Agriculture
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Two dairy farms, both in northern New York, both succeeding economically. But they have very different definitions of what “sustainable” means in the context of farming. Today, The Dirt’s Julie Grant compared on the radio the 1,500...
The Assembly voted unanimously today to cap tax assessments on agricultural land at 2% increases per year. The bill now goes before Governor Andrew Cuomo for his signature. Because farmland is valued by the crops it can produce, and the price of...
The number of CSAs – Community Supported Agriculture – in New York State has tripled since 2007 to 400 CSAs this year, according to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. The basic idea is consumers buy into a farm and...
A couple of remainders to wrap up the week. New York’s State Senate passed a bill that would direct government agencies to make a list of New York farm fresh products that agencies could buy. Agriculture Committee chairwoman Patty Ritchie of...
The iconic musical benefit for family farms will be held at SPAC, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, on September 21st this year. Founders Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young will again be the headliners, along with newer board member...
Agriculture
Jun 17, 2013 — The Obama administration says the bill "makes unacceptable deep cuts" to federal food aid programs and extends, rather than cuts, crop insurance payments to farmers.
Jun 14, 2013 — A fraternal agriculture organization known as the Grange must bring in younger members to survive. But the new generation's interest in environmental issues and food politics is clashing with the Grange's support of industrial farms.
Jun 14, 2013 — Incentive programs that double the value of food stamp dollars spent at farmers markets have been hailed as one of the most effective ways to encourage healthful eating and support local farmers. The flaw: Most people don't shop at farmers markets. So a new program will soon pilot the concept at three grocery stores in Detroit.
Jun 12, 2013 — In the past three years, Midwestern farmers have seen flooding, then record-setting drought, and now flooding again. "As much as we think we have things cornered and we know what's going to be happening, you just don't know what will happen," a meteorologist says.
Jun 11, 2013 — The Senate passed legislation Monday that would do away with direct payments to farmers and instead create an expanded crop insurance program. It's designed to protect farmers from losses, but some say it amounts to a highly subsidized gift to agribusiness.
Special Reports
Audio SeriesFarm to Farm, Family to Family: David Sommerstein travels with NC dairy farmers to a Mexican village many of their migrant workers call home.
Audio SeriesA Year on the Farm
In this monthly feature series, David Sommerstein follows life in the barn, on the fields, and in the farmhouse through the changing seasons on the Andrews dairy farm near Gouverneur NY. This series won the 2006 "Cap" Creal Journalism Award from the New York Agricultural Society.
Audio SeriesHispanic Workers on North Country Farms
Five years ago, just a handful of farmers in the North Country employed Hispanic workers. Now many use workers from Latin America. The transition can be a bumpy one, for farmers and for the people they hire. David Sommerstein tells their stories in this ongoing series.
Audio Slideshow:Beekeepers facing new challenges
Lucy Martin visits with Ontario beekeeper Terry McEvoy and talks about colony collapse disorder and other apiary ailments that raise concerns about the food supply.
Audio SlideshowSights & Sounds of the Dairy Princess Parade
We go to the sidelines of one of the big events on the annual dairy calendar, the St. Lawrence County Dairy Princess Parade in Canton. Fire engines, tractors, and floats rolled down Main Street on Saturday.
Audio SeriesDiversifying North Country Farms
NCPR reporter David Sommestein's series on diversifying North Country farming won the 2003 “Cap” Creal Journalism Award from the New York State Agricultural Society.
Photo Audio EssayDairy Farming in the North Country
The time seemed right to look at the challenges facing dairy in the North Country. In part 1 we look at the price of milk, as seen through the eyes of one mid-size dairy farmer. In part 2 we visit a cheese manufacturer proposing drastic changes in the way North Country farmers do business. David Sommerstein reports.
Audio SlideshowA Barn-Raising in Upper Jay (Real 6:23)
These days, most new barns are built quickly with steel frames and sheet-metal siding. But some landowners are taking a little more time, using methods and materials passed down over hundreds of years.
Photo Audio EssaySaving New York's Historic Barns
Some of New York's oldest barns are getting facelifts. Todd Moe visited a Canton family's 1820 English threshing barn slated for restoration.
Hispanic men and women - some of them quite young - provide labor illegally on many dairy farms. Photo: David Sommerstein
Undocumented farmworkers weigh benefits against risks
May 20, 2013 — New York's farms employ about 60,000 people and no one knows how many of those workers are here illegally. According to one estimate, 70 percent of the state's agricultural workforce is undocumented.
Some stay for years, long enough to raise a family. But it's risky. Go to full article
Some stay for years, long enough to raise a family. But it's risky. Go to full article
Lawmakers carry on despite scandals
May 14, 2013 — Lawmakers in Albany tried to carry on as usual in the wake of one of the worst scandals in recent decades. Recent corruption arrests have overshadowed most other news coming out of the Capitol. And much of this week's legislative session has been cancelled.
But politicians who were in town insisted that their agendas are not being derailed. Go to full article
But politicians who were in town insisted that their agendas are not being derailed. Go to full article
Lots about seeds
May 13, 2013 — Corn, cucumbers, parsley and parsnips...it all starts with seeds. But not all seeds are easy to nurse through the germination stage. In their weekly gardening conversation, Cornell Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy talks with Martha Foley about some of the challenges that stall or prevent germination, and ways to give seeds the conditions they need to sprout. Go to full article
North Country wines survive the cold, please the palate
Clayton, NY, May 13, 2013 — The New York wine industry is booming. According to the New York Wind and Grape Foundation, five million people visit New York wineries every year. The industry generates... Go to full article
Vermont grants driver's licenses to migrant workers
East Montpelier, VT, May 09, 2013 — Dairy farms in Vermont and northern New York have faced a major labor shortage, which means that migrant laborers from Mexico and Guatemala are now milking many of the... Go to full article
Gillibrand wants food stamps, milk price reform in Farm Bill
May 08, 2013 — Congress is back to work on a new five year Farm Bill. The Senate passed one last year, but the House of Representatives couldn't agree on the size of cuts to the food stamp... Go to full article
National Grid power upgrade grant helps Jefferson County dairy farm expand
May 06, 2013 — A Tylerville dairy farm, in Jefferson County, is growing, in part thanks to help from National Grid. The company awarded the farm a grant of $50,000 to increase its access to... Go to full article
Will easing dairy manure rules do much at all?
Albany, NY, May 06, 2013 — Last month, Governor Cuomo carried through on a promise he made to dairy farmers, loosening environmental regulations for small farms.
Right now, a farm with 200... Go to full article
Right now, a farm with 200... Go to full article
New York rediscovers an old crop: hops
Apr 30, 2013 — New York was once the dominant grower of a main ingredient in beer: hops. As craft brewing has taken off in the state, it's created an opportunity for farmers to get back... Go to full article
Keeping up with asparagus
Apr 29, 2013 — It won't be long before the lucky people with an asparagus patch will be eating one of the first edibles offered by the new season.
Whether you're trying to keep... Go to full article
Whether you're trying to keep... Go to full article
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