local producers
with institutional markets.
A former organizer for
Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), he is very
familiar with membership-driven organizations,
and he helped plan AIUSA’s annual general
meeting. Matt is excited to be relocating to such
an agriculturally diverse region and is looking
forward to getting to know NOFA-NY’s members.
Among other things, Matt is an amateur home
brewer, a slightly less amateur furniture maker,
and an avid cyclist.
Michelle Prohov Offi ce Manager
Michelle is a seasoned professional who has
developed a broad portfolio of skills and knowledge
while working in the nonprofi t sector over the last
decade in several areas of operations
management and employee relations.
Michelle has worked with myriad
diverse employees providing
support while facilitating their
engagement as members of an
organizational team. Michelle has
assisted in community activities
building superior public relations
with partner agencies and funding
sources, and she has also participated
in fundraisers, youth meetings, and community forums.
Michelle is passionate about supporting volunteerism as
a way for community members to support the mission
of an organization. Michelle is excited to add her
strengths to the NOFA-NY team and is looking forward
to supporting the mission, vision, and membership
of NOFA-NY. She is a volunteer board member of the
Monroe Village Farmers Market in Rochester, and she
tends a community garden plot in her neighborhood.
New Faces at NOFA-NY
Two new faces joined the NOFA-NY team in May — Matt Robinson as Education and Outreach Coordinator and Michelle Prohov as Offi ce Manager. Both Matt and Michelle work in the Rochester offi ce, so stop by and say hello!
NOFA-NY News
Now in Its Seventh Year!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.
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Gett ing InvolvedGett ing InvolvedFAQ About NOFA-NY Membership
NOFA-NY is a membership-based organization, but what does being a member of NOFA-NY mean?
From a legal perspective, all individuals, farms,
household units, or businesses that pay annual dues
to NOFA-NY are considered “members” and are thus
entitled to the privileges of membership, including
voting rights. Each year, NOFA-NY hosts an annual
meeting (at our winter conference), which is open
only to current members. At this meeting, members
have the privilege of voting on amendments to by-
laws, policy resolutions, and the election of members
of the NOFA-NY Board of Directors.
But at a deeper level, being a member of
NOFA-NY is much more than just a chance to vote.
Membership allows individuals from many diff erent
backgrounds to feel a sense of belonging as part
of a group that shares a joint purpose. NOFA-NY
members care deeply about local organic food
production, family-scale farming, and the impact
of agricultural practices and our food system on
human health, the environment, and society.
Th rough a variety of events, NOFA-NY provides
a mechanism for members to come together for
networking, education, information-sharing, and
forming lasting friendships. Reciprocally, members
provide service, knowledge, and direction to
NOFA-NY so that the organization as a body can be
as successful and impactful as possible.
What are the benefi ts of becoming a member of NOFA-NY?
In addition to voting privileges and the
opportunities for growth, service, and meaningful
connection already described, membership in
NOFA-NY will bring you these other worthwhile
benefi ts:
An annual subscription to NOFA-NY’s
quarterly newsletter, New York Organic News An annual subscription to the NOFA Interstate
quarterly publication, Th e Natural Farmer One free issue of NOFA-NY’s annual Organic Food Guide
Admission discounts for NOFA-NY’s annual
conference and other events
Discounts on seeds and other products
Free Opportunities, Want Ads, and Event
postings on our Web site, www.nofany.org(Note: Limited Memberships are not eligible to receive
the printed publications listed above.)
Business Memberships provide even more
benefi ts in addition to those listed above. See
www.nofany.org for more information.
Why are dues required?Membership fees are an important part of
NOFA-NY’s budget. Your membership fees help to
cover the cost of the technical assistance, research,
educational programming, outreach, and advocacy
work that NOFA-NY conducts on the behalf of its
members.
I am interested in learning more about becoming a NOFA-NY member. Where can I fi nd more information?
Please visit our Web site at www.nofany.org,
or contact our membership representative at
[email protected] or at (585) 271-1979.
I am interested in joining NOFA-NY now (or know of someone else who may be). How can I sign up?
You can join online at www.nofany.org. Or, fi ll
out the form on page 7 of this newsletter and mail it
with payment to the NOFA-NY offi ce.
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In Praise of Mark and Vince —Scott Chaskey
On behalf of the entire membership of NOFA-NY,
we would like to express our gratitude to two
individuals who recently stepped down from the
NOFA-NY Board of Directors, Mark Dunau and
Vince Cirasole. Between the two of them we count
almost twenty years of service as members of
our Board, in support of farmers and gardeners
throughout New York state. Mark and Vince each
traveled countless miles to attend NOFA-NY board
meetings, strategic planning sessions, fi eld days,
and conferences. Th e issues we face are always
challenging, and these two helped to lead us through
the rough grass and weeds with intelligence,
thoughtfulness, humor, and some wild spirit.
Mark, along with Elizabeth Henderson, was
one of the architects of Th e Farmer’s Pledge, and
he has continued to lead and to listen so that
this alternative to the National Organic Program
remains vital. He also has an ear open to our
legislatures and courts as well as to cold-tolerant
lettuces, and he has been a valuable voice on the
Board on issues of policy; Mark will continue as Co-
Chair of our NOFA-NY Policy Committee. Mountain
Dell Farm, a co-creation of Mark and his wife, Lisa
Wujnovich, and their children, is an earthy mandala
that gives substance to the principles that inform
this organization.
Vince has served as a voice in support of organic
gardeners and gardening throughout our state, and
for several years he has also served as a chapter
representative on the NOFA Interstate Council
(more meetings!). I assume that very few of the
residents of Copiague (central Long Island) have
any idea that Vince cultivates over fi ve hundred
pounds of seed garlic in his backyard. Imagine the
surprise of his neighbors! Not content to watch
weeds germinate, Vince has adopted a cultivation
technique that he has recently shared with organic
farmers and gardeners in Cuba. For years he has
been a passionate and steady voice for grassroots
gardening here in New York.
It is fi tting to close these refl ections with a part of
Th e Farmer’s Pledge, embodied in the work of these
two friends of agriculture: “Work in cooperation
with other farmers and with the neighboring
community to create a more sustainable way of life.”
Th ank you, Mark and Vince, for doing so.
Make the Connection – Join NOFA-NY Today!Join NOFA-NY Today!Check one: Mr. Ms. Mrs. Other: ____________________________________________________
First name: ______________________________________ Last name: ____________________________________
Farm/Business/Organization name: _____________________________ Web site: ________________________
Street address: ________________________________________________ County: _________________________
City: _________________________________________________ State: ________ Zip: _____________________
E-mail: _______________________________________________ Phone: _________________________________
Affi liation (check one): Farmer Gardener Homesteader
Consumer Business Non-profi t organization
Membership Fees
Limited Membership (no print publications provided) $20 _________________________
Individual Membership $40_________________________
Family/Farm/Non-profi t Membership* (circle one) $50 _________________________
Business Membership* $115 _________________________
*Includes up to four (4) individuals. Please list names of additional members below:
______________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
Payment Total
Membership Fees $ _______________________________________
Donation (tax deductible) $ _______________________________________
TOTAL $ _______________________________________
Please mail this form and your check to: Membership, NOFA-NY, 249 Highland Ave., Rochester, NY 14620
Scott Chaskey is the President of the NOFA-NY Board of Directors.
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www.organicfeeds.com
For more than 60 years, we have beenoffering farmers across the nation feedthatʼs second to none in performance,quality, and consistency. Nature’s BestOrganic Feeds™ has formulated acomplete line of nutritionally basedorganic products with the ideal balanceof vitamins and minerals.
To learn how your farm can benefitfrom Nature’s Best Organic Feeds,call us today at 800-767-4537 or visitwww.organicfeeds.com.
Nature’s Best.It’s a Way of Life.
Calling All Shutterbugs!Do you love taking photos of farm life? NOFA-NY
is looking for high-quality photos for this newsletter
as well as for use on our Web site, Facebook page,
and e-mail “Fresh News” announcements! Please
send all submissions to Lea Kone at [email protected].
Participants Wanted for New Farmer Survey
Cornell’s Beginning Farmer Education
Enhancement team seeks input from farmers to
help in prioritizing the challenges and needs of new
farmers after their start-up. Th is eff ort is directed
at the entire Northeast Region and is an attempt
to capture as broad and diverse a beginning farmer
sample as possible. If you would like to participate,
please visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/BarrierID. Th e
items in the survey were generated by farmers and
Beginning Farmer service providers; getting more
input from both audiences on prioritizing the items
is absolutely critical.
Economic, production and social researchers
will use the survey results to guide their eff orts
toward solving the highest-priority beginning
farmer problems. USDA and other policy makers are
also very interested in the results of this eff ort to
help direct energy toward beginning farmers’ most
critical concerns. Contact Erica Frenay at 607-255-
9911 or [email protected]; or Dave Grusenmeyer at
315-453-3823 or [email protected] if you have
questions about the survey.
Photo by Vicki Harkness, Perry Hill Farm
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Neptune's Harvest Organic Fertilizers
(800) 259-4769 www.neptunesharvest.com
Increase yields Commercially proven
Call for a FREE catalog and sample“Our Products Work!”
Our fish increases protein and sugar levels in crops and repels deer!Fish, Kelp, and Crab also make excellent ANIMAL FEED!
Products Include:Cold processed Liquid Hydrolyzed Fish, Seaweed, Blends, Dry and Liquid Humates, Dry Crab Shell and Kelp Meal. INSECT REPELLENTSand more are also available!
607-967-8274
Comfortable, well-sited 3 BR house for rent adjacent to
owner’s homestead. Small barn & pasture, good views,
wood heat. 4 miles from village & highway. Opportunity to
learn about family-sized dairy, stock, orchard, garden &
forest production. Summer rental OK.
Afton, NY
Chenango County
HOMESTEAD RENTAL
News from Certifi cationNews from Certifi cationRevised Pasture Rule and Food Labeling Requirements
Greetings from the LLC
Certifi cation Offi ce staff ! Th e
growing season is well under
way, and the staff at NOFA-NY
Certifi ed Organic, LLC has
grown as well. Jillian Robinson
joined our team in April as a
Certifi cation Specialist and will
be one of the voices you hear
fi rst when calling the offi ce. Her
duties will also be expanding to
include working with our crop
operations, while Jessica Terry,
our Crop Certifi cation Specialist,
is enjoying precious time with
her fi rst child, due in early fall!
