NYFB State Board Unveils 2014 Priorities for Albany
Transcription
NYFB State Board Unveils 2014 Priorities for Albany
Grassroots WWW.NYFB.ORG THE VOICE OF NEW YORK AGRICULTURE® JANUARY 2014 A Successful State Annual Meeting Focuses on “Every Farmer” Why Did You Join NYFB? By Steve Ammerman sammerman@nyfb.org New York Farm Bureau members have set the public policy agenda for 2014 following another successful State Annual Meeting. (SAM) About 400 delegates, members and supporters of New York Farm Bureau met at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool, NY. This is the culmination of NYFB’s annual grassroots policy-making process that began at the County Farm Bureau level. Delegates from across the state spent three days together to debate and decide positions on legislative and regulatory initiatives with the aim Delagates voted on new and existing policies during the 3 day meeting. of supporting all of agriculture. It is a true democratic process where farmers reach consensus to benefit will be much emphasis on investing number of successful state and the state’s diverse agricultural in the future of New York’s farms, county Farm Bureau programs working with local, state and while also focusing on the issues in community. There are a number of national leaders to provide an the year ahead. “Much of what makes our unresolved issues from a Farm improved business climate, and helping the state’s hard working organization so strong comes from Bill to immigration reform, but the Without healthy delegates worked hard to fine tune farm families to be able to transition the counties. county organizations, the state a number of positions at both the their farms to future generations. While delegate session seems Farm Bureau would not be as state and federal level. to dominate much of the time, successful as it is. I take great pride “State Annual Meeting typifies what New York Farm Bureau is SAM is about so much more, when I see the innovative work all about. It’s a diverse group of including providing farmers the many of you are undertaking at the farmers talking about public policy chance to network and discuss local level,” said Norton. He also stressed the importance of issues and laying the foundation issues of the day in a social for next year’s advocacy. I am proud setting. There are a number of why “Every Farmer” is important of our grassroots process and am educational opportunities as well. to NYFB. Every famer has more in confident that New York agriculture Workshops were held on a variety common than they have differences. will be stronger following the of topics including crop insurance, Each wants to grow or raise a efforts here this week,” said Dean understanding the health benefit quality product and to be able to Norton, President of New York exchange, OSHA compliance for make a living off the land that they dairy farms and a discussion on care for. Farm Bureau, during the meeting. “Having the credibility and clout New York Farm Bureau will be how to give farm tours. President Norton and NYFB that we possess in Washington and focusing on many critical issues in 2014 as it looks to build on the Executive Director Jeff Kirby also in Albany comes from you. For successes of the past year. There gave their annuals reports to the delegate body. Norton outlined a Continued on Page 20 Did you join New York Farm Bureau to help protect the interests on your farm or to stay up to date on important issues through Grassroots and electronic communications? Did you join because you want to make sure you always have the opportunity to find local food? Or, did you join to take advantage of our many members-only benefits, like savings on Nationwide Insurance? No matter your reason, thank you! Please know that your membership matters. Every single member adds strength to our voice as we advocate on behalf of every farmer in New York. The complete list of our 2013 legislative accomplishments is impressive and we couldn’t have done any of it without the support of our members. We couldn’t have done it without you. As family farms face more challenges in 2014, they can rest easily knowing that New York Farm Bureau is here to support their continued success and growth. In order to be most effective, we need your help. If you’ve already renewed your membership and commitment to Farm Bureau for 2014, thank you. If you haven’t had a chance to renew yet, please consider doing so today and together we can keep family farms strong in New York. NYFB State Board Unveils 2014 Priorities for Albany By Jeff Williams jwilliams@nyfb.org Following the conclusion of New York Farm Bureau’s State Annual Meeting in early December, our organization now has a policy position roadmap for 2014. The New York Farm Bureau State Board of Directors met later in December to focus on what legislative, budgetary and regulatory priorities should be for the coming year for the agricultural industry in New York State. Helping farms compete in a global business environment remains a priority for the coming year. One of highest priorities this year will be to increase the estate tax exemption threshold in New York State. Strategies for transitioning the farm from one generation to the next are critical for the agricultural industry, as the high value farmland in many areas of the state can create a scenario where farm families need to sell their land to pay an Estate Tax bill following the death of a loved one. As a result, New York Farm Bureau prioritizes increasing the state estate tax exemption from $1 million to $5 million. This initiative seems to be gaining momentum, as the Governor’s Tax Relief Commission recently came to the same conclusion and expansion of the Estate Tax threshold in New York is supported by a number of legislative leaders. Also included in the 2014 priorities by the State Board of Directors is support for a refundable investment tax credit to provide incentives for investing in a farm business to expand production or modernize equipment, along with repealing the Article 18-a utility tax surcharge and basing LLC filing fees on net income, instead of gross income. In addition, in order to protect critical farm information from falling into the wrong hands, New York Farm Bureau is working towards streamlining the state’s regulatory Face of NY Agriculture environment and establishing protection from Freedom of Information Laws, especially with regard to farms enrolled in the New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program. New York Farm Bureau recognizes that growing a quality local farm product is only half the battle. The other, equally important, part of the effort is getting that product to market efficiently and at low cost. New York Farm Bureau priorities for 2014 seek to changes to provide simpler and less expensive opportunities to meet farm transportation needs and provide local, healthy and affordable food to urban and rural consumers in New York. These policy initiatives include strong investment in the repair of critical road and bridge infrastructure to maintain access to farm fields and consumers, ensuring conformity with new federal transportation laws for farm vehicles and establishing a Farm EZ-Pass to defray the costs of shipping food across the state. Lastly, while agriculture saw an uptick in state funding for agricultural programs in the current state budget, funding for agricultural promotional, research, environmental and economic development programs have been reduced dramatically over the last few years. This lack of investment can take a considerable toll on rural infrastructures, both on farms and off. New York State must ensure that critical programs in the Agriculture and Markets budget and Environmental Protection Fund are properly funded in the final 2014-2015 state budget. A full listing of New York Farm Bureau’s State Priority issues will be available on our website at www.nyfb.org in January. New York Farm Bureau will unveil it’s 2014 national priorities later in the year, following the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting. Commodity Report: Beef Page 14 Page 6 Grassroots Page 2 January 2014 New York Farmer Donations Fed Millions in 2013 By Steve Ammerman sammerman@nyfb.org The generous nature of farmers was on full display last month in Syracuse where an event recognized the outstanding donation efforts by farmers to their Regional Food Banks this past year. In all, New York Farm Bureau members, both upstate and on Long Island, gave nearly 8.4 million pounds of food in 2013 to benefit the people of their communities. The number unveiled was at a press conference at the Food Bank of Central New York, corresponding with the kickoff of State Annual Meeting that took place nearby in Liverpool. “I could not be prouder of my fellow Farm Bureau members who give so generously to those in need. We work every day so people in our communities and around the world have enough food to eat, and events like this one today helps to provide access to healthy, local food to those who may be going through difficult times,” said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President who spoke at the event. The food is collected through the “Harvest for All” donation program, a nationwide annual farm donation partnership linking the Farm Bureau and Feeding America in each state. Numbers are still being counted for the month of December, and should be even higher than the initial figure announced in Syracuse. Since the NYFB President Dean Norton congratulates NY farmers on donating nearly 10 million pounds of food in 2013 at the Food Bank of Central NY press conference. Harvest for All program began 10 years ago, New York farmers have given more than 30 million pounds of food and routinely rank at the top of the list among states for their generosity. In New York, NYFB’s Young Farmers Committee and the Food Bank Association of New York State administer the statewide donation partnership. Under the project, NYFB members donated excess farm products to the 10 New York State Feeding America food banks located across the state. But the giving did not stop with food. NYFB also handed over a nearly $1,000 cash donation from nine County Farm Bureaus within the Food Bank of Central New York’s 11 county geographic area. Also, Buzz Barr, the fleet manager for Driver’s Village Chevrolet dealer, gave an additional $2,000 to the Food Bank. GM has long been a valuable partner of New York Farm Bureau. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide more than two meals. “The Young Farmers Committee is honored to be a part of such a wonderful day. Not only does this give us an opportunity to thank our generous members for their giving spirit throughout the year, but it also puts the focus on the great work performed by the Food Bank of Central New York and its partner organizations across this state,” said Jake Schieferstine, outgoing Young Farmers Committee Chair. The Food Bank of Central New York and its parent organization, Food Bank Association of New York State, were very appreciative of the farmers’ efforts all year long, especially in light of the recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit program. “The generosity of New York’s farmers and the Farm Bureau is of critical importance in meeting this increased need. To date, New York State’s food banks have received over 8.3 million pounds of produce and farm products from our farmers and producers, which in turn provide over 6.9 million wholesome, nutritious meals,” said Sharon M. Smith, Executive Director of the Food Bank Association of New York. “Agricultural partnerships help Food Bank supply fresh and nutritious food to our emergency food network. Every family desires fresh produce and quality cuts of meat. We are pleased to partner with the Farm Bureau to host the 10th anniversary of ‘Harvest for All’ to support our local farm partners while reducing food insecurity,” stated Kathleen Stress, executive director of Food Bank of CNY. “The Entwistles file returns for three entities, as well as nine personal returns. It gets complex during tax time. My goal is to help them use good strategies to succeed, including the use of prepayments, timing capital purchase decisions and/or transferring assets to the next generation.” Paul VanDenburgh Successful Tax Strategies “As far as taxes are concerned, our business is complicated. Paul keeps us up to speed on tax law and lets us know about changes ahead of time so we can plan our year. He’s always looking out for our businesses’ best interest.” James Entwistle For more information, call 800.562.2235 or your local branch office or watch our video on tax preparation services at FarmCreditEast.com/Taxes. 800.562.2235 | FarmCreditEast.com Paul VanDenburgh Senior Farm Business Advisor James Entwistle Entwistle Bros. Farm, LLC Litchfield, N.Y. Grassroots January 2014 Page 3 Dairy OSHA Inspections To Begin July 2014 By Cathy Mural cmural@nyfb.org It has been finalized – New York’s Dairy Local Emphasis Program (LEP) will begin on July 1, 2014 for eligible dairy farms. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is conducting a targeted inspection initiative on dairy farms called a LEP in response to several dairy farm accidents and fatalities that have occurred since 2007. Dairy farms strive every day to provide a safe working environment for their employees, family members and themselves. However, the timeline of OSHA’s pending inspections continues to raise serious concerns, namely whether farms will have both the money and time to be able to make any revisions to their farms before the inspections begin so as not to incur fines. NYFB believes it is far more productive for our farms to spend their resources on continuously improving how they farm or investing those resources in actual compliance activities. NYFB is also concerned with OSHA’s definition and interpretation of “temporary farm worker” for purposes of farm inspection eligibility. The new OSHA inspections apply, in part, to any farm that has at least one “temporary farm worker.” By law, farmers cannot discriminate with their hiring practices and are forbidden to ask certain questions. Nor can they assume that just because a farm worker has an accent that they are only seeking temporary employment. OSHA can use this type of questioning to determine if a farm worker is a “temporary farm worker”. Representative Richard Hanna initiated a joint letter with Congressmen Collins, Gibson, Maffei, Maloney, Owens, and Reed and making these requests of OSHA on behalf of New York’s dairy community. NYFB and our partners in the NY OSHA Workgroup, PRO-DAIRY, NEDPA, Farm Credit East, CCE and NYCAMH, have been working with the New York and NE Regional OSHA offices in the hopes we can find a sensible resolution to these two critical issues for all parties. NYFB and our partners in the NY OSHA workgroup have been working cohesively to bring education and resources to dairy farmers in advance of OSHA’s targeted inspection initiative or Local Emphasis Program (LEP) For more information, visit http://www.nycamh.com/oshany-dairy-lep/ where farmers can use a farm safety checklist, training binder and other tools to survey their own compliance needs. For more information or if you would like to set up an educational meeting or farm safety walkthrough, please contact your local field staff representative or Cathy Mural at Public Policy at cmural@nyfb.org. Inside D.C. By M. Kelly Young kyoung@nyfb.org Guess which one has crop insurance? 7ITHCROPINSURANCEYOULLRESTEASYKNOWINGTHATIFYOURCROPISAFFECTEDBYTHINGSYOU CANTCONTROLFROMSTORMDAMAGETODROUGHTYOULLHAVETHElNANCIALSECURITYTOSTAYIN BUSINESSANDGOONTOPLANTTHENEXTSEASON )N.EW9ORKFARMERSCOVEREDBYCROPINSURANCERECEIVEDMORETHAN MILLIONINPAYMENTSORROUGHLYFOREACHDOLLARTHEYPAIDINPREMIUMS 7HICHMEANSCROPINSURANCEISNTANEXPENSEBUTAPOWERFULSAFEGUARDONTHERETURN YOUNEEDFROMYOURHARVEST "ECAUSEITSFEDERALLYSUBSIDIZEDCROPINSURANCEISSURPRISINGLYAFFORDABLE9OUR INSURANCEAGENTCANTAILORYOURPLANTOMEETYOUROPERATIONSSPECIALNEEDS0REMIUMS AREDUENEARHARVESTTIMENOTWHENYOUENROLL!NDYOURCLAIMSSHOULDBEPROCESSED ANDPAIDPROMPTLY #ROPINSURANCEENROLLMENTANDPOLICYCHANGEDEADLINESVARY &EBFORONIONS -ARCHFORMOSTANNUALLYPLANTEDVEGETABLElELDCROPS $BMMBOBHFOUUPEBZ 4OlNDANAGENTGOTO WWWRMAUSDAGOVTOOLSAGENTHTML Risk Management Agency This institution is an equal opportunity provider. w York State Departmen p Agriculture & Market &ORMOREINFORMATIONYOUCANCALLORVISIT WWWAGRICULTURENYGOV!0#ROP)NSURANCEHTMLANDWWWRMAUSDAGOV For farmers, 2013 felt like a frustrating year after high hopes for several national policy priorities at the beginning of the session. Neither immigration reform nor a completed five-year Farm Bill were accomplished by Congress, but certainly strides forward were made on both fronts. Farmers successfully made the case for action on these priorities and our delegation has been very supportive, helping to improve the legislative proposals and either passing bills or pressing leadership for movement. But unfortunate for farmers, Congress was bogged down with political animosity and unable or unwilling to cross the finish line on these issues. The good news at press time was that a final agreement on the Farm Bill seemed very close. Best case scenario is a bill could be finalized and released by the conference committee early this month. Agriculture Committee leaders have indicated they expect passage of a bill sometime in January, but this could still be a hurdle if either house disagrees with the compromise. NYFB will be closely monitoring the results of the conference committee process and updating members via our email alert system. After successful passage--which we do anticipate--we will also be tracking the implementation of the new components of this bill, including conservation, dairy and specialty crop programs. Regarding agricultural immigration reform, the door is still open for a bill to pass the House during the first part of the year and we will push hard for that to happen. Farmers must keep the pressure on their House members to move immigration reform early this year, while keeping in mind that in an election year the window for voting on legislation this controversial narrows every day. Though our Representatives support an improved immigration system for agriculture generally, the House’s decision to put off consideration of any bill has halted progress on reform since the Senate’s bill passed last summer. Congress will also continue looking at an overhaul of the tax code this year and NYFB has already weighed in on farmer priorities and will continue to monitor progress on this effort. If you have questions on these topics, please contact Kelly Young at kyoung@nyfb.org. Grassroots Page 4 January 2014 The President’s Message New Year’s Resolutions to Support NFYB Grassroots January 2014 Grassroots is published monthly by New York Farm Bureau Member Services, Inc. (159 Wolf Road, P.O. Box 5330, Albany, NY 122050330) as a member service. Subscriptions are available through New York Farm Bureau membership. Non-member subscription rate is $12. Periodicals postage permit at Albany, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices on Form 3579 to Grassroots, 159 Wolf Road, P.O. Box 5330, Albany, N.Y. 12205-0330. EDITORS Jeff Williams jwilliams@nyfb.org Steve Ammerman sammerman@nyfb.org ASSISTANT EDITOR Tara Wiley twiley@nyfb.org ADVERTISING MANAGER Times Citizen Communications casey@iafalls.com NEW YORK FARM BUREAU MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 5330 Albany, NY 12205 PHONE/WEB SITE Phone: 1-800-342-4143 Web site: www.nyfb.org facebook.com/NYFarmBureau MANAGEMENT Jeffery Kirby Executive Director Kevin Cook Member Services Elizabeth Dribusch Legal Affairs Scott Keyes Insurance Relations