SPRING 2018

Good Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Feature ArticlesStinging Nettles: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore .......................................................Page 7

Frequently Asked Questions When Starting a Hop Farm in New York......................Page 10

Low Cost Seeding Methods for Improving Pastures and Haylands..........................Page 13

Page 2 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

STEWARDSHIP AND NATURE

Practice the Grazing You PreachUniversity of Vermont grazing specialist puts grazing practices to the test at home

by Amy Overstreet, Public Information Coor-dinator, USDA NRCS, Colchester, VT

Marc and Cheryl Cesario own and operateMeeting Place Pastures in Cornwall, Ver-mont, where they raise grass-fed beef andcertified organic eggs. With 500-acres ofcertified organic pastureland, they harnesssolar energy that is converted into a whole-some and nutritious feed (grass) for their an-imals. Their Angus and Devon cows grazeduring the growing season, and are movedup to three times a day to new paddocks. “Alot of people see cows eating grass andthink it’s easy, but it’s not,” explains Marc.There’s a lot that goes into making sureyou’re capturing as much solar energy asyou can and converting it to grass.”

Cheryl and husband Marc manage theirfarm using the practices and grazing tech-niques that she teaches other farmers aboutthrough her work as a University of VermontExtension grazing specialist. Besides man-aging multiple herds totaling 290 head, theyare also raising their daughter, four-year oldNormandie Fleurette. “We try to incorporateher as much as we can,” said Cheryl. “Wewere driving past the farm the other day andshe told me, “I love my cows.” The Cesariosare excited to see the next generation taking

ownership and developing a sense of pride.

When asked why they chose to farm organ-ically, Cheryl says it’s the only form of pro-duction they know. “In addition to all the bio-logical benefits, organic production allowsus, as a small farm, to sell our products out-side the commodity market and capture apremium. That keeps us competitive in themarketplace and contributes to the viabilityof our farm.”

Feeding their cows on organically managedpasture is an integral part of the Cesarios’farming philosophy: “Low stress and a for-age-based diet make happy cows and ourhappy cows produce rich, flavorful meat thatis nutritious, tender and of excellent quality.”

The USDA-Natural Resources ConservationService (NRCS) has worked with the Cesar-ios to install soil and water conservationpractices through the Environmental QualityIncentives Program (EQIP). Financial assis-tance through EQIP helped them adopt in-tensive rotational grazing and conservationpractices to support it. As a result, they haveimproved their financial bottom line, reducedtheir dependence on off-farm inputs, im-proved the health of their soil, protected wa-ter quality, and saved time and money.

Rotating their animals also gives their pas-tures more time to recover after grazing pe-riods.

“You’ll have 40% more yields in a six-weekperiod by moving cows around,” explainsCheryl. “If you’re feeding hay to your ani-mals in the middle of summer that could cost$30-50 a bale. If you have to put out three orfour bales a day, that’s a lot of money whenyou look at the cost of purchasing feed in-stead of producing your own.”

In 2009, the Cesarios purchased their first97 acres, and immediately consulted NRCSto find out how to transition the cornfieldsinto organic pasture. They also planted ahedgerow and trees to provide a buffer for a

nearby stream, installed watering tubs andwater lines for their cows, and erected fenc-ing to keep the cows out of nearby BeaverBrook. “We did most of our own fencing, butas we added acreage, the assistance we re-ceived from NRCS was so helpful becausewe could do more and make an even biggerimpact with conservation,” said Cheryl.

The Cesarios worked with NRCS Soil Con-servationist Tim McCoy, who helped themdevelop a comprehensive grazing plan forthe health of their animals and their forages.“Fencing cows out of sensitive areas reallyspeeds up the rate at which vegetation re-covers,” McCoy said. Their grazing plan is

Left: Under previous management, cows were allowed uncontrolled access to Beaver Brook. This created a resource concern because of excess amounts of nutrients thatentered the waterway. Right: The area is now protected with fencing and used for crossings only when necessary. This allows vegetation on both sides to regrow.

Photos by Tim McCoy

Fencing cows out of sensitive areas at Meeting Place Pastures accelerates vegetationrecovery and protects soil and water quality.

See Practice page 3

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 3

Cornell Small Farms Program Update

How can I get Small Farm Quarterly?

Country Folks subscribers automatically receive SFQ four times a year atno extra cost. Country Folks is delivered weekly for $50 per year.

SFQ-only subscribers receive just the 4 issues of Country Folks that contain the SFQ insert for only $5 a year.

Cooperative Extension Associations and other organizations

can offer their members a subscription to SFQ as a member benefit!Your organization collects the names, forwards them to Country Folks Subscriptions, and pays Country Folks just $2.50 for each subscriber.

Country Folks mails out the copies.

Bulk orders: You can order multiple copies of any issue for just 10¢ a copy!Minimum order is 50.

Orders must be placed at least 4 weeks before the publication date

To find out more, contact:Tracy Johnson

Country Folks SubscriptionsP.O. Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428

1-888-596-5329email: subscriptions@leepub.com

Vermont farmer Cheryl Cesario is a University of Vermont Extension grazing specialistand also mom to four-year old Normandie Fleurette.

Photo by Douglas Gayeton, Lexicon of Sustainability

The NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program’s Organic Initiative helps produc-ers conserve their land and also supports USDA National Organic Program standards.Eligible participants receive financial and technical assistance to implement conservationpractices and develop conservation plans that address natural resource concerns. Pay-ments are made to participants after conservation practices and activities identified in anEQIP plan of operations are implemented.

New Local & Regional Food Systems

Website

Local and Regional Food Systems at Cor-nell (LRFS) recently launched a new, dy-namic LRFS website to better demonstrate,strengthen, and build the network around lo-cal & regional food systems in New YorkState. Learn about the network of people,projects, resources, and locations of theirwork, connect with others who are workingon food system issues; participate in eventsor online forums; share info on your Cornellor CCE based programs in LRFS; and ex-plore CU/CCE expertise across various ar-eas of local food systems work. Visit the siteat http://localfood.cornell.edu

Upcoming Workshop in Geneva: Navigat-

ing the Ag Labor Maze

Do you hire, or are you considering hiring,migrant or foreign-born labor? Do you wantto improve your skills in supervising employ-ees who come from different cultures, espe-cially workers from Mexico and CentralAmerica? If yes, this workshop is for you!

On April 12 from 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., learnhow to build better relations between farm-

ers and workers and how to establish mean-ingful communication across cultures andlanguage barriers. Mary Jo Dudley, Directorof the Cornell Farmworker Program, will dis-cuss how to create positive workplaces andreduce miscommunication and culturally-based misunderstandings. Other speakerswill address access to health services, op-portunities for English language learning,and tips for worker and employer emer-gency preparedness.

Cost: $20

Location: Jordan Hall, NYS Agricultural Ex-periment Station, 630 W. North St., Geneva,NY, 14456

Learn more by visiting https://tinyurl.com/AgLaborMazeWorkshop

If you are unable to register online, contactAbby Henderson at (518) 746-2553 oraef225@cornell.edu.

New Project: The Labor Ready Farmer

Being prepared to hire, manage and retainskilled employees is crucial for farmers

across New York. A new project, the “LaborReady Farmer” (LRF), will offer a team-based approach to address this challengeby building skills of new farmers and Latinoagricultural employees wanting to climb theladder from labor to management.

The project’s long-term goal is to ensure thatnew farmers and advancing employees inour region can access high-quality informa-tion, supportive networks and proven tacticsessential to effective management of labor.

The project is a collaboration between theCornell Small Farms Program, GrowNYC’sFARMroots, Cornell Cooperative Exten-sion’s LOF program and ENY Horticultureteam, and the Cornell Farmworker program.

The project just released a series of short

videos highlighting the voices of many farmemployees filmed and edited by Diana Moli-na Sosa LLC, of New York City.

This work is supported by the BeginningFarmer and Rancher Development Programgrant no. 2017-70017-26837, from theUSDA National Institute of Food and Agricul-ture. Additional funding and support for theproject comes from the NYS Office of NewAmericans, the Hudson Valley Farm Hub,and the New York State Department of Agri-culture and Markets and NYS Senate Agri-culture Committee.

The project website: https://smallfarms.cor-nell.edu/projects/labor-ready-farmer/

Watch the videos at: https://tinyurl.com/LaborReadyVideos

From the Editor

Each year, farmers wait with great anticipation for the time when Winter truly becomesSpring. For those producing maple syrup, a big flux in temperatures is desired, with theseasonal thaw coming, but not too quickly. With apple producers, it’s those odd 60 and70 degree days that place fear that the year will bring a tragedy. Grazers eagerly wait thethaw and warm temperatures to bring the grasses and forbs back into production, so an-imals can get back out on the pasture.

One thing we all know intimately, more than anyone else; we are NOT in control. Naturehas her way with the season, and we must be ready, patient, flexible. In a changing cli-mate, this only becomes even more true, as each season passes.

As you wait for whatever “ideal” spring you are seeking as a grower of food, enjoy thislatest issue of the Small Farm Quarterly and all the knowledge these writers offer. Andwhenever the break happens, I wish you nothing but the best for the coming growing sea-son.

Steve GabrielManaging Editor

Practice from page 2

paying off with improved yields and extended length of their growing season. “Good rota-tional grazing and long rest periods mean that our cows look really good,” said Cheryl.

Diverse pasture plantings provide the Cesarios’ livestock with a well-balanced, nutritiousdiet. In addition, using season-specific plantings benefits the entire ecosystem. McCoy saystheir stewardship makes a difference in the health of natural resources on and around theirfarm. “Marc and Cheryl have transformed marginal land into healthy, productive pasture andreduced the environmental impact associated with grazing large herbivores,” said McCoy.

The Cesarios are also managing pests by organically mimicking nature. They are experi-menting with nest boxes and tree swallows to attract more birds to reduce populations offlies that can negatively impact the health of their herd. “Our animals aren’t coming back intoa barn every day, so it’s a bit more challenging if a problem arises,” says Cheryl. “For us,disease prevention is critical.”

Amy Overstreet is a South Carolina native now living in Williston, Vermont where she is anoutreach specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). She isa 23-year employee of NRCS and enjoys hiking, ballet dancing, reading, and hanging outwith her husband Tim and two rotten dogs, Gus and Newton.

Source for more Info: For more information on financial and technical assistance available through the USDANRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.

Page 4 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

SMALL FARM QUARTERLYGood Farming and Good Living

Connecting People, Land, and Communities

Small Farm Quarterly is for farmers and farm families — including spouses andchildren - who value the quality of life that smaller farms provide.OUR GOALS ARE TO:

• Celebrate the Northeast region’s smaller farms; • Inspire and inform farm families and their supporters; • Help farmers share expertise and opinions with each other; • Increase awareness of the benefits that small farms contribute to society

and the environment; • Share important research, extension, and other resources.

Small Farm Quarterly is produced by Lee Newspapers, Inc., and is distributed fourtimes a year as a special section of Country Folks. Publication dates: January 8th,April 2nd, July 2nd and October 1st, 2018.