Bethany Wallis and Lauren
Lawrence have also joined our
team, reviewing applications for
accuracy and compliance. Please
join us in welcoming Jillian,
Bethany, and Lauren, and in
congratulating Jessica.
Our inspectors are visiting
certifi ed operations and our offi ce
staff is reviewing applications
and completing certifi cation
for many applicants. Even in
diffi cult economic times, organic
certifi cation remains strong.
Currently, we are working with
618 operations and are receiving
inquiries from numerous
potential new applicants.
Our annual ISO 65
Accreditation audit will take
place in June; it will be a 5-day
process. Th e auditor will review
our offi ce procedures, forms,
and applicant fi les, and will
accompany our inspectors to some
of our operations for their annual
inspection visit. Th e purpose of
this audit is to verify that we are
operating as we have outlined in
our Quality System, to ensure
consistency in the certifi cation
process overall.
Pasture Rule
Th e long-awaited USDA
National Organic Program (NOP)
Pasture Rule for certifi ed livestock
operations was published in
late February. Th e rule requires
that ruminant animals have a
minimum of 120 days on pasture
and not less than 30 percent of
the animals’ dry matter intake
obtained from pasture. All
animals must have year-round
access to the outdoors. Certain
exemptions do apply.
We have been working to create
documentation procedures for
outdoor access and dry matter
calculations. Certifi ed and in-
process livestock operations have
been sent the Pasture Rule and
additional paperwork to enable
them to implement the new
requirements.
Th e time frames for
implementation of the new rule
are as follows:
If your farm has been
certifi ed prior to June 17,
2010, you have until June 17,
2011 to be in full compliance.
If your farm will not become
certifi ed until after June
17, 2010, you must start
the process with your
Organic System plan in full
compliance.
Specifi c information can be
found in the regulations and the
PowerPoint training document
on the NOP Web site, www.ams.usda.gov/nop. To access the
training document, in the General
Information box on the NOP
home page, click on NOP Reading
continued on page 10
New staff members, new rules, and important reminders about requirements from the staff of NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC
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Room. Th en, on the NOP Reading
Room page, type in “Publications”
under “Please select a topic,” and
then click on “Go.” In the list of
publications, click on Presentation
on Access to Pasture Proposed
Rule, Auburn, NY, October 2008.
Food Labeling
We’d like to clarify some
information concerning food
labeling requirements with regard
to packaged products produced
by our certifi ed operations. As an
accredited organic certifi cation
agency, we are responsible
for verifying that labels and
marketing information meet the
NOP requirements for use of the
organic designation on a fi nished
product. Th ese requirements are
described in detail in Sections
205.303 through 205.311 of
the NOP Standards. Simply put,
we review the fi nished product
label for proper use of the term
“organic,” identifi cation of organic
ingredients in the ingredient
statement, correct use of the
USDA seal, and display of the
certifi er statement. We also
review marketing information for
compliance.
Depending on the fi nished
product itself, there may be
additional labeling requirements
that our agency does not verify,
such as truth in labeling,
nutritional information, country
of origin, allergens, etc. Certifi ed
operations producing packaged
food products need to be aware of
labeling requirements other than
those related to organic status and
pursue verifi cation of compliance
from the appropriate entity (Food
and Drug Administration, NYS
Department of Agriculture and
Markets, USDA Food Safety and
Inspection Service, etc.). If you are
labeling products, please be sure
that you have contacted all of the
applicable regulatory agencies to
ensure your product label meets
each of their requirements.
A specifi c example of additional
requirements is the law that
requires labels for packaged meat
products to be submitted to and
approved by the Food Safety
Inspection Service (FSIS) as well
as the organic certifi cation agency.
We understand that this has to be
done every time an order of meat
is processed. So please make sure
you incorporate turnaround time
at the FSIS offi ce for your labels
and meat distribution.
A Caution for Small Producers
Th e National Organic
Standards (NOS) allow for farms
and processors to make the claim
of “organic” for their product
and not be certifi ed, if they have
$5,000 or less in annual gross
organic sales. However, if you fall
into this category, you are still
required to follow the regulations.
Since the recent changeover of
leadership at the NOP, training
information is much more readily
available to the general public on
the NOP Web site. We encourage
everyone, whether certifi ed or
not, to review these training
documents because they are the
directions given to Accredited
Certifying Agencies (ACAs).
Th e documents are very
easy to access by following the
instructions on the previous page
for accessing the Publications list
on the NOP Web site. If you are
not certifi ed organic, this is the
best place to fi nd clarifi cations
and interpretation of the
regulations.
Th e staff of NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC very much appreciates all of the certifi ed and in-process farms and processors that have chosen to work with them in the goal of providing quality organic foods. Th is certifying agency has been working with organic farms and food processors since the 1980s, and its staff feels very strongly that quality and integrity is behind everything that they do.
NEWS FROM CERTIFICATION, from page 9
Photo by Corrina Aldrich
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Family owned and operated since 1955
Schafer Liquid FishThe Economical Alternative to
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For Pricing Call (315) 727-3910
Cornell Organic Production Guides Available Online
Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management
Center has published nine new organic production
guides for farmers. Th e new guides provide
information for farmers on how to produce certifi ed
organic apples, blueberries, grapes, lettuce, potatoes,
spinach, strawberries and cole crops, including
cabbage, caulifl ower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
Th ere is also a new guide to help control dairy cattle
related pests using organic IPM methods. With
limited pest control products available for use in
organic production systems, these guides off er
commercial vegetable crops. IPM techniques such
as keeping accurate pest history records, selecting
the proper site, and preventing pest outbreaks
through use of crop rotation, resistant varieties and
biological controls are all components of successful
organic and IPM management techniques. Th e
guides may be downloaded at http://nysipm.cornell.
edu/organic_guide.
Photo by Corrina Aldrich
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A small group of thoughtf ul, committ ed citizens of the Gloversville area work together to change their community for the bett er.
Revitalizing Local FoodshedsRevitalizing Local FoodshedsGloversville Gets a Cooperative Market —Jim Strickland
If there is an unlikely place for a cooperative market
to spring up, Gloversville is that place. Th ough
beautiful, the downtown area of this small city
tucked between the Adirondacks and the Mohawk
Valley has suff ered the abandonment brought
on by the exurban strip mall craze. Incomes are
low, unemployment is high, and the jobs that are
available are often low-end service and unskilled
industrial positions. Nevertheless, on July 2, 2008,
when most people in Fulton County were busy
making potato salad, shining
their barbecues, or calculating
the carrying capacity of their
coolers, a group of people met
in Gloversville to discuss the
possibility of a opening a food
co-op. Th e meeting was the
culmination of a series of happy
coincidences and remarkable
synergies connected with
the recent dedication of the
new farmers market pavilion
in Gloversville and the eff orts of another group,
Gloversville 2020, to revitalize the city.
I was skeptical going into the meeting. About
three years earlier Laurie and I had participated
in another attempt to organize a food co-op in
Gloversville. Th at attempt had foundered on the
group’s inability to come to terms on a common
purpose. Some thought the market should be
vegetarian, some that it should be strictly vegan.
Others argued that in our sparsely populated area it
would be business suicide to exclude the preferences
of the majority of local residents. Each faction dug in
its heels, and the project evaporated.
At the July 2 meeting, I immediately sensed
that something was diff erent. For one thing, I
was surprised at how many people I didn’t know.
I’m used to attending meetings populated by “the
usual suspects”—the small group of community
activists that one can fi nd in every community.
Certainly those familiar faces were there, but they
were outnumbered by people I had not seen before
in such a context. I was amazed by the diversity
of the group that fi lled the room, among them an
accountant, two health workers, a nutritionist, a
lawyer, a farmer, two representatives from Cornell
Cooperative Extension, an educator, a minister,
a musician, and a couple of Web-savvy computer
programmers.
In spite of the diversity and the lack of
familiarity, we quickly discovered that we shared a
common interest—concern about where our food
comes from, its safety, and the economic impact
of our food choices. We discussed the negative
eff ects of big-box stores and chain supermarkets
on our community, and we
discussed the rich and valuable
agricultural heritage that was
ours in the Mohawk Valley.
Th rough these discussions we
soon articulated the core goals
of our cooperative enterprise: to
support local farmers and value-
added producers; to provide
healthy, wholesome food for
our members and shoppers
at the market; to be a source
of information and education about why our food
choices matter; and to promote an economy that
values localism and self-reliance.
Progress and Setbacks
Within a few weeks we had chosen a name
(Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market), put up a
Web site (www.mohawkharvest.org), and organized
committees to draft a business plan and bylaws
and to search for a building to house the venture.
One member of the group wrote a Farm Viability
grant requesting $80,000 in start-up funds from
the New York State Department of Agriculture
and Markets, which we hoped to match with an
additional $80,000 in membership fees and loans.
We discovered friends we never knew we had.
Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany was extremely
generous with time, advice, and even equipment
donations. Th e organizers of the Chatham Real Food
Market Co-op were also generous with their hard-
won knowledge, and we never tired of consulting
the Food Co-op 500 Web site and the National
Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA).
We reached a consensus that to ensure the co-op’s
success, we needed to commit ourselves to the revitalization of
downtown Gloversville.
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By October 2008, we were
getting signals from our contacts
in the Farm Viability grant
process that we were strong
contenders for an award. Th en
the stock market collapsed.
Banks began failing, insurance
companies tanked. Governor
Paterson declared the state a
fi nancial basket case, and grant
monies quickly disappeared.
Our imagined nest egg had
evaporated and with that came
the realization that we had no
money at all. Our friends in
Chatham were struggling to
raise the nearly $350,000 that
they calculated was needed to
open their doors. Meanwhile the Troy Community
Food Co-op had set the astoundingly ambitious
goal of raising $2.1 million! Th is made our own
modest goals seem more attainable. We decided
that we would solicit a loan from the Fulton County
Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC).
After all, who was more likely to resonate with our
spirit of localism than they? We revised our fund-
raising goals and persuaded our numbers man to
agree that we could get started on $120,000. We
asked the FCEDC to loan us half that amount. Th eir
deliberations were slow, and the fantasy of the loan
funds carried us through the dark days of winter.