Fred Perrin Member Relations Paul McDowell Financial & Info Systems Sandra Prokop NYFB Foundation Jeff Williams Public Policy NYFB BOARD OF DIRECTORS President, Dean Norton Elba, (716) 474-3901 Vice President, Eric Ooms Old Chatham, (518) 965-4488 District 1, Hal Kreher Clarence Center, (716) 741-8781 District 2, Paul Bencal Ransomville, (716) 216-4039 District 3, John Sorbello Shortsville, (315) 730-2670 District 4, Ashur Terwilliger Lowman, (607) 733-3957 District 5, Darrell Griff Hamilton, (315) 691-9635 District 6, Benjamin Simons Remsen, (315) 831-5087 District 7, David Fisher Madrid, (315) 261-8231 District 8, Dean Casey Schaghticoke, (802) 345-4861 District 9, Richard Ball Schoharie, (518) 295-7139 District 10, Mark Adams Poughkeepsie, (845) 471-8655 District 11, Robert Nolan Patchogue, (631) 926-8916 Phyllis Couture, Chair of Promotion and Education Committee West Valley, (716) 474-8282 Nicole Rawleigh, Chair, Young Farmers Committee Horseheads, (607) 664-7245 REGIONAL OFFICES Western NY Resource Center 877-383-7663 or 585-343-3489 Central NY Office 866-995-7300 or 315-252-1367 Eastern NY Office 866-995-7300 or 518-854-7368 Long Island Office 631-727-3777 On Page One: Send a photo of yours to info@nyfb.org and you might see it in a future issue! W ith the New Year upon us, it’s always a good time to reflect on how things are going in our lives and what we can do to improve ourselves. Many people make resolutions like to lose weight or stop smoking. Some things are easier said than done, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make an effort to make things better. The same can be said for New York Farm Bureau. I thought it would be nice if each of us could set some resolutions of our own. We just came off one of the best State Annual Meetings that I can remember. It was an energetic bunch of people who showed real enthusiasm for our efforts. It would be nice to see that enthusiasm carry into this year. More than 30 men and women walked on stage in their new Carhartt jackets Dean Norton having signed up at least five NYFB President new NYFB members in 2013. Imagine, if each of us recruited just one new member this year. We would double the size of our organization thereby doubling the clout we possess in Albany and Washington. I encourage each of you to make that a 2014 resolution along with me. Another resolution could be committing to more active participation at the county level. We recognized so many innovative programs amongst our County Farm Bureaus last year. From popular farm tour events to media campaigns showcasing the good things happening on our farms to active engagement with politicians who are making important decisions about agriculture. Perhaps your resolution could be to simply participate at your County Annual Meeting next fall. Maybe it’s taking the time to call your local legislator. Or better yet, think about taking on a bigger leadership role. If we are to grow Farm Bureau for the betterment of us all, more of us need to step up to the plate to make it happen. As always, Farm Bureau has public policy at its core. There will be new challenges in the coming year as we look to find a workable solution for our labor needs, see a final Farm Bill become law, and advocate for policies that put all of our farms in a better financial position. Again, that support comes from you. Make it a resolution to send out at least one email lobby letter if you have never done so before. If you have, send out two. How about coming to our big lobby day in March in Albany? It is not only a good opportunity to have some quality one-on-one time with your local Assembly member or Senator, but it is also a nice networking occasion to speak with fellow farmers. Farm Bureau is also about educating the public about farming. The work of Pro-Ed and the Foundation is invaluable to our mission to serve and strengthen agriculture. Perhaps your resolution could be to support the work with a donation or attend one of the many charitable events throughout the year. I know I always enjoy the golf tournament which raises a lot of money. Or perhaps become an educator yourself. All that means is to be a positive voice in your community with a willingness to talk about Farm Bureau and farming every chance you can. I hope I’m not asking too much of you. I know each of you is very busy working hard to put food on your own table let alone your neighbor’s. But State Annual Meeting showcased the very best of New York Farm Bureau, and I know we can be even better. That takes effort on my part and yours. May 2014 bring you and your family much joy and prosperity. We never know what Mother Nature may have in store, but whatever comes our way, we will weather it together. That’s what New York Farm Bureau is all about. Every Farmer working together for all! View From Washington Farmers Have a Full Plate in 2014 T he old expression “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” is fitting as we ring in the new year. As we begin 2014, farmers are facing down many of the same legislative issues we were a year ago: farm bill, immigration, waterways infrastructure, taxes and the list goes on. But, while on the surface it looks like not a heck of a lot was accomplished in the past year, in spite of what was a contentious political year, solid progress was made on several of Farm Bureau’s priority issues. Moving the Needle As the popular Christmas/ New Year song goes: “What have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun,” I can’t help but look back Bob Stallman at 2013 and think that Farm AFBF President Bureau definitely moved the needle on our key issues. A farm bill will likely be completed early in the new year, the Senate and House passed a waterways bill and the labor issue progressed further than it has in its history. I daresay that the issues on our agenda moved as far, or farther, than those of any other policy advocacy organization. Further, Farm Bureau had a huge judicial win with the Lois Alt case. We joined Mrs. Alt in standing up to the Environmental Protection Agency when it threatened her with enormous fines for ordinary storm water runoff. Unfortunately, agriculture is increasingly going to have to use the judicial branch to stop agencies like EPA from overreaching and trying to make political hay by targeting farmers. And rest assured that Farm Bureau will keep working to protect farmers and ranchers on these important issues. On the Horizon Looking ahead, farmers and ranchers will have a full plate in 2014. In addition to completing the farm bill and implementing a new five-year law, passing waterways and port infrastructure legislation out of Congress and continuing our work on ag labor, a lot more work remains on other important issues. Tax reform and the federal budget will take center stage as we continue pushing for rational budget reforms and prioritized spending cuts to put America’s fiscal policy back on track. Instead of continually plunging off of one budget cliff and shooting down the rapids to the next, we must look for fair and balanced solutions. In doing so, we need to make real progress on individual and business tax reforms that affect farmers’ and ranchers’ profitability. This, too, will help bolster economic recovery. Farmers and ranchers will continue to battle perennial regulatory creep in 2014, particularly as it relates to waters of the U.S. Current proposed regulations that we know are under review completely ignore repeated U.S. Supreme Court decisions that uphold congressional intent and deny EPA the right to create law on a regulatory whim. If these regulations are adopted and enforced, farmers and ranchers can expect that nearly everything they do pertaining to water on their farms and ranches will be regulated by EPA. On a separate note, another year has passed and we are still awaiting Food and Drug Administration clarity on how various proposed food safety rules will affect farmers. With the complexity inherent in each of these rules, Farm Bureau is joining the call with other farm groups and state regulatory officials urging FDA to provide an adequate period of time to thoroughly review all of the “final” proposals together in order to avoid unnecessary, and potentially unfair, regulatory requirements that do little to improve food safety. So, while we have a lot on the horizon this coming year, Farm Bureau stands ready to take these challenges and opportunities head on. It’s time to clean our plate. January 2014 Grassroots Page 5 Guest Opinions Immigration Reform is Alive and Well: It is Time to Redouble Our Efforts Every year, as I visit each of New York’s 62 majestic counties, I hear from our growers that one of your most important priorities is to finally establish an effective program to ensure that you have the stable workforce you need to sell the finest agricultural products in the nation to America’s consumers. No one has taken this concern more to heart than me. That is why, last year, I worked with Democrats and Republicans to draft and pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation in the Senate. This bill contained a very well received foreign agricultural worker program that I personally helped to craft with the assistance of the New York Farm Bureau. This program will allow you to obtain a stable and affordable supply of labor while protecting the rights of both American and foreign agricultural workers. This program was the first proposal to be supported by both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the United Farmworkers of America. First, the argument that big Because of this overwhelming immigration bills don’t get done support, the in election immigration years is belied bill passed with by history. The impressive last five major bipartisan i m m i g r at i o n support in laws enacted the Senate— in the United r e c e i v i n g States were 68 votes. enacted in Unfor tu nately, 2000, 1996, 1990, the bill has 1986, and 1980 not yet been r e s p e c t iv e l y given a vote in (all election the House of years). Second, Representatives. I believe that Many pundits the leadership have concluded in the House that the House’s k n o w s lack of action that doing Senator Charles Schumer on immigration nothing on (D NY) reform in 2013 immigration means that reform is not an immigration reform is unlikely option. They understand that to occur in 2014—an election our economy can grow by up year. It is my view that these to 5% in the next 20 years by pundits are wrong and, with passing sensible immigration your help and support, there is reform legislation and that our great reason for optimism that debt can be reduced by nearly 2014 will finally be the year we $1 trillion over the next 20 years. pass immigration reform. And, most importantly, they recognize that we need to help our growers ensure a stable food supply. Even with these compelling reasons to pass reform, change will not happen without your help. We need each of your voices to be heard as loudly and as often as possible. All our NY House Members should personally hear from each and every one of you that it is time to vote on immigration reform as soon as possible. If each of you finds a way to personally talk to your Congressman, I have no doubt they will communicate this message to House leadership. And if all of our producers nationwide can do the same, I believe we will finally have the changes we have so desperately needed to our broken system before next summer. So please join me and get involved in trying to pass immigration reform. I will always keep fighting to make the NY agricultural industry the envy of the nation, and I know I can count on you to do the same. EPA Proposes Cuts to Renewable Fuel Standard for Ethanol and Biodiesel Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its 2014 proposed minimum levels for the use of ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable fuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, the federal law that helps get domestic, renewable, cleanerburning corn ethanol blended in the nation’s fuel supply. Despite our need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, the EPA has proposed to lower the standards for both ethanol and biodiesel usage in 2014. As a result, the requirement for corn ethanol is set to drop by 1.5 billion gallons, and the biodiesel requirement could be cut in half. On the ethanol side, American farmers have produced a record corn crop of 14 billion bushels, according to USDA estimates, and corn prices are falling and currently stand close to where they were when the RFS was enacted in its current form in 2007. However, the cost of producing the crop has continued to increase and for many growers the price of corn is below the break-even point. If this proposal comes to pass, corn prices will continue to fall below the cost of production. To put this into perspective, if corn prices dropped to $3.50 a bushel, farmers in the rural economy country, biodiesel has exceeded would lose over $10 billion. RFS requirements in each year The United States, and in of the program and is on pace particular New York, is growing to do so again this year with more than enough corn to meet anticipated record production all needs. In fact, when two of at least 1.7 billion gallons. ethanol plants came on line in Biodiesel is a clear RFS success New York story and we are State, critics calling on the said that EPA to support New York a modest would never increase in the p r o d u c e proposal that e n o u g h is consistent corn to meet with actual the plants’ production. d e m a n d . The EPA’s However, as p r o p o s e d of the 2013 rule for next harvest, we year would are actually set biodiesel producing volumes at 1.28 Julia Robbins more than billion gallons. Executive Director enough corn Because excess NY Corn & Soybean Growers Association to supply our b i o d i e s e l two ethanol production plants, as in 2013 can be well as to provide silage and low- carried over for compliance cost grain for our state’s dairy into 2014 the 1.28 billion gallon and livestock farmers. proposal for 2014 could mean an On the biodiesel side, this effective market closer to 1 billion young industry is the leading gallons – a dramatic reduction producer of EPA-designated from current production levels. Advanced Biofuel, and the first to Just as we led the charge break 1 billion gallons of annual twenty years ago for ethanol production. With commercial- production in New York state, scale refineries across the the NYCSGA is equally excited about the potential for the biodiesel industry in New York State. In fact, New York City is already using B5 (5% biodiesel) in all heating oil sold in the five buroughs, and New York state is poised to take a B2 requirement statewide by 2015. As the largest consumer of heating fuel in the country, blending biodiesel significantly reduces New York State’s use of petroleum-based diesel, over 20 million gallons per year, and greatly helps to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Both ethanol and biodiesel have reduced greenhouse gas emissions, decreased our reliance on foreign oil, lowered gasoline and diesel prices for consumers, increased economic stability in rural America and spurred innovation in renewable energies. For more information and to submit comments to the EPA on the proposed ethanol levels, visit www.ncga.com/rfs. For more information and to submit comments to the EPA on the proposed biodiesel levels, visit www.biodiesel.org. Comments will be accepted by the EPA through Jan. 28, 2014. Grassroots Page 6 January 2014 Commodity Report: Beef Seneca County Beef Heads to New York City By Mark James mjames@nyfb.org For Jeff Rosenkrans, farming has always been in his blood. Jeff was raised on a small farm on Cayuga Lake in Seneca County. His dad is an insurance broker in nearby Seneca Falls and has always kept about ten beef cows in production on the farm. When Jeff turned 21 he decided to venture out on his own and start his own beef cattle operation. That farm in Fayette, NY has grown to 150 acres owned and a total of 800 acres farmed with pasture, hay, corn, wheat, and soybeans. He also has a custom hay harvesting business on the side. His main farm, Rosenkrans Farms, raises one hundred fifty grass fed feeders and seventy mother cows consisting of Black Angus and Polled Herefords. These cattle are naturally raised. In addition to this operation he co-owns MayburyRosenkrans Farm, LLC, in Lodi, NY, with Seneca County Farm Bureau President Bruce Maybury, with 700 feeders that are conventionally raised. “In today’s world you have to be diversified to survive and be profitable”, said Rosenkrans. Rosenkrans’ passion for agriculture and raising high quality beef cattle has paid off for him. He currently markets 120-140 head of cattle to high end restaurants in New York City through a distributor. These restaurants headline his beef on their menus as being sourced from Rosenkrans Farms. Rosenkrans’ foray into the lucrative New York City Market began with by networking with friends and acquaintances. He sent beef samples to a number of top restaurants in the city and the rest Jeff Rosenkrans stands on his farm with some of the beef cattle that he sells to high-end restaurants in New York City. is history. His quality products paid off when last summer an editor with Wine Spectator Magazine contacted his distributor for their September 30, 2012 issue on beef. The editor then spent a day on Jeff ’s farm and took “over 200 photos of him, his cattle and the farm”. The result was a feature article with Jeff, the farm and the backdrop of Cayuga Lake prominently displayed in the issue. Rosenkrans has also been featured in Food & Wine Magazine and the I Love NY cookbook published by 11 Madison Park Restaurant in New York City. He also sells his beef through a Massachusetts distributor to a high end butcher shop in metropolitan Boston. His goal is to become a household name with his beef in New York State. Living on one of New York’s Finger Lakes has also given him a sense of responsibility for maintaining a healthy and clean environment. The main farm, while not a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) has a Certified Nutrient Management Plan. Rosenkrans continues to work with the Seneca County Soil & Water Conservation District and NRCS to constantly incorporate Best Management Practices on his farm to further his goals of environmental stewardship. “Water quality is important to me”, said Rosenkrans. In addition to his farm responsibilities, Jeff serves on the Fayette Town Planning Board and on the board of directors for Seneca County Farm Bureau. He has participated in New York Farm Bureau’s Lobby Day in Albany including the “Taste of NY” reception. Farm Bureau is important to Jeff. “Farm Bureau protects our rights and everything farmers stand for.” Rosenkrans summed up his love of farming this way, “There is probably no better job to do than this, feeding and clothing the world.” In Memoriam : Leland Beebe, Former NYFB Director of Governmental Relations Leland Beebe, 93, formerly of East Dorset, Vermont, and Saratoga County, NY, passed away Friday December 13, 2013 in Manchester Center, VT. Leland was a member of the New York Farm Bureau staff for 20 years. He served as NYFB’s Director of Governmental Relations until his retirement in 1983. Prior to Leland’s time serving the members of NYFB, he was a legislator in the Vermont State House. Leland was very well-respected as he walked the halls of Albany advocating for Farm Bureau policy. He was honored with many awards, including New York Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service Award in 1983, as well as Saratoga County Farm Bureau’s highest recognition, the John Hall Award. Past NYFB President Richard McGuire praised Beebe and the role he played in getting the Agricultural Districts Law passed in NY. The Farm Bureau family will certainly miss our good friend, Leland Beebe. Leland Beebe on left, with Past NYFB President Richard McGuire, on right. Grassroots January 2014 Page 7 Education News 2013 Promotion & Education Award Winner Announced Paul Bencal and Norbert and Karen Amberg, the recipients of the Foundation annual recognition award. Columbia County Farm Bureau Accepts the Promotion & Education Award L-R: Ann Peck, PE Chair; Linda Fix, Project Leader; President Dean Norton By Sandra Prokop sprokop@nyfb.org The 2013 New York Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Award Winner is Columbia County Farm Bureau. The project is simple and powerful...