Fresh From the Catskills: 5 Things to Look for This Week June 14

It's Here! The Pure Catskills Guide to Catskills Products arrives today. We're featuring images of members from a variety of value-added products, like wool fibers, fudge and caramel and sides of beef. Eight local producers, growers and artisans are featured within this 64-page directory of everything Fresh From the the Catskills. Featured regional businesses include Slickepott, Fieldstone Farm, Elderberry Herbs and Tabitha Gilmore Barnes Studio. Find your copy at hundreds of locations or contact Kristan for your mailed copy (607) 865-7090.

FARMERS' MARKETS: Curious where to pick up this week's farm fresh products? Pure Catskills teams up with the Watershed Post each week to highlight one of the area's hot markets. This week, check out Lexington Farms' Market on Route 42. Open monthly on the first Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. and the third Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon, you'll find a variety of Greene and Schoharie County Fresh from the Catskills products. Find out which local farmers and vendors will be on hand here. You can also visit the Pure Catskills running list of regional farmers' markets here.

WALTON REGIONAL LIVESTOCK SHOW: This free event is the season opener for youth showmanship. Swine, beef, goats and sheep (and their handlers) take the center ring this weekend, June 14 to 16, at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, Walton.

FOLLOW THE MILKY WAY: Catskills Family Creameries is opening their barn  doors on July 5 for a peak into what it takes to make butter, milk, gelato and cheese. Free and open to the public, bring the family, meet the animals, see the magic of transforming dairy into something else even yummier!

GET INSIDE A LENDER'S BRAIN: The Watershed Agricultural Council is offering two Financing Your Business workshops to improve your chances of qualifying painlessly for financing:

• July 10 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District office, 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Liberty REGISTER ONLINE HERE FOR LIBERTY 
• July 11 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at  Brooks' House of B-B-Q, 5560 NYS Highway 7, Oneonta REGISTER ONLINE HERE FOR ONEONTA. 

To register by phone, call Marilyn Wyman, CCE-Columbia/Greene Counties at (518) 622-9820. Each evening workshop costs $20 and includes dinner. For five good reasons to attend the workshop, read "The 5 C's of Obtaining Credit" on the Pure Catskills blog.

Tune in to WIOX-FM 91.3FM every other Friday at 7:15 a.m. for Watershed Wake-up Call to find out what's Fresh From the Catskills.

The 5 C's to Obtaining Credit

Guest blogger Josh VanBrakle is the Wood Products Utilization and Marketing Specialist at the Watershed Agricultural Council. Here, he shares with you five reasons why you need to get inside a lender's brain and the workshop solution. 

For small businesses, getting financing is a pain. There’s no escaping it, especially when you’re in a rural industry like farming or logging. Lenders see small businesses as risky, and farming and logging as riskier still. Add to that the general reluctance of banks to make loans following the Great Recession, and it’s a wonder anybody gets money to do anything.

But you’re an entrepreneur. You’re not going to let a bunch of bankers keep you from fulfilling your dreams. You’re going to get the money you need to start or expand your business. The only question is how.

Successful bids for financing start long before you enter a bank. As you prepare your loan application, put yourself in the lender’s shoes. Suppose they came to you looking for the same amount of money you’re requesting. What would you require from them? What interest rate would you charge? Would you lend them money at all? Why or why not?

When lenders ask these questions, they answer them using five categories – the “Five C’s” of credit. If you want financing, be prepared to address them all:

1.  Character – an examination of your managerial ability and credit score.
2.  Capital – lenders want to see a net worth - what you own minus what you owe - greater than 50% of total assets. Growth in net worth over time is also a plus.
3.  Capacity – historical gross and net income as well as future projections. This is where a business plan comes in handy; it makes the case that your projections are realistic.
4.  Collateral – an identified source of repayment if your income projections don’t work out.
5.  Conditions – if there are weaknesses in any of the first 4 C’s, lenders may impose conditions such as requiring a co-signer or additional collateral, among others.

More than any “C’s,” the most important thing to remember when seeking financing is that you’re building a relationship. At the least, you’ll be making payments, and ideally, you’ll be coming back for additional help as your business grows.

