Farmhearts Fellowship Available to Beginning Farmers in the Catskills Region

The 2011-2012 Farmhearts Fellowship has enabled the development of two beginning farmer programs here in the Catskills.

1. Catskills FarmLink which provides a mechanism for connecting Catskills land with those interested in farming it 
2. Catskills CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) which provides opportunities for beginning farmers to connect with and learn from existing farmers who offer up their time, talents and experience to the next generation. 

Farmhearts is again sponsoring a fellowship in collaboration with the Farm to Market Program of the Watershed Agricultural Council (the Council). The fellow will continue development of Catskills region beginning farmer training, working with the Farm to Market Program.  

Click HERE for a full job description.

The mission of Farmhearts is to preserve the environmental integrity and economic sustainability of agricultural regions by supporting family farms. The Council is a private non-profit organization with the mission to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City watershed region. The Farm to Market Program of the Council 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.

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 address agricultural experience, communications skills, familiarity with the agricultural community in the Catskills region and the individual’s future goals related to agriculture. Please limit statements to one page. 

Applications will be accepted until October 31, 2012. The anticipated start date for the fellow is mid-November. Selection of the fellow will be performed by Farm to Market program staff and representative farmers. Payment will be offered on an hourly basis and will be commensurate with experience. The anticipated hourly compensation is $16-18. Work schedule will be arranged with the selected fellow allowing for part and full-time employment based on seasonal availability. This is a temporary position. All applications and inquiries should be directed to Amy Hawk, Administrative Services Director. No phone calls please. 

Fiscal sponsorship for Farmhearts is provided by the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development (www.sullivanalliance.org). For more information about Farmhearts, contact info@farmhearts.org. WAC is funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other public, foundation and private sources. WAC is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.

Introducing the New Farm to Market Manager: Sonia Janiszewski

Sonia at home with Lois,
one of her two overly affectionate hens.

Today, I am writing to introduce myself as the new Farm to Market Manager with the Watershed Agricultural Council. Challey and I worked together for the past couple of years, and I look forward to carrying forward the great work she initiated with a new passion and commitment to serve our region’s community of farmers, entrepreneurs, advocates and eaters!

Over sixty years ago, my family joined the farming community in Delaware County. My grandparents, a young couple with two small children, bought a dairy farm on Elk Creek Road. This farm was their American dream:  a place to raise their family, earn a living and grow old. My grandmother still recounts the day they arrived on the farm, not sure exactly what they were doing but determined to make a good life of it. Their hopes and dreams reflect those of many existing farmers committed to keeping the family farm and of new farmers looking for a different quality of life, one from which they can sustain their families and become part of a like-minded community.

With a background in marketing and communications, and a passion for agricultural economic development and local food systems, I will lead the Pure Catskills buy local campaign and continue the Council’s efforts to provide production and marketing education of local farm products; offer regional technical assistance; and support a new economic viability initiative to enhance the campaign through the development of an online marketplace.

Personally and professionally, I am committed to enabling the economic viability of Catskills agriculture for future generations of my family, my neighbors’ families, and our communities.

I look forward to working with you towards this goal! Please feel free to contact me with questions or ideas at sjaniszewski@nycwatershed.org or 607-865-7090, extension 217. 

The Guide is Here!

Looking for local food in the Catskills and New York City watershed? The 2012-13 Pure Catskills Guide to Farm Fresh Products hit the streets this week and is now available at farms, farmers' markets, restaurants, and retailers throughout the region. This full-color 66-page local foods directory connects you with over 200 Pure Catskills members throughout Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster Counties. And these farmers are ready to do business by sharing their local farm and food products with you!

Now in its tenth year, the Pure Catskills buy local campaign delivers its annual Guide to Farm Fresh Products to connect consumers with regional food and farm businesses. If it's made, grown or raised in the Catskills, you can probably find it in the Pure Catskills Guide to Farm Fresh Products. Over 45,000 copies of the Guide will be distributed to hundreds of locations across the region throughout July.