EDITORS & CONTRIBUTORS:

• Steve Gabriel, Cornell Small Farms Program Managing Editor sfg53@cornell.edu • Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program Editor-in-Chief ar47@cornell.edu• Talia Isaacson, Cornell Small Farms Program Student Intern tri2@cornell.edu• Ryan Maher, Cornell Small Farms Program Vegetables ryan.maher@cornell.edu• Rich Taber, CCE Chenango County Farm Tech/Farm Woodlot rbt44@cornell.edu• R.J. Anderson Extension Communications rj.anderson@cornell.edu• Ulf Kintzel, White Clover Sheep Farm Sheep ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com• Petra Page-Mann, Fruition Seeds Seed Stories petra@fruitionseeds.com• John Thurgood, USDA Natural Resources Stewardship and Nature john.thurgood@vt.usda.gov

FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION CONTACTTracy Johnson, Lee Newspapers, Inc., PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428

888-596-5329, ext. 146 • subscriptions@leepub.comFOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tina Krieger, Lee Newspapers, Inc., 518-673-0108 or 800-218-5586, ext. 108or tkrieger@leepub.com

SEND YOUR LETTERS AND STORIES TO:Cornell Small Farms Program

15A Plant Science Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853607-255-2142 •  sfg53@cornell.edu

Small Farm Quarterly is compiled by the Cornell Small Farms Program, based at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Cornell Small Farms Program fosters

the sustainability of diverse, thriving small farms that contribute to food security, healthy rural communities, and the environment. We do this by encouraging

small farms-focused research and extension programs.

Anyone is welcome to submit articles for consideration. See our guidelines at smallfarms.cornell.edu/quarterly/writers/ and contact Steve Gabriel with inquiries. Articles should be

1,000 - 1,600 words in length with 2 - 3 high-resolution pictures.

Topics should be appropriate for a farmer audience, and not promote a single organization orbusiness. We focus on articles with relevant information that helps to improve the practice of

farming and agriculture in New York and the Northeast.About copyright: The material published in Small Farm Quarterly is not copyrighted unless otherwise noted.

However, we ask that you please be sure to credit both the author and Small Farm Quarterly

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cornell Small Farms Program Update..................................Page 3BOOK REVIEWBook Review for The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables by

Ben Hartmanby Karen Vesper.................................................................Page 15

EXTENSION NEWSCornell Group Explores Future of Indoor Farming

by Jill Monti.......................................................................Page 16Fruitful Friendship: Bitner is 2017 Friend of Extension

by R.J. Anderson................................................................Page 5FOREST, FIELD & WOODLOTCall the Dogs Off the Lions

by Paul Hetzel..........................................................................Page 18Chainsaw Safety, Part 3: Unsafe Practices

by Rich Taber.............................................................................Page 8Stinging Nettles: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

by Paul Hetzel............................................................................Page 7Vermont’s Forest Products Industry: In Transition and Hopeful

for the Futureby Christine McGowan..............................................................Page 6

GRAZING MANAGEMENTLow Cost Seeding Methods for Improving Pastures and

Haylandsby Rich Taber and Ken Smith............................................Page 13

LIVESTOCK AND POULTRYConcerned Citizens and Vilified Farmers

by Jason Detzel.................................................................Page 12LOCAL FOOD & MARKETSCan Small Farmers Join the American Artisan Food Movement?

by Maria Grimaldi................................................................Page 9NEW CROPSFrequently Asked Questions When Starting Up a Hop Farm in

New Yorkby Steve Miller...................................................................Page 10

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHTAnnouncing NYFC’s New Guidebook on FSA Loans!

by National Young Farmer Coalition....................................Page 5Farmers.gov Website Launched

by USDA............................................................................Page 12News and Notes for New York Farmers

by NY Farm Bureau...........................................................Page 16What Happened to the New York ROPS Rebate Program?

by Matthew Alfultis.............................................................Page 14SEED STORIESStories, Seeds and Infographics

by Petra Page-Mann..........................................................Page 14SOIL HEALTHTake me out to a Tarped Field

by Brian Caldwell and Ryan Maher...................................Page 19STEWARDSHIP & NATUREPractice the Grazing You Preach

by Amy Overstreet...............................................................Page 2

ABOUT OUR ADS...All advertisements in Small Farm Quarterly are managed by Lee Newspaper. Cornell’s SmallFarms Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other Small Farm Quarterly sponsors andcontributors do not endorse advertisers, their products or services. We receive no revenues fromadvertisers.To find out how your business or organization can advertise in Small Farm Quarterly, contact: TinaKrieger, Lee Newspapers, 518-673-0108 or 800-218-5586, ext. 108, tkrieger@leepub.com

Cornell Small Farms Programwww.smallfarms.cornell.edu607-255-9227

http://www.vsjf.org/802-318-5527

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS:

www.nrcs.usda.gov802-865-7895

Cover photo: Hops on the vine almost ready for harvest.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/ Visitor7

by R.J. Anderson

ITHACA, NY — Through his involvement with agricultureorganizations across New York State and as owner andgeneral manager of Bittner-Singer Orchards, Jim Bittnerhas developed many strong friendships through the years.On Thursday, Dec. 7, one relationship in particular was onfull display as Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) recog-nized Bittner with the organization’s 2017 Friend of Exten-sion award at Coltivare in Ithaca, NY.

A first generation farmer, Bittner’s 500-acre fruit farm innorthern Niagara County produces apples, sweet cherries,tart cherries, and peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines andpears. It is also known for its innovative business approach,growing markets through UPick, delivery to retail farmersmarkets and supermarkets, and servicing CSAs.

“Jim was one of the first value-added growers in the stateand is looked to statewide and nationally for his marketingprowess,” said CCE Executive Director Chris Watkins. “Andhe is very generous in sharing his expertise with others.”

In addition to his work on the farm, Bittner is president ofthe Niagara County Farm Bureau as well as secretary andtreasurer for the Western New York Cherry Producers Co-operative (which he helped establish in 1991). He is alsoon the Agricultural Advisory Committees of Senator Gilli-brand and Congressman Chris Collins and is past presi-dent of the New York Horticulture Society and the BarkerLions Club.

Bittner’s relationship with Extension can be traced back tohis childhood spent in the 4-H program, with his parentsserving as club leaders. In 1974, the Bittners received the4-H family of the year award.

“I wouldn’t be the person or farmer I am today without 4-H,”said Bittner.

A 1980 graduate of Cornell University’s College of Agricul-ture and Life Sciences, Bittner’s devotion to farming hasmirrored his support of Cornell and Extension, specificallyCCE of Niagara County. His many roles with CCE Niagarainclude time spent as a 4-H volunteer, association treasur-er and board president from 2001 to 2002.

Bittner was also on hand in 2003 for the launch of the NewYork Farm Viability Institute (then known as the Ag Innova-tion Center at Cornell). Eight years later, he was elected

board president of the farmer-lednon-profit, which provides grantfunds for applied research and out-reach education projects designedto help farms increase profits.

In 2012, Bittner deepened his sup-port of CCE by becoming the NewYork delegate to the Council for Agri-culture, Research, Extension andTeaching (CARET). Utilizing an inte-grated advocacy approach,CARET’s mission is to increase sup-port for the land-grant system andsecure necessary funding for re-search, extension and teaching.

“Jim’s leadership in these arenashas contributed greatly to the sup-port of the applied research and ex-tension programs of CCE educatorsacross the state,” said Watkins. “Hereally is – and has long been – atrue friend of extension.”

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 5

EXTENSION NEWS

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Fruitful Friendship: Bittner is 2017 Friend of Extension

Arlene Wilson, president of Epsilon Sigma Phi, Lambda Chapter and Cornell

Cooperative Extension Executive Director Chris Watkins present the 2017

Friend of Extension award to Jim Bittner (center).

Photo R.J. Anderson/Cornell Cooperative Extension

The National Young Farmers Coalition just released FarmService Agency Loans: The Ins and Outs of Growing a Farmwith Federal Loans, an illustrated guidebook for farmerslooking to secure credit from USDA.

This is the first comprehensive plain language guide to FSAloans since before the introduction of the popular microloanin 2013. We’re excited to share it with you!

Written from the perspective and curiosity of a young farmer,the guidebook helps farmers navigate the ins and outs of theloan process.

It includes:- the story of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA)- a family tree of all the people who make loans at USDAthrough the FSA- descriptions of FSA’s different loan types;- charts with up-to-date interest rates and loan terms;

- case studies from farmers who received FSA loans;- information about all the ways farmers can get involvedthrough USDA committees to influence and improve theloan process.

The publication of this guidebook was funded by a coopera-tive agreement with USDA’s FSA Office of Program Educa-tion and Stakeholder Engagement to reach new audiences.That cooperative agreement also funded 10 workshopsaround the country which brought together young farmerswho received FSA loans, local FSA loan officers, and farm-ers who were curious about how to capitalize their farms.

These successful workshops helped NYFC understandsome of the strengths and challenges of FSA loans, whichhelped to shape this guidebook. NYFC continues to advo-cate for improvements to USDA programs at the nationallevel.

To download the guide, visitht tp: / /www.youngfarmers.org/wp-content/uploads /2018/01/NYFC_FSA_Loans_Guidebook.pdf

Announcing NYFC’s New Guidebook on FSA Loans!

Are you a sustainable grower? Become a Member of NOFA-NY

to receive great benefits today!

Visit www.nofany.org/membership, or call our (585) 271-1979

by Christine McGowan

Vermont prides itself as the Green MountainState, with nearly 80-percent of its landmass covered in forest. Healthy and produc-tive forests are inherent to Vermont’s cultureand heritage. Yet, the industry responsiblefor bringing us countless valuable forestproducts: high quality furniture, specialtywood crafts, lumber and firewood, as wellas services such as clean water, fresh airand a home for wildlife—is in decline due toa myriad of challenges. Rapidly changingcommodity markets, overseas competition,and an aging workforce all are contributingto an industry in transition. And yet, both theenvironmental and economic viability of Ver-mont’s forested landscape depends on ahealthy forest products industry to responsi-bly manage, harvest, and utilize Vermont’sforests.

Vermont’s forest products industry gener-ates an annual economic output of $1.5 bil-lion and supports 10,000 jobs in forestry,logging, processing, specialty woodwork-ing, construction, and wood heating. In addition, Vermont’sforest recreation economy generates another $1.9 billion ineconomic output, and supports 10,000 additional jobs. WhileVermont’s forests supply high quality saw logs used in con-struction or by specialty woodworkers, the majority of woodpresently in our forests is considered ‘low grade,’ typicallyused for pulp to make paper or chipped for heat or electrici-ty. And due to a sharp decline in the region’s pulp industry,combined with the low price of oil and a move away from ex-panding electric-only biomass in the region, the market forlow-grade wood has substantially dried up.

So, while markets for high quality wood are healthy, theycannot singularly sustain Vermont’s forest products industry.Without healthy markets for low grade wood, Vermont islikely to see continued decline in the industry’s in-state infra-structure such as logging operations, sawmills and kilns, aswell as the local jobs they sustained and the forest manage-ment service they provide.

Hope for the Future

Despite what sometimessounds like a gloomy fore-cast for this industry in tran-sition, I see hope for the fu-ture. Within the forest prod-ucts industry are entrepre-neurs developing new andinnovative wood productsand business models, log-ging and forestry profession-als with impressive knowl-edge of and dedication toVermont’s forest health and

productivity, and talented woodworkers whose craftsman-ship bolsters Vermont’s reputation for fostering creativity.

According to the 2016 Forest Sector Systems Analysis,commissioned by the Vermont Working Lands EnterpriseBoard, both protecting our forests and strengthening the en-tire industry are equally critical for Vermont’s economic andecological future. Finding markets for low-grade wood, prod-uct innovation, workforce development, technical and busi-ness assistance, and financing were identified as major is-sues impacting the forest products sector. The analysisidentified the need for network development and value chainfacilitation to sustainably develop Vermont’s forest economy.This led to the creation of the Vermont Forest Products Pro-gram, coordinated by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund incollaboration with the Vermont Working Lands EnterpriseInitiative and the Northern Forest Center.

Network development accelerates industry growth by bring-ing together diverse stakeholders to tackle systems levelchange no one business or organization can do alone. Mod-

eled after the successful Farm to PlateNetwork, a new Forest Industry Networkwill create the space for industry profes-sionals from across the entire supplychain and trade association partnersthroughout the state to build stronger re-lationships and collaboration throughoutthe industry, including helping to promotenew and existing markets for Vermontwood products, from high quality furnitureto construction material to thermal bio-mass products such as chips and pellets.