“Joining the Local Chamber of Commerce”, which has benefits that have multiplied many times. The Committee Chairman, Todd Erling, together with Linda Fix and Beth Chittenden set the project goal to join the Chamber and play an active role in bringing meaningful agricultural programs to the many members and the community at large. This new position allowed them to draw attention and elevate awareness about the many important aspects of Farm Bureau and farming. The committee met with the Chamber President to discuss this adventure and together they planned a function that recognized the importance of farms/agriculture and the impact they have in the community. The first planned event was the Annual Ag Brunch, a premier annual event that was held in Hudson at the Club Helsinki. The theme was Farms: Growing Our Local Economy; was meant to teach the Community how valuable our farms are and what they add to our economy. There would be a group of Panelists that would be given a few questions that each would answer for discussion. The panel included Columbia County Farm Bureau Board Members Jim Davenport, Linda Fix, Will Yandik, Lloyd Vail, Jr., Beth Chittenden, Todd Erling (Director and Chairman of Hudson Valley Ag Economic Development) and Philip Trowbridge, Farm Bureau Member and President of the American Angus Association. Club Helsinki brought in local products to prepare and provided a beautiful backdrop for the event. Beth Chittenden supplied the local milk/cheese products that would also emphasize what our farms bring to our community. The panel started with a brief introduction by each panelist including a description of the operation, the farm products, the number of acres and quantity of product produced. The questions asked showcased the myths and misconceptions and highlighted the important economic and local role that agriculture plays. The event attracted more than 80 people with half admitting they did not realize what the farms add to our economy and also how much land and how many generations were involved with the farm operations and the tremendous impact on the community. The audience told many Board members how impressed they were with the program and the local newspaper devoted a segment and picture to the event, which multiplied the audience numbers and has set the stage for the next event to be bigger and a stronger educational experience. Chenango County Farm Bureau received a Certificate of Recognition for their outstanding project, “A to Z: What do you see?” They created and printed a set of easy and fun to read books for use for child education. They reacted to a need with a tremendous and wellpresented educational tool. Ag Trivia: True or False? Soybean Products are utilized in the Statue of Liberty? Ambergs and Erie County Farm Bureau Honored at Foundation Breakfast By Sandra Prokop sprokop@nyfb.org Ag education and NYFB Foundation supporters attended the Foundation Breakfast at the NYFB State Annual Meeting. The event was sponsored by Key Bank who has provided tremendous support for agriculture for many years, clearly demonstrating its understanding of the need for an active Foundation program for the agricultural community. In an effort to recognize those who have helped us to “sow the seeds of understanding”, Amberg’s Nursery in Ontario County was honored. Since the inception of the Foundation, Norbert and Karen Amberg have been avid supporters, partners and sponsors. Norbert stepped forward and became the Golf Classic Chair 13 years ago; he remains a major force in the success of the event. Their active support of many programs and projects has been a tremendous asset. Norbert served on the Foundation Board of Directors, taking his dedication to the highest level. The mindset of this dedicated Farm Bureau couple is wellknown. Their partnerships with community, agriculture, and Farm Bureau, plus their dedication to agricultural education has been a very positive influence on all that we do. It was clear to the Foundation’s Board that Norbert and Karen understand their unique role in support of agricultural education and they perform that role with dedication, passion and excellence. In recognition of all that they have done for agriculture and nurturing the depth and breadth of agricultural understanding they were presented with a framed Robert Childress print, “Proud to Be A Member”, that has been inscribed with this recognition. We truly appreciate their dedicated effort and commitment to support agriculture in conjunction with “sowing the seeds of understanding” for New York consumers”. Erie County Farm Bureau was also recognized for their continuous support of the Foundation and their tremendous efforts putting Foundation tools and resources to use at their long list of events. Chairman, Paul Bencal, concluded his remarks as he extended his sincerest thanks to all who have done so much for agricultural education throughout their communities. Quality wind sites available for your machine under remote net metering, NYSERDA approved Wind Energy Systems, Full Financing Available, No Money Down CALL 1-(877)-884-1753 or email to info@chasewind.com Answer : True. Elevators in the Statue of Liberty use a soybean-based hydraulic fluid. Grassroots Page 8 January 2014 From The Field Region 5 Recognized at Annual Meeting A Final Farewell for the Kitchen Region 5 Winter is upon us and this is the time of year that county Farm Bureaus in Central New York begin their planning for the Mark James new year. Both mjames@nyfb.org county Farm Bureau were in attendance at the New York Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Liverpool last month. Cortland Congratulations to Cortland County Farm Bureau for being recognized at the New York Farm Bureau Annual Meeting for meeting both total and regular membership goals. Cortland County was also recognized for having the highest retention of members of any county Farm Bureau in the state for the second straight year. A special congratulations goes to Cortland County Farm Bureau Board member Joan Goldwyn, who signed up five new members in 2013. For this achievement, Joan was recognized with a Carhartt Jacket at the NYFB Awards Program during the annual meeting. Cortland County Farm Bureau is also planning, in conjunction with New York Farm Bureau, OSHA, and the NY Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health (NYCAMH) a workshop and mock farm inspection in Cortland in mid January. Please keep abreast of your e-mails for more details after the first of the year. Onondaga The county Farm Bureau was recognized at the NY Farm Bureau Annual Meeting for meeting both regular membership goal and total membership goal. Also recognized were Farm Bureau members Tricia Bana, Harvey Skeele, Mark Tucker, and Doug Fisher for signing up at least five new members in 2013. Each received a Carhartt Jacket embroidered with the Farm Bureau logo. Also recognized at the meeting was Onondaga County Farm Bureau board member Kim Allan. Kim and her husband Bill own and operate Affinity Farm Stables in Skaneateles. Kim was a finalist in the New York Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award Contest. Congratulations Kim!!!! Onondaga County Farm Bureau is investigating an issue with a proposed electric transmission line from Elbridge to Auburn. Currently we are aware of at least two farms that Members of the Verona Kitchen Conference gather together for the last time. The group has met since the 60’s and their 300th meeting was their final one. are affected by this proposed project. If you are impacted and we have not spoken to you please contact the regional office. We hope to have a meeting of all agricultural parties in January. Region 5 Recognized at Annual Meeting Region 6 State Annual Meeting Review T h e counties in Region 6 fared very John Wagner well at this jwagner@nyfb.org year’s state a n n u a l m e e t i n g with all five counties walking away with multiple Silver Key Awards. The Silver Key Awards program recognizes county Farm Bureaus that have exhibited excellence in a variety of categories relating to effectiveness in policy implementation, promoting agriculture to the public and in classrooms, leadership development and membership acquisition and retention. Congratulations to the counties and there board members who put in countless hours of volunteer time to accomplish great things. The region also saw a number of individuals attain personal recognition for their efforts over the last year. Membership workers who signed up 5 or more new members over the past year were recognized with a Carhart Jacket from New York Farm Bureau. Those recognized included Roger Eastman, Adam Miner and Jessica Eastman from Jefferson County; Eric Behling of Oswego County; Nate Durfee, Dave Taylor and Darrell Griff from Madison County along with Henry Bardo and the late Ron Zehr of Lewis County. In addition to individual membership recognition county farm bureaus were also recognized for overall county achievements, Jefferson, Madison and Oswego County each were awarded recognition for achieving the December Regular Member Bonus Award. This award is attained by counties that have 1 more Regular Farmer member as of December 1st, 2013 than they had December 1st, 2012. Each county will receive a check for $250 for their efforts. Individuals were also recognized at this year’s annual meeting as well for accomplishments during the 2013 year. Region 6 was home to two of the three New York Farm Bureau members who were recognized as this year’s James Quinn Award recipients. The impetus behind the creation of the “James Quinn Award” was to recognize New York Farm Bureau members who go above and beyond the norm in their efforts to promote the agricultural industry of New York State. Adam Miner of Jefferson County and Dave Taylor of Madison County were this year’s award winners. Both individuals were truly deserving of this recognition, Adam for his work promoting the agricultural industry through the media to the nonfarm public and Dave for his efforts in growing New York Farm Bureau membership and his outreach work to current members. Young Farmers in the region were also front and center as both Jen Karelus of Lewis County and Greg Coon of Madison County were finalist for New York Farm Bureaus Young Farmer Awards. Greg was a finalist for the Achievement Award which recognizes members who derive a majority of their income from production agriculture, congratulations to Greg on being one of four finalists and also for being elected to the New York Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Committee as the new representative for District 5. Greg along with his wife Bailey will now represent a five county region in Central New York on the state committee. Kudos to Jen Karelus who was this year’s state winner of the Excellence in Agriculture Award which recognizes the accomplishments of Farm Bureau members who derive a majority of their income from a non-production source. Jen will now represent New York at the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in San Antonio during January. Congratulations to both Greg and Jen it is has been a pleasure working with both of you during the application process. The Kitchen is Closed The 300th and final meeting of the Verona Kitchen Conference was recently held on December 9th as part of the annual Oneida County Farm Bureau Holiday Party. The conference started out some 50 years ago in the 1960’s as a way for members to gather and share ideas about the agricultural industry. Each year the conference made up of members from the Vernon and Verona area gathered about 4 to 5 times usually during the winter months of November through March. I was able to attend these meetings over the years and distinctly remember the chance I had to attend the 200th meeting of the conference at the home of Carl and Linda Collins. It was a great evening of fellowship and discussion about the issues of the day affecting agriculture and Grassroots January 2014 Page 9 From The Field Continued from Page 8 Oneida County. The one thing the conference meetings were always known for were the awesome desserts because what would a Farm Bureau meeting be without great food and great people. Over the years in addition to meeting and talking about Farm Bureau policy the conference also engaged in field trips to many area agricultural businesses within Oneida County as well as government owned entities including the county jail and the solid waste facility. The members of the Kitchen Conference are some of our organizations longest tenured members and should be commended for all that they have brought to our organization; they are people who believe deeply in the mission of Farm Bureau to “Serve and Strengthen New York Agriculture”. Region 5 Recognized at Annual Meeting Region 9 Albany After a successful c o u n t y a n n u a l m e e t i n g with over Bambi Baehrel 70 members bbaehrel@nyfb.org attending to work on policy and hear guest speaker Erick Coolidge, a dairy farmer from PA speak on Gas Drilling and it’s benefits to his county, the board geared up to take on the challenge of securing one member by Dec 2013. The county met this challenge and they received their award at the State Annual Meeting membership breakfast. At this same meeting delegates from the county work hard to gain support for the county’s State and National resolutions. The county also donated two large goodie filled gift baskets from Trader Joe’s to the NYFB Foundation for the silent auction. Delaware The big news from the county annual meeting was guest speaker Dept. Officer Ozzie. , from the Sheriff ’s K-9 unit. Not only was he given citations by the representatives from public office, but he won the love and respect of all who attended the meeting. As a follow up to that President Duane Martin organized a school and Farm Tour for Senator Diane Savino—current chair of the Senate Labor Committee and adopted legislator for Delaware county. The tour focused on the Senator’s passion for education as well as agriculture as she was welcomed to South Kortwright School on Nov. 19, by the youngest class. Senator Savino-covered all the grade levels, visited classrooms, did a press conference with students and shared lunch at the school with the students. She then toured three dairy farms to learn about the challenges with the rising costs of Ag-inputs and the labor shortage—trying to find help to work on a farm. The county’s next big project will be the 2014 membership campaign—expect some great things and events during the Win this Fully Restored 1936 Allis Chalmers U! Win the Allis Chalmers tractor or $1,000 All proceeds to benefit projects of New York FFA Association! The tractor was donated by retired agricultural educators Donald Farrand and Daryle Foster. Restoration by the Southern Cayuga FFA & Mechanics program. Return the coupon portion with your payment to receive your tickets for a chance to win! The drawing will be at the 2014 New York Farm Show on Friday, February 21, 2014, at the FFA Alumni Toy Tractor Auction. Name: Address: Phone: ❑ 1 Ticket for $10 ❑ 3 Tickets for $20 ❑ 20 Tickets for $100 Make check payable to: “NYS FFA Leadership Training Foundation” MAIL TO: NYS FFA Leadership Training Foundation, Inc. 9340 Long Pond Road, Croghan, NY 13327 • (315) 346-1222 Visit the Center of Progress building to see this tractor during the New York Farm Show in Syracuse, NY Buy Tickets Online @ www.nyffafoundation.org upcoming months! Greene Membership has been a major focus of the county board’s activity. Going into A Warm Welcome for Senator Savino the campaign the position of membership chair is still open and the board invites members to consider helping with this effort. The barn sign campaign was moved into high gear at county annual meeting with volunteers taking barn signs to distributed to 2013 regular member and following up to make sure they renewed their 2014 dues. New applications were given out with the names and the barn signs. The county is hoping to get more individuals involved and is currently looking for help and ideas for the Greene County Youth Fair in 2014. Sullivan To the county members,I am glad to be back as your Field Advisor after our recent field reorganization. I will be completing my 28th year with NYFB in March of 2014 and I covered your county 15 years ago. Some names I remember and some I will get to know. I look forward to working with you to advance your goals and hope to see you all in the New Year. Students from South Kortwright School welcomed Senator Diane Savino last month when she visited their school as part of a tour in Delaware County. Page 10 Grassroots News Briefs NYFB Testifies in Front of Assembly Agriculture Committee New York Farm Bureau recently gave testimony for “Promoting New York Farm Products” to the Assembly Agriculture Committee and Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy. This testimony covered the topics of the advances made in agricultural and farm product promotion over the past two years through programs like Pride of NY, Taste NY, FreshConnect and the Farm-to-School program. Also discussed were the state investments in communitysupported agriculture (CSAs), food hubs and other direct-to-consumer venues is needed to expand marketing opportunities for our farmers. NYFB utilized this hearing to discuss the marketing that has become available to New York farmers and the necessity to strengthen these programs further. NYFB also gave testimony to the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry regarding the 2014 budget on economic development programs. NYFB reviewed the success of both the Legislature and State Liquor Authority on making great strides in supporting and relieving burdens for the wine, beer and spirits industry throughout NY. This includes, but is not limited to, an incorporation of a definition of cider in both the farm cider and cider category of licenses to establish a better standard of identity for the emerging product, and an increase in the ABV% (alcohol by volume) to reflect NY’s higher sugar apples and resultant fermentation variables. Also discussed was the fix for farm distillers brand label registration requirements and the expanded wine trails throughout New York State that have thus far included a Niagara Wine Trail, Adirondack Coast Wine Trail, Shawangunk Wine Trail and an Upper Hudson Wine Trail. As the legislative session moves forward for the 2014 year, NYFB remains engaged in numerous hearings to further discuss topics affecting New York agricultural businesses. NYFB Speaks at Farmland Protection Forum In December the Westchester American Farmland Protection Board hosted its annual forum with a focus this year on farm labor. NYFB spoke at the forum regarding national immigration concerns and reform, and the impact on the state labor supply. Also discussed were the impacts of I-9 audits, the difficulty of the H-2A program and the shortage of workers throughout the state that want to engage in farm work. NYFB further discussed these issues on a panel that included a representative from Congressman Maloney’s office, an immigration attorney and Farm Credit East representatives. Specifically addressed were the conditions of farm labor in relation to the horse industry. It was discussed how the H-2A program does not typically work for the industry and many are engaged in pushing forward an immigration reform at the national level. Agriculture Projects Among Regional Awards Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced last month that $715.9 million has been awarded through Round Three of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, a centerpiece of the Governor’s strategy to jumpstart the economy and create jobs. There are dozens of projects statewide that focus on agriculture related initiatives. Some of the largest awards include $2 million for a bio-gas plant at the Genesee Valley Agri-business Park. The plan is to convert organic waste from dairy farms and food processors into energy. Another $2.3 million will go towards a working farm and culinary center at Tompkins County Community College in the Southern Tier. A number of the awards support food hubs throughout the state to assist farmers with transportation and distribution needs, and there are dollars earmarked for agri-tourism and promotion efforts among other things. 