News stories tagged with "farmer"

(02/06/07) As part of an effort to reign in farm subsidies, President Bush's executive budget includes cuts to a program that helps dairy farmers when the milk price falls. It would also end payments for the nation's weathiest farmers. As David Sommerstein reports, the cuts come as Congress prepares to wrangle over a new farm bill this year.

(07/25/05) When people think of dairy country, most imagine cows placidly munching on grass in a green field. In fact, only 15% of New York's dairy farms send their cows out to pasture regularly. Instead, most dairy cows live in barns. The farmer brings their food in and trucks their manure out. Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Adirondack North Country Association want to encourage more farmers to embrace a specific kind of pasturing called rotational grazing. They're organizing a workshop and farm tour Wednesday in Madrid. Participants will visit Bob Zufall's farm in Waddington. He milks 50 cows, and pastures them on more than 300 acres of land, much of it green with native grasses, like orchard grass and white clover. He sets the cows to pasture inside moveable fences on one acre plots. After every milking he moves the fences. Zufall spoke with David Sommerstein. He says he moved to St. Lawrence County from Pennsylvania in 2001. Grazing Day 2005 begins Wednesday, July 27 at 10:30 at the Madrid Community Center. Call 379-9192 x234 to register.

(07/19/05) Back in February, we brought you the story of an alpaca farmer: Angel Dunkelberg, of Angel Knoll Alpacas in Waddington. The alpaca is a Peruvian cousin of the llama. It comes from the Andes Mountains. Alpacas like climates cold and dry--rather like it is here in the North Country--most of the time.

We revisited Angel to find out how her alpacas were taking the heat. Not too badly. Angel sprays water on their bellies to keep them cool. She's dragged fans to every corner of the barn. The heatwave has sped up the birth process, though. Angel now has 10 new alpacas, the youngest two days old. Her biggest problem now is what to name them all.

(04/15/05) A group of cyclists will start biking from St. Lawrence County to Albany tomorrow. The 2nd Annual "Tour de Burn Barrel" is to draw attention to the health and environmental hazards of burning trash outdoors. The Environmental Protection Agency says one burn barrel can produce as much air pollution as a modern incinerator burning 400,000 pounds of garbage. Trash burning releases toxic chemicals like dioxins, arsenic, and lead into the air. Those chemicals can cause asthma, lead to thyroid problems, and increase the risk of cancer. Trash burning is legal in most rural parts of the state. David Sommerstein spoke with Chris Neurath, publisher of burnbarrel.org. He's helping to organize the Tour de Burn Barrel bike ride.

(02/07/05) Last Friday, hundreds of tractors, buses, and pickup trucks shut down access to the Canadian side of the international bridge near Ogdensburg for several hours. The protest was organized by a coalition of farmers and property rights groups across rural Ontario. They want their government to lower taxes, reduce regulations, and leave them alone. They're a part of a growing movement that's drawing the attention of the Canadian public. David Sommerstein reports.

To learn more about the history of the landowners associations involved in the "Rural Revolution" protests, David Sommerstein spoke with Carla Hilton, producer for CBC Radio in Ottawa (To listen, click the interview link below). She began covering the groups when they emerged in the rural Ottawa Valley.

(02/03/05) Tomorrow, a group of farmers and property rights advocates plan to stop traffic on the international bridge near Ogdensburg. Beginning at 9 in the morning, they say they'll blockade both lanes on the Canadian side of the bridge with dozens of tractors. David Sommerstein reports.