Lower soybean, corn production forecast
ALBANY — Soybean production in New York is forecast at 11.9 million bushels, down 11 percent from last year, according to King Whetstone, director of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office.
Acreage harvested for beans is expected to total 277,000 acres, down 1 percent from a year earlier. Yields are expected to average 43 bushels per acre, down five bushels from last year's record high. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 3.05 billion bushels, down slightly from the October forecast and down 9 percent from last year. Based on Nov. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 41.3 bushels per acre, down 0.2 bushel from last month and down 2.2 bushels from last year. If realized, the average yield will be the second lowest since 2003. Area for harvest is forecast at 73.7 million acres, unchanged from October but down 4 percent from 2010.
New York grain corn production is forecast at 78.7 million bushels, down 11 percent from last year's output. Production is down from last year due to lower yields, despite an increase in harvested acreage. Acreage for harvest is expected to total 620,000 acres, up 5 percent from a year earlier. Yields are expected to average 127 bushels per acre, 23 bushels lower than the record high set in 2010. U.S. corn production is forecast at 12.3 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the October forecast and down 1 percent from 2010. If realized, this will be the fourth largest production total on record for the United States. Based on conditions as of Nov. 1, yields are expected to average 146.7 bushels per acre, down 1.4 bushels from the October forecast and down 6.1 bushels from 2010. If realized, this will be the lowest average yield since 2003. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.9 million acres, unchanged from the October forecast.
Local foods meet local artisans
WEST CHAZY — Conroys Organics will feature area artists this season as part of a commitment to local sustainability. Work will be on display on location at 8173 Route 9, West Chazy, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Conroys Organics is located on Conroy Farm and hosts panoramic views from the café. Educational information and organic/natural foods and wines are also featured.
The work of Lorrie Mandigo of The Painted Santa is featured exclusively this month. The Painted Santa uses recycled and renewable materials that are transformed into expressive decorative pieces.
The Adirondacks, Lake Champlain and native wildlife are inspiration for Shaun Heffernan of Point au Roche. Follow Your Bliss Note Cards is a local studio using solar power and recycled paper.
Gharan K. Burton, Les Cosgrove and Brian Briscone, three North Country painters, are represented year round.
For more information, contact Mary Conroy-Bushey at 562-BEEF or visit Facebook.com/conroysorganics.
New York egg production up 9 percent
ALBANY — Egg production on New York farms totaled 109 million eggs in October, up 9 percent from last year, according to King Whetstone, director of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office.
The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 4.36 million, increased 10 percent from October 2010, but the rate of lay decreased slightly to 2,498 eggs per 100 layers.
United States egg production totaled 7.78 billion during October 2011, up 1 percent from last year. Production included 6.74 billion table eggs and 1.04 billion hatching eggs, of which 968 million were broiler-type and 70 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during October 2011 averaged 336 million, down slightly from last year. October egg production per 100 layers was 2,317 eggs, up 1 percent from October 2010.
United States egg-type chicks hatched during October 2011 totaled 37.8 million, down 8 percent from October 2010. Eggs in incubators totaled 38.3 million on Nov. 1, down slightly from a year ago.
October milk production decreases
ALBANY — New York dairy herds produced 1,052 million pounds of milk during October. Milk cows were down but production per cow was unchanged from the previous year resulting in a 0.2 percent decrease in milk production compared to October 2010.
The number of milk cows averaged 610,000 head, down slightly from October of the previous year. Milk per cow averaged 1,725 pounds, unchanged from last year at this time.
Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $21.50 per hundredweight of milk sold during October, down $1.50 from September but $2 more than October a year ago.
Milk production in the 23 major states during October totaled 15.2 billion pounds, up 2.5 percent from October 2010. September revised production at 14.8 billion pounds was up 1.9 percent from September 2010. The September revision represented a decrease of 10 million pounds, or 0.1 percent, from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major states averaged 1,787 pounds for October, 20 pounds above October 2010. The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major states was 8.48 million head, 111,000 head more than October 2010 and 10,000 head more than September 2011.
Beef quality-assurance workshops set
MALONE — On Saturday, Dec. 3, two North Country sites will offer workshops on Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), a national set of guidelines for beef cattle production that promotes consumer confidence. Nearly every state in the United States has a voluntary BQA program, funded in large part by state and national beef checkoff money.
Carol Gillis, executive director of the New York Beef Industry Council, will make BQA and Gate to Plate presentations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 911 Building on Bare Hill Road in Malone.
