Mar 19, 2003 — New York lawmakers will hear firsthand from farmers about agricultural issues in a series of town meetings held across the state. The first will be held this Friday at SUNY Canton at noon. David Sommerstein talks with Assemblyman and dairy farmer Darrel Aubertine about the issues facing the dairy industry.  Go to full article

Mar 04, 2003 — The town of Dekalb Junction, just southwest of Canton, is known by treasure hunters as the antique capital of St. Lawrence County. But every Wednesday, bargain hunters of a different kind park their 4x4s and trailers all along Route 11 for Seymour's Commission Sales weekly livestock auction. David Sommerstein stopped in and sends this audio postcard.  Go to full article

Feb 11, 2003 — New York lawmakers are urging U.S. trade representatives to restrict dairy imports from Canada that compete with North Country dairy products. David Sommerstein reports they're making progress as low milk prices continue to hurt farmers.  Go to full article

Jan 29, 2003 — A convergence of news stories about big hamburgers and small farms got Station Manager Ellen Rocco thinking about connections and scale.  Go to full article

Jan 24, 2003 — Most dairy farmers in the North Country milk their cows all year long. It brings in a steady paycheck and ensures a steady flow of milk to manufacturing plants. But a small but growing number give their cows a break during the coldest months. It's a technique called seasonal dairying. Its supporters say it's gentler on the cows, easier on the environment, and gives small dairy farms a future in an industry that's growing ever bigger. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Dec 06, 2002 — Fewer than 10 percent of North Country dairy farmers graze their cows on pasture. Most confine their herd to big barns and feed them grains and hay. But since the 1980s, agronomists have been encouraging small farms to embrace intensive rotational grazing during the warmer months as a way to cut costs. Farmers then only buy feed for the winter. David Sommerstein reports on a model 60-cow grazing farm in the Lewis County town of Denmark, near Carthage.

The Adirondack North Country Association's Martha Pickard consults for free with farmers to design a grazing management plan. You can reach her at 518-891-6200.  Go to full article

Dec 05, 2002 — The company that plans to buy McCadam Cheese says cheese manufactured in New York will help it expand its markets. Agri-Mark is a cooperative owned by 1400 farmers throughout New England and New York. David Sommerstein reports McCadam's Chateaugay plant will join Agri-Mark's two processing plants in Vermont and one in Massachusetts.  Go to full article

Dec 04, 2002 — The news of Vermont-based Agri-Mark Coop's purchase of McCadam Cheese Company is good for Franklin County farmers and workers at McCadam's manufacturing plant in Chateaugay, which will stay open.

But Agri-Mark says it will close McCadam's packaging plant in Heuvelton on February 1st after more than a century of operation. More than 100 people will lose their jobs. David Sommerstein reports the effects will be far-reaching for families and businesses in the small St. Lawrence County village.  Go to full article

Dec 03, 2002 — Agri-Mark, the Vermont farmers' cooperative that makes Cabot cheeses, will buy McCadam Cheese plants in Heuvelton and Chateaugay. About a hundred jobs will be lost at the packaging plant in Heuvelton, but the local cheddar will still be made in Chateaugay. Martha Foley talks with McCadam President Brian Lee.  Go to full article

Sep 18, 2002 — The North Country dairy industry is built on manufacturing. Most of the milk cows produce is turned into something else - cheese, butter, yogurt, milk powder. The relationship between dairy farmers and the processing plants they sell their milk to is a symbiotic one. But like all close relationships, there can be tension, even outright feuds. In the second part of our series on dairy in the North Country, David Sommerstein looks at the relationship from one processor's point of view, who says the future lies in the two groups becoming one.  Go to full article