By January 2009, we had reached a consensus
that to ensure the co-op’s success, we needed to
commit ourselves to the revitalization of downtown
Gloversville. We narrowed our search for venues to
the Gloversville business district. In February, we
connected with the owner of Dunday’s Men’s Store,
the town’s oldest clothing store, who off ered us the
vacant storefront (about 600 square feet of space)
next to his store on North Main Street. Th e location
was perfect: the center of downtown, with a small
park on the north side that connected Main Street
with the farmers market pavilion on Elm Street. We
saw the possibility of synergy between the farmers
market and our own endeavor that would benefi t
both. We agreed to rent the space.
SUPPORTING LOCAL GROWERSHere is a partial listing of local farmers and businesses that the Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market helps support:
Aunt Sandie’s Narrowgate Farms,
Mayfi eld
Blue Moon Farm, Sharon Springs
Challenge Industries, Ithaca
Conbeer’s Farm, Fonda
Creek’s Edge Elk Farm, Euphrata
Dan Stolzfuss Farm, Fordsbush
Dharma Lea Farm, Sharon
Springs
Duncraven Dairy, Sammonsville
Emerald Acres Farm, Glenn
Evan’s Farmhouse, Norwich
Failing Farm, Fort Plain
Fox Hollow Farm, Fonda
Frasier Sugar Shack, Lasselville
Full Quiver Farm, Fort Plain
Gary’s Garlic from Red Maples
Farm, Fort Plain
Highland Hills Farm, Charleston
Hillcrest Dairy, Moravia
Houser Honey and Glebe Street
Farm, Johnstown
Joe Keim Farm, Glenn
John King Farm, Fordsbush
Jonas Miller Farm, Glenn
Jones Family Farm, Little Falls
Lyker Farm, Charleston
Maple Hill Dairy, Little Falls
Mervin Byler Farm, Fordsbush
Palatine Valley Dairy, Palatine
Peter Betz Farm, Gloversville
Purdy and Sons Foods, Shelburne
Rogers Family Orchards,
Gloversville
Sand Flat Orchard, Johnstown
Th orn Apple Acres Farm, Fort
Plain
Tom Takacs, Palatine Bridge
Trumansburg Farm,
Trumansburg
Willow Place Farm, Fultonville
Windy Willow Farm, Perth
In keeping with its commitment to promoting community, the co-op in Gloversville displays work of local artists in its storefront windows. Photo by Frank Ambrose
continued on page 14
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By the end of February we heard from the FCEDC.
Th eir charter, it seemed, did not allow them to loan
money for start-ups. Many on the board had argued
strenuously in the co-op’s favor, but cooler heads had
prevailed. Again our dream seemed to dissolve. But
we were not quite penniless. We had incorporated
as a nonprofi t, and as we refi ned our organizational
structure, we had established a lifetime membership
fee of $150 per household. We had nearly $2,000
in fees from our core group deposited in the co-op’s
bank account, a pittance for sure, but something!
We decided that the only sure way forward was
to ask our friends and neighbors to invest in the
cooperative that was going to make all our lives
better. We again asked our business planners to
revise downward the estimate for start-up funds.
Th ey shaved off another $10,000.
From a seemingly unlikely source, a real vote of
confi dence in the wisdom of our endeavor.
Th e Charter Membership Campaign was a huge
success. Many prominent community leaders
made a public show of
support for the market.
Ordinary folks joined
in droves, and the
money rolled in. Th e
money also began to roll
out. Rent. Electricity.
Equipment: shelving, a
dairy cooler, a three-bay
sink, an approved scale,
and more. It became
clear that the expense
of not being in business would soon consume all the
resources we had amassed. Th us, in early July, a year
after our initial meeting and with $19,000 in the
bank, we invested $11,000 in initial inventory and
stocked the shelves. On July 22, 2009, we opened
for business. Our staff was all-volunteer, even the
manager, who worked more-than-full-time gratis
for the fi rst two months based on the promise that
someday we would begin paying him. (We do now!)
Epilogue
As we approach our one-year anniversary, things
are looking good. We have money in the bank, and
all our bills are paid. Th e FCEDC fi nally recognized
the wisdom of betting on a winning horse and
lent us some money for equipment and expansion.
We have been open six days a week every week
since that fi rst day. (We closed for two days after
Th anksgiving. Th e uproar was so great we vowed
never to do that again.) We recently hired a part-
time assistant manager. Our membership continues
to grow. We have not yet reached the fabled 300, but
we recently topped 220 households who, as member/
owners, call the co-op ours. Most importantly, over
the last nine months of operation we have put over
$25,000 directly into the hands of local famers
and artisans. From apples to maple syrup, salad
greens to potatoes, muesli to yogurt and beyond, we
proudly declare that local is delicious!
For more details on the Mohawk Harvest
Cooperative Market including newsletters,
press releases, photos and blogs, visit www.
mohawkharvest.org or stop by the store next to
Dunday’s at 51 North Main Street, Gloversville. Tell
them Jim sent you.
Fresh produce takes center stage at the Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market. Photo by Frank Ambrose
A year aft er our initial meeting and with
$19,000 in the bank, we invested $11,000 in
initial inventory and stocked the shelves.
GLOVERSVILLE GETS A COOP, from page 13
Th e Giant Carrot Campaign
We pushed on with several weeks of intense
publicity to kick off a Charter Membership
Campaign. Our plan was simple: Recruit 300
members at $150 each, which would provide the
co-op with $45,000. Th e rest we would make up
with grants and loans—somehow. Some of our crew
made a giant carrot poster with zero at the tip of
the root and 300 at the top, and we hung it in the
storefront window. We procured a telephone number
(TracFone) and set up an online membership option
through PayPal. Th en a miracle occurred when a
retired dairy farmer off ered to lend us $10,000.
Jim Strickland and his partner, Laurie Freeman, do their shopping at Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market in beautiful downtown Gloversville.
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Our members own and operate three dairy processing plants in Western New York.
Our organic dairy products can be purchased throughout the Northeast.
www.upstateniagara.com
1-800-724-MILK For more info, contact:
Natural Building Workshops
Hudson Valley Natural Building will off er three
workshops this summer. For more information on
these workshops, contact Jonah Vitale-Wolff at
(518) 229-1339 or at [email protected], or visit
www.hvnb.net.
Earth Oven Workshop: June 25–27, Newbury,
MA. Learn how to build a beautiful and durable
earth oven. Earth ovens, also known as cob ovens,
have been used for centuries in outdoor settings
to bake bread, pizza, meats, beans, pastries and
more. Th ese ovens stay hot for hours making them
a wonderful gathering point for outdoor events!
Th is workshop is appropriate for homeowners,
community organizers, artists, landscapers,
masons and builders.
Natural Plasters Workshop: August 7–8,
Grafton, NY. Th is workshop focuses on natural
plasters for interior and exterior applications
and is appropriate for all skill levels. You will
leave with a basic understanding of prepping,
mixing, and applying natural plasters on a
range of surfaces. Topics will include various
mixing methods, tool use, properties of plaster
components, material estimation, and how to
approach diff erent scale projects.
Natural Plasters Immersion: August 4–10,
Grafton, NY. Learn the ins and outs of natural
plasters for interior and exterior applications.
Th e immersion experience includes a two-
day workshop as well as a week of hands-on
instructional experience. Immersion participants
will literally get into the nitty-gritty of mudding,
including developing appropriate recipes, qualities
of clay and lime in plaster, and refi ning tool use.
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The Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) develops and implements comprehensive water quality protection plans on farms located in the New York City Watershed. Who is eligible to participate? Farms, and forest lands of 10+ acres, located within the Croton and Catskill/ Delaware Watersheds are eligible. Please contact us to verify whether your property is located within the Watershed. By participating you will have the opportunity to … Be eligible for financial assistance for the implementation of conservation practices, improve drainage and filtration of water runoff on your property, enhance waste management practices through dumpster and compost containment, benefit from our pasture management recommendations, and receive assistance developing a forest management plan.
For more information, please contact: Watershed Agricultural Council 33195 State Hwy. 10 Walton, NY 13856 607.865.7790 www.nycwatershed.org The Watershed Agricultural Council is funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, and other public and private sources. The WAC is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Farm-specific evaluation information is confidential and will not be shared for any purpose without landowner permission.
Photos © Vickers & Beechler (top) and Drew Harty Photography (bottom).
Locavore Cooking Classes at Hawthorne Valley
Th e Hawthorne Valley Farm Learning Center will
present a series of cooking classes this summer, “Th e
Locavore Way,” with chef/author Amy Cotler.
Class #1 –
Jump Start the Season: A Spring Celebration of Greens and StrawberriesJune 25, 5 to 9 p.m.
Class #2 –
Cook with the Season’s Bounty: Flexible and Forgiving Recipes and Improvisations for Your CSA Share
July 23, 5 to 9 p.m.
Class #3 –
Candlelight Peak-of-the-Season Supper:
A Celebration of the Gifts of the EarthAugust 21, 4 to 8 p.m.
(Bring your sweetie to the dinner.)
Class #4 –
Celebrate the Harvest:
An Outdoor on the Farm Locavore HarvestFeast
September 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (family-style)
For more information or to register, contact
Caroline Smialek at 518-672-7500, x105 or caroline@
hawthornevalleyfarm.org.
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NOFA-NY EventsNOFA-NY EventsMake a Field Day Connection Th is Summer
When it comes to learning about farming, the ideal sett ing is a hands-on exchange of information in the fi eld—and that’s what a NOFA-NY Field Day is all about.
At NOFA-NY Field Days, you can not only listen to talented, innovative farmers and gardeners describing
what they are best at, you can also see, touch, and even taste the experience as well. Engaging all your senses
is the best way to ensure that you learn more and retain that knowledge longer. Our members tell us that
making connections and exchanging ideas with other organic farmers and consumers is one of the most
valuable parts of belonging to NOFA-NY. So come join the party at a Field Day, or two, this summer!
Below are some highlights from our 2010 Summer Organic Field Day Series, which runs through August.
All Field Days are open to the public. Preregistration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Admission
to these events is $10 for members and $20 for nonmembers, except where noted. All events are held rain
or shine. For registration information or a complete list of Field Days, request our Field Days brochure by
emailing [email protected] or visit our Web site, www.nofany.org. We hope to see you in the fi eld!
