Tag Archives: American Farmland Trust

On the Campaign Trail

The first weeks of our March 20th Special Election campaign for the 103rd New York Assembly District have gotten off to a terrific start. It has been wonderful to reconnect with friends and supporters from 2010 and I am inspired by the warm and immediate response of so many volunteers signing up to call, canvass and help out. Check out our website at www.didibarrett.com to sign up, catch up or contribute.

I have had terrific meetings and phone chats with many Town Supervisors, Mayors and Town and Village Board Members throughout the district – Democrats and Republicans — to hear first hand about their local issues. It is my goal to talk with the leaders of each of the municipalities in the district. I’m finding these local leaders welcome my interest in their communities and respect my longtime community activism and passion for the Hudson Valley. My priorities of creating quality local jobs, curbing unfunded mandates, providing middle class tax relief and protecting and supporting what we love about living in this region are right in sync with many of theirs.

I was pleased to hear that job creation and economic development were among the top priorities expressed by the new Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro when I attended his first State of the County address. I’m hoping that he is looking to develop the region’s agricultural economy as part of this effort. While Molinaro didn’t specifically talk about agriculture in his speech, I couldn’t help but notice that the Dutchess County seal, which was prominently displayed on the screen behind him, features what appears to be a shaft of wheat and a plow, reflecting the critical role farming has played in the develoment of Dutchess County. We may no longer have as many farmers as we once did, but that makes those we still have — and the young farmers who want to join them — even more important to support. After all, we all do eat.

The farm economy is so essential to this region that even while on the campaign trail I continue to stay on top of important ag-related events in the region. Here are a few of note:

*American Farmland Trust ‘s annual No Farms No Food Rally in Albany on February 15 where they urge legislators to strengthen New York’s farm and food economy; protect farmland and the environment and increase access to locally grown food.

*A community conference, Farming our Future, will look at growing food, farms, and community in the context of a rapidly changing local, regional, and global food system. The day long conference, featuring Steffen Schneider, Director of Farm Operations at Hawthorne Valley Farm, as the keynote speaker, will take place on Saturday, February 25 at Taconic Hills Central School in Columbia County. This inaugural conference is geared to local and regional farmers, educators, farmers’ market managers, agricultural students, providers of goods and services, and consumers — all those interested in exploring the future of farming in our community.

*Pure Catskills is currently assembling their annual buy local guide which focuses on farm and food producers in New York’s Watershed area. Pure Catskills farms are located on farmland that protects clean drinking water for 9 million New Yorkers in an innovative partnership that focuses on healthy, working farmland and the water protection practices it takes to keep streams and reservoirs safe.

Lots of creative ideas out there. I look forward to bringing this outside the box thinking to Albany!

Posted in Didi's dish | Also tagged Columbia County, Didi Barrett for Assembly, Dutchess County, Farming Our Future, Hawthorne Valley Farms, Marc Molinaro, March 20 Special Election, No Farms No Food, NY State Assembly, Pure Catskils | 1 Comment

Where in the World is the 2012 Farm Bill?

You may already know a lot, or a little, about the U.S. Farm Bill, dear Reader, but this has been my year to try to understand this smorgasbord bill, passed every five to seven years (most recently in 2008) and what it really means for farms of all sizes, for sustainability, for the food we eat and for the American people. Turns out I picked a doozy of a year to try to observe the process as the 2012 Farm Bill, like so much else, has been held hostage by the deficit-reduction frenzy. There has been widespread concern that this far reaching legislation was being fast-tracked and negotiated in secret as part of the now-failed supercommittee process.

Even under normal circumstances the picture isn’t a whole lot prettier. ”Typically, passage of the Farm Bill… involves a lengthy process of hearings, constituent meetings, and (sad but true) many a high-priced meal on the tab of some lobbyist or other—followed by detailed negotiations between the House and Senate Agriculture Committees,” Tom Laskaway, food and ag policy writer wrote in Grist last month.

As our nation prepares to commemorate that first Thanksgiving feast it’s not exactly clear where the 2012 Farm Bill is; it needs to be renewed by September 30, 2012. I am intent on continuing to follow the process as this is the legislation that, among other things, has the potential to set the tone and the funding for federal commitment to sustainable agriculture, for support and encouragement of young and future farmers, for land and resource conservation programs, and for redirecting subsidies away from the big ag commodities that seem to be producing more feed and fuel than actual nourishing food.