Value chain facilitation builds teams ofprivate sector stakeholders, along withservice and capital providers, to addressbottlenecks in existing supply chainsand/or to take advantage of emergingmarket opportunities for specific productsor services. Value chain action teams inthe Vermont Forest Industry Network arecomprised of members with knowledgeor expertise from throughout the forestproducts supply chain and are working toadvance the development of specificproducts including: mass timber, auto-

mated wood heat, and locally sourced wood products.

Creating and retaining quality jobs for Vermonters, openingadditional markets for locally produced wood products, andimproving economic development in the forest products in-dustry, all while benefitting the environment, is achievableand the work has begun. Learn more or join the VermontForest Industry Network at www.vsjf.org.

Please contact the author, Christine McGowan directly forinterviews and follow up.

Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director, Ver-mont Sustainable Jobs Fund802-828-5770, christine@vsjf.org

For more information visit http://www.vsjf.org/2018/01/24/vermonts-forest-products-industry-in-transition-and-hopeful-for-the-future/

Page 6 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

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April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 7

FOREST, FIELD AND WOODLOT

Stinging Nettles: Not Just for Breakfast AnymoreEvery farm needs a patch of delicious, nutritious, pain-reliving and mood-enhancing nettles.by Paul Hetzler

One of my favorite plants is either high-ly versatile, or very confused. On theone hand, professional herbivores likerabbits and deer refuse to even touch it,but many people, myself included, willgladly eat it every day it is available.While contacting it is painful, it has beenproven to relieve certain chronic pain. Itis steeped in over a thousand years offolklore, at one point imbued with thepower to cleanse away sin, yet medicalscience recognizes it as a legitimateremedy for many disorders. Some gar-deners consider it a bothersome weed,but others actually cultivate it.

The stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, is na-tive to Europe, Asia, and northernAfrica, but has been widespreadthroughout North America from northernMexico to northern Canada for cen-turies. Experts disagree as to the num-ber of nettle species and subspeciesworldwide. To confuse matters, many ofthese cross with one another to formhybrids. Although a few species do notsting, if it’s nettle and it gives you arash, it’s fair to call it “stinging nettle”.

Nettles sprout little hypodermic needleson stems, leaves, and even their flow-ers. Called trichomes, these glass-likesilica-based needles inject a mixture ofirritating chemicals upon contact. The cocktail varies byspecies, but usually includes histamine, 5-HTP, serotonin,formic acid and acetylcholine.

So why would one place this well-armed adversary in theirmouth? Well, when nettles are cooked, the stinging hairs aredestroyed. Furthermore, nettles are the tastiest cookedgreen—wild or domestic—that I have ever had. It tastes likechicken. Kidding—it tastes a lot like like spinach, exceptsweeter. Nettles can be boiled, steamed, or stir-fried. They

are great by themselves or in soups, omelets, pesto,casseroles, or pretty much any savory dish you can come upwith.

One of the things I really like about nettles is that they aresome of the first green things to get going after the snowmelts. I should mention that only the tops of young plantsare harvested to eat. The good thing is that the more youpick, the more young tops grow back. Eventually they willget too tall and tough, but frequent picking can stretch nettleseason well into June.

On a dry-weight basis, nettles are higher in protein—about

15% —than almost any other leafygreen vegetable. They are a goodsource of iron, potassium, calcium,and Vitamins A and C, and have ahealthy ratio of Omega-3/ Omega-6fatty acids. Because drying also neu-tralizes nettles’ sting, they have beenused as fodder for domestic animals.Today nettles are commonly fed to lay-ing hens to improve their productivity.

The University of Maryland MedicalCenter reports that nettles help relievesymptoms, such as difficulty urinating,of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)in men. In terms of using pain to re-lieve pain, the U of M Medical Centeralso states that research “...suggeststhat some people find relief from jointpain by applying nettle leaf topically tothe painful area. Other studies showthat taking an oral extract of stingingnettle, along with nonsteroidal anti-in-flammatory drugs (NSAIDs), allowedpeople to reduce their NSAID dose.”

As The Cat in the Hat said, that is notall. You’d think the University of Mary-land was selling nettles the way theyseem to promote them. Consider thisendorsement: “One preliminary humanstudy suggested that nettle capsuleshelped reduce sneezing and itching inpeople with hay fever. In another study,57% of patients rated nettles as effec-

tive in relieving allergies, and 48% said that nettles weremore effective than allergy medications they had used pre-viously.”

Gardeners use nettles as a “green manure” because they(nettles, that is—gardeners may be nitrogen-rich, but they’renot routinely added to soil.) are high in nitrogen, as well asiron and manganese. Nettles can also help attract beneficialinsects

What can’t you do with nettles? I guess they’re kind of likeDr. Seuss’ “Thneed.” Turns out you can wear them, too. Net-tles have been used for 2,000 years as a source of fiber forcloth-making. During World War I, Germany used nettle fiberto make military uniforms. I have made cordage from nettlestems using a simple technique called reverse-wrapping.

If you have a nettle patch, put away the weed killer, and con-sider yourself lucky.

Paul Hetzler is the Horticulture and Natural Resources Edu-cator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. LawrenceCounty.

For more information: paulhetzlernature.org

Author owns all rights to the submitted material, and grantsSFQ one-time North American print rights, and unlimitedelectronic rights.

www.donsdairysupplyinc.com

A stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) plant. When it’s gone to seed, its well past the peak edible

phase.

Courtesy of Wikimedia/ Brennnessel

Page 8 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

FOREST, FIELD AND WOODLOT

Chainsaw Safety, Part 3: Unsafe Practices by Rich Taber, CCE Chenango

This is the third installment in a series onchainsaw safety and operation, as part ofour CCE Chenango grant project done incollaboration with the New York Farm Via-bility Institute, “Increased Farm Profitabilityand Diversity through Value-Added ForestProducts Initiative”. We have been en-couraging farmers and woodland ownersto develop forest-based enterprises, manyof which at one time or another require thesafe use of chainsaws.

In part 1 (Fall 2017) we discussed person-al protective equipment that is needed forthe safe operation of chainsaws. In part 2(Winter 2018) we elaborated on thespecifics of each component needed for afully functional personal protective system,which includes protection for head, hear-ing, eye, leg, feet, and hands. In this arti-cle we will discuss some of the specific un-safe and hazardous practices which com-monly lead to chainsaw and tree felling in-juries.

As mentioned previously, I have seen anumber of television shows which depictchainsaw users committing horribly unsafeand dangerous practices, as well as hav-ing frequently witnessed such acts in per-son. I will list just a few of the many unsafepractices which can lead to injury or death;as a farm owner you must not allow you oranyone working on your farm, either as anemployee or just a casual woodcutter toconduct themselves in an unsafe manner.

The first major violation that I see is not

using proper personal protective equip-

ment, such as a proper helmet with head,eye, ear, and face protection. Next wouldbe not using safety leggings or chaps.The majority of chainsaw injuries occur inthe lower leg region. Finally, not wearing

proper foot gear can result in cuts or feetbeing crushed under rolling logs.

The next area where I see a lot of safety vi-olations is in the use of the chainsaw itself.Running a saw with a loose chain is haz-ardous, as the chain can fly off if it’s notproperly tightened. Running a chainsawwith a dull chain tends to have the opera-tor try to force the chain through the log,causing fatigue and inefficient use of thesaw. There are several different ways tosharpen a chainsaw; attendance at achainsaw safety course will get yoursharpening techniques up to par. Thechainsaw owner’s manual will show theproper chain tension, as well as the propertechniques to properly sharpening thechain.

Probably the most common and egregiouserror that I have seen is the “drop start-

ing” of chainsaws. This is done by holdingthe saw in one hand and pulling the startcord with the saw held unsecured, with theother hand, in the air. The saw needs to beeither on the ground or held and bracedsecurely against a leg.

Oh, by the way, are you left handed? Sor-ry, but you cannot safely run a chainsaw lefthanded, and you are going to have to use itright handed. Using a chainsaw left handedcan result in the chain being pulled backinto your vulnerable body if it kicks back.

Kickback injuries: kickback occurs whenthe tip of the saw chain bounces back to-wards the operator, sometimes penetratingbones and flesh. These types injuries canbe prevented by not letting the top tip endof the bar hit something. I personally wearthe scars on my face and left clavicle froma long ago kick back injury that occurred in1983, and which I still occasionally feelslight pain from! Avoid kickback!

The chainsaw must be properly maintained,

and a tool kit with all of the necessary toolsmust be close by, as well as a well-stockedfirst aid kit. It’s always a good idea to notwork alone in the woods, or if you have to,to have your cell phone on your person sothat you can call for emergency help if youneed it. If you hurt yourself, it does no goodto have the phone “back in the truck” sever-al hundred yards away.

Be safe! Arms, legs, and fingers do notgrow back!

Rich Taber. M.S., M.S.F., is Grazing,Forestry, and Ag Economic DevelopmentSpecialist for CCE Chenango. He alsolives on a 165 acre mixed grazing, live-stock, and wooded farm property in Madi-son County with his wife Wendy, along withtheir beef cattle, sheep, poultry flocks,coonhounds, border collies, farm machin-ery, and chainsaws. Rich can be reachedat 607-334-5841 ext. 21 or email:rbt44@cornell.edu.

5

Always Remember Chainsaw Safety!Figure 1 Figure 2

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 9

LOCAL FOOD AND MARKETS

Can Small Farmers Join the American Artisan Food Movement?by Maria Grimaldi

American consumers have created a sophis-ticated demand for locally produced Artisanfoods that rival imported and industrially pro-duced products. The 2018 NOFA-NY WinterConference held in January presented aunique educational opportunity for farmersand food processors to understand the tech-niques of food preservation and production.Two presenters, Rachael Mamane and Jef-fery Robers, are authors of recent books onsmall-scale food production, which exploretechniques steeped in traditions brought toAmerica by immigrants from around theworld.

Jeffrey Roberts, Chelsea Green author ofAmerican Artisan Cheese (2007) and Salted& Cured (2017) lead 45 participants througha tasting menu, which presented a se-quence of cheese and dry cured-meatpaired with four different craft beers. Thecheese tasting began with a bloomy-rind semi-soft cheese,like Brie, made from Holstein cows ‘milk. The delicatecheese called Noble Road is produced by Calkins Cream-ery of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Noble Road brie was fol-lowed by a Spanish-style goat milk Monchego produced bySherman Hill Farm of Franklin, New York. Roberts ex-plained the technique of washing curds, that gave bothSherman Hills’ Monchego and Calkins Creamery Cow Tip-per its unique texture and flavor. In addition, Cow Tipper isan example of washing the rinds of the cheese during theaging process with ale giving an ordinary cow Dutch-stylegouda a distinctive flavor. The biggest surprise of the “blindtasting” was the delicacy and sweetness of NorthlandSheep Dairy’s blue-cheese called Black Mule Blue. Partici-pants in the workshop could appreciate, through the tastingopportunity, the value of this truly fine sheep cheese, whichexplains its higher cost as sheep do not produce a high vol-ume of milk and much of the volume is further lost in thecheese-making process.

Northland’s Black Mule Blue and the other artisan cheesespaired beautifully with the diverse flavors of several craftbeers from Catskill Brewery and the European- style curemeats from the Muncan Food Corporation, Salumeria

Biellese and Schaller & Weber, all New York City producersof charcuterie. Freshly baked bread from Bread Alone, or-ganic artisan bread makers supplied the perfect accompani-ment to the dry-cured meat as did condiments of Damsonplum jam from Beth’s Farmhouse Kitchen, and Bread & But-ter fermented pickles from Divine Brine, all New York smallscale producers. The presentation showed the perfect mar-riage of small farmers with small-scale food and beverageproducers.