The images in this year's Guide highlight the Catskills dairy, the backbone of the state's agricultural industry for centuries. Value-added dairy producers are transforming everyday staples like milk, butter and cheese into more obscure ethnic specialties like kefir, gelato and cajeta. Most of these farmers head multi-generational operations; but the value-added aspects of their businesses are relatively new. Eight Catskill dairy farms, families and their products are featured this year with portraits by Sullivan County-based photographer Andy Ryan.

Linda Smith at Sherman Hill Farmstead, Franklin
Photo: ©Andy Ryan

You can also find in the Guide this year

• farmers' markets listings for community gatherings around local every day of the week; 
• member listings online which make for easy on-the-go discovery;
• reference icons to make product identification easier;
• a series of panels highlight food trends and producer groups including community supported agriculture, pastured livestock and pick-your-own operations; and,
• a calendar of events and list of tourism activities through 2013. (For the most current events list, visit www.purecatskills.com.

Tell us what you think about the new Guide below or post your comment to the Pure Catskills Facebook Page.

 

Can't find your hard copy out in the watershed? Download the pages you need (or the whole Pure Catskills Guide to Farm Fresh Products) here.

Flood Relief Funding

With great thanks to our generous community, we're pleased to share the news that the Raise the Roof Flood Relief Fund distributed nearly $30,000 to twelve Catskill-region farmers impacted by flooding in 2011. Businesses in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie and Sullivan Counties received funding.

It’s been an incredible experience to participate in, as hundreds of community members and a dozen local organizations have contributed over $30,000 to the fund. The local businesses and organizations who provided contributions included Catskill Harvest Market, Slow Food Upper Delaware River Valley, The Catskill Center for Conservation & Development - Lark in the Park Fund, Heather Ridge Farm, The Ashokan Center, Story Laurie, the Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship, The Livestock Foundation, Gowns for Greenbacks, Catskill Heritage Alliance, Kiwanis Club of Delhi and the Omega Institute.

The Raise the Roof Fund is managed by a committee of local farmers and community members with administrative support from the Watershed Agricultural Council. Distribution of funding is the decision of the fund committee. One-hundred percent of donations collected have been awarded through the fund. General inquiries about the fundraising effort may be directed to Morgan George of Sherman Hill Farmstead at (607) 829-6886 or target409@Hotmail.com.

Inaugural Sullivan County Ag Summit starts a countywide conversation

Jennifer Mall from the Sullivan County Department of Planning and Environmental Management kindly shared a wrap up on last month's Ag Summit. Check out her synopsis below to learn more about the work that's on deck as a result of the event.

The 2011 Agricultural Summit, held on November 28 at the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center, brought together approximately 200 farmers, agri-business people, agency and organization representatives. The Summit featured an array of local, regional and national speakers, and a series of workshops on various agriculture-related topics. The day’s overarching goals were to identify the biggest challenges facing Sullivan County agriculture and, to identify solutions for overcoming those challenges. Some high-priority solutions included creating a “one-stop shop” for assistance with business planning, funding and financing, and other available resources; fostering collaboration among farmers to prioritize initiatives and leverage political and economic power; focusing on sustainable energy practices; and advocating for agriculture within the political system.

The Summit was a collaborative effort of the County of Sullivan, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Pure Catskills, the Sullivan County Farm Network, Catskill Mountainkeeper, FarmHearts, Sullivan Renaissance, the Sullivan County Economic Development Corporation, SUNY Sullivan, the New York Farm Bureau, and several farms and businesses. As an outcome of the Summit, the Sullivan County Economic Development Corporation has created an agriculture subcommittee, which will build upon this collaboration and work to implement priority initiatives. Together with the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management, the subcommittee will meet in January 2012, to prioritize its work based on the Summit outcomes, and to develop a reporting and feedback system to stay connected with Summit participants and other agriculture stakeholders. For more information on the Summit and next steps, contact the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management at (845) 807-0532.

