Franklin County conservation work group to meet
MALONE — The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service will hold a Local Work Group meeting for Franklin County. This meeting is open to the public.
It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at the USDA Service Center, 151 Finney Blvd., Malone.
The Local Work Group will focus on agricultural and natural-resource issues existing in the community. Participants can be agricultural producers, owners of nonindustrial private forest land, representatives of agricultural and environmental organizations and representatives of governmental agencies carrying out environmental, agricultural or natural-resource conservation programs and activities.
For information about the State Technical Committee, contact Assistant State Conservationist for Programs Tammy Willis at (315) 477-6503.
Farm Bureau
offers scholarships
PLATTSBURGH — New York Farm Bureau is encouraging high-school seniors who have been involved with agriculture and plan on continuing studies in this field to apply for the New York Farm Bureau Agricultural Youth Scholarship sponsored by the New York Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee.
Scholarship awards are $1,500 for first place $1,200 for second and $1,000 for third place. The first-place winner will be invited to present their essay at a NYFB Spring Event.
Students applying must have a family Farm Bureau membership or a Student Farm Bureau membership (a membership application may be included with scholarship enclosures). Students are required to submit a brief essay answering the question, “If you had the power to change something in your community or on your farm, what would you change and why?”
District winners will be notified on or before Jan. 18, 2013.
The application deadline is Nov. 18, 2012. To nominate someone for the scholarship or to request an application, call 1-800-342-4143 or visit http:/www.nyfb.org and scroll down to “Farm Essentials” for scholarship information and the application.
Local farm products go to Washington
PLATTSBURGH — Northern New York farm products were represented at the 11th annual New York Farm Day in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12. Cornell Cooperative Extension and local business representatives took a diverse array of regional foods to the gathering of 700-some federal officials, guests, area restaurant operators and media on Capitol Hill.
CCE Essex County Executive Director Anita Deming and Northern New York Regional Foods Specialist Bernadette Logozar with CCE Franklin County were part of the contingent. Among the North Country products were baguette bread made with locally grown organic wheat served with hand-blended olive-oil dipping spices; freekah mix made from immature spelt and organic emmer, ancient grains grown in Northern New York; Honeycrisp apples; lamb sticks; maple cream and maple syrup; and wine ice cream.
Cutoff dates for
conservation
programs set
MALONE — New York farmers and landowners have until Nov. 16 to apply for 2013 conservation program funding. The programs falling within this deadline include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Applications are competitive and ranked based on national, state and locally identified resource priorities and their overall benefit to the environment.
Although the 2012 Farm Bill has yet to be approved, proposed legislation indicates that it will contain similar conservation programs to those offered under the 2008 Farm Bill. At this time, applicants may still apply for funding through the same programs. At the time of application, applicants must specify the resource concerns that they intend to address. Once further guidance on the 2012 Farm Bill is provided, NRCS will transfer applications to the appropriate conservation program.
EQIP offers financial assistance for practices that address soil erosion, water quality and habitat degradation.
AMA focuses on improving irrigation efficiency through micro-irrigation.
WHIP helps participants develop fish and wildlife habitat. In New York, there are two focus areas: grassland and shrubland.
Information about NRCS New York Conservation Programs can be found at www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/. To apply, visit www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/general_information/how_to_apply.html. Or, apply by visiting the local NRCS field office.
Obama: IRS Acting Commissioner Has Resigned
Federal Reserve: Smartphone Fraud Rising
Thieves Drain $45M From ATMs in Hours
Watch Production Gets Ticking in Detroit
Raw: Senate Passes Internet Sales Tax Bill
That's the Spirit: Local Crop Booze Booming
Two Years Later, Fla. Homeowners Face Problems
Raw: Japan's ANA Test-flies 787
Mobile Apps Creating Big Business Opportunity
FAA Order Formally Lifts Boeing 787 Grounding
Rise of China Car Culture on Display in Shanghai
Flight Delays Pile Up After FAA Budget Cuts
FAA Furloughs Prompt Flight Delay Concerns