Although traditionally cured meat has been dominated bypork, in a March 2015 Glynwood charcuterie workshop forHudson Valley livestock farmers, Roberts introduced a goatprosciutto called Violino di Capra. Violino di Capra was de-veloped in Italy’s Lombardy region centuries ago. The ideaof diversifying meat to produce charcuterie rather than sole-ly from pork is finding its way into the American supplychain.

Participants at the NOFA-NY Conference tasting had an op-portunity to sample Babic, a smoked, delicately spiced,lamb salami from the Muncan Food Corporation in Astoria,New York. The sausage makers at Muncan are exploringadapting traditional pork recipes to accommodate a grow-ing market of Muslim and Jewish customers. Clearly, the

customer base for American artisan char-cuterie is vast and could surpass that ofsmall-scale artisan cheeses but the path forsmall livestock farmers to connect to largerscale processors still remains undevel-oped.

Rachael Mamane, author of MasteringStocks and Broths (2017) is self-describedas a gourmet cook whose mission now ex-tends beyond her small- scale business ofproducing and selling culinary stocks andbroths for home cooks to reducing foodwaste on a global scale. Although the firstgoal of her business, Brooklyn Bouillon, wasto add value to the harvest of local farmersby using their entire harvest to bring a local-ly produced culinary staple to home cookshopping at area farmers’ markets, Ma-mane recognized that her goal could andshould encompass a greater good. Whatbegan as a small business has turned into aglobal crusade about environmental educa-

tion and economic development. Mamane’s workshops atthe NOFA-NY Winter Conference had as much to do withthe problem of reducing food waste as the culinary tech-

niques of making good stocks and broths for use at home.

Producing value-added products from bones and slaughter-house waste presents an array of issues for meat producersand processors. Bone broths are presently being touted asespecially healthy to consume, and proponents point to thetraditional method of making soup from roasted animal car-casses and bones simmering slowly on the back of a woodstove to extract the maximum benefits from the bones. Asappealing as this ideal method of slow cooking may seem,to be legally and safely sold in the market place, food safe-ty regulations must be addressed. Bones must come from aUSDA inspected processing facilities, and the production ofthe stock itself must be conducted in an Ag & Markets in-spected commercial kitchen. Packaging and shelf life is-sues must also be addressed if a producer wants to in-crease volume and meet the scale of demand expected tosell alongside of commercial stocks and broths. Mamane’sbusiness model is an example of how small-scale foodprocessors and farmers can create added value by beingsocially and environmentally conscious in their work.

Maria Grimaldi works as an educator for the Northeast Or-ganic Farmers Association (NOFA-NY) and a farm to marketconsultant with the New York Small Scale Food ProcessorsAssociation (NYSSFPA). Maria has over 30 years’ experi-ence in the region as an educator and organic farmer. Sheis also passionate about advancing the importance of sup-porting sustainable farming for the health of people and theplanet.

The Muncan Food Corp salumeria offers a wide variety of cured meats and cheeses.

Muncan Food is experimenting with making traditional salamis using lamb and other

meats acceptable to Jewish and Muslim diets as well as the traditional pork.

Copa, a cured pork charcuterie is aged for 4 months.

This Copa is made from an heirloom Berkshire hog loin,

neck and shoulder. The delicate and delicious charcu-

terie was featured at the NOFA-NY program on pairings

of cured meat, cheeses and beer.

Photo courtesy of Salumeria Biellese, Manhattan, NY

MaryRose Livingston makes artisan sheep cheese using time honored traditional methods of introducing enzymes

into milk. This process separates curds from whey. The curds are then washed, pressed into rounds and aged to

make Northland Sheep Dairy’s unique American sheep cheeses.

Photo courtesy of Northland Sheep Dairy

Page 10 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

NEW CROPS

Frequently Asked Questions When Starting Up a Hop Farm in New Yorkby Steve Miller

The following is some information that I have puttogether for people interested in getting started inhops. This information is a general primer to an-swer commonly asked questions. This is an excit-ing time for the industry with excellent potential formarketing to over 400 microbreweries around thestate, with more applications pending. The NYFarm Brewery legislation creates new opportuni-ties for on the farm brewing and sales. This legis-lation went into effect in January 2013, and youcan contact Stefan Fleming at the Empire StateDevelopment Corp to get info on obtaining a FarmBrewery License at 585 399-7068 or Stefan.flem-ing@esd.ny.gov. There are about 180 new farmbreweries in New York as of January, 2018, how-ever their production is only about 70,000 barrelsof the 1 million barrels produced by craft brewersin New York.

History

New York historically had a very important hop in-dustry about one hundred years ago. In 1880,New York produced 21 million pounds of driedhops, the majority of the U.S. crop, which sold upwards of$1.00/pound. What happened, and why can we grow themagain now? Disease pressure from downy mildew and pow-dery mildew, as well as aphids and spider mites made pro-duction much more difficult and risky. The industry startedmoving to the Midwest, eventually reaching the PacificNorthwest, in response to this disease pressure. Then alongcame prohibition, and the price of hops went from a high of$1 per pound to just 5 cents per pound almost overnight,and most of the hops in New York were pulled out of theground.

There are several reasons why we can grow hops commer-cially again in New York. The industry in the Northwest hasfunded strong plant breeding and IPM research for manydecades, and a good deal of effort has gone into developingnew varieties with disease resistance. These varieties aredoing well in New York and offer the best potential. Second-ly, pest management options, both chemical and cultural,have come a long way in the last hundred years. These ad-vances make commercial hop production viable once againin New York State.

Finances and Costs

What’s the minimum acreage for a farm to make enoughon hops to have a livable income?

If you are doing a good job of it, 10 to 15 acres should pro-vide a good income. It doesn’t sound like a lot of land undercultivation, but it is can be a lot of work and about $12-$15,000 per acre investment to get started. Currently, thereis no one in New York with more than 40 acres of producinghops but I do expect that to change in the future.

What returns can be expected and how many yearsdoes it take to get a return?

There is great potential now for growers in New York. Localprices are all over the board, anywhere from $8-$14 perpound for dried, pelleted, hops, with an average yield of 800-1,500 pound per acre if you are doing an excellent job.Some growers have obtained yields over 1,500 pounds peracre. Brewers currently pay from $4-10 per pound for hopsgrown on the West coast or from Europe, varying greatly onthe amount they purchase, the variety, and market demand.Aroma hops in particular are in high demand by craft brew-ers, and predictions are that many acres of additional plant-ings are needed. Much of this has been planted out, and themarket has softened somewhat. It is important to keep mar-ket prices in mind when developing a business plan, asbrewers are conscious of their contracted prices for hops,and although most are willing to pay some premium, pricesneed to be realistic. Also, quality is more important thanwhere they were grown, so “local” will not make up for poorquality hops.

The first year in production you may get a few hops, with apartial crop the second season, and a full crop the third and

fourth years. Expenses are variable, but most growers be-lieve they need to have gross sales of more than $6-8,000per acre to break even because of initial investment, equip-ment, harvesting and processing costs.

What are the fixed costs to start up and what are thevariable costs for ongoing production?

It costs about $12-15,000 per acre to get started includinglabor, plants, trellises, irrigation, and equipment. Growersare looking at the possibility of sharing some things, such asharvesters, kilns, and pelletizing and packaging machines.USAHops.org has an excellent publication on the cost ofhop production. Go to their website and look under re-sources for 5 acre, 10 acre, or 20 acre detailed spread-sheets.

What are the costs, such as harvesting machines, etc.?

Harvesting is one of the main costs in producing hops. Handpicking is not feasible for anything more than an acre or so.A stationary Wolf 140 or 170 harvesters will cost in the rangeof $30-35,000, but is not easy to find in the U.S. so shippingis involved from Europe. The Northeast Hop Alliance hasone located at Morrisville College that is available for mem-bers to use. There are 15 more of these privately ownedaround the state. Keep in mind that the harvester you useneeds to be within an hour of your farm, because of trans-

portation time and costs. Growers are develop-ing their own small-scale machines and severaltypes may be available soon. For instance, Lar-ry Fisher of Foothill Hops has built his own andwill be sharing the plans. There are also plansfrom UVM in Burlington, VT for a harvester theydesigned and built with funds from SARE, aswell as for a small-scale kiln and baler.

What other equipment is needed to growhops?

Additional equipment includes a small tractor,trailer, weed sprayer, and crop sprayer like whatis used in vineyard or orchard, truck, dryingequipment, possible pelleter, a cooler, and abuilding for storage and drying.

Growers should plan on drying their own hops,but there are three pelleting companies in NewYork that will pellet and package; Northern Ea-gle Hop Processing in Oneonta, Foothill Hops inMunnsville, and Pedersen’s Farm in SenecaCastle. Others may have opened since this up-date, and can be found listed in newsletters andon the northeasthopalliance.org website.

Marketing your hops

What is the demand for hops in New York State to localbrewers and in the future?

Hops are easy to ship once dried, however the demandright now is from micro-brewers and local is “in”. Thegrowth was slow at first, because the brewers want to besure that they can get a consistent product, both in quanti-ty, availability and quality. As the number of acres increas-es, the demand will also increase. Brewers like the qualitythat they are getting from local producers! The demograph-ics of the consumers of these products are in their 20s and30s and it seems unlikely that they will go back to moregeneric beers. This is a good indicator that there is plentyof room for longevity and growth in the craft beer industry.We estimate there is a need for at least an additional 400-500 acres of hops in New York to satisfy the domestic de-mand for hops. Craft brewing production in New York ex-ceeds 1.5 million barrels a year now. Keep in mind thatfarm brewery production is less than 5% of that number, soyou must be prepared to compete with West Coast hops tobe successful.

Is it possible to be classified as an organic producer?

Yes, there are some growers going organic. It is more workand risky, I’d say and time will tell if brewers will be willing to

Hops growing at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station(NYSAES) in Geneva, NY.

Photo by Jason Koski, University Photography

Hops at Liquid State Brewing in Ithaca, N.Y.

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 11pay a premium for organic hops. Easternhops are already higher in price than westcoast hops. That said, there is interest on thepart of growers and brewers.

Is there a profitable online sales market?

I would say yes, but with a caveat. New Yorkhops are going to be more expensive to pro-duce, so many home brewers are looking toother regions still because they are less ex-pensive. You would have to build interest in“local” or uniqueness on the part of homebrewers in order to be successful.

Land preparation

It is very important that you select the areawhere you will be growing and begin the getthe land prepared. It should be well drained,have access to water for irrigation, be flat orhave a gentle slope, and have good air cir-culation as well as full sun. Those are thekey ingredients to site selection. I wouldstart by going to your Cornell CooperativeExtension office in your county and obtaincopies of the soil maps of your farm. TheUSDA NRCS or the County Soil and WaterDistrict staff can tell you about the particularqualities of each of the soil types.

I would also obtain a soil test box there forDairy-one/Agro-one and send it in with the“F” form filled out for hops establishment.This will tell us if you need lime or other min-erals to be added before you plant. I alsowould suggest that you ask the Extensionstaff about establishing a cover crop thisyear to cut down on the weeds. Buckwheatfollowed by clover is a good choice. Will yoube organic? What is growing in the fieldnow? Grass, weeds, corn? Atrazine carry-over can be harmful. You may want to kill offwhat is there with either tillage or covercrops or with glyphosate (Round- up) asperennial weeds and grasses will be a prob-lem, and you want as little of those as pos-sible before the hops go in.

Designing a Hops System

What is the system of growing plants thatwill produce the highest yield?

