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<title>NCPR Topical RSS: Agriculture</title>
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<description>Latest North Country Public Radio regional news by topic. Topic=agriculture.</description>
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<copyright>&#x2117; &amp; &#xA9; 2013, North Country Public Radio</copyright>
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<description>NCPR provides locally-produced news stories from around the Adirondack and North Country regions of New York State, as well as Western Vermont, and Ontario and Quebec in Canada.</description>
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<title>Fighting fire blight in NY&apos;s apple orchards</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22029/20130522/fighting-fire-blight-in-ny-apos-s-apple-orchards</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 22, 2013) Agriculture is one of the most dynamic and innovative economic sectors in New York state.  All this week, the Innovation Trail team is reporting on some of the current challenges and opportunities facing upstate farmers. In this story: New York&apos;s the second biggest apple producing state in the country. But, last year production dropped dramatically due to a warmer winter, early blooms, and harsh spring frosts. But weather isn&apos;t the only challenge growers are contending with [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22029/20130522/fighting-fire-blight-in-ny-apos-s-apple-orchards">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Will immigration reform ease NY&apos;s farm labor shortage?</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22021/20130521/will-immigration-reform-ease-ny-apos-s-farm-labor-shortage</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 21, 2013) As lawmakers in Washington debate the immigration reform bill released last month, farmers in New York State are hoping to find enough workers to fully staff their operations.The Senate Judiciary Committee spent a day last week amending the 844-page bill, legislation that includes changes to guest worker programs. The changes may be good news for New York farmers. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22021/20130521/will-immigration-reform-ease-ny-apos-s-farm-labor-shortage">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Wetter, warmer weather perfect for most transplants</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22018/20130520/wetter-warmer-weather-perfect-for-most-transplants</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 20, 2013) It&apos;s been hot, or cold, and mostly dry and windy for most of this spring. None of those conditions is ideal for transplanting vegetables or flowers. But this week&apos;s weather looks more hospitable for tender transplants. In their weekly conversation, Martha Foley and Cornell Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy review what to look for when you shop for transplants, and what to do when planting. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22018/20130520/wetter-warmer-weather-perfect-for-most-transplants">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Undocumented farmworkers weigh benefits against risks</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22012/20130520/undocumented-farmworkers-weigh-benefits-against-risks</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 20, 2013) New York&apos;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&apos;s agricultural workforce is undocumented. Some stay for years, long enough to raise a family. But it&apos;s risky. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22012/20130520/undocumented-farmworkers-weigh-benefits-against-risks">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Lawmakers carry on despite scandals</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21976/20130514/lawmakers-carry-on-despite-scandals</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (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&apos;s legislative session has been cancelled.But politicians who were in town insisted that their agendas are not being derailed. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21976/20130514/lawmakers-carry-on-despite-scandals">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Lots about seeds</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21973/20130513/lots-about-seeds</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (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. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21973/20130513/lots-about-seeds">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>North Country wines survive the cold, please the palate</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21968/20130513/north-country-wines-survive-the-cold-please-the-palate</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (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 almost $4 billion.The New York Farm Bureau is pushing for an official designation for a new Adirondack Wine Coast Trail to bring enthusiasts to seven vineyards in Clinton County.A lot of the credit for New York wines can go to a team of researchers that&apos;s doing what you might call &quot;extreme winemaking&quot;: Breeding grapes that survive the North Country&apos;s frigid winters and still make delicious wine.They hope names like Frontenac and Marquette will one day be as popular as Cabernet and Merlot. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21968/20130513/north-country-wines-survive-the-cold-please-the-palate">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Vermont grants driver&apos;s licenses to migrant workers</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21952/20130509/vermont-grants-driver-apos-s-licenses-to-migrant-workers</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 9, 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 region&apos;s cows.Farm country here is not an easy place to be a migrant worker: It&apos;s rural, hard to get around, and there&apos;s not a big Latino population. But a new law means that migrant workers in Vermont will soon be able to drive legally. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21952/20130509/vermont-grants-driver-apos-s-licenses-to-migrant-workers">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Gillibrand wants food stamps, milk price reform in Farm Bill</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21942/20130508/gillibrand-wants-food-stamps-milk-price-reform-in-farm-bill</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 8, 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&apos;t agree on the size of cuts to the food stamp program and other issues.New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says preserving food stamps is &quot;a moral issue.&quot; And she says there&apos;s a way to pay for them. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21942/20130508/gillibrand-wants-food-stamps-milk-price-reform-in-farm-bill">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>National Grid power upgrade grant helps Jefferson County dairy farm expand</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21924/20130506/national-grid-power-upgrade-grant-helps-jefferson-county-dairy-farm-expand</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 6, 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 electricity. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21924/20130506/national-grid-power-upgrade-grant-helps-jefferson-county-dairy-farm-expand">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Will easing dairy manure rules do much at all?