Just an example on that last point: Fruits, vegetables and nuts, those staples of healthy eating, are labeled “specialty crops” under the last farm bill while commodity crops, supported on the basis of how much is produced of corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton, now get something like $25 billion a year in subsidies.

By way of background, writer Michael Pollan of Omnivore’s Dilemna fame has described the Farm Bill as a “resolutely unglamorous and head-hurtingly complicated piece of legislation, which… sets the rules for the American food system — indeed, to a considerable extent, for the world’s food system.” Says Pollan, it “isn’t a bill just for farmers. It really should be called a ‘food bill’ because it is the rules for the food system we all eat by, and those rules are really lousy right now. They need to be changed.” As Pollan has long pointed out there is much more incentive to produce corn syrup and soybean oil, “those building blocks of fast food,” than to grow and produce the balanced nutritious diet that would nourish and feed families and communities.

Now is the time to stay informed and reach out to your legislators here in the Hudson Valley. Both New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Chris Gibson (NY 20) serve on their respective Agriculture Committees. The combined interest in regional farming, locavore eating and growing concerns about Big Ag (including efforts by the Occupy Wall Street folks) has launched more grassroots interest in the 2012 Farm Bill than in past cycles, reports the online news source Grist, which is been following the 2012 bill with an excellent series. American Farmland Trust, too, has put out a very helpful primer.

So, while you gather with family and friends and prepare your holiday feast take a moment to remember where all that wonderful food is coming from and how truly essential sustainable agriculture is for our future. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Posted in Didi's dish | Also tagged Buy Local, Chris Gibson, Farm Bill, Farm Bill 2012, Farms, Grist, Hudson Valley, Kirsten Gillibrand, Michael Pollan | 1 Comment

Dine Out Irene and other Post-Flood Farm Relief Efforts

New York State farmers suffered a devastating double whammy over the last month when uninvited guests Irene and then Lee tore through the upstate and Hudson Valley regions leaving heartbreaking wreckage in their wake. It is clear we haven’t begun to truly understand the extent of the damage from either the economic or ecological perspective. According to the American Farmland Trust, “New York state has lost an estimated $45 million in crops and livestock and suffered damage to approximately 145,000 acres of farmland.”

If there is a silver lining to this disaster it is that a spotlight is now shining on our New York State farms and perhaps this will lead to greater recognition of agriculture as the important economic engine it is, and to farmers getting the support they need to run viable and sustainable businesses.

It was good news that Gov. Andrew Cuomo quickly announced a $15 million Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund intended to help farmers and rural communities rebuild, but it’s hard to believe that will be more than a drop in the proverbial bucket. Darrel Aubertine, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets, has released $5 million to begin the rehabilitation of farmland damaged by the flooding. “The land is the farmer’s greatest resource,” said Aubertine, himself a farmer and former state senator.

The outpouring of public support for farmers has been heartwarming. The following are some links to upcoming events like Dine Out Irene where NYC and other restaurants will donate 10% of sales to farmers badly hit by the hurricanes. Please feel free to tell us about others.

The Valley Table has updated information on the diverse array of flood benefits being held throughout the region this fall, as well as a listing of the Hudson Valley restaurants participating in Dine Out Irene on Sunday, September 25, 2011.

Hudson Valley Food Network has started a forum for requests of help from farmers, for those in need of food, and for those who wish to help local farmers. They also list regional fundraisers to support local farms.

Taste of the Catksills Festival – to be held in Delhi in the Catskills on October 8 and 9 — hopes to raise awareness and money for flood relief. The Delhi Fire Department will be collecting donations for local distribution.

Watershed Post continues to be a terrific news source for and about the Catskill region with updated information about storm resources and relief sites and a detailed list of ways to support the Catskill area farmers.

Hudson Valley Seed Library will be donating 25% of all sales the month of September to farm aid for small farmers who lost their crops to Irene and Lee. The Seed Library is particularly worried about the challenges for sustainable and organic farms that have lost significant topsoil or are downstream of larger farms that might use chemicals.

Pure Catskill has teamed up with other groups to launch the Catskill Farmers Flood Relief Fund. To find an upcoming event check their website.

Food Systems Network NYC continues to update relief information for farmers throughout New York State.

GrowNYC says that 80% of Greenmarket farmers have been impacted by the recent storms. Its site has lists of affected farms and resources for impacted farmers, as well as information about the Greenmarket’s Hurricane Relief Fund and other ways to help.

