Feature ArticlesManaging Your Forest Resources . . . . .Page 6

Acupuncture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 9

Farmstead Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 19

Bootstrap Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 21

SMALL FARM QUARTERLYGood Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities

Supplement to Country Folks

FALL 2007

Photo by Bill Henning

Page 2 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

SMALL FARM QUARTERLYGood Farming and Good Living —

Connecting People, Land, and Communities

Small Farm Quarterly is for farmers and farm families — including spouses and chil-dren - 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 Publications, Inc., and is distributed four times ayear as a special section of Country Folks. Volume 5 publication dates: July 9 andOctober 8, 2007; January 7 and April 7, 2008.

EDITORIAL TEAM:• Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program• Joanna Green, Cornell Small Farms Program• Brian Aldrich, Cayuga County CCE• Fay Benson, Cortland County CCE• Laura Biasillo, Broome County CCE• Celeste Carmichael, NYS 4-H Youth Development Program• Gary Goff, Cornell Natural Resources Department• Bill Henning, CCE-NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team/PRO-DAIRY• Martha Herbert Izzi, Vermont Farmer• Sarah Johnston, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets• Betsy Lamb, CCE Integrated Pest Management Program• Bernadette Logozar, Franklin County CCE• Gerald F. Monnat, Writer and Farmer • Sue Neal, New York Farmer• Rebecca Schuelke, NY Farm Viability Institute• John Thurgood, Delaware County CCE-NYC Watershed Agriculture Program• Lauri Whatley, Cornell College of Human Ecology

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SEND YOUR LETTERS AND STORIES TO:Joanna Green

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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.

ABOUT OUR ADS...All advertisements in Small Farm Quarterly are managed by Lee Publications. 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.

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SMALL FARM QUARTERLY - FALL 2007TABLE OF CONTENTS

SMALL FARM PROGRAM UPDATECornell Small Farms Program Update ........................................................Page 3

COWS AND CROPSPlanning A Farmstead Cheese Operation, by Fay Benson ......................Page 19

FOREST AND WOODLOT“How ‘Bout Those Trees?” By Jerry Michael ...............................................Page 6

GRAZINGElectric Netting For Sheep, by Ulf Kintzel..................................................Page 10Helping Your Animal Cope With Disease, by Bill Henning........................Page 18

STEWARDSHIP & NATUREThe Bees, by David Kline.............................................................................Page 15Covered Bedded Pack Project Wins National Award ..............................Page 20Agricultural Environmental Management

-- Safeguarding Your Family’s Drinking Water, by Barbara Silvestri .Page 23

MARKETINGAdding Value To Your Farm, by Bernadette Logozar....................................Page 7What’s A Cookie? By Marty Broccoli & Juanita Finn..................................Page 16Bootstrap Marketing, by Bernadette Logozar ............................................Page 21

NEW FARMERSUnderstanding the Legal Nuts and Bolts of Farming, by Laura Biasillo...Page 8DoveTales Farm, by Roger C. Thomas........................................................Page 17

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCKAcupuncture: A Staple in the Stable? by Martha Herbert Izzi ..................Page 9Shea Farm of Long Eddy, by Janet Aldrich ................................................Page 22

WOMEN IN AGRICULTUREWomen in Agroforestry, by Susan Neal .....................................................Page 11

HOME AND FAMILYRaising Rural Kids to Like the Outdoors, by Celeste Carmichael ...........Page 14

HORTICULTURESchoharie Valley Farms and “Carrot Barn”, by Elizabeth Lamb ................Page 4

COMMUNITY & WORLDAs Small Farms Go, So Goest the Community By Gerald Monnat ...........Page 3Agri-What? By Bill Henning...........................................................................Page 5

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHTS“Animal Welfare Approved” Seal of Approval Program ............................Page 5Resource Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock & Poultry........................Page 7New York’s New Beginning Farmer Loan Program....................................Page 8Northeast Grasstravaganza 2008 ..............................................................Page 10Agroforestry Resources .............................................................................Page 11From Restaurant to Retail..........................................................................Page 16FSA’s Beginning Farmer Down Payment Program .................................Page 17Fundamentals of Beef Management .........................................................Page 18Farmstead Cheese Resources...................................................................Page 19Alternative Swine Production Health Reference .....................................Page 20

YOUTH PAGESOh the Places You’ll Go ..............................................................................Page 12Steer-ed Right .............................................................................................Page 13County Fairs: Hard Work and Helping Others..........................................Page 13

