Friday, December 27, 2013

Plant the Seed of Inspiration This Winter: WIOX Watershed Wake-up Call

Celebrating 20 Years video speeches at Vimeo.com: The Council celebrated two decades of clean drinking water through working landscapes on at the 20th Anniversary Celebration & Recognition Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 8 on the SUNY-Delhi Campus. Five local environmental stewards were recognized:

Watershed Steward Award: Fred Huneke, Thorn-Ridge Farm

Watershed Agricultural Program Award: Dar-View Farms

Pure Catskills Business Award (2 recipients): Richard Giles, Ken Jaffe

Karl Connell Award: Dan Palm

Special thanks to our 20th Anniversary Celebration & Recognition Awards Ceremony Business Sponsors: Rettew Engineering and Catskill Mountain Forest Services. Additional monetary support was provided by Farm Credit East, ACA, Lost Lake Inc.; Robinson Bros. Excavating; and Energy Service Providers.

PLANT THE SEED OF INSPIRATION with these winter workshops...

Lucky Dog Local Food HubJANUARY 13, 10 a.m. - noon: Lucky Dog Local Food Hub Producing for the Hub Workshop #2: Producer Needs Identification at Lucky Dog Farm Store, Main Street, Hamden. Cost is $35 includes local foods luncheon, walk-ins welcome. Sponsored by CADE and Pure Catskills, this farmer-focused workshop will assist those selling through the Hub to meet standards and requirements for distribution. Click here for all the details and to complete a survey that will help guide the discussion.
 
JANUARY 16, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.: Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference at SUNY Delhi Farrell Hall, Delhi. Cost is $35 includes local foods luncheon; pre-register by January 4. Sponsored by CCE Delaware County and the Council, this farmer-focused conference holds tracks farm management workshops including:.
10 a.m. - Early-Bird Sessions: OSHA Inspections/Farm Safety or Toxic Plants
11 a.m. - Dairy, Livestock, Grazing or Vegetables Tracks

Noon - Local Food Luncheon with George Conneman, Cornell University

1:40 & 2:40 p.m. - Tracks continue
Download the Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference brochure here. Register online by January 4 or call Kim Holden at (607) 865-7090.
 
JANUARY 25, 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: 8th Annual Schoharie Watershed Summit: Consequences of Inaction in a Changing Climate at Hunter Elementary School, State Route 23, Hunter. Cost is free. Hosted by Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District Schoharie Watershed Program. Consequences of Inaction in a Changing Climate will focus on climatic patterns of the Schoharie Watershed region and the importance of integrating climate change information into response and hazard mitigation plans. Join us as we explore historical climate patterns for the region, how we can adapt by implementing flood mitigation measures, and what communities can do to plan for the future. FMI or to register: Michelle Yost 518-589-6871
 

http://issuu.com/nofa-ny/docs/confbrochure2014_website-lowrez_corJANUARY 24-26: NOFA-NY Winter Conference: Preserving the Past, Seeding the Future at Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs. Cost: as per workshop attendance $80-$275. Pure Catskills will be in the tradeshow area again this year and sponsoring NOFA-NY's hallmark weekend conference. Farmers, wannabes and backyard gardeners gather for refreshers, intensives and social outings. Not to be missed! Find the full roster of workshops here and register online. FMI: Stephanie Backer-Bertsch, Registration Coordinator
 
FEBRUARY 1, 10 a.m. - Noon: Backyard Maple Production at the Agroforestry Resource Center, 6055 State Route 23, Acra. Cost is $10. February is the perfect time to start planning your maple sugaring exploration, as maple season is right around the corner. Tapping maple trees and making maple syrup is one of the most time honored winter rural traditions, resulting in a delicious product. This workshop will introduce you to maple syrup production. Ron Frisbee, CCE natural resource educator, is a third generation maple producer, who has been tapping maple trees since he was a youth. The program will also include a tour of the Agroforestry Resource Center’s Maple Sugar House. To register, contact CCE Greene County at (518) 622-9820 ext. 0.
 
FEBRUARY 16: Community Supported Agriculture and Restaurant Supported Agriculture Trade Show and Conference at Gerald Skoda Education Center, 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Liberty 12754. Pre-register by January 15.
Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, TIME TO CONNECT TO KEEPING IT LOCAL addresses today's local issues on strengthening our food systems. Connect directly with producers of locally grown meats, vegetable, dairy and value-added products through a CSA or direct delivery.

9:30-10:30 What Works and What Doesn’t
A Roundtable Discussion for farmers, producers, chefs and food establishment owners who wish to source locally produced agricultural products. Discussion will include seasonal demands, food hub services, ordering, distribution and delivery.

10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Trade Show and Exhibits

Trade Show is open to the public at no charge. Anyone interested in buying local food for their business or family for the 2014 season is urged to attend.