CELEBRATE THE SOLSTICE!
Going Solar on Your Farm or Garden: Save Money, Help the Environment, and Support NOFA-NY
June 21: Steve Schwab’s 8.4 kW “Garden Art” solar electric (PV) site, Elbridge (Onondaga County)
June 29: Prospect Hill Orchards, Milton (Ulster County)
Have you ever considered running your farm or garden operations with solar electric power? Th e economics for installing solar may never be better. Th ese two Field Days provide the opportunity to visit a successful solar installation, one in Onondaga County and the other in Ulster County.
Bill Jordan, President of Jordan Energy & Food Enterprises, will discuss the economics of installing solar and explain specifi c USDA grants that can cover up to 25 percent of the installation costs.
NOFA-NY has partnered with Jordan Energy & Food Enterprises to off er members a discount on solar installations.
Join Catherine Baldwin and Amanda Merrow for a tour of Amber Waves Farm, whose mission is to provide the local community with both healthy food and an open-air classroom on agricultural sustainability. You’ll learn how they are integrating small-scale wheat production into their vegetable operation, which markets through a CSA and farmers market. You’ll also learn about their Farm to Food
June 30 – Have Some Wheat with Your Vegetables!Amber Waves Farm, Amagansett (Suff olk County)
Th e NOFA-NY Field Day held at Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon in August 2009 provided visitors with a wealth of information on diverse farming practices.Donn Hewes (above), co-ower of Northland Sheep Dairy, drives a team of horses and mules while mowing with a haybine.. All Field Day photos by Kate Mendenhall
curriculum, working with local schools to educate students about healthy food choices, farming and land stewardship, grain growing, and bread making. Bread tasting will also occur!
Amber Waves wheat work is funded from a grant by the Baker Foundation. Th is fi eld day is co-sponsored by NOFA-NY and the Northeast Organic Wheat Project.
continued on page 18
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July 6 – Adding Value to Grain—Like Crazy!Oechsner Farms, Newfi eld (Tompkins County)
Farmer-entrepreneur Th or Oechsner is growing a wide variety of small grain crops—and pioneering new markets for them. Come take a tour of his fi elds, where he is growing winter and spring wheat, spelt, three oat varieties, buckwheat, and the ancient grain emmer. We’ll also spend time in his farmyard, where you’ll see the production and seed-cleaning equipment and storage facilities he’s put together to produce and maintain high-quality grains. Th or will also talk about his marketing work, including the fl our mill he co-owns, working with a Rochester baker/miller, and developing multiple emmer products. Breads, other baked goods, cooked grains, and pasta will be tasted! Th is fi eld day is co-sponsored by NOFA-NY and the Northeast Organic Wheat Project.
July 15 – Exploring a U-pick Berry CSAKestrel Perch Berries, Ithaca (Tompkins County)
Kestrel Perch Berries off ers 200 shareholders in the Ithaca area 6 to 8 weeks of U-pick small fruit (strawberries, red and black raspberries, red and black currants, and gooseberries). “Pay-as-you-go” U-pick extends the season into August and September (blackberries, fall red raspberries).
Join fruit farmer Katie Creeger to learn about KPB’s chemical-free berry operation and unique marketing combination of the CSA and U-pick models.
July 23 – What is a Year-Round, Full-Food, Free-Choice, Horse-Powered Membership Farm?Essex Farm, Essex (Essex County)
Mark and Kristin Kimball are managing a dynamic and organic experiment in farming in New York’s North Country: actively farming 500 to 600 acres in integrated egg, (state certifi ed raw) dairy, vegetable, grain, and meat production on one piece of land. Th e produce from this integrated farm provides members with a year-round share that accommodates most all of their food needs. Come tour this unique farm management and marketing model.
Participants can come as early as 1 p.m. and spend the afternoon hiking the farm and watching farmers set up for membership pick-up. Th e tour itself will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude after 7 p.m. with informal conversation.
August 10 – From the Ground Up: A Local Food System Grows Walton Central School District schools, Walton (Delaware County)
Learn about this innovative, community-based eff ort to get healthy, local produce into the school system and grocery stores. Th e Walton Farm to School Project is an eff ort not only to introduce youth to agriculture, but also to engage students in all aspects of food production. Meet students from the Walton Central School District who are growing food not only for the school cafeteria, but also for the local grocery store and area food programs (Senior Meals and the Food Bank).
Th e project has several end goals: (1) to help close the loop between local food production and consumption, (2) to identify some of the more common challenges facing local purchasing for schools and groceries, (3) to promote clear pathways for students to enter careers in sustainable farm and food systems, and (4) to provide a venue for youth empowerment and community development.
July 7 – How to Build a Cheap Walk-in CoolerSt. Lawrence Nurseries, Potsdam (St. Lawrence County)
Join nurseryman and engineer Bill MacKentley as he shows off the two climate-cooled coolers on his diverse farmstead. Bill will outline a very simple protocol in which people can build their own inexpensive cooler boxes—without the need for an energy-intensive cooling system. In his coolers, Bill stores thousands of pounds of roots over winter for animal and human consumption. Find out how the coolers relate to the other alternative energy systems on his farm: a windmill, photovoltaic, wood gasifi cation system, and super-insulated home. Participants will walk away with an idea of how to construct energy-effi cient, inexpensive, underground coolers for their own farm or homestead.
July 14 – Tools and Systems for Starting a CSA FarmSweet Land Farm, Trumansburg (Tompkins County)
Sweet Land Farm runs a CSA that has 375 summer members and 140 winter members. Th is is their fourth season in operation. Evangeline Sarat and Paul Martin will discuss business planning, marketing, communicating with members, fi eld layout, labor, and equipment. Free-fl owing questions will be encouraged!
MAKE A FIELD DAY CONNECTION THIS SUMMER, from page 17
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More scenes from the Field Day at Northland Sheep Dairy: A crew loads the haywagon as the horse-mule team pulls the baler (above and far left ).
Michael Glos of Kingbird Farm demonstrates a hay tedder pulled by his team of Fiord “Mira” and Halfl inger “Friday.”
In the “cave” at Northland Sheep Dairy young cheeses are stored until they reach the peak of perfection.
August 18 – Organic Vegetables, Herbs, and Intentional CommunityBirdsfoot Farm, Canton (St. Lawrence County)
Learn about the operations of this intentional community that began in 1972. Birdsfoot Farm grows food for the community as well as a 70-member CSA, the Canton Farmers Market, the Potsdam Food Co-op and two Grower Co-ops. Th e farm uses fairly intensive methods, including seeding, weeding, and harvesting by hand and employing a variety of cover crops. Some specialty crops are sunchokes, celeriac, parsnips, garlic, and mixed greens.
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FISH: THE FINAL FRONTIER ROCHESTER ROOTSDINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE WELL-PRESERVED DRY ROSÉS
Member of Edible Communities
ediblefinger lakes
LOCAVORE LIQUOR SLACKER PIZZA BREW IT YOURSELF CRAFT COFFEE
Member of Edible Communities
Celebrating the Borough’s Food Culture, Season by Season No. 15 Fall 2009
edible woodstock • cabbage hill farm • slow wine
at fable’s Table • waiter wisdomMember of Edible Communities
HUDSONVALL E Y
Celebrating Local Foods of the Hudson Valley & Catskills, Season by Season Number 2 Summer 2009
edibleHUDSONVALL E Yedible
No. 21 High Summer 2009
ediblee a s t e n d
Celebrating the Harvest of the Hamptons and North Fork
No matter what sort of New Yorker you are, there’s an edible for you.
Subscribe at ediblenewyork.com
ediblem a n h at ta n
Telling the Story of How Gotham Eats No. 6 July/August 2009
HOT DOGS MAS D’ARTAGNANEMPIRE STATE GRAPES CURRY HILL
Member of Edible Communities
Premiere Issue Fall 2009CELEBRATING THE FOOD CULTURE OF NEW YORK’S MOST DIVERSE BOROUGH
Member of Edible Communities
FREE
THE BOROUGH’S BEST CHEAP EATS DUTCH KILLS’ SECRET TO A GREAT COCKTAILQUICK & EASY SUMMER HARVEST RECIPES THE BEER GARDEN BACKSTORY
FEASTING ON FLUSHING WITH ANTHONY BOURDAIN AND ERIC RIPERT
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Gett ing StartedGett ing StartedA Story of Two Young Farmers —Fern Marshall Bradley and Maria Grimaldi
In this fi rst of a series of articles on what draws young people to organic farming, two NOFA-NY members share their motivations and hopes for the future.
A spirited contingent of
young people at NOFA-NY’s
January conference in Saratoga
Springs infused the weekend
with excitement and optimism.
Many of these students, interns,
farmworkers, and farm managers
attended through scholarships
off ered by NOFA-NY. Among
them were Anne Eschenroeder
and Stephanie Scavelli, both of
whom work for organizations
whose missions combine farmland
Where Th ey WorkHilltop Hanover Farm was
purchased by Westchester County in
2003 to help preserve farmland in
the county. Hilltop Hanover Farm
runs a roadside stand and U-pick
operation to serve the public as
not only a food opportunity but for
farming education. Seasonal classes
and other recreational activities
linked to the environment are
off ered for both children and adults.
Phillies Bridge Farm Project in
New Paltz was established in 2005
with land donated to the Wallkill
Valley Land Trust. Th e 65-acre farm
includes 6 acres of organic vegetables
and berries for its 180-member CSA,
a children’s garden, greenhouses,
an historic farmstead, and a nature
trail. Educational programs on
science, history, crafts, and food,
cooking, and nutrition are off ered.
To learn more about these farm
education centers, visit their Web
sites:
Hilltop Hanover Farm and
Environmental Center:
www.hilltophanoverfarm.org Phillies Bridge Farm Project:
www.philliesbridge.org
preservation and organic farming
with environmental and farming
education programs. Eschenroeder is
the farm manager for the nonprofi t
Phillies Bridge Farm Project in New
Paltz; Scavelli is an intern at Hilltop
Hanover Farm and Environmental
Center in Yorktown Heights.