824 projects in all received funding in 10 different regions. For a full list of projects in your area, you can go to http://regionalcouncils. ny.gov/ January 2014 Comfortable, easy to operate machines make your job easier. Take a look at our complete line of Claas hay and forage tools and see how you can advance your productivity for your operation. Visit your nearest Monroe Tractor location today. monroetractor.com ADAMS CENTER MONROE TRACTOR 800-962-4686 jemunroe@monroetractor.com ALBANY MONROE TRACTOR 800-926-4227 jclark@monroetractor.com AUBURN MONROE TRACTOR 800-362-4686 cvannostrand@monroetractor.com BATAVIA MONROE TRACTOR 800-388-4113 jkingston@monroetractor.com CANANDAIGUA MONROE TRACTOR 800-388-6119 jpoppoon@monroetractor.com ELMIRA MONROE TRACTOR 607-739-8741 tsutter@monroetractor.com HORNELL MONROE TRACTOR 607-324-2110 kbower@monroetractor.com Grassroots January 2014 Page 11 Top New York Nationwide Agents Recognized at State Annual Meeting Each year at NYFB’s State Annual Meeting, the top four Nationwide Agents in the State are recognized for memberships sold. Star Bashaw and Tim Lashomb from the Lashomb Agency in Malone, left, and Ann Marie Moore from Warwick, right, were on hand at the Nationwide Banquet to receive their awards. James Vavas of Vavas Insurance and Financial services, and Terry Anne Boyer were also recognized for their outstanding efforts to generate members from the Metro New York area. NYFB President Dean Norton expressed his thanks to these top four agents, and to all the agents in the state who have worked to grow NYFB’s partnership with Nationwide. Grain Bin Safety Week is Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2014 Over the past 50 years, more than 900 cases of grain engulfment have been reported in the U.S. with a fatality rate of 62 percent. In 2010, at least 26 U.S. workers were killed in grain engulfments – the highest number on record. The most tragic fact of all: grain engulfments are highly preventable. Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company is partnering with Farm Safety for Just Kids, Heartland Coop, Iowa FFA Foundation, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) and others to increase awareness of the dangers of flowing grain and bring visibility to safety procedures that can save lives through an annual Grain Bin Safety Week beginning in 2014. Timed to bring safety awareness to the dangers of grain bins prior to planting season in much of the country, the week-long event will highlight a different component each of the seven days: Farm Safety for Just Kids and NECAS, will host #AgChat on Twitter 7-9 p.m. Central Time, on Feb 25. This moderated, online conversation will look at grain bin safety from different angles and generate insight from folks involved in the business of growing food, fuel, feed and fiber. Anyone with a Twitter account can participate. Go to www.twubs. com/agchat to tweet during the chat. The site automatically enters the #agchat hashtag in every tweet and allows users to participate in real time. Please include the hashtag #GBSW14 in your tweets in support of Grain Bin Safety Week. • Sun. Feb. 23: Grain management • Mon., Feb. 24: Bin hazard identification • Tues., Feb. 25: Bin and equipment design, including safety equipment • Wed., Feb. 26: Bin entry • Thurs., Feb. 27: Working safely in a bin • Fri., Feb. 28: Extraction/ rescue • Sat., Mar. 1: Confined spaces beyond the bin Webinar – Grain Bin Safety #AgChat on Twitter Nationwide along with Agribusiness, our partners Department Contest period: The contest runs from January 1 to April 30, 2014. Nationwide Agribusiness and NECAS have partnered to provide grain entrapment rescue training and a bin rescue tube (valued at $2,600) to one nominated fire department or emergency rescue squad. To enter, provide your name, regular mail and email addresses, the name and address of your local fire department or emergency rescue team, and one page describing how the local fire department or rescue team and rural community would benefit from grain entrapment tools for the media and information to help people get the word out as well as participate. It will launch by Jan. 1. Keep watching for more information from us! About Nationwide Agribusiness Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company, and its affiliate, Farmland Mutual Insurance Company, are members of Nationwide®. Nationwide Agribusiness, rated A+ (Superior) by The A.M. Best Company, is the country’s #1 insurer of farms and ranches*, and a leading insurer of commercial agribusiness and related businesses in the food, fuel and fiber chain. For more information, visit www. NationwideAgribusiness.com. About Nationwide On Wed, Feb 25, Nationwide Agribusiness will host a free, live webinar on grain bin safety that’s open to everyone. Farmers and commercial grain handlers will gain valuable insight into the risks and hazards of grain bins, safe work procedures, OSHA standards and more. Space is limited so reserve your spot now at http:// nwagcompanyevents.fugent. com/home/events.asp. Win Safety Equipment and Training for your Local Fire training and rescue tube, and how they plan to share the tube and training with nearby departments. Official rules are available online at GrainBinSafetyWeek.com Completed nominations can be emailed to agcontest@nicc. edu or mailed to: NECAS, Grain Bin Safety Contest, 8342 NICC Dr., Peosta, IA 52068. More Information Online A new website that has been created (GrainBinSafetyWeek. com.) is nearly complete that will provide more information, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. *Source: 2012 Munich Re Report. Based on premium and loss data. Grassroots Page 12 January 2014 PRESENTING A PRIVATE OFFER FOR FARM BUREAU MEMBERS $500 ON TOP OF MOST CURRENT OFFERS1 Offer available through 4/1/14. Available on all 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet vehicles. This offer is not available with some other offers, including private offers. Only customers who have been active members of an eligible Farm Bureau for a minimum of 60 days will be eligible to receive a certificate. Customers can obtain certificates at www.fbverify.com/gm. Farm Bureau and the FB logo are registered service marks of the American Farm Bureau Federation and are used herein under license by General Motors. BATAVIA KEN BARRETT CHEVROLET CADILLAC 585-344-1000 www.kenbarrett.com FARMINGDALE SARANT CADILLAC CORP 516-293-5000 www.sarantcadillac.com JAMESTOWN ED SHULTS CHEVROLET CADILLAC 888-664-2200 www.shultschevy.com BOSTON EMERLING CHEVROLET INC. 716-941-5255 www.emerlingchevrolet.net GREENWICH WHALEN CHEVROLET 800-439-2241 www,whalenchevrolet.com MALONE ELLIS AUTOMOTIVE 518-483-1880 www.ellisautos.com BRONX MILEA BUICK GMC 888-346-2411 www.mileabuickgmc.com HAMILTON DEN KELLY CHEVROLET BUICK GMC 315-824-3610 wwwdenkellycars.com NELLISTON FUCCILLO CHEVROLET OF NELLISTON, INC. 518-993-5555 www.hugeplex.com CHAMPLAIN PARKER CHEVROLET, INC. 518-298-8272 www.parkercountry.com HENRIETTA PATRICK BUICK GMC 877-824-3524 www.patrickbuickgmc.com NORWICH MCCREDY MOTORS, INC. 607-334-3234 www.mccredymotors.com PERRY MCCLURG CHEVROLET OLDSMOBILE PONTIAC BUICK INC 585-237-6191 www.mcclurgchevy.com TULLY JACK MCNERNEY CHEVROLET INC. 315-238-4428 www.jackmcnernychevrolet.com YORKVILLE CARBONE CHEVROLET, BUICK, GMC, CADILLAC 315-736-0811 www.carbonegm.com January 2014 Grassroots Page 13 Awards Given Out at State Annual Meeting The Bobcat S770® skidsteer loader gives you legendary Bobcat versatility, maneuverability and productivity — and the ability to do just about any job faster and better. Bobcat® and the Bobcat logo are trademarks of Bobcat Company. Above: Erie County Farm Bureau was recognized for their continuous support of the Foundation and their tremendous efforts putting Foundation tools and resources to use at their long listing of events. L-R: Rene Swan, Tony Andolina, Patrick Spoth, Charlene Spoth, Hal Kreher, Hans Mobius, Paul Bencal Below: All of the 2013 County Farm Bureau Executive Club Members were recognized at the President’s Luncheon at the State Annual Meeting. Pictured are Presidents from many of those County Farm Bureaus. The winner of a special award sponsored by Dean Norton and Paul Bencal was won by Albany County Farm Bureau. GANSEVOORT BOBCAT OF SARATOGA 518-798-9283 www.bobcatofsaratoga.com SELKIRK ROBERT H. FINKE & SONS INC 518-767-9331 www.finkeequipment.com Your New York Farm Bureau® membership saves you cash New York Farm Bureau Member Services has teamed up with Nationwide Insurance. Now you can take advantage of member-only savings on ATV, motorcycle, RV, boat and snowmobile insurance. Contact your Nationwide agent, call 1-877-OnYourSide or visit www.nationwide.com/nyfb. Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance and the Nationwide framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. FARM BUREAU,” “FB” and the FB National Logo, NEW YORK FARM BUREAU, State Farm Bureau Logo (black and white and color) are registered service marks of the American Farm Bureau Federation used under license by Nationwide. © 2012 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved. FBO-0131AO (0312) Page 14 Grassroots January 2014 Young Farmer Awards Presented at State Annual Meeting By Patti Dugan pdugan@nyfb.org Earning recognition for achievements in business excellence, leadership success and the ability to analyze agricultural issues and decide on solutions is the purpose of the Farm Bureau Young Farmer competitive events. These competitive events (Discussion Meet, Excellence in Agriculture and Achievement Award) provide young farmer members, between the ages of 18-35, unique opportunities to learn about Farm Bureau while earning recognition and prizes. The Discussion Meet contest is an activity designed to build critical skills in young active farmers. By participating, members build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can reach consensus and solve problems. Participants are judged on their cooperative attitude, analysis of the topic, problem solving and implementation strategies and their delivery. The top four finalists were: Lonny Schaefer from Delaware County, Sarah Blood from Schoharie County, Stuart Ziehm from Washington County and Martin Kelly from Montgomery County. The 2013 NYFB Young Farmer Discussion Meet winner; Stuart Ziehm will compete in the national Discussion Meet Contest. Stuart Ziehm owns and operates Tiashoke Farm with his father and two brothers in eastern New York, where they milk 600 cows and crop 1,500 acres. Stuart has enjoyed being the District 8 Young Farmer representative and serving on the New York State Young Farmer board, meeting other young farmers that share his passion for agriculture. The Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Award Program is designed as an opportunity for Young Farmers to earn recognition, while actively contributing and growing through their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture. Participants are judged on their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations (i.e., civic, service and community). This year’s finalists were: Andrew Fish & Kimberly Fortin from Cayuga County, Jennifer Karelus from Lewis County and Sarah Blood from Schoharie County. The 2013 NYFB Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award winner; Jennifer Karelus will represent New York at the national competition. Jen Karelus and her husband, Mark, both work in agribusiness in upstate New York. They also own a farm where they grow 150 acres of corn and hay while raising replacement heifers. Jen feels educating non-farm consumers about the source of their food is very important to the future of agriculture. She is involved in a variety of projects including the Family Farm Day, Agriculture Literacy Program and recently coauthoring a book to educate her neighbors about the farm life. The Achievement Award recognizes young farmers for their farming pursuits and participation/ leadership within agriculture and their own community. The award judging is based on: farm operation and growth, financial progress of operation, Farm Bureau leadership and other leadership involvement. This year’s finalists were: Evan & Elizabeth Schiedel from Chautauqua County, Kimberly Allan from Onondaga County, Gregory Coon from Madison County, and Zachary Debadts from Wayne County. The 2013 NYFB Young Farmer Achievement Award winner; Zachary DeBadts will represent New York at the national competition. Zack DeBadts is a fifth generation fruit farmer on a family owned farm, which is situated along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Wayne County, New York. The 1100 acre, vertically integrated farm grows fresh and fresh slice apples, processing apples and tart cherries; the farm also serves as a hub for growers and suppliers, stores apples and has a cherry processing line. Zack lives on the farm with his wife of 8 years and two children; a four year old daughter Leah and 1 year old son, Nathan. The Young Farmer Award winners and finalists were honored at the 2013 New York Farm Bureau State Annual Meeting in December. The NYFB YF Program also provides cash awards for the winners and finalists for the contests. The NYFB Discussion Meet winner received use of a Case IH Farmall® or Maxxum® tractor (60HP – 140HP) for 100 hours. The NYFB winner of the Excellence in Agriculture Award received a Stihl MS 290 Farm Boss Chainsaw from Stihl Outdoor Power Equipment and a prize from Grainger Industrial Supply. The NYFB Achievement Award winner received use of a Kubota M Series Utility Tractor (44 – 98 horse power) with loader (if desired) for 250 hours. The New York Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Award winners will compete in the national contests at the American Farm Bureau Federation 95th Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX; January 1114, 2014. Good Luck to the NYFB Young Farmer Competitive Event Winners: Stuart, Jen and Zack! The Face Of New York Agriculture farm looking its best at all times because when people drive by, we want them to have a positive image of farming and agriculture. When people visit your farm, then they will be viewing first hand your operation. It needs to be a good one, for all of agriculture. Barbara Hanselman What other ways can farmers engage with the public? Del-Rose Farm Bloomville, NY What type of farm do you own? Del-Rose Farm started out solely as a 60-cow dairy. Today, in addition, our family farm produces and sells sweet corn, tomatoes and other vegetables, pumpkins, eggs, beef, hay and corn, and The Farmer’s Wife baked goods. Diversification has added some streams of income and spread out our risk, but the dairy is still by far the largest enterprise. Can you give us some background on the farm? Our farm is located in the Delaware River Valley in Eastern Delaware County where we operate over 300 acres of owned and rented land. We milk 60 registered Holsteins and Brown Swiss. Ernie started milking cows here in January of 1980, and we were married in October of 1982 after I graduated from Cornell. We have raised seven children here, and our success is largely attributed to the fact that all of us worked very hard together to get things done. Our farm adjoins Ernie’s parents’ farm, and so we shared equipment and labor. Our decision to diversify was made in order to help us weather milk price and profit margin challenges. We have three sons who have made the choice to be a farmer, which is extremely exciting and energizing for our business, but it also brings on the challenge to grow the business so there is room and income for everyone. How did you get involved in agriculture? I grew up on a dairy farm on the other end of the county. You know when you get asked, “Why are you a farmer, or how did you decide to become a farmer?” I always say, I just can’t explain it to you- it really wasn’t a decision; it has always been what I am. It’s in my blood! I am always amazed and in awe of everything agriculture!! There are very few things more enjoyable for me than visiting farmers on their farm, and see them light up as they share with you their story, their work, their goals, and on a dairy farm, their cattle. I’m Aggie to the core! What is one of the biggest challenges for your farm? One of our big challenges right now is growing the business. Another challenge for farmers in our area is availability of affordable land. I feel that all farmers will continue to feel increased pressure affecting their ability to be profitable and sustainable due to policy dealing with the production of food and running a business. The U.S. has outsourced several industries- our government and the American people should never allow our country to become dependent on other countries for the ability to feed our people. You’ve been involved with ProEd and the Dairy Princess Program, how important is educating the public about farming? It is very important to educate the public about farming. Most people in today’s society are 3 or 4 generations removed from production agriculture. We also live in a world where with the flip of a finger on the computer, you can become a professional about anything, including agriculture, without having been involved in it at all, or ever stepped foot on a farm. As important as I think educating the public is, and giving people opportunities to learn about agriculture, I think it is equally important to always be your best self when teaching others about farming, and be a good communicator. You need to understand how to interact with them, how to engage them, and also, listen to them! You recently had Senator Savino visit your farm for a tour. Is this something that you would encourage others to do? I would, if someone has the comfort level with doing it. I really enjoy sharing our farm and our story with others. But tours do take preparation, and they take time. Not everyone has that comfort level. We try to have our There are so many ways to engage with the public. Get involved with your school- attend school board meetings, wellness committee meetings- they both govern the policy that affects how kids are fed at school, and this in turn affects us as farmers. The kids of today are tomorrow’s food purchasers and consumers. Buy your school’s winning basketball team all a chocolate milk, and see if they would gather for a picturea picture that can be hung in the school reminding their peers to drink milk! Help organize healthy snacks like vegetables or cheese sticks, or teach them to make applesauce. Encourage school gardens. Be a reader for Ag Literacy Day. There are also lots of places to “tell your story” with adults. I have spent a lot of time explaining farm practices at farmer’s markets. Sometimes an opportunity arises when in the grocery store. Lend a hand at your county’s ag education events. Serve on your county extension board. Why are you a member of NYFB? I am a member of NYFB because I think it is important that farmers are engaged in policy, and because I think that “together, we can make a difference”. It is a different timeit is extremely challenging to get consumers to hear our story, the real story of agriculture, or to have government understand and hear why we need the ability to produce food the way we do when we don’t come together with a clear, unified voice. Fragmented we are more likely ignored, but together, we are a force. And we are the force that feeds the world. January 2014 Grassroots Page 15 A Successful 2013 State Annual Meeting Held in Syracuse Above: President Dean Norton (fifth from left), welcomed nine of the new County Presidents at the Presidents Luncheon. Above: Dave Tetor (L) and John Dyson (R) were the 2013 recipients of the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. The two have been long-time friends and have worked tirelessly for NY Agriculture. Above: Individuls that signed up five or more new members received a special Farm Bureau Carhartt jacket. 