Diggin' the Sullivan County Farm Network

Sonja Hedlund of Apple Pond Farm shares the story behind the recently formed Sullivan County Farm Network with us today. This diverse group of farmers is working to organize the agricultural community in the county through events and advocacy. To learn more about the Network, follow them on Facebook or join in the discussion at the next Delaware Valley Roundtable. The February 3rd meeting of the Roundtable which will focus on agriculture is taking place at the Tusten Town Hall in Narrowsburg from 1 to 4:30 pm.

Farm Network members meet to learn about microcreameries.

A small group of energetic, dedicated farm women got together last spring to promote farming in Sullivan County. They formed the Sullivan County Farm Network. The mission of the Network is to increase farming activities in Sullivan County and strengthen communication between those who grow food and those who eat it.

Projects we have worked on alone and with others include include: FARMSTOCK 2011 agri-tourism program, winter farmers' market in Callicoon, meat producers list, a workshop on setting up a micro dairy, WJFF Radio's new 'Farm and Country' show, database of farmers in the county, 'You are what you eat' workshop, and new farm to school programs in three local schools.

Of equal importance is work to present an agricultural perspective at public meetings on economic development. Attending meetings of IDA/the Industrial Development Authority has resulted in more attention to agricultural issues and to follow through on long awaited projects like the red meat slaughter plant in Liberty. Similar interactions have happened at the newly formed Economic Development Corporation. At the County level, speaking at open meetings of the legislature, the Network has advocated for hiring an ag economic development specialist.

The Network's meetings are now attracting a wide variety of farmers, citizens, not - for profit agencies and those with public sector jobs related to agriculture, tourism and economic development. These may well be the only place in Sullivan where people sit at the same table to address issues related to food and farming.

Views from the field: Michelle Premura

Pure Catskills members receive support for business development through our Education Scholarship Program. Michelle Premura of The Turquoise Barn in Bloomville attended the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) Conference in Saratoga Spring last weekend and shares her thoughts with us here.

Michelle with fellow farmer Terry Hannum of Abundance Farms.

This is a review of the NOFA conference I attended in Saratoga Springs January 21-23; a truly inspiring educational event. This will have been the 3rd time I’ve attended over a period of 5 years. Each year there is always something new to learn. What makes this conference such a great educational experience is that the learning takes place not only during the workshops, but throughout the entire weekend. There are group meals, lectures, book signings and trade shows throughout the hotel all weekend.

The theme this year was “Diggin Diversity”. Quite appropriate I thought. There were people from a variety of backgrounds with various levels of experience participating in and facilitating the conference. What’s interesting is that, despite age, race, experience, socio-economic background, everyone has a similar interest in sustainability, preserving the art of agriculture, and a mutual respect for individuals and the earth. The workshops & events also cover a wide area of interests and are, for the most part, on the cutting edge of what is happening not only in New York State but on a global level.

I attended classes on food preservation with a specific interest in fermentation. This is one of the main methods I use to preserve vegetables from the garden. Besides being a practical & simple way of preserving, there are also numerous health benefits associated with fermentation. My intention is at some point to produce on a small scale, jars of preserved veggie blends from the garden using this method. So this class was on the top of my list to attend.

I also attended a workshop on internships, apprenticeships, & hiring staff. Since we do have a number of volunteers each year on our farm, this gave me a clearer understanding of the difference between volunteers, internships & apprenticeships.

Some of the other courses I attended were managing compost, no till gardening, & business taxes. There were also keynote speakers presenting inspiring & motivating talks not just about farming/gardening but about the impact and important role that food plays on many levels in our society. Of specific interest was Malik Yakini’s presentation on urban farming in Detroit. Malik’s enthusiasm, perseverance as he articulated the importance of community working together toward a common goal, was inspiring.

Another prime benefit of attending the conference is networking. I was able to make connections with a number of people that I will be discussing the possibility of future work together at Turquoise Barn. And even more exciting is the possible opportunity of being able to attend next year as a presenter giving food demos.

Beginning Farmer Fellowship Available

We are excited to announce a new position opening here at Pure Catskills. It is the result of a collaboration with Farmhearts. This organization is working to preserve the environmental integrity and economic sustainability of agricultural regions by supporting family farms. The position will take the form of a fellowship opportunity for a beginning farmer working in the Catskills region.