The highest yields are still with full sizeplants on high trellises 16-20 feet off theground. About 900 plants per acre are plant-ed about 3 ft. apart in rows 12 ft. apart.There are a few different high trellis systemsbeing tried out in the Northeast. Low trellissystems (10 ft. with plastic deer netting) arebeing used out west, but require specialized($350,000) over the row harvesters, unlessyou plan to hand pick in the field. It may alsobe more difficult to manage diseases in lowtrellis hops so I do not see this as a viableoption at this time. Also there are very fewvarieties that lend themselves to dwarf pro-duction, which also means less diversity tooffer a brewer.

What about irrigation?

Hops need at least an inch of water a week,more as the season progresses. Most grow-ers are using drip with the emitters set at 18-24 inches apart. You need to know howmany acres you want to put in, and deter-mine if you have an adequate water source.You usually can water one block at a time forseveral hours and then shift to another. Anacre can use 5-6,000 gals of water per day.

How are the plants harvested?

The plants grow up twine (coconut coir)which at harvest time is cut at top and bot-tom and brought to a barn to be hand-pickedor trucked to someone with a harvester tomachine picked. Baling twine will stretch,causing the plants to droop and break at the

soil line and clog up a mechanical harvesterespecially the Wolf machines. Hand pickingis not cost effective, taking about one personhour per mature plant to complete. We have20 Wolf harvesters in New York and a num-ber of smaller pickers manufactured in thestate now. As acreage grows we may seemore of these purchased or built. Mobileharvesters are being built that can travelfrom farm to farm and have proven to be ef-fective for use in the last few years.

What is the process to dry and possiblypelletize the crop?

After harvest, the crop needs to be driedright away. Use plenty of warm air, no morethan 100-120°F, as air that is too hot will de-stroy flavors. Once dried, the hops can bestored in air-tight bags in a cooler. Beforepelleting, they may need to be ground in ahammer mill and then pelleted, vacuumsealed, and again, stored cold. In New York,a 20-C license is required from NYS Depart-ment of Agriculture and Markets in order tocarry out any of these practices, includingdrying. An additional variance is required forvacuum sealing.

What is the shelf life of product?

This depends on quality, but usually a year ifthe hops are processed right and vacuumpacked in Mylar bags, gas flushed and keptin a cooler or freezer. Many growers don’tpelletize until they have orders ready to ship.

What varieties are in demand?

For the most part brewers are looking for themore aromatic varieties, as they can get thebittering varieties more easily from theNorthwest. Common varieties include Cas-cade, Willamette, Mt Hood, Fuggle, Liberty,and Perle are aroma varieties, and BrewersGold, Chinook, Centennial, Nugget andNewport are a few bittering varieties that arebeing grown in the Northeast. We also mustconsider disease resistance. Mt Hood, Cen-tennial, and Columbus (CTZ) for example,are not resistant to downy mildew. Saaz,and most of the German varieties have hadmixed results in the East so far, but growersare experimenting with these. Varieties likeCitra and Mosaic are proprietary and we cur-rently cannot obtain stock to grow them.

Finding more information

For more information, I would start by goingto the Northeast Hop Alliance website atwww.northeasthopalliance.org and readthrough some of the literature that is listed

on the resource page. Copies of ournewsletters are listed there, as well as arti-cles from University of Vermont. UVM has agreat resource site at http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/hops

Also, consider joining the Northeast Hop Al-liance. The Alliance supports research anddevelopment of the industry and is a smallinvestment for your farm. The NeHA grow-ers will likely be putting in a group order forcoir each fall. Doing bulk purchases of sup-plies can save on start up costs.

As mentioned previously, USAHOPS.org isthe site for the Hop Growers of America and

they now have some excellent resources forsmall growers, especially the spreadsheetsfor 5,10, and 20 acre hop farm startups.These are very accurate for the easterngrowers and you can put in your own num-bers as well.

Cornell Univ. and Cooperative Extension of-fers a Cornell Guidelines for Hop Productionfor $28 plus shipping. There is also a newhop research yard planted at the NYS Ex-periment Station in Geneva. Variety andpest management trials will be carried outthere.

For the last seven years we’ve held a hopsconference in Troy and Morrisville, NY. A 2DVD set (approx.7-10 hours) is availablefrom each conference for $ 30 each for thefirst 5 years and $60 each for the others be-cause there are more DVDs per set, includ-ing shipping, no tax. Any two sets of DVDscan be purchased from Cooperative Ext ofMadison County, (315) 684-3001.

P.S. If interested in brewing, contact: NYSBrewers Association PO Box 25353Rochester, NY 14625, (315) 256-7608,www.thinknydrinkny.com

If you are interested in growing malt barleycontact Kevin Ganoe, CCE of HerkimerCounty at khg2@cornell.edu, (315)866-7920,http://www.nwnyteam.org/billsforagefiles.blogspot.com

For more on growing hops go to the north-easthopalliance.org or contact me, SteveMiller, Executive Director, Northeast Hop Al-liance at hops.educator@gmail.com or(315) 525-7299.

THINKING SMALL ISN’T

ALWAYS A BAD THING!By definition, a small farm generates less than $250,000/yr in revenue.

In New York state alone, 33,000 of the 36,000 farms are small farms. Small farms make up 90% of all farms in the US; nearly 2 million!

That’s a BIG market!

Reach 20,000 readers throughout the northeast US4X/yr with Small Farm Quarterly

A publication of Cornell University’s Small Farms Programwww.smallfarms.cornell.edu

Advertising deadline for Summer 2018 issue isJune 1. Issue Publishes July 2, 2018.

***To request a media kit or subscribe, call

518-673-3237

Northeast Hop Alliance Website: https://www.northeasthopalliance.org/

Page 12 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

Concerned Citizens and Vilified Farmers: Thoughts on Animal Welfare ComplaintsThe growing divide between farmer and citizen intersects at the topic of animal welfare

by Jason Detzel

I received a call today from a concerned cit-izen who was worried about some cattle thathad been left out for the winter. I was happythat they called me first instead of the au-thorities, and we had a calm and intelligentconversation about animal welfare and therealities of animal husbandry on farms. Al-though motivated by good intentions, herunderstanding of livestock anatomy was notcomplete. My job is to provide just this infor-mation to whoever may need it. As I wasspeaking to this person, I realized that eachparty, the farmer and the citizen, was com-pletely ignorant of the other’s intentions andconcerns. So in this installment I am goingto paint a picture of both parties to providesome understanding of where they are bothcoming from and how we can all work to bebetter communicators, farmers, and citi-zens.

First off, let me paint a picture of FarmerJoe’s life so far. Joe grew up with his fourbrothers and his parents on a diversifiedfarm in the Hudson Valley. He began work-ing and learning about farming at a veryyoung age. He participated in 4-H and FFAand even won the dairy bowl one year. As heentered his teens, his parents were adamantthat he not take over the farm and he strug-gled watching his parents toil for little return.Everything that Joe knows from farming helearned from his father and his peers. Thesepeople were counseled and guided by vari-ous farm agencies across the land (includ-ing Cornell Cooperative Extension) in whatwere the best practices at the time.

Now Joe is grown, and his parents have fi-nally relinquished management of the farmto him and his family. He does his best de-spite plunging milk prices, a droughty sum-mer, and then last week a few concerned cit-izens calling the humane society, the statepolice, and the local livestock sanctuaryover concerns about his dairy cattle. Theysaid that the cattle looked skinny, that theydid not have a barn to live in, and that therewas mud in the pasture. Joe cannot under-stand that after having a hand in raisingthousands of animals the best way heknows how, and after winning many awardsfor his practices and herd health, that he isnow the subject of an animal cruelty investi-gation. Joe is devastated and angry. Whywould these people single him out? He isjust getting by, his animals are well cared for,and he would never abuse any animal.

The reason he is singled out is that typicalcitizens are so far removed from agriculturethat they do not understand the realities offarm animals or most animals for that matter.With our big brains full of empathy but lowon understanding, it is easy to anthropomor-phize animals in the wild and on farms. Mostpeople who make these calls are genuinelyconcerned and that is a great thing. What isalso great is that what the farm is doing istransparent for all to see. Joe is not hidinghis techniques, and he is even active on so-cial media showing off his farms everyday.It’s when farming practices are obscuredthat we should get worried. I understand thatthese people think these animals may bebeing abused, but regardless of your stanceon animal cognition it is obvious that animals

are much better adapted to environmentalstressors than our fleshy, heat losing bodies.Cattle are particular well suited to the cli-mate of the Northeast, so long as they areallowed to slowly adjust to the cold andmake the necessary physical and metabolicchanges necessary. In order to naturallyadapt, they need to spend time outside, toallow the lowering temps to trigger them togrow heavier hair coats, for fewer hours oflight to slow their metabolism, and for thefresh air to help to contain diseases thattend to thrive in the crowded conditions youwould find in a barn but never in nature.Cattles hooves are flat and fat because theytend to walk on grass and in muddy wet sur-faces. These are just a few of the manyadaptations that animals have developed fora life outside.

On the other side of the fence we have theconcerned citizens. These folks did not growup in agriculture. They have been bombard-ed by commercials and exposes outliningsome very horrific animal husbandry prac-tices on commodity farms and are demand-ing more accountability in agriculture. Thereare agendas and budgets and lobbies thatare focused on making you support theirparticular organization. They have devel-oped scientifically calculated campaigns de-signed to both elicit emotions for either sideand to open up your wallet and take a bite.This media presence has caused folks tosee all production models as inherently un-healthy for people and animals alike, andthey feel they are providing a voice for theabused and the voiceless. What the folkswho called the authorities didn’t understandis that the last thing this farmer wants is forhis animals to be hurt or hungry. Not only

does it hurt his bottom line, but it goes di-rectly against everything he was taught. Notevery farm is a disgusting filth pit of deathand not every farm is the idyllic white picketfence yard. Farms are in between and thosewho criticize would do themselves a greatservice if they were actively visiting farmsand speaking with their local producers. Andthat is where Cornell Cooperative comes in.My hope is to continue educating all of thosethat I meet, to listen and take in what eachparty is concerned about. We are all part ofthe same community, and embedded in thatword is communication. As soon as we shut

someone out because of their basic views,we are doing everyone a disservice.

When the authorities come to Joe’s he feelsbetrayed and removed from his local com-munity. He is bombarded by accolades insome circles and then vilified in others andall for doing what he thinks is right. Whenthis happens it only reinforces his and thefarming community’s fear of folks they con-sider to be extremists. This anger only man-ages to further divide the community andshut down the dialogue.

We are now actively seeking to develop aresponse team with the local Sheriff’s officeand the ASPCA to address livestock abuseinvestigations. So if you see something thatbothers you, call me. If you don’t understandwhy a farmer is doing something, call me. Ifyou would like for me to host a class thatbrings together farmers and citizens to havea safe, and productive dialogue about farm-ing, let me know. If you love animals like I doand want to talk about your pet pig Fluffy,call me. The point is that through educationand dialogue we can all increase our under-standing of animals and the roles they playin our lives.

I know this is controversial and there is aLOT more to say on this subject. One of thebest things that farmers can do, at the risk ofbeing vilified, is to show animals in their truestate in the winter. Many dogs live outsideyear round and would overheat inside nextto the hearth. Cows sometimes get muddyand ice forms on their coats. Basically, makeyour farming transparent so that the normwill no longer be the white picket fence yardof an ornamental farm. And the best thingcitizens interested in the welfare of the ani-mals they see on farms can do is talk to theirneighbor. Ask them questions or for a tour ofthe property, and most importantly, speak tothem. Instead of anonymously calling thesheriff’s department, introduce yourself andstart a conversation. Don’t privilege whatyou watch on television or read in maga-zines over the knowledge of the members ofyour community. We can’t effect change inour community unless we all work together.

LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY

This cow is adapted to the cold and is not being mistreated.

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Farmers.gov Website LaunchedU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perduerecently unveiled Farmers.gov, the new in-teractive one-stop website for producersmaintained by the U.S. Department of Agri-culture (USDA). Farmers.gov is now live, butwill have multiple features added over thecoming months to allow agricultural produc-ers to make appointmentswith USDA offices, fileforms, and apply forUSDA programs.

The website gathers to-gether the three agenciesthat comprise USDA’sFarm Production andConservation missionarea: Farm ServiceAgency, the Natural Re-sources ConservationService, and the RiskManagement Agency.

Farmers.gov is mobile device-friendly andcan identify for farmers the most convenientUSDA office locations. New functions will beadded shortly, including an interactive calen-dar, farming success stories, an online ap-pointment feature, digital forms, and a busi-ness data dashboard.

by Rich Taber and Ken Smith,Cornell Cooperative Extension ofChenango County

Methods to improve old unpro-ductive pastures and hayfieldsthat are both effective and eco-nomical are a common challengefor farmers, and especially so fornew and beginning farmers. Thetime and cost for re-seeding in-cludes multiple passes of trac-tors and tillage machinery includ-ing plowing, disk harrowing,spring tooth harrowing, rockpicking, planting, and packing toestablish a new planting, farmore work and cost than manyfarmers can afford. Also, manyupland pastures are too steepand rocky to plow, and which canbe severely eroded if tilled at thewrong time. An effective no-tillage/less tillage approach to re-seeding these unproductive pas-tures and hayfields would be agreat benefit to many farmerswho depend on pastures or hayfor their livestock.

Past studies done with Sustainable Agricul-ture Research and Education (SARE)grants have shown that it is possible to suc-cessfully no-till plant seedings of red cloverand hairy vetch. In an effort to build onthese earlier no-till seeding studies, CornellCooperative Extension of Chenango Coun-ty, in collaboration with SARE, did trials ofno-till seeding of red clover, hairy vetch,white clover, perennial ryegrass, orchardgrass, birdsfoot trefoil and Kentucky blue-grass on six farms in upstate New York.The farms included four organic Amishfarms, one conventional dairy farm with noherbicide, and one conventional farm thatused glyphosate, as a control. Four of thefarms used a no-till seed drill, and two ofthe organic Amish farms used spin on handseeders.

Each farm had a test site with six contigu-ous 1-acre plots. All of the sites were testedfor pH, and four of the farms had limespread; two farms already had the neces-sary pH of 6.2. The lime spread had an Ef-fective Neutralizing Value of 90% to bring allof the soils to 6.2.

The following seed combinations wereseeded in at the seeding rates recommend-ed by the seed supplier: Plot 1: control, no seedsPlot 2: Perennial Ryegrass and TrefoilPlot 3: Red Clover, White Clover and Ken-tucky BluegrassPlot 4: Hairy VetchPlot 5: Red Clover and Orchard GrassPlot 6: Kentucky Bluegrass and WhiteClover.

The no-till planting of all seed plots wasdone in May and June of 2016. The yearwas very dry, with drought conditions per-sisting through the summer, which greatlyimpacted the germination of the seeds. Asmight be expected given the dry conditions,the seeds that were drilled germinatedmuch more quickly than those that werespun on the soil surface. Prior to seeding,the hand-spun sites were heavily grazed by

either cattle or draft horses to remove asmuch plant material as possible, ensuringgood seed to soil contact.

The results of the plots were evaluated withseedling counts in 2016, with photographs,and with forage analysis in 2017. The maintake away from the study was that in near-ly all cases, each seeding treatment oneach farm provided improved results com-pared to the control of existing plants in thefield. As might be expected, the results ofthe study varied by farm and by plantingmethod, but overall forage analysis showsthat each of the seed combinations provid-ed improvement of forage quality whencompared to the controls.

In the first year, the drought year, the bestproducing crop early was hairy vetch drilledinto the glyphosate treated field. This pro-duced a thick crop of hay despite the dryweather. However, on the other farms, thehairy vetch did not do as well. The oneplant that seemed to do best in most of theseedings was perennial rye grass. Itseemed to establish in most of the testsites and contribute to better forage quality.Otherwise, the red clover and white cloverplots improved forage quality the most.

In terms of management recommenda-tions, our conclusions were that no-tillseeding will provide improved forage quali-ty on most farms. If the pasture to be re-seeded can be grazed down by animals asmuch as possible to remove competingvegetation before seeding this is a greatadvantage. A no-till seeder was more effec-tive at establishing seeds quickly in dryconditions in the short term, but seedspread on dry ground with a spinner ap-pears to eventually germinate and will alsoimprove forage quality.

In regard to which types of plants that farm-ers might want to consider for their ownplantings, each of the different legumesseemed to do well on some farms but noton others, but perennial rye grass seemedto establish well in most sites. Consequent-

ly, a seed cocktail containing perennial ryegrass, red clover, white clover, and perhapsbirdsfoot trefoil would be a good approach.One or more of the legumes would likelysucceed, as would the perennial rye grass,to bring in the needed nitrogen from theatmosphere.

For farmers seeking a quick pro-duction of high quality hay, hairyvetch showed promise. A cock-tail of hairy vetch, red clover,white clover and perennial ryemight provide a heavy first yearharvest of vetch, followed in fu-ture years with crops of the othervarieties.

The most important take awayfrom the no-till seeding trial wasthat hayfields and pastures canbe economically rejuvenated us-ing no-till seedings. A no tillseeder can be prohibitively ex-pensive, oftentimes well over$30,000, and the best method ofacquiring one would be to rent orhire the services by someonewho already has one, especiallyseeing that it is only needed for ashort time period each year. Themain advantage of this typeseeder is that the seed in actual-ly injected into the soil, whereaswith a broadcast seeder theseed is simply scattered onto thesoil surface. Broadcast seeders,

either hand spun or tractor mounted, arevery difficult to calibrate, and you have tovery meticulous in using one of these typeseeders. Once you get the system in place,they can be useful, however, to strengthenexisting stands.

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 13

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Page 14 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

SEED STORIES

by Petra Page-Mann

There are so many ways to tell a story.Over tea, reading a book, at the theater, orin the Small Farm Quarterly. In the 21stCentury, ‘infographics’ are a fresh way oftelling your story. And just in the nick oftime.

The attention span of American adults con-tinues to dwindle, and is currently estimat-ed at 10 seconds. (Are you still with me?!)How we tell stories more important thanever.

What is an infographic?

An infographic is a visual image, often a

chart or diagram, used to represent infor-mation or data. But they’re going so far be-yond charts.

Infographics embody the wisdom, ‘a pictureis a thousand words.’ Statistically, peopleremember 80% of what they see and docompared to just 20% of what they read.

Take a look at this infographic just made byFruition Seeds, 7 Essentials of Seed Start-ing (and simple solutions to common mis-takes).

We created this infographic as many farm-ers and gardeners want to start seedsmore successfully. Dreaming of the seasonahead, a dear friend asked me to make alist of the “7 essential things she needed toknow” to start seeds successfully thisspring.

A few days later I was making supper withanother dear friend whose illustrations areas vivid and whimsical as her gardens andstories. Eureka! She and I had SO muchfun laughing and learning as we brought tolife the 7 Essentials of Seed Starting (andsimple solutions to common mistakes) ininfographic form.

My hope is that these tips and tricks, bro-ken down into such accessible, bite-sizedgraphic stories, will surround you with theinsight they need to start seeds more suc-cessfully.

What tip is most valuable for you?

Let us know!

And hope to see you on our farm in the Fin-ger Lakes one day. (Because that’s whereall our stories really begin.)

Growing up in her father’s garden in theFinger Lakes of New York, Petra believeseach seed and each of us is in the world tochange the world. In 2012 she foundedFruition Seeds to share the seeds, knowl-edge and inspiration gardeners need to be

more successful in the Northeast. Don’thesitate to strike up a conversation: pe-tra@fruitionseeds.com

Stories, Seeds & InfographicsNew ways of telling stories in the 21st Century

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

What happened to the New YorkROPS Rebate Program?by Matthew Alfultis, National ROPS Rebate Program

Within agriculture, tractor rollovers account for the most fatalities (approximately 125 peryear), as older tractor models lack proper protection. In 2006, the ROPS Rebate Pro-gram was launched in New York to help farmers install rollover protective structures(ROPS) on any tractor without one. ROPS, when used with seatbelts, are proven to be99% effective in preventing serious injury or fatality in the event of a tractor overturn.Since the start of the Program, we have facilitated the installation of 1,600 roll barsacross New York State, preventing at least 26 deaths and numerous injuries in theprocess. Due to its popularity and success, the Program was extended to six additionalstates between 2010 and 2016. As of June 2017 the Program expanded to form a na-tional program to address tractor safety across the United States.

Rebranded as the National ROPS Rebate Program, we are still committed to helpingfarmers in New York obtain ROPS. Although it’s now a national program, there is stillstate-allocated funding available in New York and other Northeast states. We encourageanybody who does not already have a ROPS to get one. The Program will rebate the en-tire cost of the ROPS, including shipping and installation costs, up to 70% with a maxi-mum out of pocket of $500 to the farmer. If you are interested in the Program,or have any questions, please give us a call at 1 (877) 767-7748 or apply online atwww.ropsr4u.com.

by Karen Vesper

This book is a follow-up to his first book, The Lean Farm,and it takes growing vegetables to a very specific and direct-ed level. I think this book is helpful to beginning farmers aswell as longtime farmers who enjoy learning new and differ-ent ideas to help ease some of the load for vegetable farm-ers. It is definitely a text for small farm work and the organi-zation to help each farm become more efficient.

This book is different from others on the same topic becauseof the intricate nature of the directions, details and the how-to guides for vegetable farming. This is a thorough look atthe lean way to grow vegetables, but can be utilized formany more operations in all of farming.

Part I - Leaning the Timeline

Chapter 1-Planning the Year with Heijunka and Kanban

The first chapter begins with an explanation of some of theJapanese terms and tenets that Ben Hartman lives andfarms by. Explicit planning calendars and farm maps are in-cluded to visualize the details of the crops they are growingand where they are being grown. Lean pull production is de-scribed and how what customers want drive the work andthe crops that are produced.

Chapter 2-Leaning Up Bed Preparation

Bed preparation is covered in this chapter, utilizing suchcomponents as compost, soil amendment, aeration andblending. This chapter also includes tractor buying tips andhelpful terms and suggestions to guide the reader’s pur-chases of equipment, both motorized and handheld.

Chapter 3-Compost Making, Small Farm-Style

Hartman delves into his use and creation of compost on hisfarm, as a thorough study of what materials he uses, howthey are handled and what is needed in order to get the typeand quality of compost that he needs for the best productionof his crops. The details in this chapter are very clear andexplicit.

Chapter 4-Successful Seed Starting

“Get every seed to germinate.” This is the goal on Hartman’sfarm to eliminate waste, one of the five core principles. Care

is given to literally every seed to make sure that it has theoptimal chance to grow, especially in the first few criticalweeks. Everything is covered in this chapter from when theseed is put into the soil, where it is placed, the kind of medi-um it is placed into, etc. This chapter is a complete ‘go toguide’ for how to start any seeds, excellent details and direc-tions.

Chapter 5-Transplanting by Hand

Efficient motion is the key to successful transplanting, ac-cording to Hartman. Each step of the process is outlined anddiscussed as well as spacing, tools needed, and the exactplacement for specific vegetables. Guides from bed prepa-ration to flat size for each seed to techniques are coveredwith extensive detail in this chapter.