39 people received jackets. Ashur Terwilliger of Chemung County signed the most members with 18. Above: President Norton addressed NYFB members during his annual President’s Address where he spoke about successful Farm Bureau programs while also focusing on the issues in the year ahead. Above: Kathryn Boor, Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was the keynote speaker at the Wednesday evening banquet. Below: The Governor’s Deputy Secretary for Food and Agriculture, Patrick Hooker, took time to talk with some members of FFA that were in attendance. Below: Nationwide Board Chairman, Keith Eckel, attended the Wednesday Night Banquet and helped recognize top Nationwide agents in New York. Grassroots Page 16 January 2014 THE BEST OF TIMES THE BEST OF TIMES THE BEST OF TIMES THE WORST OF TIMES THE WORST OF TIMES THE WORST OF TIMES For nearly 100 years, we’ve been there all the time. Today, many lenders see Northeast agriculture as an opportunity. The difference is we never saw it as a liability. And never will. Farm Credit East. When you’re in agriculture for keeps, it’s good to know your lender is, too. farmcrediteast.com | 800.562.2235 Grassroots January 2014 Page 17 NEW YORK FARM BUREAU MEMBER SPECIAL New York Farm Bureau protects the future of your farm and your neighbors’ farms all year long. Today, membership can save you up to $500 on new Case IH tractors and equipment!* SAVE 300 $ ON FARMALL® COMPACT A & B SERIES TRACTORS, ROUND & SMALL SQUARE BALERS, DISC MOWER CONDITIONERS, SICKLE MOWER CONDITIONERS & CASE IH SCOUT™ UTILITY VEHICLES SAVE 500 $ ON FARMALL® C, U & J SERIES TRACTORS, MAXXUM® & FARMALL® 100A SERIES TRACTORS, LARGE SQUARE BALERS & SP WINDROWERS * A current Farm Bureau membership verification certificate must be presented to the Case IH dealer in advance of product delivery to receive the incentive discount. New York Farm Bureau Members can download a certificate at www.FBVerify.com/case. ©2013 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case IH is a registered trademark of CNH America LLC. www.caseih.com ADAMS CENTER MONROE TRACTOR 800-962-4686 jemunroe@monroetractor.com BINGHAMTON MONROE TRACTOR 607-754-6570 jpalmer@monroetractor.com CLAVERACK COLUMBIA TRACTOR 518-828-1781 www.columbiatractor.com MOOERS DRAGOONS FARM EQUIPMENT INC. 518-236-7110 www.dragoonsfarmequipment.com AUBURN MONROE TRACTOR 800-362-4686 cvannostrand@monroetractor.com CANANDAIGUA MONROE TRACTOR 800-388-6119 jpoppoon@monroetractor.com ELMIRA MONROE TRACTOR 607-739-8741 tsutter@monroetractor.com SALEM SALEM FARM SUPPLY INC. 518-854-7424 www.salemfarmsupply.com BATAVIA MONROE TRACTOR 800-388-4113 jkingston@monroetractor.com CAZENOVIA EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 315-655-8146 HORNELL MONROE TRACTOR 607-324-2110 kbower@monroetractor.com Grassroots Page 18 Compliance Corner: Deduction Rules in New York New Wage January 2014 Quality, Affordable Travel since 1967! Why Does It Matter? By Lisa A. Ovitt, Paralegal lovitt@nyfb.org Is that new worker you hired a contractor or an employee? Do you know the difference? Worker classification is high on the IRS audit list, and New York State has rules as well. Contractors and employees are not the same, and understanding the differences will save you costly tax and legal consequences. What is the Difference? There is no single test for determining if an individual is an independent contractor or an employee. However, there are characteristics you must look for when classifying workers. Independent contractors are free from supervision, direction and control in the performance of their duties. Independent contractors are in business for themselves, offering their services to the general public. Signs of an independent contractor include: • Operate under a business name • Has his/her own employees • Maintains a separate business checking account • Advertises his/her business services • Invoices for work completed • Has more than one client • Has own tools and sets own hours • Keep business records • Carries insurance • Pays their own expenses • Sets or negotiates their own pay rate An employee performs duties dictated or controlled by others, is given training for work to be done and works for only one employer. An employeremployee relationship may exist if you: • Choose when, where and how they perform services • Directly supervise the services • Set the hours of work • Set the rate of pay • Evaluate job performance • Require prior permission for absences • Have the right to hire and fire Whether a person is an independent contractor or an employee generally depends on the amount of control exercised by the employer over the work being done. Business owners understand that there are benefits to using contractors over having employees. However, you cannot arbitrarily label someone a contractor and make it stick. Employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors can end up with substantial tax bills and face large penalties for failing to file the proper tax forms. You could also be required to reimburse wages, including overtime, and provide benefits such as health insurance and retirement retroactively. Best Practices for Employing Contractors Once you have decided that your worker is a contractor, it is a good idea to use a written agreement. Intention of the parties is one of the factors used by the IRS in determining worker classification. In addition to outlining the scope of the work to be performed, the written agreement between you and the contractor should include a statement that the worker understands he is not an employee and is personally responsible for such things as taxes and insurance. Please note, however, that merely having a contract for your worker does not make him an independent contractor. If you pay the contractor more than $600, you must provide him with an IRS Form 1099-MISC. Finally it is important to be consistent. You should treat workers who are performing the same work in the same way. You cannot treat some as employees and some as contractors. And, you cannot change from year to year. Stay consistent. The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be considered, a substitute for legal advice rendered by a competent attorney. If you have any questions about the application of the issues raised in this article to your particular situation, seek the advice of a competent attorney. National Park Tour Experience Magnificent Landscapes 14 days from $1249* Departs June 13, 27, July 11 & 25, 2014. Fly into Las Vegas for one night. Then you will begin your tour and visit landmarks in NINE NATIONAL PARKS. Witness the giant Redwood trees in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Then be amazed at the spectacular granite cliffs and waterfalls in Yosemite National Park. Visit majestic Lake Tahoe and Reno, stop in historic Virginia City, Winnemucca and Wendover, Nevada. In Utah visit the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats where many land speed records were set plus the Great Salt Lake! Next tour the unique formations at Arches’ National Park; and Canyonlands, with enchanting vistas carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers. Next visit Capitol Reef and drive through the Dixie National Forest to Bryce Canyon National Park. Then it’s the grandest of all National Parks, The Grand Canyon, for both a day and night. Finally, try your luck in exciting Las Vegas with an included day excursion to Zion National Park. *PPDO plus $159 tax/service/government fees. Add $100 for June departure dates. Alternate departure dates available June-September. Seasonal charges may apply. Add-on airfare available. Call for Details! 800-736-7300 Tr withavel Farmother ers! EACH SEED COUNTS. DUST DOESN’T. WaveVision® Seed Tube and Sensor Good data comes from good sensors. If you’re counting seeds with your original optical sensors, you may be getting bad counts, especially in dusty conditions and near tires. Those optical sensors can’t tell the difference between dust and seed. WaveVision sees through it all. Actually, it doesn’t see at all. Instead, its high-frequency sensors detect mass. It can tell the difference between a seed and dust or a piece of debris, and it reports the results to you accurately. With this information, you’ll know what you’re planting – how many seeds and where. With this information, you’ll be able to adjust as needed. You’ll produce more efficiently. You’ll put more money in your pocket. And isn’t that what really counts? Worried about environmental compliance? Aztech Technologies will partner with you to find realistic cost effective solutions to your environmental and regulatory needs. • Spill Prevention Control Countermeasure Plans. • Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans. • Fuel storage tank monitoring, maintenance and closure. • Water withdrawal permitting and reporting. • Excavation, dewatering and treatment. • Soil and groundwater testing and remediation. Count on WaveVision for truly accurate seed counts. Count on your Precision Planting Premier Dealer to show you this and many more business-building tools. You can find these dealers at precisionplanting.com/dealerlocator. CATSKILL KEITH JONES 518-755-1575 518-755-1575 FARMINGTON RIC PADGHAM 585-764-2311 rpadghum@rochester.rr.com C e r t i f i e d Wo m a n O w n e d B u s i n e s s R E M E D I AT I O N | DRILLING | E N V I R O N M E N TA L www.aztechtech.com • (518) 885-5383 • info@aztechtech.com WaveVision® and Precision Planting® are registered trademarks of Precision Planting LLC ©2013 Precision Planting LLC. PERU CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AGRONOMICS 518-643-2360 www.champlainvalleyag.com Grassroots January 2014 Page 19 Crop Insurance: Spring Decisions and Deadlines By Anita Johnston Figueras and Sarah March 15 is a key date for any farmer who is considering whether or not to get crop insurance. That’s the deadline for signing up for or changing your coverage for: corn, corn silage, and soybeans. It’s also the deadline for the following crops: spring forage seeding of alfalfa or a mixture containing at least 50% of a locally recognized and approved forage legume species; oats; processing green (snap) beans, dry beans, sweet corn, potatoes and tomatoes, as well as fresh market green beans, cabbage, and sweet corn. The Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite (AGR-Lite) program for established, diversified farms grossing up to $1 million, referred to as whole farm revenue coverage, has the same March 15th deadline for first-time enrollment. AGR is available in some counties for higher-grossing operations, with a sign-up/ enrollment change date of Jan. 31. Feb 1 is the deadline for Onions. What can crop insurance do for a farmer? Just as life insurance helps protect your family from an unexpected loss of your income, and homeowner’s insurance helps to protect you from loss from a house fire, crop insurance helps protect a farm from financial losses due to events it cannot control that result in loss of crops. Perils insured against include: adverse weather conditions including flood and drought; insects and plant disease (although not due to insufficient/ improper use of pest or disease control measures); wildlife; fire; failure of irrigation water; earthquake; and other natural causes of loss that cannot be prevented. What can’t crop insurance do? Guarantee a specific cash flow. In general, indemnity payments will be for the value of a lost or damaged crop assigned when the policy was purchased. The price of corn silage, for example, which was valued at $53.25 for crop insurance purposes in 2013, may rise regionally, due to supply and demand changes caused by regional disasters or other factors. Consequently, the payment you receive might not allow you to purchase the amount you had anticipated when you purchased the crop insurance What are key concepts of the program? Actual Production History (APH): A farm’s historical yield for a given crop. Projected Price: A market-based price used to set the potential value of a crop. For corn, this is the average closing price for 2014 December futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for the trading days of February 2014. Coverage Level: The percentage of your APH or revenue that triggers a loss if yield or revenue drops below the insurance guarantee, which you select. You may select a coverage level of 50% to 85% of your APH average yield. Catastrophic Coverage (CAT): A minimum plan that provides 50% coverage at 55% of the Projected Price, equaling only 27.5% of the value of a total crop loss. CAT coverage is 100% subsidized. While you pay only a $300.00 administrative fee per crop, producers must lose more than 50% of their crop before a loss begins to be calculated. Loss payment history shows that only a small percentage of payments go to producers who carry CAT coverage. Are there other important features? Yes. For corn and soybeans, there are payments for replanting and for prevented planting. If you are unable to plant your crop by June 10, you may be eligible for an indemnity payment if all associated requirements are met. How much does it cost? Cost varies by crop and program, coverage level, and other options. The insurance is written by private sector insurance agents, and is subsidized by the U.S. government. As coverage levels increase, subsidy percentages decrease. In 2012, a farmer planting 100 acres of corn in Nicole Rawleigh elected NYFB State Young Farmer Committee Chair At the 2013 NYFB State Annual Meeting, Nicole Rawleigh was elected chair of the NYFB State Young Farmer Committee. Nicole and her husband, Ben served on the State YF Committee as District 4 representatives since Dec. 2011. Nicole resides in Horseheads, Schuyler County with her husband, Ben and their 2 children: Meredith and Elizabeth. When Nicole was growing up, she was involved with horses and an active 4-H member who raised and showed sheep and swine. Nicole graduated from Alfred State with an Associate’s degree in Agriculture Business and a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Applied Economics – Farm Business Management. Ben and Nicole are current working on starting their own registered dairy herd. Nicole also serves as the Young Farmer chair in Schuyler County and is a member of the Schuyler County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. St. Lawrence County, with an APH of 150 bushels/acre, a projected price of $5.68/bushel at the end of February, and a coverage level of 70% would have paid an estimated premium of $17.37 to $24.51 per acre for a basic unit, depending on the selection of either yield coverage; revenue coverage (projected price); or, revenue coverage with harvest price exclusion (the higher of projected or harvest price). What if I grow a crop for which there is no crop insurance policy available? The USDA Farm Service Agency’s Non-Insured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) will cover all crops for which a policy is not available. This coverage is equivalent to CAT, and costs an administrative fee of $250 per crop. For multi-crop farms, the fee is capped at of $750 per county. NAP is not available for crops eligible for crop insurance. Farmers may chose, however, to ask their agent to import a written agreement for a crop, such as soybeans, that is available in NYS, but not in their specific county. The written agreement is equivalent to insurance for the crop in the county that does not have coverage, but must be separately approved by USDA RMA. Are there tools available to help me figure out if crop insurance could be appropriate for my operation? Yes! Visit the NYS Ag and Markets Crop Insurance program to use the spreadsheet there that allow’s you fill in your costs of production for corn or soybeans, along with your farm’s historical yield and cost data to project how expensive crop insurance might be for a desired level of coverage. The USDA RMA’s Cost Estimator is available on that website, for you to use to estimate and compare options. Also, a good crop insurance agent will work with you to estimate coverage level options for a crop insurance program that makes sense for your operation. There are ways to tailor crop insurance to particular situations, and the crop insurance agent is the person best able to help you. Where can I get more information? Recommended online sources are: USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA): www.rma.usda.gov/ NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Crop Insurance and Risk Management Education Program: www.agriculture.ny.gov/ AP/CropInsurance.html, 1-800-5544501 To find a crop insurance agent, go to www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent. html AGR-Lite Wizard: https://www. agrlitewizard.com/ Sarah Johnston works for the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and manages the agency’s crop insurance and risk management education program. Anita Figueras works for Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence Co as their Farm Business Management Specialist. Funding for crop insurance education is provided by the USDA Risk Management Agency. Crop Insurance Webinar Series Thursday, Jan. 30 Crop Insurance: Why Is It Working for Your Neighbor and Not for You? Noon-1pm Thursday, Feb. 6 Silage Crop Insurance: Tips for Getting the Best Protection Noon-1pm Look for an email announcement with more details, or email kyoung@NYFB. org. Foundation Raffle Winners Announced The 2013 NYFB Foundation Raffle (our 7th!) was sponsored by D.A. Collins Companies, a communityminded, diverse company that is intensely involved in many aspects of the infrastructure of agriculture. The winners were drawn at the recent NYFB State Annual Meeting and included Bill Olin from Broome County as the Grand Prize Winner of an iPad Mini or have $300; Ryan Amberg from Ontario County won a $100 Wegmans Gift Certificate; Jesse Gorczynski won Stewart’s Shops Gift Certificates for $100 (which was re-donated and auctioned for $150); a NY Apple Association Collection was won by Theresa Hatch, a Broome County Farm Bureau member; and the diverse Nelson Farm Collection was taken home by Karen Barie, a Chautauqua County Farm Bureau member (pictured above). The raffle proceeds will help to fund many of the Foundation programs, projects, tools and resources. Thank you to everyone who assisted in this fundraiser. Page 20 Grassroots Successful State Annual Meeting Go your own way. With eight models and a long list of options to choose from, there’s a top-quality Kubota RTV for your own unique mix of outdoor work and rugged adventure. Schedule a test drive today. Continued from Page 1 without you, our members, there is no Farm Bureau. The advocacy and education work that we do so well would cease. The unified voice that represents every farmer would be silent. Think about that. What would life be like for you if there was no Farm Bureau?” said Norton. Jeff Kirby expressed similar themes in his report, focusing on a couple of broad initiatives that he believes will be very important in determining the future strength and effectiveness of the Farm Bureau organization. The first is encouraging county Farm Bureaus to think about why they do what they do. He said having a strong and visible Farm Bureau at the local level will not only help others understand what we do, but encourage them to join as well. Kirby also unveiled a new theme that will play out next year encouraging “Every Farmer” to become involved in Farm Bureau. The ‘Every Farmer’ message will be worked into New York Farm Bureau’s efforts and activities in numerous ways, and will highlight the fact that Farm Bureau represents Every Farmer, large and small, all commodities, and all production methods, based upon the strength of what all farmers have in common,” said Kirby. “And it will emphasize the underlying theme that ‘Every Farmer Needs Farm Bureau’ and ‘Farm Bureau Needs Every Farmer.’ Also at SAM, there were many opportunities to award some well deserving individuals and counties who have excelled in the Farm Bureau mission to “serve and strengthen agriculture.” Tuesday evening’s dinner banquet, sponsored by Farm Credit East, included the presentations for Young Farmers, Promotion and Education, and Membership. The “Farm Bureau Key” Awards was also handed out to counties that excel in overall program accomplishment. Four counties won the 2013 Gold Key Award. They are Schuyler, Chemung, Franklin and Long Island Farm Bureaus. The Wednesday night dinner, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, had a number of dignitaries on hand for the exciting event. They included the chairs of the Agriculture Committees in the legislature, Senator Patty Ritchie and Assemblyman Bill Magee, the Governor’s Deputy Secretary for Food abd Agriculure, Pat Hooker, along with the Acting Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets, Jim Bays. “Agriculture is front and center in Governor Cuomo’s administration. During this time, New York Farm Bureau has been an unbelievable partner in our efforts to move the state’s agricultural economy forward. I’d like to personally thank and congratulate all members of New York Farm Bureau on a great year in 2013,” said Acting Commissioner Bays. The Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kathryn Boor, spoke to the more than 400 people who had gathered. She said the success of agriculture in this state stems from a great partnership between Cornell, farmers and New York Farm Bureau. She also stressed that by working together we can address the market and environmental issues facing the profitability of January 2014 RTV1140CPX: More Room New York farms. New York Farm Bureau also recognized the State Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Dr. Helene Dillard, who is leaving to become Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. Also, New York Farm Bureau was proud to once again welcome the Chairman of Nationwide Insurance, Keith Eckel. His company has been an important partner in growing our membership. Before NYFB recognized some outstanding agents for their hard work, Chairman Eckel took a few minutes to speak to the crowd and thanked the farmers for all that they do. “Farmers have done the job of feeding people so well that they’re taken for granted,” said Eckel. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the recognition of John Dyson and David Tetor as the recipients of the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. Both attended Cornell together in the 1960s and went on to have wonderful careers in their respective fields. Dyson served at both the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets as well as Commerce Commissioner under Governor Hugh Carey where he started the famous “I Love NY” campaign. He currently owns the Millbrook Winery in Dutchess County in addition to vineyards in California and Italy. Dyson was instrumental in changing the law to allow for the shipment of NY wines out of state. Tetor is an experienced agriculture educator and promoter, including serving on NYFB’s Promotion and Education Committee. Born on a dairy farm, Tetor worked as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Agent for 31 years in Herkimer and Dutchess Counties, where he is credited with helping preserve the rural character of the county. He has also served on a number of agricultural boards and organizations. The James Quinn Awards went to three individuals who went above and beyond this past year advocating for New York Farm Bureau and agriculture. They are Kevin “Cub” Frisbie from Tioga County, Adam Miner of Jefferson County, and David Taylor from Madison County. As always, Assemblyman Magee concluded the evening with athe annual live auction of many wonderful donated gifts. The money went to benefit the great educational work of the NY Farm Bureau Foundation. State Annual Meeting concluded with elections. Re-elected to serve a two year term on the NYFB Board of Directors were Hal Kreher of Clarence Center,, John Sorbello of Shortsville, Darrell Griff of Hamilton, David Fisher of Madrid, and Richard Ball of Schoharie. Three new Board members were also selected at State Annual Meeting. Robert Nolan of Patchogue was elected to represent Long Island. Phyllis Couture from West Valley was elected as the State Promotion and Education Committee Chair, and Nicole Rawleigh of Horseheads was elected as the State Young Farmer Committee Chair. RTV500: Easy to Haul Quickly converts from 2- to 4-passenger seating. Compact gasoline model fits in the back of a long-bed pickup. RTV1100: All-Weather Cab RTV900XT: Pick Your Finish Up your comfort factor with a factory-installed cab. Diesel model comes in Kubota orange or Realtree® camouflage. ATLANTA EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 585-534-5935 CORTLAND EMPIRE TRACTOR, INC. 607-753-9656 MOOERS DRAGOONS FARM EQUIPMENT INC. 518-236-7110 www.dragoonsfarmequipment.com ONEONTA SPRINGER’S INC. 607-432-0171 SYRACUSE EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 315-446-5656 WATERLOO EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 315-539-7000 www.kubota.com ©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2012 Realtree® is a registered trademark of Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. Grassroots January 2014 Page 21 NYFB Board Meets in Albany New York Farm Bureau is happy to announce their members of the Board for 2013. Pictured are: (Bottom row from left to right) Young Farmer Chair, Nicole Rawleigh, Pro-Ed Chair, Phyllis Couture, Vice-President Eric Ooms, President Dean Norton, State Director Richard Ball, Foundation Chair Paul Bencal, and Executive Director Jeff Kirby. (Top row left to right):, Mark Adams, John Sorbello, David Fisher, Dean Casey, Ben Simons, Hal Kreher, Darrell Griff, and Bob Nolan. Not pictured is Ashur Terwilliger. Save the Date! “The Taste of New York” Reception and Issues Forum Presented by YOU’VE BEEN UPGRADED TO THE SUITE ... A BOOMER SUPERSUITE ™ Place: Empire State Plaza Convention Center When: March 3, 2014 Time: 5:00 pm—7:00 pm Booth reservations are limited, so reserve your spot now! For more information Contact: Dawn Perreault at NYFB 1-800-342-4143 or email at dperreault@ nyfb.org Registration deadline is Feb. 3, 2014! New York Farm Bureau Lobby Day to follow on March 4, 2014. ™ The SuperSuite™ cab is the deluxe New Holland factory-installed cab on NEW 40- to 50-horsepower Boomer 3000 Series compact tractors. You’ll work in all-day comfort, protected from weather, insects, dust, and noise and appreciate the many deluxe features: LARGEST CAB – 60 FT3 OF INTERIOR SPACE WITH TWO DOORS A 360° VIEW – SLOPED HOOD, CURVED-BOOM LOADER SEE THE LOADER THROUGH ITS FULL RANGE OF MOTION – HIGH-VISIBILITY ROOF PANEL SMOOTH, EASY OPERATION – SINGLE “GO” PEDAL WITH LEFT-HAND FORWARD/REVERSE SHUTTLE MAXIMUM COMFORT – HEAT, AIR CONDITIONING, DELUXE ACCOMMODATOR SEAT, AND MANY, MANY MORE STANDARD FEATURES ATLANTA EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 585-534-5935 BATAVIA EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 585-343-1822 CLINTON CLINTON TRACTOR & IMPLEMENT CO. 315-853-6151 www.clintontractor.net COCHECTON FOSTERDALE EQUIPMENT CORP. 845-932-8611 CORTLAND EMPIRE TRACTOR, INC. 607-753-9656 SAINT JOHNSVILLE SPRINGER’S INC. 518-568-2016 PINE PLAINS PINES TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT 518-398-7152 www.pineplainstractor.com WATERLOO EMPIRE TRACTOR INC. 315-539-7000 © 2012 CNH America LLC. New Holland is a registered trademark of CNH America LLC. Page 22 Grassroots Grassroots Farmers’ Market January 2014 Classified Ads FREE to NYFB members, and darn cheap for everybody else! HAY Reach Farm Bureau members throughout the state! IDAHO’S FINEST ALFALFA. Larsen Farms 607-865-8844. rbishop@ larsenfarms.com Sell equipment, real estate or a service, you name it! One free ad — up to 30 words — per month for every member, as QUALITY HAY for sale. AlfalfaGrass mix. 45 pound bales. $2.75 per bale. 315-866-3348 long as we receive your ad by the 15th of the previous month. HAY FOR SALE. 4x5- 1000lb. Round silage bales, mixed grass, no chemicals, can load 18wheelers. 1st cut and 2nd cut available. Cash upon loading. Schaghticoke, NY 518-796-2344 Members pay just $15. Non-members pay $30. A.G. EMERICH & SONS. Hay, straw and bagged shavings. Serving NY and NE since 1935. Van trailer loads dropped or picked up by the bale. 518-399-1893 or 518-399-7444 HAY FOR SALE. Mixed hay, 1st cut. 4x4 rounds. 450-500lbs. Under cover, never wet, no chemicals. $35 each cash. 518851-9802 or 518-755-4553 HAY FOR SALE. Quality timothybrome-orchard grass mix. Small square bales for pickup or delivery in Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam area. 845-475-7100 HAY 1st and 2nd cutting. Small squares. Prices vary. 518-461-3779 HAY FOR SALE. Large round bales. Also have Percheron draft horses and slate roofing for sale. 607-796-9026 HAY FOR SALE. Water resistant, double NET wrapped 4x4 round bales..does NOT require inside storage…perfect for horses. Also, small squares. All hay is a timothy mix. Call Dave at 518-966-8130 or text 518-649-7058anytime. HAY FOR SALE. 2nd cut $3.00/ bale and Mulch $1.50/bale. 607760-8865 or 607-772-0858 ALPACA HAY. Tender, soft 3rd and 4th cut grass and some alfalfa. Caseyland Farm 518-461-7922 STRAW FOR SALE. Skanda Equine in Cazenovia has beautiful, soft straw for sale. $4.10/bale. 917-940-4963 OAT STRAW. Clean, 45-50lb Collins, NY. $3.50/bale. bales. North 716-337-2272 STRAW FOR SALE. Rye $5/ bale; Oat $6/bale; Barley $6/ bale. 40 or more, take $1 off/bale. Ron 315-335-0716. Rome, NY HAY FOR SALE. 4x4 dry round bales. Grass, 1st cut. Stored inside $30 each. Boonville. 315-942-4475 HAY FOR SALE. Small square bales, 1st and 2nd, excellent quality and weight. Corn silage and haylage this years crops. 518-569-1954 WHEAT STRAW. 40lb wire bales $4/bale, 2nd and 3rd cut Want an additional up-to-30-word ad? No problem. We gladly accept ads by e-mail at: classifieds@nyfb.org. or mail to: Grassroots Classifieds, PO Box 5330, Albany, NY 12205 or fax to: 518-431-5656 For more information call: 518-436-8495 All credit cards accepted. unpaid, at its sole discretion. alfalfa $6/bale. 585-506-5857 SOYBEAN Baleage for your hunting club. 4x4 triple wrapped in dark green. Area delivery available. Potsdam. 315-265-6788 TRACTORS, MACHINERY VICON Spreader PS603 $800, Utility trailer 5x8 $400, Honda WP20X water pump $485. 716-523-8972. MASSEY FERGUSON 880 4 bottom plow, hydraulic reset $900. NH 116 Haybine serial # 516160 $950 obo. . Also have 4x4 round bales timothy/grass. $50. 585637-9632 please leave message. 1060 NEWFIELD. 65hp diesel. Excellent Condition. New rubber. $4500. 315831-5132 or 315-368-8286 2003 4x4 Landini Globus 80 CHA Dual outlets, 75-80 hp Dsl. 3300 hrs, ex. Condition and field ready. $15,900. 315-964-1161 JD #10 side mounted mower with 7’ cutting bar, came off JD3010, will fit other JD,Farmall, Oliver tractors. 607-965-2174 MASSEY FERGUSON 35 diesel, power steering, live pto, 3pt hitch in frame, engine rebuilt. New radiator and new clutch. Good rubber. New volt regulator. $3900. 315-699-2459 FORD 8N restored, one owner, mint condition, correct paint, rubber, lights and gauges. Work or show. $3500. 60” brush hog; 60” finish mower. Back blade available, your choice $800 each. 607-437-8886 with trailer, bin loader, cutter, bagger and stapler. Abbott Farms, Baldwinsville NY 315-727-8347 2009 Grain Dryer, Model RB600 – grain guard. 1000 hours. Very good condition. 585-746-4687 CAT dozer D3-B $12,800.00 new paint excellent condition please call 860 354-9256 or email me @ coolbeth18@aol.com CAT-5 salt tracks, repined extra tracks, winch new end bits, wear plates, segment sprockets, steering clutch pads and front blade ripper. $13,999 or reasonable offer. MF 1100 $2500. 315-788-7290 BULLDOZER Cat D3. Very good condition. Rebuild engine/tranny. Both proven to work well. $18,000. 315-688-2883 or 315-955-2898 SWITZER Wood burning system 600,000 wood 1 million oil back up like new. Power reverse, self- log slpitter, 4’ logs. Oliver 70 tri-cycle leveling bucket, 32 speed trans. tractor PRE 1940. 631-266-1822 Call for price. 845-857-0242 OEM Massey, Gleaner, New Idea, TIGER POWER PTO Generator on White, Agco, & Challenger parts. wheels. 12,000watt. Great for small 0% financing on Hesston and farm. $1500 obo. 607-263+5522 Massey Ferguson round balers, mowers & most hay tools. . www. JD tractor 420 wide front with mabiebros.com or 315-687-7891 extra unfinished hood $3500; 3 wheel weights for JD #D2628 CALL US for KRONE hay tools $250 plus shipping; JD tractor 630 and parts. Tedders and Rakes wide front $4500. 607-859-2927 in stock. www.mabiebros. com or 315-687-7891 CATAPILLAR 931B Trac Loader. 845-292-7618 WANTED. Used small 3pt hitch or tow behind orchard sprayer INTERNATIONAL 8340 haybine in good condition. I have a with stub nose guards, excellent small orchard. 585-703-0386 condition, stored inside. $5500 obo. 716-592-2594 leave message. WANTED: 440 JD Crawler for parts, running or not. Need directional GET READY FOR WINTER! reverser unit or parts to rebuild Worldlawn 24” walk-behind agriculture tractor ok. 315-271-4490 snowthrower; Worldlawn 26” walk-behind snowthrower; Used Ariens GT18 with 48” deck, 48” VEHICLES snowblower and weight box. VanDusen’s. 607-529-3294 1 TON LIVESTOCK Truck. Older FARM HELPERS. 60” snow GMC. Good condition, good plow for Yamaha Rhino $400. box. Rubber 90%, 4 speed. Trailer cart that is 60’lx37’w Load Call for details. 607-546-4055 Hog Red Devil $50. 18 gallon metal gas tank 36x18x17.5 $25. 2002 FORD F-250, V-8 Wayne County. 315-483-4443 includes snow plow and u-dump body $11,500. Nice FASSE Valve. New. Use Feeder pigs $80. 518-355-9576 to create 2nd hydraulic circuit. 716-560-8779 $300. 1997 INTERNATIONAL 4700, 18’ flatbed with stakes and LEAF CYCLER 6hp JD Chipper/ tuckaway lift gate. DT 466 diesel Shredder, Blower,Vacuum, Brigs & engine, 5 speed, 164k miles, Stratton Motor, Brand New $800, excellent condition, very well will sell for $495. 607-674-5273 maintained. $7500. 631-261-0011 DAIRY EQUIPMENT. Universal milking claws, DeLaval stainless steel shells, Boumatic pulsators and a Mueller plate cooler, all priced to sell. Contact Gordon MCCORMICK INT Farmall Type Searles, Whitehall NY at 518-499M, NH mower attached. Excellent 0239 or gsearles@verizon.net. condition. $4000. 518-284-2433 POTATO EQUIPMENT. Lockwood JD 5085 M Series. 200 hours, harvester, JD planter, 20’ bulk body DRAW-TITE Mdl. 6033 5th wheel hitch with bed rails. 16k max. trailer weight & 4k man. Tongue weight. $550 neg. 516449-1282 ( c ) or 607-369-4206. MOTORHOME 34’ – 1986 only 5,000 original miles, fully loaded, bedroom, kitchen, 2 air conditioners, sleeps 6. MUST SELL January 2014 Grassroots Grassroots Farmers’ Market asking $17,000 – submit ALL OFFERS – will negotiate. www.Isenrealty@ aol.com or 845-406-1266 WEST HERR Chevrolet of Hamburg – WNY’s largest selection of pickup trucks new and used. Additional $500 rebate on new Chevrolets for NYFB members. Chris Haug 716228-9099 chaug@westherr.com. SPECIAL OFFER TO NYFB Members – GM Preferred Pricing and additional $500 rebate on new Chevrolets from Ken Barrett Chevrolet in Batavia. Great selection of New and Used. 585344-1000 or www.kenbarrett.com. EQUINE EQUINE DENTAL SERVICES accepting new clients in all of New York State 315-829-3135. WESTERN CHAPTER NYS Horse Council. Serving the equine community in WNY. www. wcnyshc.org. 716-941-9120. WILDWOOD FARM – standing imported Lusitano Stallion – Voluntario Interagro. Quality Iberian warmblood young stock available. 607-693-5091. FOUNDATION QUARTER HORSES. Temperament and Conformation. At stud “How Blue Are You.” Sale horses, suitable for ranch disciplines, hunter, trail and more. Raycliff Farm. 315-823-4321 visit www.rhultenquarterhorses.com. LAND’S END WHIPPORWILL. Reg. Section B Liver chestnut Welsh pony stallion! By #1 ranked Hunter Pony Stallion Caroline’s Red Fox! $500 private treaty. Foxtale Farm. foxtalefrm@ aol.com or 607-215-5594 JP RHOADES FARM. Reg. Morgan horses. All ages. Trained and young stock. Bred for soundness, athleticism, sensibility. Pine City, NY 607732-8485 Prhoades@stny.rr.com. MORGAN HORSES- We offer the finest in trained mares, geldings and outstanding young stock. Terrific quality, sane, and sound. Hartland Morgans, www.hartlandmorgans. com Windsor, NY, 607-655-2604. MORGAN HORSES FOR SALE! Young prospects, sport horse and trained show horses. Pretty, smart and athletic! All family friends. Chandelle Farm. www.chandellefarm.com. Bloomfield, NY 585-624-1853 LOOMIS QUARTER HORSES: Training reining and performance horses, Halter, Pleasure and starting colts. Western lessons and clinics available. Short and long distance trucking. 315-3887736 or loomisqh@gmail.com. FINGER LAKES THOROUGHBRED Adoption Program has new horses available for show and pleasure. These horses are looking for a great home. For information and pictures visit www. fingerlakestap.org. 585-905-7457 STALLS AVAILABLE FOR LEASE. State of the art 72x180 indoor arena, bull pen, round pen, 1/8 mile track, outdoor arena, turnout, miles of trail riding. Karen 607222-4447 Binghamton area. AERING GREEN EQUESTRIAN CENTER. Schodack, NY. Specializing in Dressage and Eventing. Offering lessons, training and summer camps. 100x200 outdoor and a large indoor. 20 stall barn, miles of trails and ample turnout. www.aeringgreen.com or call Laura Fay 518-429-6825 C.B. WALKER STABLES. Brewster NY. Horses boarded, leased, bought and sold. Lessons in all disciplines. Training in dressage, jumping and eventing. 845-2781731 or info@cbwalkerstables.com. DUTCH MANOR STABLE – Since 1967. Where quality board, training & instruction are a Capital District tradition. Large heated indoor and outdoor riding arenas. USHJA certified instruction. 518456-5010 www.dmstable.com DIAMOND DERBY Ranch. Horse boarding, daily turnout, trails and lessons. Western, English. 