The fellow will work with the Farm to Market Program and focus on beginning farmer programming. The Farm to Market Program administers the Pure Catskills buy local campaign, organizes events on value added production, and facilitates business connections between farm and food businesses. Over 200 businesses from Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties participate in the Pure Catskills campaign. The fellow will focus on supporting the launch of Catskills Farmlink and a Catskills CRAFT group in collaboration with numerous partners across the region.

Eligible candidates include apprentice farmers, proprietors of recently established agricultural businesses and emerging professionals in the local food marketplace. Individuals may apply by providing a personal statement and a resume. The statement should be limited to one page and address agricultural experience, communications skills, familiarity with the agricultural community in the Catskills region and the individual’s future goals related to agriculture. Applications will be accepted until February 15, 2011. The anticipated start date for the fellow is late February.

A position description and fellowship information are available at the Scholarships & Grants section of www.purecatskills.com. All applications and inquiries should be directed to Challey Comer, Farm to Market Manager at ccomer@nycwatershed.org. No phone calls please.

Views from the field: Sarah Budde

Pure Catskills members receive support for business development through our Education Scholarship Program. Sarah Budde from Majestic Farm in Mountaindale recently attended a conference with her husband Brett as part of the program. She shares a report on their trip here!

Sarah in the fields at Majestic Farm.

The Young Farmers Conference was a two day conference held at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Tarrytown NY. The conference ranged in subject matter from integrated pasture management and technical aspects of farming to government policy to work songs. It included over fifty workshops. In addition to the workshops the conference offered keynote talks from farm heavyweights such as Bill Niman and Dan Barber. Attendees of the conference ranged from college students enthusiastic about permaculture and biodynamic farming to seasoned farmers looking to connect with contemporary practice. Mostly it was a young, progressive crowd of excited young farmers with a couple more or couple less years experience than us.

A pair of hogs from the Majestic herd.

Together Brett and I covered about fourteen courses in all. These courses were informative and inspiring. After each course we would get together and giddily discuss what new facts we had found out, what type of information the presenters were giving and what new practices we may translate to our own farm. Particularly of interest at the conference was Stone Barns own practice of raising pigs in forestland. We spent time during the social hours seeking out various young farmers who were doing similar things as well as meat producers and packagers, USDA officials and restaurateurs. The conference further encouraged our own aspirations to put in a 20-C kitchen, add hoop houses and diversify our current operation. We received literature on organizations we intend on joining and future workshops and conferences we hope to enjoy.

Terra Madre thoughts and images

In October, we announced a third delegation of Catskills farm and food producers was selected to attend Terra Madre, an event held biannually in Turin, Italy. Over 6,000 delegates from over 150 countries participated in workshops, tastings, regional meetings and a marketplace of sustainably produced foods. Slow Food organizes the event and selects delegates for sponsorship.

In selecting this year's delegation, we called upon the twelve past delegates to nominate and select peers they felt would most benefit from the experience. The group did an excellent job selecting a diverse group from three counties in the region including Paula Allen of Thornwood Farm, Kendall Craig of the Masonville General Store, Sonja Hedlund of Apple Pond Farm, Marybeth Mills of the Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room and Mary Tonjes of Tonjes Farm Dairy.

Delegates shared the following thoughts and images for us to share with the Pure Catskills community.

Catskills delegates Paula Allen (fourth from left) and Kendall Craig (second from left) gather with fellow producers outside Terra Madre.

“As I stepped off the bus, the realization sank in, what an immense undertaking to nurture and coordinate such an event. And people the world over had responded, showing up, standing together in common-unity for a positive declaration of good, clean and fair food. People had journeyed long and far, proudly representing their regions and sharing their wares at this global, yet intimate convergence. It is a powerful thing to witness and recognize, the potential of looking forward together in this good way. Living on the ‘frontier’ of rural New York has an element of isolation, so the sheer numbers of Terra Madre is a memory that will sustain me.”

Kendal Craig – Masonville General Store, Masonville

Panelists including Alice Waters discuss Farm to School projects. Photo by Marybeth Mills.

