Farm briefs: Nov. 8, 2009

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November 7, 2009

Anonymous The Press Republican Sat Nov 07, 2009, 10:28 PM EST

Report offers ways to improve maple industry
ALBANY — New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker recently received the Maple Task Force's Final Report, which includes a summary of the obstacles and opportunities facing the industry, as well as four recommendations on how to grow the industry to become the leading maple producer in the country.

"As a maple producer myself, I know first-hand some of the challenges that face this industry, and I know there are also numerous opportunities to grow this industry," Hooker said. "New York State has the potential to be the leading maple producer in the country, and by working together as this group did, I believe it can be achieved."

The Task Force concludes that there is tremendous potential for growth in production and an unmet demand for New York maple products. Currently, New York State producers only utilize .5 percent of the nearly 300 million potential taps. According to one Cornell study, if New York were to tap its maple trees at the same rate that Vermont does, New York could quadruple its current production level to 1.2 million gallons of maple syrup annually.

The group also identified several obstacles that limit the growth of the industry. The group noted that of the 1,500 maple producers in New York State, well over half of them are small-scale producers or hobbyists. With an industry primarily made up of small producers, the industry lacks a unified identity for marketing purposes and is unable to fill large orders requested by major retailers.

To overcome these challenges and move the industry forward, the Task Force is making the following recommendations, some of which they have already started working on:

  Increase the number of producers and the size of their operations through education, financial incentives, and technical assistance.

  Increase the amount of land used for maple production by educating land owners about the benefits of leasing, and investigating the options to tapping sugar maples on state land.

  Increase productivity of current producers through the use of new technology, such as reverse-osmosis machines and new check-valve spout adapters. The Task Force looked into the USDA Rural Energy for America Program grants and this fall, 15 New York maple producers received a total of $89,833 in grants for reverse osmosis and energy-efficient upgrades.

  Identify a large bottling plant and develop a marketing strategy and brand for New York maple products to market and fill large orders from major retailers. Through the New York State Maple Producers Association, a voluntary container assessment has been established to help raise funds for such work, and a new marketing campaign, "New York Maple. Taste the Tradition," was unveiled during the New York State Fair in August.

A copy of the full report can be found at http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/ad/2009-Maple-Task-Force-Report.pdf.

New York is currently the third largest maple-producing state in the nation, behind Vermont and Maine. With 1.5 million taps, New York producers made 362,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2009, up 10 percent from the year prior. The value of New York maple syrup produced in 2008 was $13.9 million with an average price of $42.40 per gallon.

Making maple confections workshop topic
LAKE PLACID — The last opportunity for Northern New York maple producers to take advantage of value-added training in converting their syrup into sweet confections is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 21 at Uihlein Forest, Cornell University's Sugar Maple Research and Extension Field Station in Lake Placid.

New York State Maple Specialist Stephen Childs of Cornell will lead the hands-on instruction that has been funded for the past three-and-a-half years by New York Farm Viability Institute and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grants.

Participants in the Maple Confections II workshop will learn the basics of invert sugar and controlling crystal formation. Product demonstrations will include making maple-coated nuts, maple meringues, maple cheesecake, suckers made from 100 percent maple syrup, maple soft drinks, maple slushies, maple smoothies, maple cream wafer cookies, maple marshmallow, maple cotton candy, maple syrup straws and maple sugar straws.

"The firsthand experience with the various product demonstrations help producers choose the products that best fit their farm and marketing situation," Childs said.

The workshop will take place in the new education center at 157 Bear Cub Lane in Lake Placid. Pre-registration is required. Contact Uihlein Forest Director Michael Farrell at mlf36@cornell.edu. The workshop cost is $15 and includes lunch. Make checks payable to Cornell University and send to 157 Bear Cub Lane, Lake Placid, N.Y., 12946.

More than 600 maple producers across New York state have taken this value-added training, expanded their product line and increased their profitability as a result.

Additional resources for making maple syrup can be found on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Web site at www.nnyagdev.org.

Results of fertilizer-use study available
CHAZY — The W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy is among the farmers and agencies participating in a statewide, two-year research project evaluating ways to use manure, conserve soil and reduce fertilizer costs. The results of the first year of trials on the farms are now posted in the Agricultural Environmental Management section of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Web site at www.nnyagdev.org.

The research, funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and the New York Farm Viability Institute, is evaluating the application of manure to farm fields in the spring without incorporating it into the soil (surface application) vs. using an aeration tool for shallow incorporation or incorporating with a chisel plow.

The research team, led by Dr. Quirine M. Ketterings, director of Cornell University's Nutrient Management Spear Program, and coordinated by soil science graduate student Anne Place, is also evaluating the impact of the three manure application methods on corn-crop yield and quality, nitrogen availability and fuel costs.

"Research conducted under Northern New York growing conditions on how to best use on-farm and purchased nutrients provides farmers with valuable data that can produce higher-yield crops and save or make money for the farm while also protecting the farm's natural resources," program co-chair and dairyman Jon Greenwood of Canton said.

Those interested can learn more about manure and nutrient management research by contacting their local CCE office, the Nutrient Management Spear Program, or Miner Institute, and online at www.nnyagdev.org.

The program is a farmer-driven initiative to ensure the long-term economic vitality of Northern New York's agricultural production sector and agriculture's important contributions to the protection and enhancement of the region's environment and natural resource base and to communities in New York State's six northernmost counties.

The program, co-chaired by Greenwood and Joe Giroux of Plattsburgh, awards grants for practical on-farm research, outreach and technical assistance and is supported by funds from New York State.

The program receives support (funds, time, land, expertise etc.) from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, six Northern New York Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations, Miner Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, cooperating farms, agribusinesses across the region and others.

Learn more at www.nyfvi.org. Contact numbers are Clinton County, Peter H. Hagar, 561-7450; Miner Institute, Eric Young, 846-7121, Ext. 113; Essex County, Anita L. Deming, 962-4810; and Franklin County, Carl A. Tillinghast or Stephen Canner at 483-7403.

Support for new farmers offered with grant
PLATTSBURGH — A three-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program will help Cornell University's Small Farms Program (SFP) broaden its support for new farmers in the Northeast.

"Demand for local foods has created new market opportunities for farmers with both large and small operations," said Erica Frenay, project coordinator of the SFP's New York Beginning Farmer Project (www.nybeginningfarmers.org). "Many new farmers with little or no agricultural experience want to tap this growing market, but face daunting barriers. Our team is here to help."

Some of the barriers beginning and aspiring farmers face include limited access to training, capital and land. The Small Farms Program, along with Cornell Cooperative Extension, targeted the first of these, training, by establishing the New York Beginning Farmer Project in 2006. Over three years, the project trained 362 new or aspiring farmers in basic farm planning and business management. "We've collected dozens of farm success stories from this effort, including new farms started, market channels expanded, and people who have quit their off-farm jobs to work on the farm," said Anu Rangarajan, director of the Cornell Small Farms Program.

The project also developed new information resources, like the Guide to Farming in New York, a set of fact sheets on the legal and regulatory aspects of farming. And, the project established a beginning farmer contact in every Cornell Cooperative Extension office to help new farmers know who to call. A link to this list is on the homepage of the Cornell Small Farms Web site at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu.

To stay informed about the agency's activities, subscribe to the Small Farms Program's monthly e-newsletter at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/contact/newsletter.cfm.