What drew these young women
to choose work in farming? A
common starting point was
concern about health and food
quality. While growing up, “I was
active outdoors—Girl Scouts,
backpacking,” Eschenroeder said. “I
became a vegetarian when I was 14,
and that created a connection with
food. I grew up in a German family
in Virginia. We ate lots of meat and
potatoes. It was radical to become a
vegetarian in my family. It was an
empowering thing for me to do.”
After graduating from the University
of Virginia, Eschenroeder went west
to work in a gardening education
program in Oregon, and then spent
two years farming and studying
sustainable agriculture at the
University of California Santa Cruz’s
Farm and Garden Program.
Scavelli is an Environmental
Studies major, and she’ll graduate
this December from SUNY
Purchase. “Most people who are
into environmental science are
obsessed with energy issues and
endangered species, and those topics
are important,” Scavelli noted. “But
I came into environmental science
with an interest in food culture.” As
a teenager motivated by an interest
in her own health, Scavelli began to
learn more about nutrition. Th e more
she learned, the more appalled she
became by the food that her high
school cafeteria was serving the
Snow doesn’t deter farm manager Anne Eschenroeder from fi nishing the fall broccoli harvest at Phillies Bridge Farm. Photo by Jill Rubin
continued on page 22
student body. Delving deeper, she
began to uncover the bigger picture
of the dysfunctional industrial
agricultural system that drives the
food culture of the United States.
“My mindset was a concern with
the eff ects of industrial agriculture
on environmental health, and what
eff ects our diet has on our health.
Environmental studies was a good
avenue because it encompasses not
only hard science like biology but
also sociology and economics.”
Finding Th eir Feet in Farming
“I was doing garden education in
Portland, Oregon,” Eschenroeder
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The Pennsylvania Yankee
7 Main Street, Penn Yan NY 14527
www.pymercantile.com M E R C A N T I L E
““Your 100 mile market”
Phone: 315-536-6014
Your source for local, natural & organic: meats, dairy, eggs, produce, baked goods, grains, pottery, soaps, wooden dishes, handmade wooden toys and more
*All products, except sugar and coffee, are produced within 100 miles of Penn Yan NY*
a community. As the Phillies Bridge
farm manager, her time is about
equally divided between teaching
and hands-on farming. Th e people
connection helps to “grow yourself
through your interactions with
them,” said Eschenroeder.
Scavelli found her way to Hilltop
Hanover Farm last year as a summer
intern, and she continued visiting
and helping out at the county-owned
farm and environmental center once
her school schedule resumed last
fall. She is returning this summer
for a variety of reasons. She enjoys
the variety of skills she’s learned
as an intern, from caring for plants
in hoop houses to operating farm
equipment and harvesting. She also
fi nds herself in an educational role,
answering questions from visitors on
topics ranging from home gardening
to fi eld techniques used at the farm
to her favorite recipes for kale or
fresh greens. Hilltop Hanover off ers
said, “but it was more organizational
work than hands in the soil. I spent
some time fi guring out my skill set:
What do I have to off er? What can I
do to change the way things are?”
Eschenroeder concluded that
working in production agriculture
and adult education was a better fi t
for her than working with children.
She enjoys and is good at fi nding
effi ciencies in processes, and, she
said, “I get joy out of doing things
well. I like straight lines and clean
rows.” At Phillies Bridge, she also
enjoys the challenge of integrating
education into the daily work fl ow,
and she plans lessons for the interns
that fi t the tasks of the day, such as
crop planning.
Eschenroeder is comfortable with
the farm manager role because she
is a “people person.” She said that
she recognized that one challenging
aspect of production farming is that
it can be isolating, and she needed
Preparing beets for market is just one of Stephanie Scavelli’s duties as an intern at Hilltop Hanover Farm. Photo by Jennifer Elliot
TWO YOUNG FARMERS, from page 21
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Symphony at the Garden of Eve
—Tom StockFarmer Chris’s shriek whistle
Growling tractor engines
Clucking chickens announcing another egg
Barks from two huge white dogs
Chirps from barn swallows
Children’s high voices in the sandbox
Workers’ conversations at the farm stand
Huge oil trucks passing on Penny Lane
Crows calling—geese honking
Chop sounds from hoes breaking soil
Dan running the rototiller
Greenhouse plastic fl apping in the wind
Cash register opening at the farm stand
Grunts from “Apple” and “Cheese,” two Tamworth pigs
Goat and turkey calls
Visitors asking questions
Cell phone calls from Mark to Chris
Farmhouse chatter at lunchtime
Plastic vegetable boxes sliding onto a pickup bed
Doors closing, cars starting and running
Scuffl e of footsteps on dirt roadways
Gentle bouncing of winter rye grass tassels in the wind
Hammer or compressor sounds in the storage barn
Whir of fan in a hoop house
Th under and raindrops
Laughter of volunteers
Tom’s fl ute and drumming
Eve talking to Forrest
Spanish talk between Ernesto and Raphael
Tush-tush-tush of irrigation sprinklers
Aluminum thuds from irrigation pipe being dropped
Diesel engine of well pump
Robin and killdeer calls
Rock music while seeding in greenhouse
Suction pump of automatic seeder
Clanging chains on metal gates
Flaps of Reemay covering in the wind
Peppers gently dropped into crate
Poet and “farm jester” Tom Stock of Manorville likes to grow zinnias, French tarragon, and sorrel.
programs on healthy and sustainable
food production, and in addition to
general visitors, during the summer
busloads of students ages 12 and
under arrive at the farm from all
over Westchester County.
Learning about soil and crop
management from head farmer
Mary Ellen Sheehan has also been
a privilege, said Scavelli. “I was
fortunate to fi nd a farm where the
farmer has a style I can appreciate.”
Th e farm has a history dating back
to the 1780s, but the land had lain
fallow for years before Westchester
County purchased it and revived it
as a farm and education center. From
Sheehan, Scavelli has learned about
the importance of weed control
and reducing the farm’s weed seed
bank. Th e soil was not properly
managed in the past, and the soil is
degraded, Scavelli said. Th ere’s a big
emphasis on cover cropping as well
as adding compost and amendments.
Th is year, Scavelli noted, 6 of the 8
tillable acres on the property will be
cover-cropped, while the other 2 are
planted with more than 50 diff erent
crops for sale through a farmstand,
U-pick gardens, and a mobile
market.
At a deeper level, Scavelli
appreciates what the intern
experience has helped her learn
about herself, and what it’s allowed
her to off er others. Th rough her
farm work, she discovered that she’s
“pretty clever, good at fi guring out
ways to do things more effi ciently.
I was proud of myself.” In addition,
Scavelli said, she discovered that
“learning about farming augments
what I study in school. I’ve had
the privilege to go to college and
study, and at the farm, I can talk
to other people and pass along that
knowledge.”
Future Dreams
Looking to the future, Scavelli
said that she aspires to work in an
edible forest or permaculture system
someday. “I really do like to jump the
gun and say I’m going to homestead
and farm,” she said. But in the short
term after she graduates, Scavelli’s
goal is to fi nd a position in county,
state, or even federal government.
“I want experience in how the
system is regulated. I would like to
help to redirect some of that huge
pot of government money toward
sustainable farming,” Scavelli
said. “Among my age group, a lot
of people get discouraged that the
government is a separate entity
that is controlling our lives. But
I think you can get involved and
make change happen. And it’s the
whole food system that needs to
change. Freedom is being able to
feed ourselves well. But what is sold
in the grocery store impinges on my
right to be able to do that.”
Currently about 6 months
into her job as farm manager,
Eschenroeder hopes to spend several
more years at Phillies Bridge. Beyond
that, she would like to own land
and run her own operation one
day. Meanwhile she has come to
appreciate the broader community
beyond the Phillies Bridge farm
crew. “Our work here is in concert
with a whole community of people,”
she said, including the CSA members
and other local farmers, whom she
has found incredibly supportive. She
gave examples of one CSA member
who devotes one week of his vacation
each year to accomplishing a project
at the farm, and an area farmer
who contacted her shortly after her
arrival to off er help with repairing
cracked pipes in a greenhouse
heating system.
Eschenroeder summed up her
experience this way: “Th e thing
about farming is that it’s so versatile.
It’s such a huge realm that you will
never understand it all. And there’s
always room for problem-solving and
experimentation.”
Fern Marshall Bradley is the editor of New York Organic News. Maria Grimaldi teaches sustainable gardening methods at Panther Rock Farm in Livingston Manor.
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When Food is Abundant, but Time is Hard to Find
Organic FoodOrganic Food
Your fridge and kitchen counter are fi lled with produce from your garden or CSA share. But it’s summertime, and
you want (and need) to be outside, not indoors all day cooking. On the other hand, you want to make good use of
those delicious veggies. We asked NOFA-NY members to share ideas for simple recipes that generously employ fresh
vegetables and/or are so easy to prepare that you can stay in the garden all day—and evening—long. Th e response
was terrifi c, and here are just a few of the recipes we received. We’ll run more in upcoming issues of New York Organic News.
Ginny Hurley’s Ratatouille
—from Mary-Howell Martens, Lakeview Organic Grain, Penn Yan
When I was in college, a group of us Horticulture
students rented a plot at the local community
garden. Our ability to cook was minimal, partly
because we didn’t really have kitchen facilities, but
we had a Crockpot! One friend invented this version
of ratatouille to use up what we harvested from
the garden. I still think it is the best ratatouille
I’ve tasted. You can throw it in the Crockpot in
the morning, and it is great by supper time, better
tomorrow, and absolutely wonderful when you take
a package out of the freezer in January. My husband,
Klaas, still jokes about the fi rst year we were
married, when I fi lled the freezer with packages
labeled Rat (ratatouille) and Mous (moussaka).
1 to 2 medium zucchini
1 to 2 medium yellow squash
1 eggplant
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded
2 green peppers, or 1 green and 1 red
1 to 2 medium onions
1 to 2 cloves garlic
8 slices bacon
1 generous handful basil, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Chop all vegetables into chunks or slices. Brown
bacon over medium heat and remove it from the
pan. Add the onion and garlic to the grease in the
pan and sauté. Place the onion, garlic, and other
veggies in a slow cooker. Add the bacon (crumbled),
basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cider vinegar. Cook
until veggies are soft; add more salt and vinegar as
needed. Serve with crusty bread, sliced cheese, and
wine.