The Dyson Foundation is offering emergency funding to Hudson Valley not for profit organizations — including farm-focused groups — with storm-related damages and losses.

Posted in Didi's dish | Also tagged Dine Out Irene, Dyson Foundation, Farms, Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Food Network, Hudson Valley Seed Library, Watershed Post | Leave a comment

Hug a Farmer — Family Farms Need You

You’ve joined a CSA (and have learned to prepare vegetables you’d never even heard of five years ago). You frequent the weekly Farmer’s Market, not just in your town, but in the surrounding towns. You know the local farms and brands and buy them whenever possible over commercial milk, cheese, eggs and other food products. What else can you do to keep local family farms vital and sustainable?

This is one of the questions I ask myself with some regularity. I am passionate about the importance of agriculture as an economic engine in the Hudson Valley and small farms are at the heart of this economy. There must be more we can do to support the hardworking farm families that juggle low milk prices, high land values and the dazzle of promises, as well as for the young farmers who are choosing a 21st century lifestyle of sustainable farming to feed us and our children fresh, healthy and nutritious food.

We all know farmland preservation is critical — that more than an acre of farm and ranch land is lost every minute to development in this country. But farmland needs to be farmed or it’s not really farmland preservation, is it?

So, I’ve been trying to understand the economics of farmland preservation: How can we better match landowners with prime soils and grazing land with young farmers in a way that works economically and sustainably for both sides. How can we help discouraged long-time farmers feel the love? How can we balance jobs, smart growth and protection of our soil, water and air.

One of the most pro-active approaches is the pioneering new local law just passed in the Town of Red Hook. The result of a long and thorough public review process, the Centers & Greenspaces plan, as it is known, concentrates development in planned Traditional Neighborhood District while preserving farmlands within an Agricultural Business District.

According to Red Hook Today, the online news source, local and regional land-use experts identify three critical benefits to the innovative new law: Protecting Red Hook’s rural character; preventing higher property taxes associated with over-development; and promoting economic vitality and quality of life especially within Red Hook Village.

Chatham in Columbia County has also made a long term commitment to remaining a sustainable agricultural community, in their case through Chatham Keep Farming, a partnership with NY State Ag and Markets and Glynwood, the Cold Spring-based not for profit that works at the intersection of communities, farmers and landowners to help communities in the Northeast save farming.

There are community-based organizations in neighboring Massachusetts that have been very effective in helping support local farms. A New York State dairy farmer recently asked on Twitter why New York State doesn’t have Keep Local Farms, a program which educates consumers about the value of New England dairy farms by connecting consumers with local dairy farmers and encouraging the purchase of local foods. Why not indeed?

The Western Massachusetts based CISA (Community Involved in Sustainable Agriculture) — is another model with the goal of strengthening links between farmers and communities. It began in 1993 as a consortium of educational and nonprofit organizations which formed to identify and address issues facing agriculture in the soil rich Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts. CISA now covers a region that includes the cities of Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke, the academic communities of Amherst and Northampton, as well as rural hill towns, aging mill towns, and suburban communities, engaging folks in everything from farming and festivals to advocacy and ag infrastructure.

This weekend a number of farm-friendly organizations and businesses are joining forces at the Copake Country Club for the Friends of the Farmer Festival for Hudson Valley Food Lovers, a full day (11 am to 11 pm) of local music, exhibitors, food, drink. There will be kids’ activities, panels by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and a “Farm-Friendly Libations Tent” — in other words something for absolutely everyone.

Share your thoughts about what we can do together here in the Hudson Valley. As further — ok, pun intended — food for thought: Here’s a parting observation from American Farmland Trust’s David Haight: “More than 6,000 farmers in New York (about 30% of all farmers who have their primary income from agriculture) are older than 65. They manage roughly 1.5 million acres of farmland. Transitioning this land to a new generation of farmers – and not into the hands of developers – will be a big challenge for all us!”

Posted in Didi's dish | Also tagged Buy Local, Chatham Keep Farming, CISA, Columbia County, Dutchess County, farmland protection, Farms, Friends of the Farmer Festival, Glynwood, Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Tourism, Keep Local Farms, No Farms No Food, NY Ag and Markets, Red Hook Centers and Greenspaces | 1 Comment

Farm Tables: Dining in the Field

The facts about farming speak for themselves:

America has been losing more than an acre of farm and ranch land every minute to development.*
New York State has lost almost half a million acres of farmland to subdivisions, strip malls and scattered development in the last 25 years which threatens food security and local economies.*
New York’s remaining farmland can only produce enough food to feed 6 million of the state’s 19 million residents. That’s just 30 percent of the population.*
The average age of the American family farmer is 57 and the fastest growing group of American farmers is age 65 and older.*

Here in the Hudson Valley, where we have some of the richest soils and farmland in the country, where water is — still — plentiful, where major urban markets are easily accessed and where young farmers are eager to put down roots, we could well be a model of sustainable farming for the nation.