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

PRO-DAIRY/CCE-NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team

www.ansci.cornell.edu/prodairy 607-255-4285

Watershed Agricultural Councilwww.nycwatershed.org607-865-7790

NYS 4-H Teen Programwww.cce.cornell.edu/4h

607-255-0886

www.cce.cornell.edu www.cals.cornell.edu

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS:

CORRECTIONIn the Summer 2007 issue of the Small Farm Quarterly, we mistakenly

credited the article entitled “Cosmos Farm” to Margaret McGrath.The actual author of the article is Susan Pierzchanowski, County Executive

Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Riverhead, NY.

by Gerard F. Monnat

The saying "As Maine goes - so goes the elec-tion" has been known for many years to befairly accurate. What about the statement, "Assmall farms go - so goes the community"? Isthere a relationship between small family farmsand the health of the communities these farmsare located in? If there is a relationship, is it adirect or indirect one? Let's look at this ques-tion and see how the existence, growth, health,and survival of the small family farm relates totheir neighbors and communities.

Communities prosper in many ways, economi-cally, socially, morally, and religiously, whenthere is within the boundaries of those commu-nities a number of small family farms. Each ofthese ways of prospering could take an articlein itself to expound on. In this article I wish toelaborate on the economic benefits of smallfarming to the community and in turn, the eco-nomic benefits to small farmers. This is both adirect and indirect relationship.

Economically, the towns and villages wheresmall farms exist benefit from the local buyingpatterns of small farms, who purchase mostlyfrom other small local businesses like feed

stores, hardware stores and local markets.Small farms' buying power and needs create aconstant customer base for the small businessowners. As the small farmers buy smaller quan-tities, and are more diversified in their needs,the larger wholesale/distributors are not set upto deal with them. This is where the communityfeed stores, hardware stores, equipment repairbusinesses, etc., come into play. These busi-nesses are very much needed by the smallfarmer, and visa versa.

The relationship that develops between thesmall farmer and local business people oftenbecomes like a family friendship, lasting foryears. The farmer knows that he or she can justcall "Earl" down at the store, and "Earl" will havewhatever is needed in a day or two, even if it isa special order. That kind or service usuallydoesn't happen when you're dealing with thelarger wholesaler/distributors several state away,when you're talking to a machine.

The small businesses in these communitiesdepend on the generational small family farmsas well as beginning small farmers for their busi-ness survival. The small farmers would have ahard time keeping their operations going if thesesmall businesses were not there. TheWallyMarts and Super stores just don't have thesame relationship and are usually miles away

from the villages or town the farmers live in.

On those wonderful "Friday Night Fishfrys",Ham Dinners, or Pancake Breakfasts at thelocal Fire hall, VFW, or church house, this eco-nomic relationship is so evident in the supportthese communities and farmers give each other.The business relationships, blend into communi-ty friendships, making real community. Whenyou lose too many small family farms for onereason or another, you will see the loss of thesmall businesses one by one. WallyMarts com-ing into town will only encourage this loss ofcommunity.

When a community starts to lose its' MainStreet because the small farmers are no longeraround to support it, it is the beginning of theend for most communities' financial survival.True, there are many factors that affect a com-munity's survival, but certainly the small familyfarm is an important one. Our small farms areneeded if this nation is going to keep "smalltown America".

Gerard F. Monnat is a freelance writer, reporter,and farmer in Mannsville, NY. He can bereached at (315) 387-5590 orplowshares@frontiernet.net.

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 3

Warm summer days and lots of sunny weather set the stage forabundant on-farm learning opportunities, tours and field days.Here are some of the activities the Small Farms Program spon-sored this summer.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION CONFERENCEThe Small Farms Program was a proud sponsor of the 2nd annu-al "Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture Education Conference"held at Cornell University July 11-14. The conference provided astimulating opportunity to dialogue, build networks, and identifycurrent and future educational programs and goals for learningand teaching in sustainable agriculture at colleges and universi-ties. The conference helped launch a new national SustainableAgriculture Education Association. To get on the Association'smailing list contact Katie Monsen at kmonsen@ucsc.edu.

ON FARM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIESThe Small Farms program sponsored several field walks with anemphasis on holistic management this summer. The first, titled,"Whole Farm Health Pasture Walk" was led by Dr. Ann Wells, anationally known veterinarian who relates the health of animals tothe health of the soils and plants on a farm. During her visits, sheassessed the health of two Chenango County farms and twoYates County farms based upon what she saw in the pastures.Another group walk focused on organic field crops at EdSchefler's farm in West Groton, NY. The attendees studied testplots of field peas, oats, barley, and triticale and sat in on a paneldiscussion of organic grain growers.