Sam and Sara’s Summer Roast Vegetables
—from Rivka Davis, Road’s End Farm, DundeeWe’re so busy planting and getting ready for market
that there’s no time to write an introduction for this
recipe!
Olive oil
2 medium summer squash
2 fi rm yellow sweet peppers
2 fi rm red sweet peppers
1 pound carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
Fresh basil (or dried)
Fresh oregano and/or fresh rosemary (or dried)
Sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
Parmesan cheese (also optional, but good)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a good-sized roasting
pan with olive oil; the bottom should be thoroughly
coated but not drenched. Slice squash into 1/4-inch-
thick circles and place in pan. Cut the peppers
in half and remove the seeds; then quarter them
lengthwise and put them in the pan. Add the carrots
and onion. Add the garlic, which can be pressed,
chopped, or left whole and unpeeled. Sprinkle
herbs over veggies and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
At this point, take the pan out of the oven and
grate cheddar cheese onto the vegetables if desired.
Bake for 20 to 30 more minutes or until carrots
are tender. Grate fresh parmesan cheese onto
vegetables before serving.
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Single-Sentence Specials
—from Julie Callahan and Stephen Holbrook, Crandalls Corners Farm, Schaghticoke
We aren’t fancy cooks, and we love the fl avors of all
kinds of fresh produce just lightly enhanced. Here
are a few of our favorite fast-and-easy preparation
methods. Th ese recipes are so simple that we can
sum up the directions in a single sentence:
Sauté beet greens with a little balsamic vinegar and oven-roast the beet roots in an aluminum foil packet.
Chop fresh herbs and garlic and mix with sour cream or Greek yogurt to make a delicious dip for carrot and kohlrabi sticks.
Cut white turnips into halves or quarters, toss with a little olive oil, salt & pepper, and throw them on the grill until tender.
While gently heating some olive oil in a pan, blanch broccoli raab in boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the olive oil, along with a handful of chopped garlic scallions, and sauté for about 5 minutes. (Okay, so that’s two sentences.)
Coarsely chop a generous amount of kale, steam it as desired, and toss it with a few teaspoons of your favorite salad dressing.
Spinach —Tom Stock
Deep green, crinkled leaves
Sound hollow when broken
From the rosettes of spinach plants
Th ey are mostly air—fl uff ed up
With older, contorted leaves below,
Smaller, tender smooth leaves above.
When steamed, they fl atten
To thin wafers where just moments ago
Th e screen was stuff ed with leaves.
Th ey lose their delicate texture quickly.
Fresh steamed spinach
With lemon and butter, salt and pepper
From farm to bowl… a nice treat.
My ego, like fresh spinach leaves
All puff ed up and weather-beaten
With creases of uneven growth
And long, hollow stems.
How quickly I lose my illusions
And come back to reality
Defl ated, softened.
Poet and “farm jester” Tom Stock of Manorville likes to grow zinnias, French tarragon, and sorrel.
Confett i Scrambled Eggs
—from Martha Goodsell, Fallow Hollow Deer Farm, LLC, Candor
Here’s a satisfying supper for those days when you
don’t get in the door from the fi eld until after 8
o’clock. Eggs are fast and easy to prepare, and this
time of the year, there are always lots available.
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup drained canned corn
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped onion
8 large fresh eggs
½ cup milk
salt and pepper
Red and green peppers, sliced into ¼ -inch-thick rings
In a 10-inch skillet, heat butter over medium heat.
Add corn, peppers, and onion. Cook until crisp-
tender, about 5 minutes. In large bowl, beat eggs
and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour
eggs over vegetables. Stir continually until eggs are
fi rm. Garnish with pepper rings.
Photo by Corrina Aldrich
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Organic Fertilizers
Composted Poultry Manure 5-3-2
Composted Poultry Manure Fertilizer 5-4-3
Pelleted and Crumbled Bagged or Bulk - will work through fertilizer hopper
Kreher Enterprises, LLC PO Box 410
Clarence, NY 14031 (716) 759-6802
Certi ed Organic
Seeds & Fertilizer
Animal Products
Grass Seed• Alfalfa Seed• Grazing & Hay Mixes• Small Grains• Blue River Hybrids •
Seed Varieties Sorghum Sudangrass• Certi ed Innoculants•
Renrock Fertilizer• McGeary’s •
Fertilizer Neptunes Harvest •
Hydrolyzed FishCustom Blends• Agri-Energy Liquid •
Fertilizers
West Wind Farm 196 Hoyer Road Cherry Valley, NY 13320
Rob Freeland - 607-264-3635
Fertrell Product LineRedmond SaltThorvin Kelp
Agri-Dynamics Product Line
Research Project on Native BeesSarah Kornbluth of Rutgers University and the
American Museum of Natural History is looking
for farms in southern New York and northern New
Jersey where she can conduct research this summer
and next summer. Kornbluth will survey native
bees on farms to examine how increased native bee
density and diversity correlates to increased fruit
yield. It has been demonstrated that increasing
fl oral and nesting resources through management
techniques and proximity to natural habitat does
increase native bees. But do increased native bees
lead to increased pollination services and increased
fruit yield? In addition to helping answer this
question, participating growers will also learn
about the native bee community on their farms. If
you are interested in learning more, please contact
Kornbluth at [email protected] or at (973) 353-1164
and please include (1) Your planting schedule for
the spring and summer, (2) Do you have honeybees
on or near your farm? (3) Can you accommodate
temporary potted plants and nesting boxes on the
edges of any of your fi elds?
Crops that Kornbluth is interested in include
cucumber, cantaloupe, other melons, watermelon,
strawberry, blueberries, cranberries, currants (and
any berry that doesn’t have thorns), eggplant,
tomato (varieties requiring pollination with stigma
projecting out further than anthers), and pepper.
Photo by Corrina Aldrich
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Urban HomesteadingUrban HomesteadingChickens in the City —Kate Mendenhall
Starting a club can be a fun and successful way to take the plunge into keeping chickens in the city.
I dream of farming my own piece of land one day,
but currently, city living has me confi ned to what
will fi t in my 30-by-38-foot backyard. I’ve discovered
that quite a lot can fi t back there! A few years ago
at an end-of-season farmers market party, I began
telling a neighborhood friend about my longing for
chickens. I found out that she was also interested in
having chickens, but wasn’t sure how to go about it.
Th e seed was planted, and I was hooked. I ordered
books about raising chickens and read them cover
to cover. I literally began dreaming about chickens
(this drove my husband nuts!). Finally my NOFA-NY
friends came to my rescue. I inherited a chicken coop
from Bethany Wallis and put dibs on three chicks
from Greg Swartz’s chicken order.
the urban chicken craze, the challenges of urban
farming were somewhat unknown. To get started,
this small group dug through the Rochester
municipal code (which was a little unclear in regards
to chickens) to learn about
the regulations. I tested
the waters at the city
courthouse and successfully
purchased a city chicken
license (#6 on record). We
started a Google group
called the Rochester City
Chicken Club and began to
share information about
raising chickens in the city.
Th e Club Catches On
Almost immediately, people began coming out of
the woodwork. Ten families joined in the spring of
the club’s fi rst year. One member had been wishing
for ten years to keep city chickens, but she didn’t
want to do it alone. As soon as there was a support
group, she signed up! Th at fall, I brought my three
chickens to the neighborhood farmers market to
advertise the club and ended up talking for four
hours to a never-ending line of people waiting to
learn about chickens! After that, the chicken club
grew at a fast clip. Now, three years later, over one
hundred families are members.
Th e most successful part of the club is the
listserv, which serves as a place for people to ask
questions and get quick answers. Question topics
range from city codes to equipment to coordinating
feed runs to chicken health issues. Club member
Jessica Rodriguez said that the Rochester City
Chicken Club has been an invaluable resource
for her. “As fi rst-time chicken owners, we have
had many questions and even an emergency or
two. Th e members of this group have always been
willing to share experiences, give advice, and/or
make recommendations. I have also enjoyed the
camaraderie… It has been wonderful to connect with
like-minded people, to occasionally share a meal
and a story, to be part of a community.” What city
chickens have meant to club member Sue Morgan is
“what having them around teaches our kids. We can
see an ecological cycle played out in our backyard.
We feed the hens, they feed us. We put the straw and
I have been amazed at how the club has
quickly helped foster community around
something as simple as keeping a few chickens
in your backyard.
Kate Mendenhall and her husband, Zach Borus, share a photo op with two of their Red Comet chickens, Cluck Cluck (left ) and Aunt Molly (right).
Now, back to that friend who was also interested
in chickens… It was clear that there were more of
us sustainable urban gardeners interested in adding
a little livestock to our backyards. Rochester has
a great e-mail listserv called the Rochester Farm
Connection, and I posted a meeting announcement
there inviting all urban chicken lovers to join the
Rochester City Chicken Club. Five families met with
me on a Saturday morning at a local coff ee shop
to talk chickens. Since it was just the beginning of
continued on page 28
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SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPERS OF PREMIERFARMERS MARKETS SINCE 1991
JOIN OURFarmers Market
Community• Central locations with high visibility
and parking• Dedicated customer base with high
purchasing power• Well balanced selection of vendors• Extended season, indoor winter markets
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WE PROMOTE OUR MARKETS!
• Press and PR support• Strategic print advertising• Active web site and e-marketing• Seasonal events & cooking demos
• Community outreach
VISIT US AT THE 2009 EMPIRE STATEFRUIT & VEGETABLE EXPO – BOOTH 206
Noah Dingman (left ) and his brother, Isaiah, love to catch and pet the chickens. Photo by Jo Beth Dingman
poop on the compost pile and use it half a year later
to fertilize the vegetable garden—and the girls get
to see how it all interconnects.”
Creating Community Th rough Chickens
I love caring for my three urban chickens, but
I also appreciate the educational opportunities
it has created with neighbors, kids, friends, and
family. Most of all, I have been amazed at how the
club has quickly helped foster community around
something as simple as keeping a few chickens
in your backyard—a feat not so novel—people
have been doing it forever! But it is the support,
community, and good food that make the chicken
club grow and fl ourish each year. Th is is what
inspires me in my work with NOFA-NY, too. What
we are doing—growing food for our own families
and communities—is really powerful. With a little
organizational support to connect us, a lot can be
accomplished! Maybe even shaking things up to
create positive change in the direction of a delicious
local, sustainable, and fair food system…one chicken
at a time.