FMI: Maria Grimaldi, Special Projects Coordinator, for trade show registration/application 845 292-6180
 
SAVE THE DATE-MARCH 30: 5th Annual Farm to Market Connection at SUNY Sullivan, Loch Sheldrake. Cost:: $35 includes a local foods lunch; pre-register by March 23. Pure Catskills and the Council host this gathering of farmers, buyers, distributors and food system supporters to make connections to move products from the farm out into the market. Tracks for new farmers, on expanding markets and scaling up round out the day. A full roster of workshops and online registration will be availble February 1. FMI: Beth McKellips (607) 865-7090, ext. 217
 

www.nycwatershed.org/donateYou too can recognize the Council's 20-year milestone with a donate to the Conservation Easement Stewardship Fund. Donate online at nycwatershed.org/donate.
Thanks to Phyllis Horowitz for sharing time on Watershed Wake-up Call and What's Fresh From the Catskills on WIOX-FM.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Fresh From the Catskills Pre-Holiday Buzz

Hark that "Shop Small" carol and purchase from Catskills businesses this season! Thanks to all who joined the movement to "Shop Small" and who shared their favorites places and gift ideas. Check out the Fresh From the Catskills Holiday Gift Guide Page for a dozen easy reference breakouts for honey, maple, fiber, caterers, and more.

Fifteen stores that will cut your shopping time in half. http://www.buypurecatskills.com/pdfs/CATSKILLS-GIFT-GUIDE-2013-LocalStores.pdf

Ulster County
Apple Bin Farm Market
Peter & Loretta Scaturro
810 Broadway (Route 9W)
Ulster Park, NY 12487
(845) 339-7729
www.theapplebinfarmmarket.com

TheGreenSpace
Craig Henkle
73B Broadway
Kingston, NY 12401
(845) 417-7178
www.shopthegreenspace.com

Mother Earth Store House
300 Kings Mall Court
Kingston, NY 12401
(845) 336-5541
www.motherearthstorehouse.com

Sunflower Natural Foods Market
Bob Whitcomb & Roz Balkin
75 Mill Hill Road
Woodstock, NY 12498
(845) 679-5361
www.sunflowernatural.com

Delaware County
Barlow’s General Store
Glen & Rachel Phillips-Gaetano
4487 County Route 14
Treadwell, NY 13846
(607) 829-8555

Good Cheap Food (Delaware County)
Faiga Brussel
53 Main Street
Delhi, NY 13753
(607) 746-6562
www.goodcheapfooddelhi.com

Lucky Dog Farm (Delaware County)
Holley White
35796 State Highway 10
Hamden, NY 13782
(607) 746-9898
www.luckydogorganic.com

Wades Towne and Country Florist and
Gift Shoppe (Delaware County)
Mischell Wade
79 Main Street
Stamford, NY 12167
(607) 652-2500
www.wadestowneandcountryflorist.com

Sullivan County
Callicoon Natural Foods & Juice Bar
Patti Devine
33A Lower Main Street
Callicoon, NY 12723
(845) 887-6008
www.callicoonnatural.com

Eureka Market & Café
Jennifer Grimes
7991 State Route 55
Grahamsville, NY 12740
(845) 985-5152
www.eureka-market.com

Java Love Coffee Roasting Co.
Jodie Dawson
1577 NY State Route 17B
White Lake, NY 12786
(845) 583-4082
www.javaloveroasters.com

Main Street Farm
49 Main Street
Livingston Manor, NY 12758
(845) 439-4309
www.mainstreetfarm.com

The Cutting Garden
Anne Hart
4055 State Route 52
Youngsville, NY 12791
(845) 482-3333
www.thecuttinggarden.org

Vita’s Farm and Garden Market
4789 State Route 52
Jeffersonville, NY 12748
(845) 482-5776

Schoharie County
The Olde Corner Store
Joy Heckman
133 Factory Street
Gallupville, NY 12073
(518) 872-1610
www.theoldecornerstore.com

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

WAC is accepting applications for Easement Program Director, Acquisitions Coordinator out of the Hamden office and an engineering tech position out of our East of Hudson office.

Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council (WCCRC) seeks candidates for a full-time Property Manager position located in Grand Gorge and Stamford, NY. Qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter, including salary requirements, and résumé via e-mail to info@westerncatskills.org.


EVENTS

Ideuma Creek Alpacas Holiday Store
 Dec 14th, 2013 (Sat) -- Dec 15th, 2013 (Sun)
321 Ideuma Road, Unadilla
 (607) 563-9174
 A huge fully stocked farm store with weekly specials. www.icalpacas.com

Oneonta Farmers' Market
Dec 14th, 21st and 28th 2013 (Sat)
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

 Main Street Plaza
 Oneonta, NY, 13820
 Open-air farmers' market offering local foods, including fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, poultry, eggs, cheeses, maple products, honey, chutneys and sauces, preserves, baked goods, and unique handmade crafts and jewelry. Live music, free tastings and special events.
 (607) 437-0158
www.oneontafarmersmarket.com

Christmas on the Farm
 Dec 14th, 2013 (Sat)
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
 Maple Shade Farm, Delhi
 (607) 746-8866
 Get into the Holiday Spirit with an old-fashion country Christmas on the Farm. Come shop our market full of handmade items, local gifts, gift baskets, meats, cheese, syrup, baked goods and more. Santa arrives 1-3 pm. Sledding if weather permits, seasonal music, trees, wreaths, hot cocoa and a crackling bonfire are sure to bring out the kid in you!
www.mapleshadefarmny.com



Ideuma Creek Alpacas Holiday Store
 Dec 21st, 2013 (Sat) -- Dec 22nd, 2013 (Sun)
321 Ideuma Road, Unadilla
 (607) 563-9174
 A huge fully stocked farm store with weekly specials. www.icalpacas.com