845-638-0271 AFTER HOURS FARM, Clifton Park NY. Specializing in “TLC” horse boarding, superior English riding lessons and training. Indoor and outdoor rings. Horse shows, clinics and summer camp. (518)384-6441. RENEGADE FARM in Schenectady NY. Reasonable rates with experienced quality service since 1996. Boarding, training, English & western lessons by Lynn Bakos. ARIA certified instructor. Monthly Adult Horsemanship course, summer camp. Indoor & outdoor rings, trails, over 40 acres of pastures. 518-864-5518 or lgbrenegade@yahoo.com. HORSE BOARDING Private family horse farm, Abundant secure pastures. Unending quiet woodland trails. Very large indoor arena. Large box stalls. Individual care. Resident veterinarian. Otego, NY 607-988-7779 QUALITY STABLES. Quality care for boarding and training horses. Large lesson program for all ages. Visitors welcome. Oneonta, NY 607-4328977. www.qualitystables.com. Southern Dutchess Equestrian Center: Offering something for everyone and every discipline. Boarding, training & lessons all at reasonable rates. Visit us at southerndutchess. com or call 845-226-1256 SUGAR HILL FARM of Victor, NY offers riding lessons for all levels. A safe environment builds confidence and teaches compassion while working with horses. 585-924-8240 or w w w. Su g a r h i l l a r a b i a n s . c o m . PLEASANT HILL STABLES. Trail riding, Western/English tack & Apparel shop, Boarding, Lessons, Indoor arena. Horse & Carriage for Weddings, Team & Wagon for Parties, Birthday parties, Gift Certificates. www.pleasanthillstable. com or 607-648-4979 LUKENS STABLES – nationally known trainers of American Saddlebreds, Hackneys – road horses. Also boarding for retirees & broodmares. Excellent run-in facility, lessons by appointment. Ravena, NY. 518-756-9777 BOARDING, TRAINING (foals to seniors), Lessons, and Sales. Natural Horsemanship. W W W. h o o f s t e p s t r a i n i n gL L C . com (845) 820-0339 “Hoof Steps Training LLC, Doing things right one step at a time”. HORSE BOARDING & Riding Lessons. Brunswick NY. Oversized indoor arena, heated stables with all amenities. Board $525. Lessons for beginnersintermediate on seasoned horses $35. PlacidHillsStables. com 518-279-9717 HORSE BOARDING at Stillwater Island Farm. 20 min from Saratoga or Clifton Park. Spectacular views from the 50 acre private island. We have room for 2 boarders. Indoor arena, large box stalls, turnout in grass pastures with run-in sheds. Individual care. Maintained trails. Resident Veterinarian. Foundation Training available with natural horsemanship methods (PHN). $650 518-281-6383 REG. TENNESSEE WALKING Horses. Bred for trail riding. All have been used in my trail riding business and all do the original running walk. Why bounce when you can float in the Cadillac glide ride? $2800 to $4800. Will finance at 0% interest with a deposit. Happy Trails Walking Horses, LLC. 607-330-1198 MORGAN MARE 6 yrs old, Liver chestnut by Bell Flaire. Rides English/western, long lines,clips, cross-ties, jumps 3’, light mouth, 15.1 hands. Barefoot. Death in family forces sale. $7500. Warwick, NY 973-615-4795 MINI JENNY. Registered. 11 yrs old, 32.75” tall, super sweet, follows you everywhere, halter broke. Gets along with anything you put her out with. She has had foals and is a great mom. $400. 716-692-8828 WHITE MALE DONKEY. Born 7-2011. Raised with goats. $300. 315-658-0202 LUKENS HORSE Transportation. Providing the best care for your horse for over 25 years. Weekly trips from the Northeast to Kentucky. Give us a call! 1-800-6211225 or www.horsetransport.com. CARRIAGE DRIVING and Beginner Riding lessons, Pony Parties. Shadow Brook Farm, Middletown, NY Call Betty 845-692-5046. 1990 Circle J 2-Horse trailer, straight load w/ramp, storm doors, 2 escape doors, tack compartment. 4 new tires. Very good condition. 607-225-4909 Page 23 TWO HORSE Kingston trailer with ramp. Very good condition, white. $3500. Clifton Park. 518-371-5739 2003 SUNDOWNER 707 horse trailer. 2-horse, 7’ high with ramp, padded walls with divider, 2 saddle racks with storage, 2 escape doors. $4500. 716261-6995. East Aurora area. CROSBY Prix des Nations English Close Contact saddle, 17 inch seat, Havana brown, has holes for name plate and used stirrup leather/ irons. $300. 518-791-2533 ENGLISH All purpose saddle, adult size $25; western show halter and lead $25; good used heavy western saddle pad $12. . 315-245-0687 near Camden, NY. CON-TACK CONSIGNS and sells horse tack, riding apparel, equine antiques and collectibles. 845-7574442 or visit www.con-tack.com. FIT-RIGHT SADDLERY features Albion and Frank Baines saddles starting at under $2200. We do on-farm flocking and fit evaluation on new and used saddles. www.mysaddlefitter. com. Ann 518-231-0695 STOP ARENA DUST Now you can have a dust free indoor! MAG Flakes eliminates watering, saves money. Proven and safe. www.StopArenaDust.com Emerson Supply 716-434-5371 SHOW HORSE Appraiser. Maple Row Farm. 716-4350114 (cell) or 716-741-6900 EQUINE CONNECTIONS © MASSAGE THERAPY. Enhance Performance. Safeguard against injury. Give your horses the best possible care. CJ Mathewson. Certified Equissage © Therapist. Info@ www.equitouch. webs.com 518-848-4599 COGGINS TESTING – AGID and ELISA. Chemistry, Hematology, Urinalysis, Fecal and Serology too. Have your veterinarian contact us at Mohawk Valley Vet Labs (MVVL) located in Westmoreland, NY 1-877-853-4930 A HORSE DRAWN AFFAIR/ BROE FARM home of Rosevale Leggo. 16.2 black morgan stallion standing at stud. Boarding ,lessons, training, dressage, driving ,hunters, Sales 518-329-5249 LIVESTOCK 100% PUREBRED WAGYU BREEDING BULL available for sale or lease. Semen available, will deliver. Forever Hopeful Farm. 518-369-6874 REGISTERED POLLED Hereford Heifer and Bull calves; high weaning weights, good bloodlines. Berne, NY 518-872-0256 REG. RED ANGUS and Hereford yearling bulls, AI sires, proven genetics, ready to breed. 315406-2042 or 315-730-8610 Page 24 Grassroots Grassroots Farmers’ Market REG. RED ANGUS, cows, calves. 315691-4878 after 5pm 315-837-4134 REG. Charolais bull . 2 ½ yrs old. $3500 obo. Reg. Charolais bull calf (July) will be ready in January. $1800. Dale at 607-343-7878 LAKE EFFECT HOOF TRIMMING. Serving all New York State. 12 yrs experience, modern, safe equipment, insured. Contact our team John & Nicholas Anderson 315-408-6030 or mscoolcows@aol.com. DAIRY GOATS – ADGA registered Oberhasli National Top Ten DHIR milkers, yearlings, bucks, goat milk soap. Delicious milk, high butterfat. Darien 585-5479906. www.harperhillfarm.com. REGISTERED NIGERIAN Dwarf dairy goats – small and easy to handle. breeding stock, ideal for personal milk supply, 4-H projects, Can pull carts of be a pack animal. Does and bucks available. Shots-wormedDownsizing herd. Binghamton area, call evenings 607-693-2682 ANGORA GOATS. Reg. breeding stock from super fine Texas bloodlines. Breeding age bucks, does and starter flocks available, also raw or washed mohair fleece. Some pet quality stock also available. 518-537-4487 CASHMERE GOATS. Kinds and adult does and bucks from prize-winning lines. Breeding stock, bucks for rent, pets. Culls available for meat. Hermit Pond Farm, Brookfield. hermitpond@ gmail.com or 315-899-7792 BABY baled long. Lambs and goats and hay available all year Mike 845-434-7764 AKBASH Livestock Guardian dogs. Taking reservations for puppies in late spring. Experienced dogs also available, guarding sheep, alpacas and goats. We sleep at night, because they don’t! Springside Farm. 315-683-5860 SHETLAND SHEEP BREEDING stock for sale. For information or photos, 716-244-0290 or lao3@cornell.edu GOATS, DONKEYS, TURKEYS, spring chick, fresh eggs, live and dressed. NPIP certified 518-733-9332. DAY OLD CHICKS – broilers, layers and turkeys from our local hatchery. Can be picked up or shipped. Call or write for prices and availability. 518-5685322 giespasture@frontiernet. net, www.NEPPAHatchery.net. BLACK Copper Moran, welsumer & other chicks. NPIP tested. Hatching weekly March-June. Pick up only. Elba, NY. Text or call 585-300-7898 FRESH YOUNG TENDER Fryer rabbits. $6.50lb. Processed at a NYS approved processing facility. Vacuum sealed and frozen. www.thewhiterabbitranch.com. ALPACAS! High quality registered alpacas…sales and breeds. Farm visits always welcome. See the alpacas and the farm store with alpaca mill spun yarn and roving, homespun yarn from our alpacas’ fiber and many other alpaca items. Call today as the summer calendar is filling up… 607-397-8051. Worcester, NY. w w w. p r e s t o n a l p a c a s l l c .c o m . CONSIDERING ALPACAS... At Spirit Wind Farm and Fiber Studio we take pride in offering quality alpacas with competitive prices and guarantees. Providing education in alpaca husbandry and fiber w/ ongoing support before, during and after the sale. Contact us w/ questions or to schedule a visit to our farm and studio. 315-926-5427 email: kyoung8@rochester.rr.com ALPACA DISPERSAL – need to liquidate before winter. Show animals and pet quality animals. $100 or make offer. Will also consider trades. Hideaway Acres. 716-496-7225 leave message. ALPACA HERD REDUCTION : URGENT. Senior partner with health condition. Downsizing is imperative. Huacaya alpacas with genetics that produce quality fleece for the rapidly growing fiber market. Check alpacanation. com/heavenlysunsetfarm. asp. Also a number of superior bloodline males and females not yet listed. Negotiable terms. ALL REASONABLE OFFERS CONSIDERED. 607458-5499 or 607-7650306. hsf@zoominternet,net AUTUMN HILL Alpacas has breeding and pet quality alpacas for sale at low prices. We offer excellent support after the sale. If you are interested in producing fiber or just want some companion animals, we have the alpacas for you. 716-353-2963 or www.autumnhillalpacas.com. ALPACAS. Pets and breeding females. Also raw alpaca fiber sold by the pound. 518-497-6009 ALPACA ODYSSEY & Mercantile – Akron, NY – Open daily or by chance. Visitors welcome. Tours by appointment. Shop now for Holiday Gifts – Yarn, Sweaters, Scarves, Socks, Queen blankets and more. 585-542-3939 SHETLAND SHEEP. Chocolate ewes, 1-2 yrs old. $100 each. Great fiber, docile sheep. 716-990-3317 BABYDOLL LAMBS. 2013 lambs, bred ewes, white or black. Easy keepers, discount for 4-H or multiples. www.cabincreekacres. com or 518-587-6008 ICELANDIC SHEEP: Meat, breeding stock, fleece, roving, yarn, felt, pelts. High quality products. Shepherd’s Falls Farm. 315-683-9408 or visit our website at www.shepherdsfallsfarm.com WHITE DORPER SHEEP. Shedding, no shearing needed, ewes, ewe lambs and ram lambs for breeding. Custom-butchered freezer lambs, pasture-raised without any grain. Hoof rot free. www. whitecloversheepfarm.com or January 2014 Email ulf@whitecloversheepfarm. com. Phone 585-554-3313 York State! Contact NYDEFA at 716685-4019 or NYDEFA@NYDEFA. org to locate a farm near you! FORESTRY EASTON VIEW OUTFITTERS are specialists in putting together just the kind of outdoor adventure you have in mind! From once-in-alifetime trophy hunt to wilderness photography to using our lodge for your gathering or as your source of quality cervid stock for a new or existing farm, we promise you an unforgettable outdoor wilderness experience. Call 518692-9999 for more information. www.EastonViewOutfitters.com. SUSAN KEISTER Consulting Forester. Specialties: grade harvests (maple, oak, cherry), low grade harvests (beech, aspen, pine, etc.), valuations/appraisals (ROW, utility easements, estates, trespass), Management Plans and real property tax savings. Approved NRCS Technical Service Provider. 585-728-3044 or visit www.susanjkeisterllc.com. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. Firewood processors and other products to choose from. View videos at www.windancerfarm. com. 607-656-4551 FREE WOODWORKING KNIVES SELF-SET: Joiner and planer knives, buy any start-up kit and receive a FREE set of HSS replacement blades. Retail orders only. www.dispozablade.com or call Dispoz-A-Blade 800-557-8092 SAW MILL on Long Island. Custom Cut lumber Boards, Planks, Beams. 631-727-5920 Ed Thompson. SAWMILL American #2 50” blade. $1000. Also 52” left handed blade $600. 716-307-3175 APPLE WOOD & FIREWOOD available in Columbia & northern Dutchess counties and all adjacent areas. Delivery available, call for free quote. 845-876-5999 TIMBER & LOG BUYERS. “The Wagner Company” purchase standing timber, hardwood logs and timberland throughout New York and the Northern Tier of PA. 607-687-5362 or www.wagnerlumber.com. CUSTOM SAWING of logs, rough-cut hard and soft wood lumber available. Mill Blades Hammered. Call Ken. 585547-9269 or 585-591-0180 FIREWOOD. Cut, split and delivered for $175/cord (within 30 miles). Serving Upstate NY. Visa and Mastercard accepted. Call RM Bacon 518-686-5996 or rmbaconllc@yahoo.com. LOCUST POSTS. Round, Split, Sawed. Poles up to 30 feet, authentic split rail. 4x4, 6x6, 2x6, 1x6 etc. Locust if the natural chemical free alternative to pressure treated. 518-883-8284 USED 8”x48”x18’ CRANE mats. 12,000 Bd.Ft. of curly maple; Rough cut Pine and Hemlock lumber stock and cut to order. Cannonsville Lumber, Inc. 607-467-3380 or cannonlumber@echoes.net. TRAVEL COME VISIT OUR FARMS! New York Deer & Elk Farmers Association invites you to come visit a deer or elk farm near you! There are over 540 farms in New LLAMA TREKS. Take a guided nature hike with our pack llamas, through forested ravines with a stream and waterfalls, while they carry drinks and snacks. Spring, summer and fall. www.woodmanseellamas. com 315-696-8997 SEASONAL AGRI-TOURISM business opens in Lodi, NY, Seneca County! Amazeing Acres features a 7000 sg.ft Hedge Maze, a classical stone Labyrinth, Medicine Wheel Garden, pond w/paddle boats and walking paths to the Finger Lakes National Forest. Rough camping and Hostel. Open May1 – Oct 31. Fun outdoor field trip for families and classrooms. Available for Birthday parties, celebrations and Fundraiser Events too. www. amazeingacres.org or 607-5925493 to book a reservation. HOGANS BED & BREAKFAST in East Moriches, Long Island, the Gateway to the Hamptons. An hour away is the Montauk Lighthouse, Minutes away are farms and the Riverhead Aquarium. Tangers Outlet. 631-878-1964 SUPPLIES DISCOUNT ship daily. com PESTICIDES. We info@thompsonag. 716-934-3808. GENERIC PESTICIDES – Springwater Ag Products. 8663 Strutt St. Wayland ,NY Open 7 days a week! Farmer friendly prices. Call for early savings and prices. Serving the Finger Lakes area since 2003. We sell brand names as well. 585-728-2386 WOODWORKERS: Planer/jointer knives anyone can change! Free shipping for NYFB members. www. dispozablade.com 800-557-8092. DRAINAGE SUPPLIES – a complete line of yellow and black corrugated polyethylene pipe and fittings to solve your drainage problems. Heavy duty, high quality, NYS approved. For info call Paul Schwarting 315-689-6460 ALL POND FISH, Grass Carp, Forage & Supplies SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR. Pond dye, muck, algae & weed control solutions. Full service management, consulting, aquaponics, solar, windmill, electric aerators & fountains. 585-322-7805 or www.smithcreekfishfarm.com. LISTER LASER Shearing Machine January 2014 Grassroots Grassroots Farmers’ Market with extra combard culler, with plastic carrying case. Never used. Paid $320, asking $300. Firm. 716-992-3806 with very high glycerin content. This is a vegetable base co-product of biodiesel production. Bob 585727-5100. www.fullcyclesoap.com. SULLIVAN COUNTY FARM has compost for sale. Buyer responsible for trucking. Dry manure available. 845-295-0063. EMU OIL. Helps arthritis, psoriasis, skin rashes, poison ivy, etc. Works for any dry skin, excellent for wrinkles. At the Windmill on Saturdays in Penn Yan. Mail order available. Young Hill Ostrich & Emu Farm. 8489 Lattimier Hill Road. Arkport, NY 14807 emufarm@linkyny.com. PURCHASE AMSOIL Synthetic lubricants. Reduce engine wear, lower your operating cost and help Farm Bureau. Visit www.lubedealer.com/ve Use dealer number ZO 1664563 LUBRICANTS & FUEL SOLUTIONS. Cen-Pe-Co, TRC, Amisol, B’laster, Alemite, Milwaukee, Lincoln, Baldwin Filters, Columbia Paints & Roof Coatings, Sampling, Fuel Cans, Tanks & Pumps. Etc. Delivered. Erich 607-591-1156 or www.nylfs.com. HONEYBEES. Packages in nucs. Italian and Russian. Wooden Wear clothing and other beekeeping equipment. Order early for guaranteed delivery. 845-4275885 . Elwill40@yahoo.com. HONEYBEE COLONIES wintered over and washed empty 55 gallon open head barrels. Available after May 1st. 585-964-3121 AVON-SKIN So Soft bug guard. Deet Free. Plant based citronella. Safe for whole family. SPF 15,30 and 8hr protections. Safe for infants 6mo and up. Has Good Housekeeping seal of approval. Selling to families and businesses in bulk. Dana at 631-987-7797 or Dana4Avon@ aol.com. http://danacolonna. avonrepresentative.com. SLEEP CHEAP & More. 315-9864720. SleepCheapOnline.com. All matresses made in the USA. All mattresses are NEW in plastic with warranty. Twin $99.95; Full $149.95; Queen Pillow Top $249.95 and King Pillow Top $299.95. THREE-POUND Bee packages. Albany pick up April 2-5. $110. Five frame nucs April 27 $170. 518370-4989 or beegood@gmail.com. SLEEP CHEAP. We have mattress Vinyl Protectors 100% enclosed with zipper and are hospital grade, allergen proof, water proof and bug proof. Twin sizes $16.50 + shipping. We have all sizes and we ship quickly. 315-986-4720 WASHED BEDDING SAND, STONE, GRAVEL, LIMESTONE CRUSHER-RUN prompt service fully insured since 1949. Van trucking 315-263-2647 CATTLE FREE STALL SAND. Inorganic bedding sand, delivered by the yard. Provided by Ashcroft Construction Company. Greenwich, NY. 518-692-2014 EQUIPMENT- Gates, pens, feed panels, corrals, feed throughs, all sizes. Finger Lakes. 585-3941515 or 585-315-0498 ask for Ron. BEDDING SAND AND STONE DUST – Western NY, Gernatt Family of Companies delivers top quality bedding sand for free stall barns year round. Bulk stone dust – ideal for Re-mineralization. Call Neil at 716-532-3371 EQUIPMENT - CATTLE: chutes, headgates, sweeps, panels. EQUINE: stalls, saddle racks, round pen. Also have kennels. Call Layden’s. 888-589-7033 SPECIALTY PRODUCTS FISH HATCHERY at Falconwood Farms. Live fish for ponds, restaurants and farm markets. Grown in ponds and tanks supplied by water from wells and springs of Sherman, CT and Wingdale, NY. 845-8326086 www.fishfarmz.com BASS,BLUEGILL, CATFISH, Perch, Minnows, Crayfish, snails, Koi and other ornamentals. Grass carp for vegetation control. Small pond Ecosystem Specialists. Northeast Aquatics, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. 845-876-3983 SEW WHAT? Fabric Shoppe. Fabrics, classes and machine quilting. Addison, NY 607-359-4308 HIGH CALCIUM AG-LIME, Stone and bedding sand for Western NY. County Line Stone, family owned and operated since 1959 can supply these and any other stone products to your farm. Brad at 716542-5435 for pricing and delivery. HALF PRICE FERTILIZER, PELLETIZED. Analysis of 6.3.0, Deliveries to Orange, Ulster and Dutchess Counties. Great for corn, mixed grass hay and sod. Spreader available. Call 908-859-2619 for pricing. SAWDUST. Delivery for price. $15 per yard. available, call 570-537-2937 BULK PINE SHAVINGS Available for Pick-up Truck to Tractor Trailer Loads Priced by Cubic Yard Mike Smith Logging 877-658-3250 or mikesmithlogging@msn.com GOAT MILK SOAP – handcrafted with our certified organic goat’s milk, organic and non-organic soaps available. Wales, NY 716-4309928 or www.alpinemade.com. SAWDUST and bark Mulch. Also wood cuts offs-ends from sawmill. Ideal for outdoor furnaces. Will deliver to Sussex, NJ, OrangeChenango-Sullivan-Delaware, Putnam, Wayne Counties. All calls returned. 