A great way to begin building that relationship is to meet lenders and learn what they want to see in applicants. The Watershed Agricultural Council is providing just such an opportunity in July – a pair of workshops called “Financing Your Business.” These workshops will feature regional lenders and provide forum time when you can ask questions and get feedback from other business owners.

The same workshop will be held twice, on consecutive days at different locations:

July 10 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District office, 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Liberty 12754  REGISTER ONLINE HERE FOR LIBERTY

July 11 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at  Brooks' House of B-B-Q, 5560 NYS Highway 7, Oneonta 13820  REGISTER ONLINE HERE FOR ONEONTA 

Use the links above or call Marilyn Wyman at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties at 518-622-9820. Each evening workshop costs $20 and includes dinner.

Top 10 Reasons to Be a Pure Catskills Member

With just days to go to "Get in the Guide," we took a page from late night television to inspire you to renew your membership to Pure Catskills. The deadline to sign up is fast approaching -- April 20.  So, riffing on Dave Letterman's take, here are the Top 10 reasons why you should be a Pure Catskills member:

10) The New Member Goody Bag: Or call it the Insider's Schwag Bag, the Pure Catskills Welcome Kit includes promotional materials highlighting the advantages of buying local. Point of purchase materials include a Pure Catskills member sign, bumper stickers, oak tags for pricing and hang tags. (Kits to be distributed in May and June.)

9) Cheerleader Pom-Poms: Not quite, but upon request, we will send you an Event Promotion Kit to highlight Pure Catskills to your event. We'll send you rack cards, a Pure Catskills banner, giveaway items, and other "stuff" to liven the festivities.

8) A Reason to Boast: Don't be bashful with shameless self-promotion -- a 50-word description about your business -- over 250 others are proud to be in the Guide to Catskills Products, too!

7) Bragging Rights x2: Expand that shameless self-promotion with more details online within the PureCatskills.com searchable web directory.

6) We Are the World, um, the Catskills: When you use the Pure Catskills logo to enhance your marketing efforts (like the Member web badge at left), you'll get the recognition you deserve through brand unity!

5) Your Personal Cheering Section: Our staff is out there rah-rah-sis-boom-bah-ing your products and businesses, and providing promotional support through events, print media, advertising, social media and other targeted campaigns, like Fresh From the Catskills.

4) Online Shopping Portal: Need an online shopping cart? Use ours! Sell your products through the web-based shopping portal, Pure Catskills Marketplace, and move your retail products to consumer markets easily online.

3) One Voice: Pure Catskills members with similar businesses are featured within the printed Guide in specialty sections for Beef, Botanicals, CSAs, Farm Accommodations, Farm & Food Organizations, Restaurants & Lodging, Farm & Food Radio Programs, and Activities & Tourism.

2) The Choir: Spin-offs sing in other forms like the Pure Catskills Holiday Gift Guide, county-specific Farmers' Markets rack cards, and articles in the Catskill Mountain Region Guide.

1) Your Marketing Hub: Use the PureCatskills.com website to promote your business, sure, but you can also use our events calendar to get the word out on your business's events, workshops and activities. We'll even give you a plug on the Pure Catskills Facebook Page. We're here to help you move your marketing efforts in the right direction. Need help? Just ask.

    Need more reasons to be a Pure Catskills member?  Register online by April 20 or contact Tia Blaber at ColorPage (the Guide publisher) at (845) 331-7581 x10.

    One more reason...Tell your own story: Each year we include images of our landscapes, farms and other businesses on the pages of the Guide. We know you've been out there taking some great shots! Whether in the field, barn or cafe, atop a tractor or at market, your photo could be part of the 2013-14 Guide. Send your high-resolution, original photo to Pure Catskills. If selected for publication, the photographer and location will be credited.

Sharing the Love Through CSA

Pete Kavakos Jr. drives CSA shares

In the April 2013 Catskill Mountain Region Guide (page 8), 15 Pure Catskill members offering CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, are featured in "This Ain't Your Grandma's CSA."

We also updated the Pure Catskills CSA rack card for 2013. Below are regional members offering their neighbors the investment opportunity in local farming and a unique community connection with their farms. Payment structures, product offerings, pick up times all differ. Find the one that suits your palate and dive in. Most CSAs begin "sharing the love" in May.