Chapter 6-Paper Pot Magic

The paper pot system offers many advantages; speed,space and saving time in the field. A detailed description ofhow to seed the paper chains, use the paper pot trans-planter, and the tricks and special uses for the tool.

Chapter 7-Four Lean Tips for Direct-Seeding

Proper ground/soil, specific seasons with particular seeds,good technique and timing will give good results for directseeding. There are four tips that Hartman gives for direct

seeding success. His constant work to improve all of hisproduction systems for growing seeds continues in thischapter.

Chapter 8-Weed and Pest Control-without Muda

Transplanting is the most important weed-control methodthat Hartman uses on his farm because it gives crops a headstart on weeds. He discusses several other methods to con-trol weeds, such as: never allow a weed to seed, time yourdirect seeding and the June 1st rule. He eliminates pests byusing row covers and beneficial insects, among other tech-niques.

Chapter 9-Collecting Cash: Leaning Up Sales

“How many times have we touched our crops?” is a questionthat Hartman asks himself because with lean farming thetouches are few and the lines of work are straight. Using de-livery metrics, smooth flow for markets and eliminating over-production waste will bring profits to the farmer and productto the customers.

Chapter 10-Lean Applied to Our Best-Selling Crops:

Seven Case Studies

Hartman shares in this chapter his continual research to im-prove all of his production, with specific crops. His studiesinclude his work with: tomatoes, baby greens, kale, head let-tuce and romaine, carrots, turnips, radishes and beets, andpeppers. The specific details, directions and experiencesthat he shares in this chapter are invaluable to others whoare growing vegetables. Much can be learned from thischapter alone.

Part II-Staging for Flow

Chapter 11-Finding Good Land

In this chapter, Hartman shares how important good land isin contributing value, while poor land contributes to wasteevery day. There are six recommendations for choosingland, and many resources are included and explained with-in the chapter. This chapter should go along with you as youlook at and try to find land for your farm.

Chapter 12-Infrastructure and Farm Layout

Every aspect of production for a vegetable farm is includedand covered with precise ‘how to’ directions to be followed,step-by-step. This chapter discusses processing room tocold-storage rooms to gashouse to vehicle access lanes.This is literally the map to setting up a farm and all of the ar-eas you need. It reads almost like the directions to setting upthe houses in a Christmas train village. Nothing is missing inthis chapter!

Chapter 13-Leaning Up Greenhouses

Designs of many different types and styles of greenhousesare discussed from where to build it, how tall and wide itshould be, what must be included, and why management ofthese greenhouses is so important to your profits.

Conclusion: The Kaizen Farm

A history of Japan’s farming and animal husbandry beginthis chapter to show how and why Hartman has adoptedthese methods of lean farming. He discusses their need forconstant improvement as well as their devotion to eliminat-ing waste and freeing up more time for their family andthings they want to do in their free time.

The only thing wrong withthis book is that it should bespiral-bound and laminatedso that you can take it out inthe field with you!! Excellentmotivator to get started infarming!

Karen Vesper is a secondcareer gal, working on aagribusiness degree, begin-ning farmer, and overallagriculture enthusiast.

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 15

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Page 16 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

EXTENSION NEWS

Cornell Group Explores Future of Indoor Farming

News and Notes for New York Farmers from the New York Farm BureauRESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Hydroponic tomatoes growing in a Cornell greenhouse.

Photo by R.J. Anderson/Cornell Cooperative Extension

Tax Credit Available to New York Farm-

ers for Charitable Food Donations

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently an-nounced New York farmers are eligible toreceive a tax credit for qualifying food dona-tions made to food banks and other emer-gency food programs beginning Jan. 1,2018.

The tax credit is expected to save farmers atotal of $10 million annually. Farmers acrossthe state donated more than nine millionpounds of food in 2017, which helped pro-vide more than seven million meals to NewYorkers in need.

The tax credit was enacted to compensatefarmers for costs associated with harvest-ing, packaging, and distributing local prod-ucts to eligible food pantries, food banksand other emergency food programs acrossthe state. Increased donations will helpmeet the growing demand for fresh, health-ful foods in underserved communitiesacross New York. It is offered as a refund-able credit equal to 25 percent of the fairmarket value of qualified donations up to$5,000.

Eligible donations include fresh fruits and

vegetables grown or produced in New YorkState and provided to emergency food pro-grams that qualify for tax exempt status. Toclaim the credit, the taxpayer must receiveproof of the donation in the form of a receiptor written acknowledgment from the eligiblefood program.

A fact sheet on eligibility requirements forthe tax credit is available at https://tax.ny.gov/bus/farm-donations-credit.htm

Grant Opportunities Available to Support

Farmland Protection

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has an-nounced the availability of $5.5 millionthrough two new grant programs for farm-land protection.

New York’s Farmland Protection Implemen-tation Program has been expanded to allowapplicants to implement an Option to Pur-chase a Perpetual Conservation Easement,also known as an Option Agreement Proj-ect. This project expedites the process bypre-determining the value of developmentrights when submitting an application for thepurchase of a conservation easement.

A total of $5 million will be available to eli-

gible applicants, including municipalitiesand counties. Grants up to $500,000 will beawarded to cover costs associated with ob-taining an Option Agreement Project.

Applications will be accepted until the avail-able funding is fully committed and all appli-cants must submit proposals through theGrants Gateway. For more information,contact David Behm at david.behm@agri-culture.ny.gov.

Additionally, the new Land Trust Grants pro-gram has $500,000 available to advance

farmland protection strategies identified bycounties and municipalities. The programprovides competitive grants of up to$50,000 to land trusts. It will informlandowners of programs that protect prop-erties from conversion to non-farm usesand connect landowners with farmers inter-ested in leasing or buying properties.

For more information, contact Jeffrey Ke-hoe at Jeffrey.kehoe@agriculture.ny.gov orby visiting https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/RFPS.html

by Jill Monti

Indoor farming entrepreneurs and experts came to Cornellin early November with a goal: leverage the innovation at theCollege of Agriculture and Life Sciences to create viablebusinesses for local vegetables and produce grown indoors.

Known as controlled environment agriculture (CEA), thesystems combine greenhouse environmental controls suchas heating and lighting with hydroponic and soil-less pro-duction, enabling year-round production of fresh vegeta-bles. The process extends the growing season through arange of low-tech solutions – such as row covers and plas-tic-covered tunnels – to such high-tech solutions as fully au-tomated glass greenhouses with computer controls andLED lights.

Led by Neil Mattson, director of Cornell CEA and associateprofessor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell

has become a world leader in CEA research. In early No-vember, the Cornell CEA Advisory Council, which wasformed in 2015 to expand the retail and food service mar-kets for products grown using CEA, hosted on campusmore than 80 entrepreneurs and stakeholders from acrossthe Northeast to discuss the state of the indoor farming in-dustry, urban agriculture, supermarket trends and newtechnology.

At the conference, the group announced the formation ofthe Controlled Environment Agriculture Global Association,an organization to foster growth, understanding and sharingideas related to controlled environment agriculture and as-sociated industries.

Erico Mattos, executive director of the newly formed Green-house Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consor-tium, presented his vision to advance CEA by bringing

See Cornell page 17

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 17

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The Cornell CEA Advisory Council,

which was formed in 2015 to expand

the retail and food service markets

for products grown using CEA,

hosted on campus more than 80

entrepreneurs and stakeholders

from across the Northeast to dis-

cuss the state of the indoor farming

industry, urban agriculture, super-

market trends and new technology.

On right, Doctoral student Jonathan

Allred, center, leads a tour of Cornell

greenhouses in November.

Neil Mattson, director of Cornell CEA and associate

professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, at

left, leads a tour of Cornell greenhouses in November.

Photos by R.J. Anderson/Cornell Cooperative

Extension

together expertise from industry and academia to create so-lutions.

“The CEA Advisory Council meeting provided a great oppor-tunity to connect with key players from the different seg-ments of the CEA supply chain in New York. I was im-pressed with the quality and quantity of the ongoing initia-tives in this area supported by Cornell University professorsand staff members and the level of engagement from the in-dustry members,” Mattos said.

Mattos said private companies and public research fromCornell offer collaborative opportunities that can advancethe CEA industry.

Cornell graduates from the CEA program have been in highdemand from companies who wish to leverage their skillsand knowledge. Little Leaf Farms, a leader in indoor lettuceproduction founded by Paul Sellew ’79 and based in De-vens, Massachusetts, has hired numerous graduates.

“These talented individuals have provided immediate contri-butions to our business,” said Tim Cunniff, Little Leaf Farmsexecutive vice president of sales and marketing. “It is excit-ing to see how Cornell is expanding its commitment in con-trolled environment agriculture to include the business ofrunning a CEA operation. Cornell is in an excellent positionto advance a scalable local food movement, and all of us atLittle Leaf Farms are excited to be part of the process.”

Paul Brentlinger, who served on the grower panel and is thesecond-generation owner of CropKing, said his businessand Cornell “have similar outlooks on the future generationsof farmers, and we support Cornell as much as we can withtheir goal of educating the next generation of CEA opera-tors.”

Laura Biasillo, agricultural economic development specialistat Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Broome County,said: “CCE is the ‘boots on the ground,’ providing everythingfrom technical assistance to the business planning, costanalysis and financing needed by startups and business thatare expanding.”

The conference attracted participants from traditional agri-cultural businesses interested in adding CEA to existing op-erations, to individuals with significant business experience,to those not yet in agriculture.

“The diverse perspectives made the conversations highlyengaging, and building a network for this emerging NewYork ag sector was one of the key benefits of the confer-ence,” said Aileen Randolph, outreach and communicationsmanager of the New York Farm Viability Institute. “Now it’sup to the participants to do the hard work of utilizing this in-formation for their specific business planning process.”

Jill Monti is the technical lead at the Cornell Institute forFood Systems Industry Partnership Program.

Page 18 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

FOREST, FIELD AND WOODLOT

Call the Dogs Off the LionsBe nice to dandelions, “the official remedy for everything.”

by Paul Hetzler

April showers bring May flowers,but not all posies are a welcomesight. Although it is quite possiblethey arrived on the Mayflower,dandelions do not get the esteemthey deserve as plucky immigrantsthat put down firm roots in a newland, vitamin-packed culinary de-lights, and multipurpose herbalremedies.

On this latter point, dandelion is sowell-respected that it garnered theLatin name Taraxicum officinale,roughly the equivalent of “the offi-cial remedy for disorders.” Thereare many reported health benefitsof dandelions, including as a liversupport and for alleviating kidneyand bladder stones, as well as ex-ternally as a poultice for skin boils.I don’t pretend to know every pastand present medicinal use of theplant, and I strongly recommendconsulting a respected herbalist,as well as your health careprovider, before trying to treatyourself.

That said, the University of Mary-land Medical Center has devotedan entire web page to dandelion,and it cites some peer-reviewedstudies. I had previously heardthat dandelion was used as an adjunct di-abetes treatment, but had not found anyreferences. However, the University ofMaryland Medical Center states that:

“Preliminary animal studies suggest thatdandelion may help normalize blood sugarlevels and lower total cholesterol andtriglycerides while raising HDL (good) cho-lesterol in diabetic mice. Researchersneed to see if dandelion will work in peo-ple. A few animal studies also suggest thatdandelion might help fight inflammation.”

I’d say that’s not bad for aweed. You can buy dried andchopped dandelion root inbulk or in capsule form atmost health-food stores, oryou can get it for free in yourback yard, providing youdon’t use lawn chemicals.

Dandelion’s common namecomes from the French “(la)dent de lion,” or lion’s tooth,referring to the robust serra-tions along their leaves.Leaves vary widely in appear-ance, though, and aside fromtheir yellow mane, not everydandelion is as leonid as thenext. Apparently the Frenchhave a corner on the com-mon-name market, becausethe other dandelion monikeris “pis en lit,” or “wet the bed,”as the dried root is stronglydiuretic. More on that later.