Kate Mendenhall is the Executive Director of NOFA-NY.
Rochester City Chicken Club member Jo Beth Dingman and her family are raising chickens of several breeds, including these fast-growing youngsters.Photo by Jo Beth
Dingman
CHICKENS IN THE CITY, from page 27RESOURCES FOR BACKYARD CHICKEN FARMERS
Damerow, Gail. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, 4th
edition. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2010.
Kilarski, Barbara. Keep Chickens! North Adams, MA: Storey
Publishing, 2003.
Paul, Johannes and William Windham. Keeping Pet Chickens.
Happauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, 2005
My Pet Chicken, www.mypetchicken.comBackyardChickens, www.backyardchickens.comTh eCityChicken.com, www.thecitychicken.com
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Many NCO Products are:
• Landscaper• Arborist• Orchardist• Nurseryman• Turf Care Expert• Small Fruit & Vegetable Grower
All Natural LandCare Supplies
802/222-4277 fax 802/222-9661 email: [email protected]
NEW YORK WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORSCompostwerks LLC - 487 East Main St., Mount Kisco, 10549 ph914/273-9294DeLalio Sod Farms, Inc. - 652 Deer Park Ave, Dix Hills, 11746 ph800/326-4763
Great Gardens - 100 Urban Ave, Westbury, 11590 ph516/334-6600Island Bio-Greens - P.O. Box 6, Shelter Island, 11965 ph516/749-0621The Natural Lawn Co. - 538 Middle Line Rd, Ballston Spa, 12020 ph518/885-2524
For more info and to find a North Country Organics Dealer visit http://www.norganics.com
BUYERS & SELLERS OF ORGANIC GRAINS CORN, WHEAT, OATS, TRITCAL, BARLEY SPELT, FLAX SEED, SOYBEANS, SBM, RYE, FIELD PEA’S AND MORE CALL 716-633-1940 CONTACT: DON POWELL EXT 238 SCOTT SCHULTZ EXT 360 BILL SCHMAHL EXT 353 LACKAWANNA PRODUCTS CORP 8545 MAIN ST. PO BOX 660 CLARENCE, NY 14031
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Organic EquipmentTechnology
Specializing inWeeding and Cultivating
Equipment
LelyKovar
EinböckHatzenbichler
Call today with your cultivation needs!
P.O. Box 129Byron, NY 14422-0129
Bob Lefrancois
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New MembersBenjamin Bailes • Carrie & David Bither, Roots
& Fruits (BCD Wellness Center) • Jennifer
Bole • David & Willis Bosch, Cedarville Farm
• Victor & Tina Burgett, Jacobs Acres Farm •
Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, Inc. • Karen
Christopherson, Crawler Heaven Farms • Jerome
Cimino & Mira Fink • Ashley Clements & Judy
Wertenbaker, Glensfoot Farm, Inc. • Jerred &
Duane Crandon, Crandon Farms • Jonathan &
Diane Crespi • John Dewar, Village Veggies •
Kenneth Dunton & Susan DeWolfe Burns • Rex &
Connie Farr, Th e Farrm • William & Ana Finkle,
Shady Acres Farm • Fred Forsburg, Honeyhill
Farm • Joseph A. Frisbie II & Linda Frisbie •
Robert Fults, Fults Crest Farms • Sigrun Gadwa,
Ships’ Hole Farm • Ginger Creek Nursery • Scott
Goodman • Jeff & Kim Greenberg, Salmonkill
Farm • Rosalind Gumaer • Donn Hewes &
Maryrose Livingston, Northland Sheep Dairy •
Santi & Susan Hito, Goshen Green Farm, LLC •
Michelle Hughes & Kate Granger, Greenmarket,
New Farmer Development • Mark & Del Ippolito
• Th eresa Joseph, JOG for Health Farm • Amanda
& Aleksander Khodorkovskiy, Living Acres
Farm • Karl & Tina Kowalski, Maverick Farm
• Sharon Kroeger, Morehouse Farm • Richard
& Cynthia Larson, Larson Farms • Kimberly
LeClaire? Quarry Gardens • John C. Livermore •
Teale Love, Love Farms • Jamie Malloy • Erich &
Jessica Omans, Damon Acres • Andy Papineau,
Andy’s Specialty Garlic & Produce • Frank
Perrella & Joan Dutosme • Joyce & Carmella
Quattro, Quattro’s Poultry & Game Farm •
Staff an Rascher, Rascher’s Sugar House • Gale
Sheradin, Grandpa’s Garlic • Mary Lou Stallard •
Vali Vargha, Big Sky Farm • Alethea Vasilas • Joy
Weber • Eileen Mobee Weinstein • Frederick &
Carolyn Wellington, Wellington’s Herbs & Spices
• David & Pamela Williams, Endless Trails Farm,
LLC • Robert & Rachel Yoder • Eileen Zidi & Mimi
Edelman, I&Me Farm • Marianne Zwicklbauer,
Belden Farm
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New Business MembersCold Springs FarmSumner Watson379 Slate Hill RdSharon Springs, NY 13459-3441518-234-8320coldspringsfarm@verizon.netwww.coldspringsfarm.net
Hungry Hollow Co-op841 Chestnut Ridge RdChestnut Ridge, NY 10977-6111845-356-3319, 845-352-5020info@pfeiff ercenter.orgwww.hungryhollow.org
NYS Department of Agriculture and MarketsOrganic Development Assistance ProgramSarah Johnston10B Airline DrAlbany, NY 12235518-457-4531sarah.johnston@agmkt.state.ny.uswww.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/organic
Once Again Nut ButterGael OrrPO Box 429, 12 S State StNunda, NY 14517-0429585-468-2535 [email protected]
Second Nature Lawn CareBryan BeaudryPO Box 1151Pearl River, NY 10965845-735-2331Bryan@secondnaturelawncare.comwww.secondnaturelawncare.com
Seeds of ChangeWoody (Stephen) Woodward946½ S StSpringfi eld, OR 97477-2382505-660-6924stephen.woodward@eff em.comwww.seedsofchange.com
Th e Pennsylvania Yankee MercantileElizabeth Hoover7 Main StPenn Yan, NY 14527315-536-6014thepennsylvaniayankee@gmail.comwww.pymercantile.com
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DMS provides access to organic milk markets through relationships with major organic milk handlers. DMS can assist farms with the organic transition. Members will receive cooperative premiums in addition to competitive premium packages offered by the market.
DMS ORGANIC MILK
Loan programs offered by Agri-Max Financial ServicesOrganic feed and supplies offered by Eagle Dairy Directsm
Health Insurance and Workers’ Compensation offered by ASAFree milk quality consultation offered by DMS quality specialists
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Programs and Services that Impact your Bottom Line:
Organic
1-888-589-6455
Managing Alternative Pollinators
A new book, Managing Alternative
Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers, and Conservationist, is now available from Natural
Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service
(NRAES). Th e handbook is a fi rst-of-its-kind, in-
depth, full-color guide to rearing and managing
bumble bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees, and other
alternative to honey bee pollinators. Th e 162-page
book features information on nest construction
details, parasite and disease management
guidelines, and much more. For more information
about NRAES visit www.nraes.org or phone
607-255-7654.Photo by Corrina Aldrich
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LOCAL FARMS, LOCAL FOOD.
Nearly 100 farm stands and wineries now offer a discount to Farm Bureau members in exchange
for advertising and promotional support from Farm Bureau.
Check listing at www.nyfb.org
FFarmers wishing to enroll: e-mail [email protected]
Your membership in Farm Bureau®
supports both.
Pollinator Toolkit Available for Organic Farmers
Organic farming off ers many
benefi ts to pollinators but some
common organic-approved pesticides
and practices can be potentially
just as harmful to bees and other
pollinators as conventional farming
systems. Th e Xerces Society has
developed Organic Farming for Bees, a tool kit for organic growers
that includes guidance on how to
minimize disturbance to pollinators
from farm activities and how to
provide nest sites and foraging
patches. In particular, two fact
sheets provide information about
toxicity to native pollinators
for all major organic-approved
insecticides and about pollinator-
friendly organic farming practices.
To learn more visit www.xerces.org/organic-farms.
Volunteers Needed! Are you available this summer to staff a table at a public event
to talk to people about NOFA-NY? Th ere are many upcoming Green
Festivals, county fairs, etc., where we would like to get the word out
about the important work that NOFA-NY is accomplishing. If you
are interested, please e-mail Matt Robinson at [email protected]. We
will check whether there is an event in your local area that you could
staff on behalf of NOFA-NY, send you NOFA-NY materials, and help
organize the logistics.
Photo by A. Jones
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Box 361, 119 Hamilton PlacePenn Yan, NY 14527315-531-1038
Certified Organic Feed, Seed & Livestock ProductsFrom Northeast organic farmers for Northeast organic farmers
www.lakevieworganicgrain.com
Opportunities
LAND FOR LEASE WANTED: I am
a young farmer with 4 seasons of
growing experience. I am looking
to lease ½ to ¾ acre of fertile land
for organic vegetable production in
Westchester, Orange, Ulster, Put-
nam, Dutchess, or Columbia coun-
ties. Ideally, this land would be
plowed and fenced. It is also impor-
tant that the land has been free of
chemical application for the past 3
years. Access to water for irrigation
is necessary. Electricity and stor-
age space would be helpful. Contact
me at [email protected] or call
954-531-7593.
EXPERIENCE NEEDED: I am try-
ing to fabricate attachments for my
Tuff -Bilt tractor. I would like to com-
municate with anyone who has at-
tachments they would be willing to
share measurements and other infor-
mation about. E-mail: timothy.baty@
verizon.net
BORDER COLLIE NEEDS NEW
HOME: Looking for a new home for
adult border collie, Sally. She is a
sweet family and herd dog. Ideal set-
ting would be a small farm. For more
information, contact Martin 518-
821-3422, e-mail: triformfarm@
gmail.com
POSITION AVAILABLE: Hawthorne
Valley Farm is looking for a SENIOR
COUNSELOR for its farm-based
summer program, Kids! Can! Cook!