Indeed, there are those in our region who want to see that happen and they are working in a variety of ways — on farms, in kitchens and in communities — to achieve that goal. One of the most enchanting ways of encouraging people to re-connect with food sources, their surroundings and one another is over a splendid meal served literally where the food has been grown — at their feet, in the field.

Since 1998, Outstanding in the Field, which describes itself as a roving culinary adventure, has been setting out long farm tables in fields from one end of the country to the other to pursue their mission to “re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.”

Over the next few weekends, foodies and farm fans in the Hudson Valley are being offered several wonderful opportunities to take a closer look at our essential local farms. With a fine twist on the farm to table to field scenario, these local farms will be partnering with talented local chefs to support critical local community organizations in the region.

On Saturday, July 16th, in Kinderhook, Katchkie Farm and Great Performances, the renown caterers, will offer their third annual Farm to Table Dinner at Katchkie Farm, featuring a 100 Mile Menu and showcasing what’s local and in season. Katchkie Farm, a 60 acre year-round organic farming operation, is unique in that it’s owned by Great Performances reflecting the company’s strong commitment to celebrating local flavors while supporting sustainable agriculture and good earth practices. The Farm to Table Dinner will benefit both the Columbia Land Conservancy and The Sylvia Center, Katchkie Farm’s educational arm that shares farm and cooking to inspire children to eat well.

S.E.E.D. (Smart Eating Every Day), a Hudson Valley partnership with Healthy Children Healthy Futures and Mentoring USA, will be the beneficiary of a festive Hudson Valley meets Argentina Churrascheria in the midst of Grieg Farm in Red Hook. Locally sourced food — including a Northwind Farms pit-fired whole hog — will be supplemented by specialties, drinks and music of Argentina, Italy and Spain. Organized by Gigi’s Market, the dinner has been rescheduled from next week to the fall. For reservations or more information contact brianna@gigihudsonvalley.com, telephone 845-758-8060.
.

A Seat at the Table, is the Poughkeepsie Farm Project’s elegant five-course farm field dining experience, and it will be held this year on Saturday, August 6th at the farm. The event is a fundraiser for the multi-faceted PFP which, in addition to its CSA and two Poughkeepsie Farmers Markets, works in the areas of food justice, education and young farmer training. The event starts with cocktails and farm tours, and then brings together local farmers, chefs and members of the community — at one long linen-draped table. “It’s a chance to talk to farmers and food providers, to learn about local food production and the love that goes into it,” says event chair Sarah Lee. “It’s a celebration of our community and its bounty.

In a variation on the theme, Green Peas TV, the new internet food and cooking show for the Hudson Valley and Berkshire regions will present Meet the Chefs: A Farm-to-Table Benefit Brunch in collaboration with Millerton’s No. 9 restaurant on Sunday, July 24th. Proceeds from the tented outdoor brunch will go to the North East Community Center Farm and Food Education Program. The dazzling menu will be prepared by an equally dazzling collection of top local chefs: Tim Cocheo, No. 9; Michel Jean, The Stissing House; Sara Lukasiewicz, Red Devon; Peggy McEnroe, Back in the Kitchen; Josephine Proul, Local 111; Noah Sheetz and Rebecca Joyner, Chefs Consortium; and Mark Strausman, Agriturismo. ”Everything — right down to the water, the eggs, the butter, the cheese, the meats, the flour for the breads and scones — is being sourced locally from our region,” says Green Peas TV’s Jane Watson.

And if you are waiting for your star-turn, this could be your moment. The brunch will be filmed as an episode of Green Peas TV, which showcases local farms, distilleries and other food sources, by organizing and filming events featuring top chefs in unique and unusual settings.

Statistics from American Farmland Trust* and USDA**

Posted in Didi's dish | Also tagged Buy Local, Columbia County, Dutchess County, Farm to Table, farmland protection, Farms, Gigi's Market, Great Performances, Green Peas TV, Grieg Farms, Katchkie Farms, National Young Farmers Coalition, NYFC, Outstanding in the Field, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, S.E.E.D. | Leave a comment

Farms R Us

Almost lost in the hoopla of the pizza party/sleepover at the state capitol and the on-time budget this week was a couple hundred farmers and friends who came to Albany Wednesday from across the state — including several buses from NYC — with the simple message: No Farms No Food.