“We attended a seminar, geared towards the educators in attendance - about living and teaching the principles of the Slow Food movement. Teachers from around the globe got up and shared their stories about how to bring this manifesto to life for their students. Many of these dedicated professionals told amazing stories about their commitment to interacting with children - helping the children learn about their cultural roots in food production. Many of the students in their classrooms heralded from different regional groups within their country. Since we've been back, Devin and I have visited Phoenicia Elementary School and have spent the day in their 'Community Garden' - their very own edible schoolyard. Each grade was asked to come in and harvest crops for us to cook. The children would bring their bounty to Devin, wash it, and Devin would prepare salads, grilled vegetables, soups for the children to sample. We were even impressed with how many children were excited about a kale salad - not often considered an exciting vegetable - at least from the under 10 year-old crowd.”

Marybeth Mills - The Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room, Big Indian

Ah, variety! A display of Italian cheeses. Photo by Marybeth Mills.

“A special encounter with young American farmers and old farmers (like me!) was organized by Slow Food USA. About 100 new farmers gathered for small group sessions. . Twelve of us old timers from all over the USA had a chance to describe their farms, what worked and did not I was the only farmer that had expanded into on farm renewable energy systems. My suggestion to the new farmers was to make personal pleasure and play a regular day of their farm work.”

Sonja Hedlund - Apple Pond Farm, Callicoon Center

A decorative fruit carving in the Salone de Gusto. Photo by Kendal Craig.

A display of Italian peppers in the Salone de Gusto. Photo by Kendal Craig.

Scholarship recipients announced

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the latest round of our Education Scholarship Program. These awards are offered to Pure Catskills members on a competitive basis for educational expenses related to developing new products or improving production methods. The average award is $350 with funding offered to cover registration and travel expenses. Program details are available at the Scholarships & Grants section of our main webpage.

Paula Allen Thornwood Farm 2010 Annual Conference, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
Brett Budde Majestic Farm Young Farmers’ Conference, Stone Barns Center
Mark Harvey Good Fields Farm Nutrient Dense Crop Production Training
Terry Hannum Abundance Farms 2011 Annual Conference, Northeast Organic Farmer's Association of New York
Joseph Lennon Sullivan County Farmers’ Market Association Profession Farmers’ Market Manager Training Program, Farmers’ Market Federation of New York
Loren Pola Rusty Plough Farm Online Courses for Beginning Farmers: Financial Record Keeping and Evaluating Land Resources, Cornell University Small Farms Program
Michelle Premura Turquoise Barn

2011 Annual Conference, Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New York

Abby Wilson Maple Shade Farm Annual Conference and Convention, North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association

Countdown to Thanksgiving

Count on our local farms and businesses to make the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving meal!

Looking for a last minute local turkey?

Delaware County

Maple Shade Farm, Delhi

Just three birds are left! Each about 20 pounds. Pick up before 11 am today or tomorrow.

Contact Abby Wilson at brannenab@hotmail.com or (607) 746-8866

Schoharie County

Heather Ridge Farm, Preston Hollow

Two birds still available! Pick up at the farm store.

Contact Carol Clement at (518) 239-6234.

Sullivan County

Snowdance Farm, Livingston Manor

Freshly processed birds available in a variety of sizes. Pick up at the farm.

Contact Marc Jaffe at mjaffeus@yahoo.com or (845) 439-5561.

In search of a top notch pie to finish things off?

Delaware County

Good Cheap Food, Delhi

The Farmer's Wife will deliver pumpkin, apple and pecan pies. Call to reserve if you want to ensure you get the flavor you're looking for!

The store number is (607) 746-6562.

Sullivan County

Catskill Harvest Market, Liberty

Offering pies and everything else to prepare your pantry for a big day of cooking.

Contact the store at (845) 292-3838.

Flour Power Bakery, Livingston Manor

The bakery will be open Thanksgiving week on Wednesday from 1-6 pm, Thursday from 9 am-1 pm and Friday from 9 am - 1 pm.

Call JR at (917 ) 747-6895 to order your pies,cakes,cookies,breads and savories.You can pick up in Callicoon on Wednesday or at the shop anytime

Perhaps you prefer to eat the big meal out?

Ulster County

Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville

Open from 1 to 6 pm serving a full meal as well as filling take out orders.

Call (845) 647-3000 to place a take out order to make a reservation.

Peekamoose Restaurant, Big Indian

Special prix-fixe menu at $36 per person with a portion of each meal benefitting the Hudson Valley Food Bank.

Call (845) 254-6500 to make a reservation.