FARM AID AND FRIENDS VISIT ITHACAOn September 5th the Small Farms Program joined up with the2007 Farm Aid Upstate/Downstate caravan for a tour of DilmunHill Student Farm at Cornell and a local foods lunch at Olivia'srestaurant in Ithaca. The Program co-sponsored the caravan'sjourney, which departed from the New York State Fair in Albanyand crisscrossed the state visiting farms in the Rochester, Ithaca,Albany and Hudson Valley areas. Other groups attending theDilmun Hill farm tour included NOFA NY, NY SustainableAgriculture Working Group, New World Agriculture and EcologyGroup and Cornell horticulture faculty. Farm aid collected a lus-

cious basket of fresh fruits from the Cornell Orchards to feedawaiting organizers and performers upon arriving at the 2007Farm Aid Concert and Festival in at Randall's Island in New YorkCity.

SMALL FARMS SUMMIT FOLLOW-UPWe've gotten terrific feedback from readers of our report on the2006 Small Farms Summit, entitled Key Opportunities andStrategic Investments to Enhance Small Farm Viability in NewYork State. As we go to press, three statewide Work Groups arebeing organized to address some of the key recommendations inthe report. Work Groups will discuss their progress and get feed-back from participants at the upcoming 2007 Small FarmsSummit, which is scheduled for November 29. For more informa-tion on the 2007 Summit contact the Small Farms Program at607-255-9227.

Cornell Small Farms Program Update

How can I get Small Farm Quarterly?Country Folks subscribers automatically receive SFQ four times a year at

no extra cost. Country Folks is delivered weekly for $35 per year.

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

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Farm Aid Caravan Sponsors, including SFP's Violet Stone (toprow center), pose before the refrigerated truck carrying freshlocal produce down to the 2007 Farm Aid concert.

COMMUNITY AND WORLD

As Small Farms Go,So Goes the Community

Is there a relationship between small family farms and the health of their local communities?

Need Info?Subscribe to the Small Farms Update, amonthly email newsletter with announce-ments, upcoming events, resources, fund-ing and farming opportunities and more.Send an email to smallfarmsprogram@cor-nell.edu. Please provide your name, farmname, postal address, and ocunty.

Page 4 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

by Elizabeth Lamb

Editor's note: Although technically not a smallfarm according to USDA's definition, we thinkRichard and Sue Ball's Schoharie Valley Farmwill be of real interest to many of our readers.

The beautiful Schoharie Valley, once called the"bread basket of the Revolution', may now bethe cornucopia of the Capital District. Richardand Sue Ball and their three children, Sarah,Ethan and JoLyn, operate Schoharie ValleyFarms and the Carrot Barn farm market, justoutside of the village of Schoharie; a fineexample of the richness of the environmentand the abilities of the local farmers.

Richard grew up in the Schoharie Valley regionwhere his grandparents had a dairy farm, andhe learned early that he wanted to farm. Hetook a job on a vegetable farm in RhodeIsland, where he met and married Sue andthey started their family. They were luckyenough to work for and learn from a bright andinnovative grower who adapted his farming tochanges in markets and customers.

The family might have stayed in Rhode Islandbut for a chance real estate sale notice in afarming magazine and his oldest daughter'sdesire to look at Cornell for college. Fifteenyears ago they bought Schoharie Valley Farms- 200 acres with packing and cold storage facil-ities - and continued the previous owners' suc-cessful production of root crops for fresh mar-ket sold through grocery store chains.

Consolidation in the grocery industry and com-petition from Canada were enough to convinceRichard and Sue that they needed to diversifyin both crops and markets. And having all threechildren willing to add their hard work andinnovative ideas to the operation resulted inthe Schoharie Valley Farms and Carrot Barnas it is today.

While the farm's first venture into retail was50# bags of cull carrots for horse owners, nowthey produce at least 30 vegetable crops fromasparagus in the spring to pumpkins in the fallfor retail and wholesale markets. They sellwholesale through brokers, with Ethan doingthe marketing in Albany three times a week.Local restaurants can purchase directly fromthe farm. Chefs will even ask Richard to findparticular varieties or bring in seeds them-selves to get the produce they want, and theyare happy to advertise that they use local pro-duce in their cooking. Increasingly, direct saleretail customers make an important percent-age of their sales.