Sounds pretty obvious, but in New York State a farm is lost to development every 3 1/2 days! This is a state with world class soils, plenty of water (in contrast to some western states), and centuries of farming tradition. Agriculture is the number one industry in the state. Yet over the last 25 years New York State has lost a half million acres of farmland to subdivisions, strip malls and other development according to the American Farmland Trust. Dutchess County, home to 170 dairy farms in 1972, has only 15 today. Lose our family farms and we jeopardize food security, homeland security and economic security! Agriculture is a critical economic engine for our state and region — agriculture is jobs and economic development. And our farms are vital to local economies, too, since farmers largely spend locally.

These gracious ag advocates thanked legislators for the $12 million dollars in the proposed 2011-12 state budget for Farmland Protection, but the reality is that there is a backlog of some 61 farms that have been promised $70 million for conservation easements. These are the farmers who are making the commitment to keep their farmland working farms and not to cash in with developers. These are not easy choices to make, let alone sustain while the state strings them along for years and years — in some cases more than a decade.

And why isn’t there a win-win way to make some of this land accessible to young farmers. There are young farmers who literally want to put down roots here in our region. In fact, the newly formed National Young Farmers Coalition is set to plant their national headquarters right here in the Hudson Valley. The average age of the American family farmer is 57, according to the USDA, with an increasing number who are age 65 and older. If we are going to feed our population in this state we need policies that are welcoming to young farmers who have energy, work ethic, and commitment to sustainability, but limited financial resources. They are our future.

There was lots of talk at the No Farms No Food rally about linking farming with urban communities — Brooklyn Rescue Mission’s Rev. Robert Ennis Jackson talked about his community farm in central Brooklyn and their efforts to address food justice head-on.

Here in the Hudson Valley, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project is preparing to partner with Walkway Over the Hudson, the new sky-high state park, with a Friday Farmer’s Market bringing farm fresh produce to the eastern entrance to the Walkway from 3 pm to 7 pm beginning May 20th. A second City of Poughkeepsie market will serve the community in nearby Pulaski Park. The Farm Project is currently immersed in their own innovative food justice project. Called Building Bridges, it is a community collaboration working through door to door interviews and community forums to create a plan for a hunger-free, nutritionally healthy city for Poughkeepsie residents. For more Dutchess County agri-tourism news, as well as info on 2011 Farm Fresh Tours which bring farm friendly visitors to the county, check out Dutchess County Tourism’s website.

Now, how about finding some summer jobs for our urban youth to work on nearby Hudson Valley farms? It’s empowering and teaches new job skills to young folk with time on their hands, it fills a need at local farms and helps encourage a new generation of farmers.

Posted in Didi's dish | Also tagged Brooklyn Rescue Mission, Building Bridges, Dutchess County Tourism, Farms, No Farms No Food, NYFC, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Walkway Over the Hudson | 2 Comments

Take Action
- Donate
- Join our Email List
Find Your Polling Location
Connect
Twitter Feed

Didi Barrett
Follow @Didi4Assembly
- Happy Mothers Day weekend to all Moms #in the #HudsonValley and beyond. You make a difference every day!
  1 week ago
- Grand day #in the #HudsonValley: Taconic State Park to #Hudson Children's Book Fest to Val-Kill to #Marist @CIACulinary #106AD #ILMPD
  1 week ago
- Many thanks to Dad's Copake Diner, a real classic, for hosting great Diner Stop Mobile District Office. Love the #HudsonValley. #106AD
  1 month ago
- Today is World Autism Awareness Day.There is no early detection or cure but autism effects 1 in 88 kids.@sharethis http://t.co/Tght5BYx1Y
  1 month ago
- Picked up first edition of smart and good looking new quarterly Modern Farmer based #in #Hudson #NY @justfood conference. @modfarm
  1 month ago

On the Campaign Trail

On the Campaign Trail

Where in the World is the 2012 Farm Bill?

Dine Out Irene and other Post-Flood Farm Relief Efforts

Hug a Farmer — Family Farms Need You

Farm Tables: Dining in the Field

Farms R Us

Take Action

Find Your Polling Location

Connect

Twitter Feed

Didi Barrett