Farm briefs: Oct. 5, 2008

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October 5, 2008

Anonymous The Press Republican Sun Oct 05, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT

Dairy Calf and Heifer Association to host seminar

CHAZY -- The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association will be hosting a one-day Profit Seminar in Chazy on Oct. 30 from 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Dairy producers, calf and heifer growers, dairy beef growers and those that are considering growing their own heifers or considering sending their heifers to a grower are invited to attend the seminar at the Miner Institute, located at 1034 Miner Farm Road.

Dr. Normand St-Pierre of Ohio State University will discuss feeding dairy-replacement heifers with $6-a-bushel corn and the 10 best ways to mess up a good ration. Jason Karszes will discuss replacement-program records and costs and how to analyze heifer enterprises. A representative from the National Cattlemens Beef Board will cover funding for Dairy Beef Quality Assurance. The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association will present upcoming activities.

Lunch will be provided. Visit www.calfandheifer.org for more information and for costs and registration.

Westport to host Marketing

for Profit course

WESTPORT -- If you own a farm or small business, do crafts or are ready to start a new enterprise, a Marketing for Profit course designed to turn ideas into successful business ventures may be able to help.

Monday and Wednesday evening sessions at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County will focus on selecting a proper Web site domain name, developing a Web site, reaching online markets, business planning, value-added licensing, insurance liability, product seasonality, financing information and the opportunity to have your business proposal reviewed by a "mock" loan committee.

The 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. course, developed by the Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative and Cornell Cooperative Extension, starts Monday, Oct. 27, and will run through March 4, 2009. The course fee is $50; participants can attend all 20 sessions or select those of special interest.

"This course has been well-received on the western side of the Adirondacks and we are thrilled to offer it here on the eastern side to help our small businesses, crafters and small farms make the most of opportunities to sell their products," said course co-host Anita Deming, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County in Westport.

She said now would be a good time for those who are learning to make wine from the cold-hardy grapes that have been introduced to the North Country to also learn how to market and sell wine.

"This course will help people with business planning, marketing and other tools for increasing profits. The long-term benefit of a course like this will be a lasting positive impact on the Essex County economy," Deming said.

The course is sponsored by a partnership of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Northern New York, the Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative, The Rural Opportunities Enterprise Center Inc., the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, SCORE, Paul Smiths College, ComLinks, Clarkson University, USDA Rural Development and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Those interested in reserving a space may call Deming at 962-4810. Other course meeting sites are Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Watertown; SUNY Canton at Massena; and the North Country Community College Malone campus.

Essex County eligible

for disaster aid

GREENWICH -- Essex County has been declared eligible for Farm Service Agency (FSA) disaster emergency-loan assistance effective Sept. 16 due to damage and losses caused by severe storms and flooding that occurred July 21 to Aug. 12.

Family farmers who have suffered losses of at least 30 percent of their production due to the severe storms and flooding may be eligible for FSA loans. Proceeds from crop insurance and any FSA programs are taken into account when determining eligibility for production losses. Losses must be supported with documented records.

Under the FSA Emergency Loan Programs, farmers may be eligible for production-loss loans of up to 100 percent of their actual losses, or the operating loan amount needed to continue in business, or a maximum principal balance outstanding of $500,000, whichever is less. Farmers must be unable to obtain credit from private commercial lenders. The interest rate on emergency loans is 3.75 percent.

Applications for loans under this emergency designation will be accepted until May 12, 2009. The FSA office is located at 2530 State Route 40, Greenwich, N.Y., 12834, telephone 692-9940, Ext. 2.