Kavakos checking greens under cover

Berry Brook Farm at Stony Creek Farm
Burnett Farms
Channery Hill Farm
Gorzynski Ornery Farm
Heather Ridge Farm
Hilltop Hanover Farm
Mountain Del Farm
Neversink Farm
Root n' Roost Farm
Rusty Plough Farm / Rondout Valley Organics
Stoneledge Farm

Straight Out of the Ground
Susquehanna Valley CSA Project/Blue Sky Farm
Thanksgiving Farm
Willow Wisp Organic Farm

Pollinator-ready Cosmos at RPF

If you aren't listed but want to be, contact Tara Collins. Pure Catskills will further promote the article, rack card and member farms in an upcoming  press release, as well as on BuyPureCatskills.com.

Circle back each month for a featured article in our monthly column, Fresh From the Catskills. Thanks to Nadia Maczaj at Rusty Plough Farm and Deb Kavakos at Stoneledge Farm for sharing their photos.

Have a comment about your favorite CSA? Did we miss one? Share your comments and CSA resources below.

A chicken's work is never done at R\PF

Guest Post: A Look at the 2013 Farm to Market Connection - State of the Foodshed Address

Guest blogger Sally Fairbairn is a retired dairy farmer, board member of the Watershed Agricultural Council and chairwoman of the Council's Watershed Agricultural Program. Here, she shares her perspective on the keynote "State of the Foodshed Address" at the 4th Annual Farm to Market Connection held on March 24, 2013 in Liberty. A video of this keynote address will be available in the coming weeks.

Keynote speakers Jennifer Grossman and Rebecca Morgan tag-teamed to bring a message of facts and figures mixed with optimism and urgency in this year’s State of the Foodshed Address at the 4th Annual Farm to Market Connection. Before 120 or so conference attendees, Jennifer explained that our present broken food system is a result of Federal farm policy that encouraged monocultures of commodity production. That system has provided cheap food for decades but with unintended consequences that are only now beginning to be recognized. Recent drought nationwide has shown how vulnerable we are to climate change. Type II diabetes, once found almost exclusively among the middle-aged adults, is now more and more common among elementary school children.  We are losing farmers and farmland at a pace that endanger our food supply. Overall, our food system is due for a major overhaul.

So why the optimism? One reason -- the recognition that something must change -- is gaining traction.  Rebecca reported on several examples - who is farming, where the farming is happening, what foods are being produced, how the food is grown and distributed, all facets of food production are showing change. Diversification and innovation are the buzz words to restore a healthy food system for producers and consumers.

Jennifer Grossman and Rebecca Morgan

The opportunity for farmers is probably unparalleled: in New York City, there is an estimated $1 billion worth of unmet demand for locally grown food. That is ONE BILLION DOLLARS – not a misprint. For the Catskill region that is one heck of a market in our backyard, and we are determined to figure out how to gain our share of it.

The development of farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture has served to help farmers find markets for locally grown food, but now we need to get past those smaller opportunities to get into NYC markets. One next step on the way to those markets is the Food Hub – where farmers collectively aggregate products to fulfill larger orders and/or deliver more efficiently.

Jennifer noted that just 4% of the produce that goes through the Hunts Point distribution facility comes from New York State farms despite the fact that we are among the Top 5 states in production of several commodities including cabbage, pears, wine, milk, yogurt, sour cream, maple products and apples. OK, not all those products would go through Hunts Point, but finding innovative ways to access that City market outlet could help some of our larger farms. And did you know the second largest food purchaser in the country is the New York City school system? Capturing event a percent of these markets would make a significant impact on Catskills farmers, economies and communities.

Rebecca continued to outline how we get there – to the school system, to Hunts Point, to the restaurants and shops that feed a population hungry for locally, sustainably grown food. We are increasing the infrastructure of food processing. Our land is still comparatively reasonably priced and available to farmers. Innovative incubators like the Glynwood Center and CADE research ideas and help determine what works. Groups like Catskills CRAFT help young farmers learn the skills necessary. Renewed interest in historically important crops like hops mark resurgence in grain production. Regional artisanal value-added dairy products are making a name for themselves.