Dandelion greens are best inearly spring before they are

done flowering. Harvesting late in the sea-son is kind of like picking lettuce andspinach after they have bolted—edible, butnot at their best. If you had a few dande-lions take root in your garden last year,they are probably ready to uproot and eatright now. Sort of a new twist on the phrase“weed-and-feed.”

Young greens can be blanched and servedin salad, or else boiled, but I like them bestwhen chopped and sautéed. They go wellin omelets, stir-fry, soup, casserole, or anysavory dish for that matter. Fresh roots can

be peeled, thinly sliced and sautéed. A realtreat is dandelion crowns. The reason theyflower so early is that they have fully-formed flower bud clusters tucked into thecenter of the root crown, whereas manyother flowers bloom on new growth. Aftercutting off the leaves, take a paring knifeand excise the crowns, which can besteamed and served with butter.

Roasted dandelion roots make the bestcoffee substitute I have ever tasted, andthat’s saying something because I reallylove coffee. Scrub fresh roots and spread

them out on an oven rack so theyare not touching each other. Youcan experiment with higher set-tings, but I roast them at about 250until they are crispy and dark brownthroughout. Honestly I can’t sayjust how long it takes, somewherebetween 2 and 3 hours. At any rateI always roast them when I have tobe in the house anyway, and checkthem frequently after the two-hourmark. Grind them using a foodprocessor or mortar and pestle.Compared to coffee, you use a bitless of the ground root per cup.

The beverage tastes dandy, but asmentioned above, it is more diuret-ic than coffee or black tea. I havenever found this a problem, but ifyour morning commute frequentlyinvolves a traffic snarl, chooseyour breakfast drink accordingly.

I have not tried dandelion wine, atradition that dates back centuriesin Europe, and so have no first-hand experience to report, butscads of recipes can be found onthe Internet. Several friends andfamily members have tried it, withnegative and positive reviews pret-ty well split. I have no idea if it ispersonal preference or wine-mak-ing skill that is so evenly divided.

Given all the virtues of dandelions, it isamazing how much time and treasure ourculture puts into eradicating them. Itseems to verge on an obsession withsome people, who drench their lawn withselective broadleaf herbicides like 2,4-D,dicamba and mecoprop. These all comewith health risks to people, pets, non-tar-get trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants,not to mention hefty price tags.

For those who perhaps take the whole lionconnection too far and can’t sleep at nightif there are dandelions lurking on the prem-

ises, I’ll share a secret to get-ting them out of the land-scape. Setting the mower tocut at four inches high will notonly get rid of most weeds, itwill help prevent diseases,and will greatly reduce theneed for fertilizer. But, I saywe stop trying to kill the onlyNorth American lion that isnot in danger of extinction,and learn to appreciate anduse it more.

Paul Hetzler is the Horticul-ture and Natural ResourcesEducator for Cornell Cooper-ative Extension of St.Lawrence County.

For more information visitpaulhetzlernature.org

Author owns all rights to thesubmitted material, andgrants SFQ one-time NorthAmerican print rights, and un-limited electronic rights.

The dandelion is a demonized plant that has important nutritional and medicinal uses. Try it!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/ Sunasce007

Cooked dandelion greens and rice.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/ Badagnani

April 2, 2018 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 19

SOIL HEALTH

Take Me Out to a Tarped Field: Learning a Small-Scale Organic Method to Reduce Tillage with Less Weeds

by Ryan Maher and Brian Caldwell

Baseball fans know tarps are critical for keeping fields clean.Heavy rain falling on the diamond can quickly spoil a game.When you’re running for cover, turn your eyes to the fieldand you will see a crew working in unison to unroll a tarpover two-thirds of an acre. Hopefully the delay is short, lessthan an hour, and fine-grained infield soils are protected.Once removed, all that water moves to grass edges, andcredit to that massive grounds crew, baseball resumes with-out a puddle. This is just one of the luxuries of modern base-ball. Small-scale organic vegetable farmers don’t have it soeasy, but increasingly they too are using tarps. Growers areusing tarps to manage weeds and improve soil conditions,but it’s taking longer than the line for peanuts in a 3rd inningcloudburst.

Tarping practices are taking many different forms, but theprimary goal is usually the same. Organic farmers want tokill weeds. Often, beds have been prepared: tilled, shapedand fertilized as usual. But instead of planting right away,black, impermeable plastic tarps, 100 ft. long and multiplebeds wide, are secured until the time is right to pull off andplant. In this way, tarps are another take on creating a “staleseed bed”. Both tillage and warmer temperatures underblack plastic combine to wake up weed seeds. With ade-quate moisture, weeds germinate but eventually die withoutlight. When tarps are removed weeks later, if the soil is notdisturbed for planting, or perhaps just enough not to bring upnew weed seeds from below, the tarp application can reduceweed pressure for the crop further into the season. Some-times sourced as silage bunker covers, agricultural tarps aredurable 6 mil plastic that can then be rolled or folded and

reused multiple times over several years. The use of plastic for organic weed control is not new. Blackplastic mulch is common practice. The key difference in thisapproach is that tarps are completely removed before plant-ing, as opposed to being left in place and planted into. Thereis clearly a wave of interest among small-scale organic veg-etable farmers in tarping practices. However, many ques-tions remain. Good weed management is more complicatedand tarping clearly drives other changes in soils beyondweeds, like temperature, soil biology, fertility and the flow ofwater. And how can tarps be used with less tillage?

Reducing tillage with tarps

Not all farmers are using tarps after their planting beds havebeen tilled and prepared. Sometimes tarps are being usedto reduce or even substitute for tillage. We have shared the

story and no-till practices of Seeds of Solidarity Farm in MAin a previous SFQ article (Fall 2016). Building off this andother farmer experience, research at Cornell University andUniversity of Maine has been looking at the tillage-like ben-efits tarps provide and what kind of “legacy” they leave tosubsequent crops. Standard organic farming practices relyheavily on tillage to control weeds, but also for other goalslike killing cover crops, breaking down crop residue, and cre-ating a warm, fertile seed bed for planting. Tarping, if usedas a reduced tillage practice, needs to provide some or all ofthese tillage benefits.

Tarping has significant effects on soils. It does not solarizesoils at extreme high temperatures like carefully sealed,clear, transparent plastic, but soil temperatures do rise a fewdegrees on average, even when a tarp is placed over strawmulch. We know that soil microbial activity responds to soiltemperature, so tarps can help convert organic nitrogen intoplant-available forms. Meanwhile, rainfall does not infiltratetarped soils and instead pools on the tarp surface or shedsoff the sides. This can restrict nitrate leaching and conserveotherwise mobile nutrients in place, at least for a time. Whileit is not totally clear how these two processes balance out,crops can inherit a flush of nitrogen fertility at planting with-out any soil disturbance. We have found that overwinteredtarps can build up over four times more soil nitrate in springwhen compared to untarped, conventionally tilled soils. Theymay also improve the availability of nitrogen from slow re-lease fertility sources, like compost. Finally, in spring, sincetarped beds do not absorb runoff from snow and storms,they are not waterlogged and can be ready to plant earlierthan untarped beds.

Tarps can help control weeds without tillage. There aremany ways to create a stale seed bed and timing is often thebig challenge. Using a flame weeder, for example, requiresfinding the right time to burn off weeds and not young cropseedlings. Timing is still a question for tarps and weeds.How do they best fit in an intensive vegetable rotation andhow long do they need to stay on? It can depend on the timeof year and the type of job. Plan for at least 3 weeks butdon’t expect to control all weeds or kill perennials, particular-ly in early spring. Tarping in summer can give more heatunits in less time. We have found tarping for 3 weeks inspring to effectively kill all emerged annual weeds and leavea weed-free bed for planting. However, tarping hasn’t al-ways reduced our time spent hand weeding for the following

Ponding on impermeable plastic tarps applied overwinter and into early spring

A weed free planting bed in late May after tarp removal See Tarped page 20

Reduced tillage practices take many forms. This story ispart of a series featuring reduced tillage practices for or-ganic vegetable growers on the way to greater farm sus-tainability. Growers at diverse scales are tackling weeds,managing rotations, and integrating cover crops whileminimizing soil disturbance. Look for past and future SFQissues to learn the practices that are helping these grow-ers build better soils. Visit http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/reduced-tillage/ or contact Ryan Maher of theCornell SFP for more information on this project.

Page 20 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY April 2, 2018

crop. But timely tarping, where we coverbeds that are otherwise not getting the at-tention they deserve, also keeps weedsfrom maturing and going to seed, reducingweed pressure over time.

Surprisingly, we have seen little, if any, de-crease of surface residues under tarps. Wehave been tarping for May and June plant-ings, taking advantage of the longer tarptime windows in winter and early spring.We have laid them over winter-killed covercrops, young winter rye, and bare soil fromlate harvested crops. Some farmers reportfaster decomposition of crop residues, per-haps due to increased earthworm activity,but we have not observed this in our trials.These remaining residues can interferewith direct seeding and could harborpathogens. So it is important to considertarp applications in a rotation and the soilconditions that are necessary for plantingthe following crop. For example, chooselow residue beds for direct seeding, orwhen residue is high, use transplants. Pre-pare beds beforehand, so they need onlylimited or no disturbance after tarp re-moval. Build and level beds before covercropping and finely chop and evenly distrib-ute cover crops or crop residue with a flailmower before tarping.

Overall, we have found tarping can substi-tute for tillage by producing warm, fertileseedbeds that are weed-free for plantingand moist but not too wet. Often when con-ditions are too wet or cool for tillage, tarpscan still go down or come off. Meanwhile, noheavy equipment has compacted soils and

soil organic matter and structure are not dis-turbed.

What about labor? Laying and moving tarpsdoes not require a field crew but does re-quire lugging 50 to 75 pounds of plastic, plussand bags. The process has some similarityto applying floating row covers, but there isno crop to worry about underneath. Choose

less windy days or work with the wind onyour back and check tarps occasionally onwindy sites. They collect water and can getmessy. Don’t try to use tarps that are too big.Tarps that are greater than 30 by 100 feetrequire more hands and displace more wa-ter. When looking to tarp multiple plantings,several smaller tarps provide more optionsfor synchronizing with different planting

dates. If possible, direct any surface watertoward perennial alleyways. Tarps are at-tractive because they can offer timeliness,add flexibility without adding field passes,and save time when time is most valuable.Beds are ready to go when it is time for thesecond seeding or whenever transplants aregrown out.

More to learn

There are many questions to explore. Ofgreat interest is how to best combine tarpswith cover crops. Ideally, they should com-plement cover crops rather than substitutingfor them. We need cover crop benefits, likelive roots, organic matter additions andlegume-fixed nitrogen. Tarps may provide away to kill cover crops without tillage, inde-pendent of cover crop maturity. We knowthat tarps create warm, humid conditions,but we don’t know how they affect worms,soil microorganisms, fungi, or soil-borne dis-ease. How reliable are tarps for degradingplant residues? What methods are critical toachieving the best weed control for the fol-lowing crop? And can we use more perme-able materials, like landscape fabric, and getcomparable benefits with less water issues?Research and farmer experience will help usfine-tune this powerful tool. We’d like to thinkbaseball has some lessons to share too, butwe’ll have to remember to pack the ponchoand peanuts and watch more carefully at thenext game.

Ryan Maher (rmm325@cornell.edu) andBrian Caldwell (bac11@cornell.edu) re-search reduced tillage practices for organicvegetable systems at Cornell University.

Tarped from page 19

Permanent beds with no-till tarping practices compared side-by-side to conventional

tillage - Freeville, NY