</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21920/20130506/will-easing-dairy-manure-rules-do-much-at-all</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (May 6, 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 cows or more has to prepare detailed and costly manure management plans. Starting this week, that threshold will be bumped up to 300 cows.Speaking at last summer&apos;s Yogurt Summit, Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine said the change would help boost milk production to meet demand fueled by Greek yogurt&apos;s popularity. &quot;Simply put,&quot; said Aubertine, &quot;this will make it much easier for small farms to grow.&quot;North Country lawmakers and the state Farm Bureau praised the rule change. But environmental groups say more unregulated manure means more farm runoff in rivers and streams. It remains a big question whether the change will do much of anything at all - to the environment or for the economy. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21920/20130506/will-easing-dairy-manure-rules-do-much-at-all">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>New York rediscovers an old crop: hops</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21880/20130430/new-york-rediscovers-an-old-crop-hops</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (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&apos;s created an opportunity for farmers to get back into hop growing. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21880/20130430/new-york-rediscovers-an-old-crop-hops">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Keeping up with asparagus</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21879/20130429/keeping-up-with-asparagus</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 29, 2013) It won&apos;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&apos;re trying to keep an old patch productive, or have established your own asparagus bed, Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy has good advice. Planting a new bed has traditionally required digging a big trench, but Amy has good news there: eight inches is plenty deep, and now&apos;s the time. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21879/20130429/keeping-up-with-asparagus">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>From milk to beer: Dairy family switches to hops</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21856/20130429/from-milk-to-beer-dairy-family-switches-to-hops</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 29, 2013) Agriculture in the North Country is changing - and the evidence is everywhere. For the Goodmans, a longtime dairy family in Fort Ann, in Washington County, it&apos;s time to get out of the business. But Erica and Les Goodman are trying something new on their land: growing hops. And they&apos;re using social media to do it. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21856/20130429/from-milk-to-beer-dairy-family-switches-to-hops">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Elmira thinks twice about its fracking boom</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21840/20130423/elmira-thinks-twice-about-its-fracking-boom</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 23, 2013) The City of Elmira is just seven miles from the Pennsylvania border. And for four years, the natural gas boom in Pennsylvania&apos;s Northern Tier crossed over the border and boosted Elmira&apos;s economy. But that natural gas rush has slowed down, and  there&apos;s disagreement in Elmira about whether a temporary boom is worth the costs. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21840/20130423/elmira-thinks-twice-about-its-fracking-boom">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Bringing Earth Day back home</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21835/20130422/bringing-earth-day-back-home</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 22, 2013) It&apos;s the 43rd Earth Day. The idea of a day to stop and think about and celebrate the Earth came from U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin after he toured the devastation of a massive oil spill off California.Earth Day 1970 achieved broad political support: Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban and rural, business and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.Earth Day is BIG. But awareness of the individual&apos;s role in environmental health has evolved in those 43 years, too. Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy shares a list of five action points for home gardeners. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21835/20130422/bringing-earth-day-back-home">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>VT House weighs driver&apos;s licenses for migrant workers</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21825/20130419/vt-house-weighs-driver-apos-s-licenses-for-migrant-workers</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 19, 2013) The Vermont House is hearing testimony on a bill that would grant drivers&apos; licenses to people living in Vermont regardless of their legal status.  At yesterday&apos;s hearing, migrant workers, farmers, and clergy members all testified before the House Transportation committee in support of the measure. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21825/20130419/vt-house-weighs-driver-apos-s-licenses-for-migrant-workers">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Schumer says immigration bill will help NY dairy farms</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21817/20130418/schumer-says-immigration-bill-will-help-ny-dairy-farms</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 18, 2013) U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says a new bipartisan immigration deal will provide an economic boost to New York farms and the agriculture industry.In a press release, Schumer says the bill will be especially helpful to dairy farms and fruit growers. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21817/20130418/schumer-says-immigration-bill-will-help-ny-dairy-farms">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>What if NY invested more in dairy farms and less in prisons?</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21816/20130418/what-if-ny-invested-more-in-dairy-farms-and-less-in-prisons</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 18, 2013) This week we&apos;ve been looking at the fortunes of the North Country&apos;s dairy industry and some of the hurdles faced by farmers and processors. Over the last few months, our Prison Time Media Project has also been looking at the way prisons shape communities and the local economy in the North Country. There are more than a dozen state and Federal prisons in the region, along with eleven county jails. That makes corrections work one of our top employers.One activist group based in Brooklyn thinks these two issues — prison jobs and the dairy industry — should be linked in people&apos;s minds, as we think about ways to grow the rural economy. That group&apos;s called &quot;Milk Not Jails.&quot; [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21816/20130418/what-if-ny-invested-more-in-dairy-farms-and-less-in-prisons">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Amish farmers partner with Agri-Mark</title>
<link>http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21814/20130418/amish-farmers-partner-with-agri-mark</link>
<description><![CDATA[ (Apr 18, 2013) Most of the North Country is losing population, and losing farms. But there&apos;s one group that keeps growing: Old Order Amish. They&apos;re drawn  to the St. Lawrence Valley by the area&apos;s cheap, available farmland. They Amish live an agrarian lifestyle that&apos;s more 19th century than 21st century. But in order to support their communities and their culture, the Amish have had to find a place in the local economy, including the dairy industry and an unlikely partnership with Agri-Mark. [<strong><a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21814/20130418/amish-farmers-partner-with-agri-mark">full story</a></strong>]]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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