Th e position will include cooking,
gardening, tending small ruminants
and working with the program’s par-
ticipants, ranging in age from 8 to
14. Th e program has a special fo-
cus on the underserved communities
in the Hudson Valley surround-
ing Hawthorne Valley Farm. Th e se-
nior counselor will work with two
senior program directors to plan
eight weeks of classes (July and Au-
gust). Th e position runs from June
to August, 2010. Salary is $2,500
with room and board included. Haw-
thorne Valley Farm is a dynamic
organization on 400 acres that in-
cludes a sixty-cow dairy herd, a 12-
acre market garden, full-line natural
foods store, on-site dairy process-
ing plant, and Community Supported
Agriculture program. It is locat-
ed in Harlemville, about 35 miles
southeast of Albany. For more in-
formation, go to our Web site, www.
hawthornevalleyfarm.org.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Di-
versifi ed eco-farm in Highgate, Ver-
mont (3 miles from Canada) seeks
three interns for the 2010 season.
We need at least one person who can
start in May and one person who can
stay with us until the fi rst week of
December. Compensation includes
room and board including all-organ-
ic meals 7 days a week, NOFA Sum-
mer Conference in Massachusetts all
expenses paid, and NOFA-VT work-
shops. Intern will primarily work in
our vegetable gardens in which we
grow food for our 75-member CSA.
Intern must be able to lift 50 pounds
and work long days outside in all
conditions. Daily chores outside of
the gardens are shared. We are also
seeking one intern who is interest-
ed in working with our cattle, learn-
ing low-stress animal handling and
Holistic Management Planned Graz-
ing in addition to working in the gar-
dens. Please contact Hannah Noel by
phone (802) 868-5083 or e-mail: ma-
POSITION AVAILABLE: FARM
MANAGER, Flying Pigs Farm,
L.L.C. in Shushan, NY (Washing-
ton County) Farm owners Michael
Yezzi and Jennifer Small raise rare,
heritage breeds of pigs outdoors on
pasture and in the woods. Th ey also
raise 1,500 laying hens and 3,000
meat chickens on pasture. Th e high
quality of Flying Pigs Farm pork has
been recognized in the New York
Times and other national publica-
tions. Flying Pigs Farm products
are sold at Greenmarkets in NYC,
through the Internet, and to top NYC
restaurants. Th e Farm Manager is re-
sponsible for all aspects of the farm’s
livestock production and supervises
two staff members. Th e Farm Man-
ager works 5 ½ days a week, outdoors
in all weather, including weekends,
holidays, and some nights as needed.
Th is salaried position requires the
ability to prioritize, schedule, assign,
Editor’s note: Beginning with the next issue of New York Organic News, NOFA-NY members will be entitled to one free
Opportunities ad per issue. Each ad will be limited to 75 words in length.
continued on page 36
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Growing Green &Growing Green &Harvesting HealthHarvesting Health
Carrie Bither18 Old Queechy Rd.Canaan, NY 12029
www.shaklee.net/rootsandfruits
a division of BCD Wellness Center
We market products for people who want to avoid the risks of toxins in their household cleaning and personal care products. If you want to “walk the talk” by doing what you can for a
sustainable environment these products are for you.
ROOTS AND FRUITS
Web: Johnnyseeds.com Phone: 1-877-564-6697#51300Winslow, Maine U.S.A.
Selected for:� Quality � Taste� Appearance � Performance
Johnny’s has the organic products to meet your demand.
An employee-owned company
� Proud member of the Safe Seed Initiative � OMRI-approved pest & disease controls
Increase your revenue!
Opportunities
and accomplish duties. Compensa-
tion commensurate with experience.
Excellent health insurance off ered.
Cell phone provided. Two weeks paid
vacation and two weeks paid mater-
nity/paternity leave after one year.
To apply, send a cover letter and re-
sume to Michael Yezzi at mike@fl y-
ingpigsfarm.com.
FARMERS MARKET MANAGER PO-
SITIONS AVAILABLE: Oversee and
supervise daily operations of an out-
door farmers market. Customer re-
lations; promote e-mail marketing
list, special events, and new prod-
ucts; enforce policies and proce-
dures. Provide direction and diff use
confl ict (if any) in a peaceful man-
ner. Set up manager’s tent, informa-
tion center, signage and barricades.
Complete weekly written report on
daily market activity. Requirements
include regular Internet access, abil-
ity to communicate via e-mail in a
timely manner, lifting of up to ap-
proximately 40 pounds, vehicle (for
many but not all markets) and pre-
season training meeting. Seeking
personnel for regular weekly em-
ployment and for on-call fi ll-in po-
sitions in Westchester, Rockland,
Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
Candidates must currently live in
the area. Th is is a part-time season-
al position from late May through
November or December. Please re-
spond to Susan Coyne at scoyne@
communitymarkets.biz with your re-
sume, the area(s) you prefer to work
in, and days of the week and total
days available. Visit www.communi-
tymarkets.biz for more information
about Community Markets and our
locations.
FARM AND BUSINESS FOR SALE:
Working dairy farm with on-site
processing plant delivering milk to
homes in Columbia County, NY. All
permits in place including process-
ing organic milk. Excellent reputa-
tion and loyal customers. Call for
information 518-799-2234 or e-mail
INTERNS WANTED: Two interns
wanted at West Haven Farm for the
upcoming growing season. West Ha-
ven Farm has a 250-member CSA
and is located in beautiful Ithaca,
NY. (607) 279-9483.
SEEKING FARM MANAGERS: To ex-
pand and potentially take over our
certifi ed organic produce business in
NE Pennsylvania. We are seeking en-
ergetic, highly motivated self-start-
ers with extensive know-how and
experience in all aspects of organ-
ic growing and marketing, good peo-
ple skills, and a deep love of land and
animals. Starting as salaried manag-
ers (including farmhouse, utilities,
and other benefi ts), the managers
would work to increase productivi-
continued from page 35
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www.HorizonOrganic.com
©20
09 H
orizo
n
HORIZON ORGANIC® THANKS OUR FARMERS FOR THEIR
COMMITMENT TO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE.
Your dedication to organic farming benefits bothlocal communities and the organic community,
making you the planet's favorite farmers.
w.HorizonOrganic.com
The Horizon Organic (HOPE) Awardpays tribute to farmers and their families who demonstrate a long-term commitment to and passion for organic agriculture.The Franklins from Bliss, NY, are the HOPE Award recipients for 2009.
Ron Franklin Jr. and Sr., Bliss, NY
3489 State Rte 3 PO Box 183, Saranac, NY 12981
- NYS Certified -- Certified Organic -
by NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC.
www.saranacvalleyfarms.com 518-293-8298
Saranac Valley Farms
Seed Potatoes
ty and sales. Th e potential to make
the business their own through a
long-term land lease would follow a
transition period for developing mu-
tually benefi cial goals and a com-
patible relationship. For complete
information, please send cover letter
and resume to Shary and Gary Skol-
off , e-mail: sskoloff @comcast.net
ASSISTANT FARMER WANTED:
Amawalk Farm is a certifi ed organ-
ic berry and vegetable farm in Kato-
nah, 1hr north of NYC. Th e farm is
operated by owner-managers Lar-
ry and Marian Cross. We grow sal-
ad greens, heirloom tomatoes, garlic,
pumpkins, other veggies, herbs and
fl owers which we sell to local stores
and restaurants and at our own farm
stand. July and mid-August through
mid-October we have a raspberry
U-pick. We also have a fl ock of free
range laying hens. We provide educa-
tional opportunities to local children
and are active in the local food com-
munity. Applicants must have farm
experience, be self-motivated, and
be prepared to engage in all aspects
of operating an organic farm includ-
ing leading and working with interns
and other farm help. Th is position is
30 hours per week during farm sea-
son and 10 hours per week in winter
in exchange for occupancy of love-
ly caretaker/farmer cottage, utilities
included. Ideal for couple with need/
desire for easy access to New York
City. E-mail resume and cover letter
to: [email protected].
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___ Th e Organic Dairy Handbook $21 or Free Download
___ Transitioning to Organic Dairy $14.50 or Free Download
___ From Tinkering to Torquing $25
___ Sharing the Harvest $32
___ Th is Common Ground $25 (Paper $16)
___ Small Scale Organics Free Download
___ How to Keep Fresh Fruits and Vegeta-bles Longer with Less Spoilage $3
___ Th e Real Dirt $10
2010 Publications & Merchandise2010 Publications & Merchandise___ Organic Dairy Farming $20
___ Organic Dairy Production $9
___ Th e Wisdom of Plant Heritage $9.50
___ Vegetable Crop Health $9.50
___ Whole-Farm Planning $9.50
___ Compost, Vermicompost and Compost Tea $9.50
___ Soil Resiliency and Health $9.50
___ Th e Organic Farmer’s Guide to Marketing and Community Relations $9.50
All prices include postage and handling and are in U.S. currency. Additional postage will need to be added for purchases outside the
continental United States. Please call to arrange prior to sending payment.
Subtotal $ _________ + 8% sales tax _______ = Total $____________ Please make check payable to: NOFA-NY, Inc., or you can…
Charge my credit card: ______________________________________ Exp. date: ______ Signature: ____________________________
Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City ________________________________________________________ State ______________ Zip _____________________________
Phone __________________________________________ E-mail __________________________________________________________
Mail form to: NOFA-NY, 249 Highland Ave., Rochester, NY 14620 • 585-271-1979 • Fax: 585-271-7166 • E-mail: offi [email protected]
___ Humane and Healthy Poultry Production $9.50
___ Organic Soil Management $7.50
___ Organic Weed Management $7.50
___ Internships in Sustainable Farm-ing $3 or Free Download
___ NOFA-NY Organic Tote Bag $15
___ NOFA-NY Organic T-Shirt $15
Please visit our Web site (www.nofany.org) to read more details about these publications.
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Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc.249 Highland Avenue • Rochester • New York 14620-3025
www.nofany.org
NOFA-NY Mission StatementNOFA-NY Mission StatementThe 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. Through 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.
Full-day intensive courses, a wide variety of workshops, spectacular speakers, and programming for all ages. Whether you’ve got years of experience or you’re just starting out, a dairy farmer or a backyard
gardener, living in a high-rise or on 400 acres, we’ve got something for you! Please visit our Web site for
more information and registration:www.nofany.org
We look forward to seeing you there!