845-986-2946 FULL CYCLE SOAP – all natural soap BULK PINE Shavings loaded on your pick-up or dump truck. Mike 607-859-2394 or www.sawdustguy.com. GREEN SCAPES Inc. Bulk Mulch, Compost, Decorative stone, Boulders, Pavers, Tire Ballast, bulk treated Salt, De-Icing liquids, Wallstone and more. Visit our Web-site www.greenscapesonline. com 315-469-0007 KILN DRIED SAWDUST and wood shavings, green sawdust available. Quality, clean horse and dairy bedding. 20 to 120 yard loads available. Prompt Service. 315-729-1499 KILN DRIED Pine shavings. 3.25cu.ft. paper bags. 2 kinds to choose from. $4.60 and $4.70 per bag. 529 Klock Road, Fort Plain. 518-568-3203 BAREFOOT WOOD PELLETS. $275/ton. Worcester Valley Lumber Rte 7 West, Worcester, NY 12197. 607-397-8002 STANDING CORN. Easy access, silage or grain. Madison County. Hamilton Area. 315-824-4413 LAMB for your freezer (legs, chops, burger, 3 flavors sausage, etc.) Registered Cotswold breeding stock, natural colored sheep too. Exceptional handspinning fleeces, prepared fiber and sheepskins, all from our flock. www.nistockfarms.com or 607522-4374. Located in Prattsburgh. Page 25 land located in Hamburg NY. Best top soil in the country. Perfect for Corn, Soybean, etc. could qualify for organic. Contact Shawn @ 818-384-9638. COUNTRY HAVEN on 32 acres, beautiful modern 3 bdrm home, pool, garage, private setting 518-922-6301 GRASS LAKE Property. Rossie, NY. 1700’ shoreline with dock, 4000’ shoreline grass creek. 137 acres, fully renovated house, 3 br, 2ba,large barn and woodlot. Good hunting and fishing. $359,000. 315-324-5253 10 BEAUTIFUL acres overlooking Seneca Lake, Yates County. Very nice 3 bedroom colonial home with stone fireplace, nice set of barns. 40x80 Morton building with shop. 315-536-2717. Please leave message. FOR RENT: 2-3 bedroom house in Hillsdale. Private but with good neighbors on pretty country road. Convenient to town. Newly renovated. Drinda 518-851-7855 44 ACRE farm with beautiful, custom-built four bedroom home with custom-built barn with total of 6 stalls, tack room, and carriage room. Hebron, NY. Visit www.starlitridge.com for additional information. GROUND ALPACA MEAT. Lean & healthy alternative to beef. Shipping within NYS available. On sale now at www.DutchHollowAcres.com. 345 ACRE ORGANIC DAIRY FARM. Dairy of Distinction. Operating since 1945. Certified organic since 2007. 220 tillable acres. Barns, outbuildings. Tioga County. $1,350,000. Frank Myka, NY Land Quest. 877-2361117 www.nylandquest.com GIANT VARIETY Vegetable Seeds – grow giant pumpkins, corn, sunflowers, etc. and make a show for your farm market. Start a contest and involve the kids! Set World Records! Ray 716-9464487 or www.bigseeds.com. 138 ACRES of pasture, hay fields, and forest for sale in Candor, N.Y. Twenty miles from the Cornell campus. Unsurpassed gently sloping southern-exposure vista. Details at http://candorlandforsale. blogspot.com or call 518-461-3244. BLACK OIL Sunflower seeds. 30 pounds for $15. Wedgerock Farm. 315-822-5342 GOOD RETIREMENT HOME. 1600 sq.ft. 4 bedroom, gas furnace, 1.7 acres, village water, sewage, garage, metal barn, concrete floor. ½ acre garden, creek, black walnut trees, grapes. 315-865-5521 NORTHERN WHITETAIL SCENTS sells premium scents direct from our deer to your door! We are a family owned and operated whitetailed deer farm right here in New York. Our scents are collected and bottled fresh daily! 100% natural, the way nature intended! We now have antlers and mounts for sale. Call 1-800-683-3002 or visit www.NorthernWhitetail.com. ARMSTRONG’S ELK FARM has ARMSTRONG’S VELVET ANTLER CAPSULES for sale. Velvet antler provides nutritional support for joint structure and function. This natural dietary supplement is 100% natural – 100% Whole Velvet Antler from Armstrong’s Elk Farm in Cornwallville, NY. Call 518-622-8452 or e-mail elkfarmerd@aol.com. REAL ESTATE FARM LAND FOR LEASE: Approx 45 acres of pasture and crop BUY LAND. 40 years experience in Farm and Land sales in Orange County. D.L. Hawkins & Assoc. 845-629-6896 DUTCHESS COUNTY. 4 lots quality farmland available ranging from 11-19 acres. Ideal for hobby farming enthusiast. Private but only 2 miles to Taconic. Ferris Real Estate. 845-454-7800 PUTNAM NY. 475 acres +/-. 4 bedroom home, barns, brook runs through property. Beef/ horse farm, exc. hunting. $625,000. No reasonable offer refused. 518-585-7907. HOME FOR SALE in Fort Meyers, FL. 5 minutes to Ft. Meyers beach, 2 bedroom, 2 full bath. Abuts to a 5 acre man-made lake. Located in a mobile home park. Make Offer. 716-457-3811 CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Page 26 Grassroots Grassroots Farmers’ Market FOR SALE. 88 Acres, 10,000 marketable trees, sales building, wreath making & choose/cut, machinery building, 6 yr old house with outdoor wood boiler & oil radiant heat. Above ground heated pool. All machinery included for $450,000 518-854-7358 EMPLOYMENT SHOW HORSE FARM needs experienced help. Heated indoor facility. Housing plus salary. Call 518-756-9755. WOULD YOU like to have your own dairy but need help starting it? I may be able to help. 607-776-1711 FULL-TIME Farmhand. Seeking live-in farm family with experience in gardening, animal care and maintenance to work on 170 acre property. 3 br house in Cornwall school district. Send resume to PO Box 91, Salisbury Mills, NY 12577 svheerden1012@gmail.com. AGRICULTURAL MACHINE BUILDER. Requires knowledge of mechanical and hydraulic systems, ability to accurately fabricate parts, ability to make professional quality welds. Wayne County. Send resumes to works@lagasseworks.com. GLOVER PERENNIALS seeking Nursery Manager. Hands on position overseeing potting, shipping, nursery maintenance, irrigation and pest management. Send resume’s to PO Box 759 Cutchoque, NY 11935. joanne@gloverperennials.com. FULL-TIME CLINICAL VETERINARIAN with an interest in herd health and production medicine is needed in our Western NY facility. Responsible for the health and care of our purpose bred canine and ferret populations. Limited travel outside the US required. Email clinicalveterinarian@gmail.com. SERVICES whole or parted. 607-875-4149 DIRECT MARKETING LIVESTOCK SERVICE. B.K.Transfer. 5324 County Rd 14 in Odessa, NY is accepting all types of livestock. Mondays 9-4 and Thursday 9-3. 607-703-0052 and 607-227-5282 HUNTING LEASE NETWORK (HLN) provides professional managed hunting leases with liability insurance. Visit w w w. n a t i o n a l h u n t i n g l e a s e s . com or call 315-789-3181. CERTIFIED Animal Aromatherapist. Available for the common and uncommon: environmental issues, trauma, immune system, show placing and rescue animals. Appointments for the 4 & 2 legged. Itoocare@ aol.com or 607-862-9536 CUSTOM CARDING & SPINNING. Processing all fiber types. Batting, roving or yarn from your own fleece – no minimums. Visit OnLine www.battenkillfibers.com or come for a tour. 518-692-2700 AUNT LULU’s Embroidery specializes in livestock embroidery on garments and accessories. Denim shirts, award chairs, hats, logo business apparel, awards for shows and much more. Check out www.StitchesByAuntLulu. com for breed specific embroidery. Laura 585-765-2280 CHEMICAL CONSULTANT, GDA Consulting “Chemistry at Work” Guy D’Angelo, Chemist. Call: 631-878-2912. HORT IC U LT U R E / N U R S E RY/ CONSULTING. Diversify your ag business, expand or create. FREE initial consultation. Contract Growing available. Billsplants@ optonline.net or 631-924-1513 DESIGN-BUILD-CONCEPTS for ALL your Equine/Ag building plans as well as Residential and Commercial. Give us your information at our website www. design-build-concepts.com for a free quote. 607-292-3690 SPANISH/ENGLISH; translating, interpreting, classes; 14 years experience; www.camysorbello. com Camy Sorbello 315-597-9791. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE STORAGE, refrigeration, and ventilation. Arctic Refrigeration Co., Batavia, N.Y. Tel. 585-343-2678. ACCOUNTING and TAX SERVICES available year-round for sole-proprietor farms and small businesses. Tax prep for individuals. Finger Lakes Farm Services. William Hudson, EA, Bath NY. Phone/Fax 607-7766479 or billhud@flmtgif.org. HONEY BEE POLLINATION SERVICE. 100-200 hives available for pollination during the 2014 WNY growing season. Hives will be returning to WNY in April ready to go to work. 716-479-6338 for info. TAX SERVICES – year round. Individuals, Farms, Businesses, Payroll. Elma Phillips, EA, MBA. Pattersonville, NY. 518-8875740 or taxlady@ptcconnect. net. www.elmastax.com. POND SERVICE and supplies, fish stocking and algae control. Contact us for help enjoying your pond more. 585-394-5890. www.nationalpondservice.com. FULL SERVICE YEAR around tax accounting & payroll service in Marion, NY. New clients receive 20% off the tax return fee. New payroll clients receive 20% off their current monthly payroll fee. Call Boerman Tax Accounting & Payroll. 315-926-0203 FENCING. Serving Western New York for over 14 years. We install livestock, horse, deer and many other types of fence. All designed to fir your specific needs. Call R&R Fencing. 585-599-3489 AUCTIONS. Reynolds Auction Co. can help with all asset liquidation including farm, horticulture, commercial, restaurant, vehicles, estates, antiques and real estate. www.reynoldsauction.com for upcoming auctions. 315-597-8815 FENCING: we install agricultural and residential fencing to meet your needs. Post pounding, woven wire, board, split rail, chain link, vinyl. 25 years experience. Serving Western and Central NY. Stable fences & Vineyards, LLC. 585349-4119 www.StableFences.com. POULTRY PROCESSING AVAILABLE. Cascun Farm in Greene, NY just opened our brand new NYS inspected facility. We do Chicken, Turkey, Pheasants and Rabbits. We can do all of the above DEER NUISANCE control free services. Suffolk Archers Deer Management Program specializing in helping farms reduce crop loses to zero. Guaranteed deer harvest. Permits, licensed and insured. Andy 631-521-1471 CUSTOM PRINTING: Forms, tags, business cards, letterhead and envelopes, label and more. For a no obligation quote, contact Photographic Services at 315-5898665 or photographicservices@ r o c h e s t e r . r r . c o m . HORSE BLANKETS: Cleaned, waterproofed and repaired. Over 30 yrs experience. 845677-6906 Serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia Counties and Long Island. AUBIN’S BUTCHERING & PROCESSING. Slaughtering beef, pork, veal, lamb, goats. Smoking hams, bacons, beef jerky, slim jims. 40 years experience. Gary and Bert Aubin 315-688-2964 dangerous tree removal. Fully insured. 716-257-5591 FENCING – serving Broome, Chenango, Tioga and Tompkins Counties. We install high tensile cattle and horse fencing. Also do pond construction, pasture clearing, foundation work and post installation. Participate in USDA soil conservation work. S&L Excavating. 607-692-2519 TREE SERVICE. Serving of WNY. Specializing all in FULL SERVICE YEAR ROUND Tax accounting/payroll/bookkeeping services. New customer discount of $50 on your 2011 returns. $20 per client referral. We are located in Middle Grove, NY, minutes away from Saratoga Springs. Nancy DeLorenzo 518-581-0163, www. DELORENZOASSOCIATES.COM. FARM FUEL: Farmers are eligible for a refund of NYS taxes paid on qualified fuel. Contact Melissa at The Peachin Group, LLC to file for a refund. Melissa@peachingroup. com Or 607-432-5314 CONSULTING REAL ESTATE APPRAISER: Specializing in conservation easements for PDR and or IRS donations; MAI, Associate member, ASFMRA, 30 yrs experience: R. Peters Hubbell, Jr. – R.P. Hubbell and Company, Inc. 845-454-6525 or 518-846-3322 January 2014 H2A, H2B Consulting service. Assist or complete paperwork at all levels. Micosta/H2Express 518-451-0109 h2express@yahoo. com. www.h2expressinc.com/ approx.. $900 plus ads and USCIS. H2-A and H2-B work visas. Call U.S. Americans for free consultation at 516-997-1065 IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY (H-2A/ H-2B): Experienced Immigration attorney to handle all aspects of visa processing, including advertising, forms preparation, consular processing, legal consulting, I-9 issues. L.J. D’Arrigo, Esq., Whiteman,Osterman & Hanna, LLP. 518-4877642 orldarrigo@woh.com. AGRICULTURAL Engineering Services (AES) offers technical expertise to producers and rural landowners. This includes designs for buildings, earthen and concrete structures, CAFO issues and wetland concerns. Dana Chapman, P.E. 315-729-4914 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - AZTECH Technologies Inc. partnering with you to find cost effective environmental and regulatory solutions. Providing Spill prevention Control Countermeasure/Storm Water Management/ Storage Tank Monitoring, Maintenance and Closure/ GHG reporting. 518-8855383 or info@aztechtechtech.com. COMMERCIAL Pesticide applicators and technicians. NYS DEC approved certification Category 3A (Ornamental, Shade tree, Turf) May-Sept, 2014. Innoculate ash trees for EAB. Mark – Onondaga County SWCD 315-457-0325 BARBEQUE CATERING. Let us cater your next event. LaJeunesse Cuisine. 518-673-2453. Email lajeunessecuisinellc@yahoo.com. SEAWAY RENTAL CORP: A Honda dealer for sales & service of generators and pumps. We stock Honda parts and rent equipment for general maintenance. 315-788-4700 or www.seawayrentalcorp.com. GRAIN HANDLING EQUIPMENT: Call AGRI-FAB & REPAIR for your grain handling needs from facility design, fabrication and installation, general facility maintenance, dryer service, rigging, millwrighting, crane and electrical services. 585-584-9210 AG & SMALL ENGINE PARTS: If you need any parts for tractors, bedding choppers, lawn mowers & more, visit us on the web at www.wnyparts.com or www. nyparts.com. 315-347-1755 AG & Heavy Equipment parts and repair. Full service repair facility, in house machining & fabrication. Aftermarket parts for most makes & models. Call now to schedule winter repairs. www. pdmechanical.com. 315-288-5307 REPAIR-vs-REPLACE. Electronic Dairy Board Service. Specializing Grassroots January 2014 Page 27 in repair of WestfaliaSurge, BouMatic, Germania, DeLaval and Muellar Milk tank control Repair. 406-590-7764 LIME-LAKE PERFORMANCE. Servicing SledsJet SkisATV’s. Ask for Mike. 716353-8262 or 716-560-6018 writing, design, construction and installation,operation and maintenance. Chase Wind 1-877884-1753 or info@chasewind.com. NORTH STAR AUTO ELECTRIC: complete custom rebuilding or exchange of starters, alternators & generators. 6 thru 48 volt. Specializing in farm & industrial applications. Also Pertronix electronic conversion kits and distributor rebuilding. We can ship UPS. 5% discount to Farm Bureau members. Macedon, NY. 800-659-8163. “After the sale it’s the service that counts!”. TIRES!TIRES!TIRES!. We buy & sell new and used tires of all kinds. Full service at your place or ours. We pump Rim Guard and calcium. Tire Merchants International. 315-592-2812 OIL & GAS ATTORNEY: Richard Gerard, Practice limited to Oil and Gas. Exclusively representing Landowners in NY and PA. Visit www.ny.gaslaw. com Call 607-732-3793 AQUASCAPE RAIN Xchange rainwater harvesting systems/ Water gardens. Installations, consultations, products. Chips Landscaping. 518-339-4869/ Fax 518-893-2064 website w w w. c h i p s l a n d s c a p i n g . n e t . GAS LEASE ATTORNEY: Chenango County area, attorney Ed Downey, review and consulting on gas leases and right of ways, 607-316-5601 or edowneylaw@nycap.rr.com TRUCK BODIES, CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR NEEDS. Dump bodies, rollbacks, stake racks, flat beds, round bail wagons, dump trailers, equipment trailers. Western Fabrication (315)827-4008 ENGINE & Cylinder head rebuilding. Complete engine balancing, line honing, decking, resurfacing, boring, sleeve repair, big bore, pin boring, performance valve jobs, cast iron welding, guides and seat boring & installation etc. Call Steve Dannible’s Engine & Machine in St. Johnsville. 518-568-7794 CAD Welding and Steel Fabrication. Welding repairs on buckets, farm equipment and blades. Build up work and hard facing of buckets, heavy equipment and implements. Westmoreland, NY. John at 315-794-7421 FUEL SERVICE: Call for Special Fuel Pricing. Mohawk Home Comfort Services a full service Heating & Cooling installation company delivering Oi l , Ke ro s e ne , Die s e l , Ga s ol i ne and Propane products. Ed @ 1-800-432-8669 SOLAR PANELS – WIND TURBINES: Call Pyrus Energy for the best options to reduce your electric bills. We provide honest production estimates and economic analysis for your specific location. Call Pyrus Energy 315-834-6406 WIND TURBINE ELECTRIC GENERATORS. We offer all NYSERDA approved manufacturers from 3.5kW to 775kW. Free site evaluation and help with permitting, grant- MISCELLANEOUS BOOK OF NEW YORK’S Agricultural history is rich and fascinating! “Four Hundred Years of Agricultural Change in the Empire State” by Robert Bitz. Purchase on-line from both Amazon or Barnes & Noble. FINDING MY WAY TO MOOSE RIVER FARM by Anne T. Phinney is a memoir of a happy life lived in the company of extraordinary animals. What do Noah the potbelly pig, Olivia the Canada Goose and Lowtchee the Dutch Friesian have in common?? Makes a great Christmas Gift at $17.95. Order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and www. mooseriverfarm.com. Book video at http://vimeo.com/70606026. FREE FITNESS GROUP. Join a free fitness and weight loss group for motivation and support to reach your individual goals! Email fitateveryage@ gmail.com or 631-902-3318 SPORTSMENS CLUB. Year round family fun. Fish, hunt, canoe, ATV, snowmobile. 5000 acres. Kempshallmountainclub.com or Dennis at 518-624-2399 TIOGA GAS LEASE. The Tioga County Landowners Group is now accepting members. Membership information and educational resources on gas leasing can be found at: www.TiogaGasLease.org. WANTED: Will pay for 1959 groudbreaking picture @ O-ATKA Milk Plant, Batavia, NY. Picture includes WNY Milk Cooperative industry leaders with shovels in hand. Call 315-569-5029 DISCLAIMER: New York Farm Bureau reserves the right to refuse to accept any classified ad, paid or unpaid, at its sole discretion. Cazenovia Cortland Syracuse a i v a t a Wate aB t n rloo a l t A Get The Job Done With Woods Equipment! BW180 Batwing Mower SGT72 Tiller RBC60 Rear Blade TPD95 Post Hole Digger Empire Tractor would like to offer Farm Bureau Members & their family & friends 30% off Woods Equipment* Route 371 Atlanta, NY 585-534-5935 EMPIRE TRACTOR 5072 E. Main St. Batavia, NY 585-343-1822 2893 Route 20 E. Cazenovia, NY 315-655-8146 www.empiretractor.com 638 Route 13 Cortland, NY 607-753-9656 2700 Erie Blvd. Syracuse, NY 315-446-5656 1437 Route 318 Waterloo, NY 315-539-7000 “Like” us on Facebook! * Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details. MLET01-24-ETFB-1 Page 28 Grassroots January 2014 In the natIon, what matters to us Is what matters to you. When it comes to protecting what you love, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Someone who cares about what you care about. At Nationwide Insurance, we call them agents. You’ll call them friends. We put members first, because we don’t have shareholders. Join the nation where protection is personal. Contact your local agent or call 1-877-Nationwide. Endorsed by: Member Services nationwide.com/nyfb Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Nationwide may make a financial contribution to this organization in return for the opportunity to market products and services to its members or customers. Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance and the Nationwide framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. “FARM BUREAU,” “FB” and the FB National Logo, NEW YORK FARM BUREAU, State Farm Bureau Logo (black and white and color) are registered service marks of the American Farm Bureau Federation used under license by Nationwide. © 2012 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved. FBO-0159AO (1212)