The Carrot Barn farm market, just off Route88, is popular with local people as well asthose from the Capital District. The market isfilled with displays of all the vegetables in-sea-son as well as bouquets of their field-grown cutflowers. At certain times of the year they havebulk sales of various crops for those customersthat want to preserve or store them. They part-ner with other local producers to sell fruit,honey, maple syrup, milk, beef, cheese and ice

cream - which benefits the Balls, the other pro-ducers, and the customers by giving themmore reasons to stop and shop.

Richard and Sue first built greenhouses sothey could produce their own vegetable trans-plants. Once the houses were up, though, theystarted looking for other ways to maximizethose resources. They now grow beddingplants, chrysanthemums, and poinsettias andmake container planters, too. The floweringplants have the added advantage of being acolorful focal point for anyone driving by theshop.

Their cold storage facilities and broad cropbase allow them to keep the Carrot Barn open

7 days a week from March 1 to December 31.As a benefit to their customers, they haveextended their season to Saturdays in Januaryand February for root crops, meat and milk.

While all their customers are important to them(see Making a Market as You Grow), they get alot of good ideas from the face-to-face interac-tions. Sarah had already been managing abakery of carrot-based and other baked goods,as well as gifts and crafts, in the Carrot Barn.Customer requests for the sandwiches theywere making for their crew led JoLyn to sug-gest opening a lunch bar - serving soups andsandwiches featuring their own seasonal veg-etables.

The direct interaction with the customers is abaseline of their advertising. You can often findsome member of the family in the market dis-cussing potato varieties or the proper sizecake for a birthday party with customers. Whilethey use some media advertising, Richardsays the benefits are hard to measure. A mail-ing list and fair prices help bring people in thedoor. In order to make Schoharie Valley a 'des-tination market' for the Capital District, theBall's do some cooperative advertising with avariety of other local businesses, agriculturaland not, to give those at a distance a greaternumber of reasons to visit the area.

Every winter the family and employees discusschanges for the next year. The intent is to try 6new things each year - crops, varieties, prod-ucts, methods, marketing ideas, whatever.Then they discuss which ones have 'stayingpower' and eliminate the rest after the year'strial. This method of planning for the future hasthe advantage of being very flexible and allow-ing for rapid adaptation to changes in customerneeds.

And if they weren't already busy enough,Richard and Sue are very involved in the Farmto School program; working to get locally pro-duced food products into the schools. Theywork with school personnel in nutrition andpurchasing to identify those products that canbe integrated easily and economically intoschool meals, as well as with administrators tolearn the true economic, social and environ-mental costs of poor eating habits.

For more information on and photos ofSchoharie Valley Farms, check their websitesat: www.schoharievalleyfarms.com,www.schohariechamber.com/svfarms, or contact them at: Schoharie ValleyFarms/The Carrot Barn, Route 30, Schoharie,NY 12157, 518-295-7139..

Elizabeth Lamb is the Coordinator forOrnamentals for the New York State IntegratedPest Management Program. She can bereached at 607-254-8800 oreml38@cornell.edu.

HORTICULTURE

Schoharie Valley Farms and"Carrot Barn"These innovative direct marketers have a lot going on at theirfarm market

by Richard and Sue Ball

With a history of adapting to the changes in veg-etable marketing, Richard and Sue Ball suggestsome marketing tips that have kept them suc-cessfully in business through changing times.

MAKE A CONNECTION WITH YOURCUSTOMERSEvery farm has a story and that story can helpyou connect with your customers. Listening toyour customers is a good way to start - besidesthe fact that a satisfied customer is good advertis-ing, it is customer comments that give you theinformation you need to determine new directionsand changes. Have a positive attitude. You aremuch more likely to get customers, and theirfeedback, if they believe you enjoy what you do.

ADAPT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS'CHANGING NEEDSDon't get so comfortable doing what you aredoing that you can't, or won't, change. Learn toadapt, change and diversify to make the most ofyour opportunities. The customer base for ourfarm has changed, but the customers have alsochanged. Younger customers are starting to canand freeze vegetables again. There is alsoincreasing interest in the taste of foods and theirseasonality; the concept of a simpler time; moreconcern with food quality and less with price.