"Beef producers have embraced BQA because it enhances their management practices which in turn promotes animal well-being, herd performance and creates marketing potential for their product," Gillis said.
In Canton at the Canton Animal Clinic at 2750 Route 68, CCE St. Lawrence Agricultural Program Leader Brent Buchanan will present BQA from noon to 2:30 p.m. Farmers from both workshops are welcome at a chuteside training with veterinarian Dr. Amy Thompson at Windy Point Angus Farm in Potsdam at 3 p.m.
"The BQA program provides production measures to assure a safe, wholesome and high quality product that meets consumers' expectations and creates a consistently uniform product for retailers," Buchanan said.
Workshop topics include how to work with veterinarians, medication protocol and where to give injections, cattle handling and improving consumer confidence by understanding how to make beef a safe product for consumers.
The Dec. 3 workshop fee is $10; registration is required to receive a copy of the BQA manual. Lunch is courtesy of Feed Commodities Inc. in Malone and the Potsdam Tractor Supply at the Canton program. Register for the Malone program with Diane Dumont at CCE Franklin County, 483-7403, drd9@cornell.edu; for the Canton program with Betsy Hodge, CCE St. Lawrence County, 315-379-9192, bmf9@cornell.edu.
Northern New York Beef Week scheduled
TICONDEROGA — Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 is Northern New York Beef Week. The Cornell Cooperative Extension Livestock Team has arranged for Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist Dr. Michael J. Baker to present cattle handling facility design options at Huestis Farm in Ticonderoga, the CCE office in Plattsburgh, North Country Community College in Malone, the Extension Learning Farm in Canton and the Lloyd Garnsey Farm in Clayton.
Local farmers and veterinarians will join Baker to share beef cattle handling experiences and tips for producers and vets to work together to prevent disease and implement strong herd-management strategies. Each program will also include a beef farm management activity, such as a case study or spreadsheet review prepared by CCE Jefferson Farm Business Management Educator Corey Hayes.
Baker is available by appointment for farm herd visits during the Beef Week. Contact local Extension offices to schedule visit. Baker will speak at all of the Beef Week programs. The schedule with other speakers at the various sites is as follows:
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1 to 3 p.m., Huestis Farm, Ticonderoga: Tour new greenhouse-style barn and handling chute and scale system. Livestock producer Phil Huestis will talk about his five years of experience selling to Pineland Farms Natural Meats, a naturally raised beef-animal buyer.
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 7 to 9 p.m., CCE Clinton County office, Plattsburgh: In addition to handling facilities presentations, there will be a Beef Farm Business Summary discussion. There is a $5 program fee.
Register with Peter Hagar, CCE Clinton County, for the Nov. 29 programs at 561-7450.
Wednesday, Nov. 30, North Country Community College Room 111, Malone: 6:30 p.m. covered dish dinner, 7 p.m. presentations with Baker and a local veterinarian. Register with Diane Dumont, CCE Franklin County, 483-7403.
Thursday, Dec. 1, 7 to 9 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm, Canton:
Baker and veterinarian Dr. Amy Thompson, Canton Animal Clinic. There is a $5 fee or bring a dessert to share. Register with Betsy Hodge, CCE St. Lawrence, 315-379-9192.
Senators lobby for farmers' health care
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help protect Upstate New York farmers' access to health care through dairy and farmer cooperatives.
In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the senators asked CMS to consider allowing farmers who are eligible for the new health reform law health insurance subsidies to be able to purchase their coverage from the farmer cooperatives and receive the subsidies to make insurance more affordable. Many upstate farmers currently receive health insurance through the co-op and the senators wanted to request that they also be able to access the insurance subsidies, if they are eligible because of their income.
"Farmers are the backbone of many of Upstate New York's communities, and it is critical that we protect their access to quality health care," said Schumer. "Many Upstate New York farmers currently receive health insurance through dairy and farmer cooperatives, and I urge CMS to forge a solution that meets our farmers' unique medical insurance needs and ensures they can keep this necessary coverage."
Schumer and Gillibrand noted that in many cases the benefits provided under these plans have been specifically designed by the farmers themselves to meet a need that was not being met in the general insurance market.
"Many of these benefits, for example, such as milk deduction check-off, 24-hour live access to customer service and special wrap-around options for accident coverage are very farmer-specific and unlikely to be offered in the exchanges," the letter said.
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