Why bother? For one thing, cheap food is often bad food. Poverty impacts people’s health and it is not just an urban problem. Local people also need reasonably priced, good food. We can grow it here and have it available for a decent price. Agriculture helps underpin the local economy. There are tax benefits to having farmland not be developed and to having farms. Also the dollars earned by smaller farms producing locally grown food  stay within  a community helping to support the local economy before being sent out of the area by way of large corporations.  Jennifer is looking for a change not just in food systems but a change in economic systems to benefit local producers.

We are NYC’s Watershed and are officially recognized as part of its Foodshed. Progress is continually being made to help farmers profit from their proximity to this mega market.  Together, Jennifer and Rebecca brought us realism and optimism to start our day at the Farm to Market Connection.

Farm to Market Connection photo courtesy of Veccvideography.com

Sharing the Local Food Message Through Technology

Art of Listening: pamorama.net

Technology is transforming local economies and markets around the world by helping people communicate, connect and transact. Online technology is making it easier for both producers and consumers to share their stories and connect. 

On March 24, join us for a panel discussion on the latest technology for farmers both to use on the farm and to connect with their consumers. As this session introduces attendees to tools, techniques and trends to build an online presence, we'll post those resources here after the 4th Annual Farm to Market Connection. Tara Collins,  Communications Director at the Watershed Agricultural Council, moderates the expert panel including:

- Marjorie McCord, Marketing and Social Media Consultant
- Julia Reischel, Watershed Post
- Mel Weiss, Stone Barns Center, Virtual Grange

Remember, connecting with your audience revolves around content, authenticity and consistency. Share yourself with your consumers, supporters and members, be a thought leader and source of information, and keep the conversation going!

Farmer Resources
www.nebeginningfarmers.org (Northeast Beginner Farmers Project from Cornell Small Farms Program)
CatskillsCRAFT.org
CatskillsFarmLink.org
FarmHack.org
theGreenhorns.net
VirtualGrange.org

Digital-Content-Marketing-Wheel from socialstrand.com

Building a website
Weebly.com (free)  EXAMPLE:  CatskillsCRAFT.org

Building a Blog/website
Blogger.com (free)  EXAMPLE:  Pure Catskills
Wordpress.com (free) EXAMPLE: RosemaryFarm.org

Email newsletters
MailChimp.com (free)
ConstantContact.com (fee)

Social Media
Facebook.com (free)
Twitter.com (free)
Pinterest.com (free)

HootSuite.com (free)
Fotobabble.com 
Animoto.com  EXAMPLE:  Water & Land
YouTube.com  EXAMPLE: Introduction to Catskills FarmLink
Tiki-toki.com  EXAMPLE: Watershed Agricultural Council

Mobile Apps: (this can be its own future blog post)
Farmshedcny.com
HarvestToHand.com
MobileFarmApps.com
WeatherChannel.com
Evernote.com

Trainings & Other Resources:
Smartphones for Farmers April 5
Down & Dirty Marketing Plan (Green Otter Marketing)


Have a resource or tip to share? Share it below in the Comments Section.

Planning for Profits

It's that time of year when reflection and planning are on our minds. Consider attending this comprehensive planning workshop to kick your farm or food business into gear for 2013! 

Business Planning for Profits Workshops

What: A business planning workshop featuring Raymond Belanger of Fish Park Consulting, an expert in rural small business development. Ray will walk you through the steps to writing a business plan and provide you a template to get you started. For TLC loggers, the workshop is worth a full continuing education credit.

Who: Though tailored for farmers and loggers, the material will be applicable to any food or wood products business.

When: 4-9 PM on both Wednesday, Feb. 6th and Thursday, Feb. 7th (The same workshop will be held each evening, so you only need to attend one)

Where: The Delaware County eCenter in Delhi (6th) and the Agroforestry Resource Center in Acra (7th). If you need directions to either venue, please email Bridget Hanley.

How much: $20 per person; dinner is included.

How to register: Email Marilyn Wyman  of Columbia/Greene County CCE or call 518-622-9820, ext. 36.