Farmer Flood Relief Fund opens second application round

Flood relief funding is currently available for Catskill region farmers through the Raise the Roof Donation Fund. Hundreds of community members and a dozen local organizations have contributed over $28,000 since September. These are small grants available to farms that suffered flood damage or product loss during Hurricane Irene and/or Tropical Storm Lee. A first round of $15,000 in funding has been completed. The second round of funding is open between December 15, 2011 and January 15, 2012. Applications may be obtained from the Scholarships & Grants section of the Pure Catskills webpage online at www.buypurecatskills.com or by contacting Challey Comer at ccomer@nycwatershed.org or (607) 865-7090.

The Raise the Roof Donation Fund is managed by a committee of local farmers and community members with administrative support from the Watershed Agricultural Council. Distribution of funding is the decision of the fund committee. Donations toward the fund will be accepted through the remained of 2011. One-hundred percent of donations will be awarded through the fund. Those wishing to contribute are encouraged to mail a tax-deductible donation, made out to the 'Watershed Agricultural Council,' to WAC, 44 West Street, Walton, NY 13856. General inquiries about the fundraising effort may be direct to Morgan George of Sherman Hill Farmstead at (607) 829-6886 or Target409@Hotmail.com.

Fall events - Columbus Day and beyond

The weather forecast for Columbus Day weekend is looking fantastic - get out for some leaf peeping and harvest celebrating! We've included a few of next weekend's events since it will be the weekend again before you know it!

Taste of the Catskills

October 8th & 9th

Starts at 10 am each day

Maple Shade Farm

County Route 18, Delhi

A huge fall celebration with live music, workshops, kids activities and lots of great local food.

Pumpkin Festival

October 8th

10 am to 5 pm

Springhouse Commons

Route 97, Barryville

Fireworks, bake off, pie eating, costumes and scarecrow decorating.

Pig Roast & Fundraiser

October 8th

Heather Ridge Farm

Broome Center Road, Preston Hollow

A special lunch at this farm cafe with funds raised going to the Farmer Flood Relief Fund.

Tastings Under the Tent

October 8th

1 to 4 pm

Main Street Farm

Main Street, Livingston Manor

Sample farm-made preserves and unique pairings from Blue Moon Farm in Delhi.

Rustic Craft Festival

October 9th

11 am to 4 pm

Bethel Woods Harvest Festival

Hurd Road, Bethel

Enjoy a unique array of local crafts at this weekly harvest event.

Lactofermentation Workshop

October 9th

Noon

Callicoon Farmers' Market

Callicoon Creek Park, Callicoon

Join Slow Food Upper Delaware River Valley for a demonstration of this traditional food-preservation technique.

Fall Festival
October 15th
11 am to 4 pm
Ashokan Center
477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge
Cider making, pumpkin painting, historic building tours and live music! The Ashokan Center has generously offered to donate proceeds from this event to the Farmer Flood Relief Fund.

RSK Farm Fundraiser
October 15th
11 am to 5 pm
Blue Mountain Bistro
948 State Route 28, Kingston
All proceeds from sales on Saturday, October 15th will go to assist RSK Farm in Prattville. Online donations are also welcome at help-the-farm.org

Pig Mountain

October 15th

1 to 6 pm

Bridle Hill Farm

Hemmer Road, Jeffersonville

Celebrity chefs will cook up Catskill hogs at this feast and benefit for Farmhearts.

Cider Making

October 15th

2 to 4 pm

1300 Crystal Lake Road, Narrowsburg

Join Slow Food Upper Delaware River valley for cider press and sampling!

Annual Harvest Party

October 15th

2 to 5 pm

Sherman Hill Farmstead

County Highway 21, Franklin

Sample fresh and aged cheese varieties, tour the farm, enjoy the bonfire and bring a dish to pass!

Farm to Table Brunch

October 16th

Hills Country Inn

Hill Resort Road, Callicoon Center

Enjoy a seasonal brunch with the Early Bird Cookery gang.