EDUCATE YOUR CUSTOMERS.Many still think that a potato is a potato and theyall taste the same. We grow seven varieties ofpotatoes and now customers will ask for them byname. Let them know that today's agriculture isresponsible, that today's farmers are knowledge-able and have the sophistication to understand

the market, the economy, and the environment,and are doing the job of producing good, safefood.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER AND THEIR NEEDSMarketing through brokers rather than grocerystore chains means we have more, but smaller,customers who need a variety of products andwant mixed loads. Customers coming from theCapital District need a reason to come to theSchoharie Valley - we need to motivate them tocome from an hour away. They need a variety ofproducts and possibly even a variety of business-es to visit, to encourage them to make the drive.

If your buyers come from a distance, they'll needsomewhere to eat once they are here. You canprovide the service or direct them to someonethat can. Chefs have a specific vision of whatworks for their restaurants. While Bright Lightschard is beautiful, green chard doesn't bleedcolor and still has the desired flavor and texture.And they may even suggest new crops or vari-eties to try, based on what is new in culinary cir-cles.

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHSYou can't win a production race - someone elsewill have lower production costs or higher yields.But you can emphasize those things you do well.Selling to a local market means we can grow car-rot varieties with more taste, more juice, morecolor, and more sugar, which wouldn't shipbecause they are also more brittle.

Local production also keeps money in the localeconomy - we hire local people, buy from localbusinesses, market products from other local pro-ducers and they become our customers, our sup-porters, and our advertising. Use your employeesfor more than their labor. They often see what canbe changed or added or improved to your andyour customers' benefit. And take care of the cus-tomers you have before worrying about gettingmore. They give you a solid foundation and willhelp you grow your market.

Richard and Sue Ball raise vegetables, cut flow-ers, bedding plants, mums and poinsettias in theSchoharie Valley. They can be reached atSchoharie Valley Farms/The Carrot Barn, Route30, Schoharie, NY 12157, 518-295-7139.

MARKETING

Making a Market as You Grow

Richard and Sue Ball's first venture into retail was 50# bags of cull carrots for horse owners.Now they produce at least 30 vegetable crops from asparagus in the spring to pumpkins in thefall for retail and wholesale markets. Photo by Elizabeth Lamb

The Carrot Barn looks out over the vegetable and flower fields in the beautiful Schoharie ValleyPhoto by Elizabeth Lamb

Richard Ball in the bedding plant greenhouse.Photo by Elizabeth Lamb

Sue Ball making bouquets from her own cutflowers Photo by Elizabeth Lamb

by Bill Henning

Being among that group that was born beforethe end of World War II, I have the dubious dis-tinction of growing up through an era of explo-sive change in farming. As a young boy visitingrelatives in Perth County, Ontario I got to workon threshing crews that were still farming withhorses. These weren't Amish folks, but Catholicsand Protestants in general. Combines were notyet common in that part of the country so Icaught the shirttails of the end of an era.

After hours in the field building stooks out ofsheaves people from throughout the neighbor-hood came together to thresh. Sheaves wereforked by hand onto horse drawn wagons. Theload was built with sheaves perpendicular to thewagon edge so the load ended up leaninginward. No one wanted to be responsible for awagonload dumped before it got to the barn.

Unloading meant picking off the top mostsheaves and feeding them in head first whilekeeping the thresher running at capacity.

The threshing machine was run by the only trac-tor. In the barn, the threshing machine, the grainroom, and the straw mow all needed tending.The dust was almost overwhelming. Combinethat with the heat and humidity of late summerand there'd be a group of dark faces with whiteeyeballs standing in line at the washbasin in theyard come lunchtime.Threshing meals were the highlight of the day.Heaping platters of fresh cooked meat, numer-ous vegetables, mashed potatoes smotheredwith gravy, thick slices of homemade bread, realbutter and desserts - pies and cakes, bowls ofberries - like there was no tomorrow. A verylong table was surrounded by very hungry menwho left it empty in short order. But that was notthe best part.

Camaraderie filled the air, atdinnertime and all day long.Plainly, threshing was a lot ofhard labor, yet folks looked for-ward to it. It was a culturalevent. It was a time to visit,swap stories, and exchangefriendly barbs. In one word, allthis work was FUN!

Similar events occurredthroughout the year, maybenot so grandiose, but frequent-ly and for a number of rea-sons. Money was notexchanged, nor records kept.Neighbors helped one anotherbecause they wanted to. Andthey knew, sooner or later, inone way or another, it wouldall work out. Most important,during a period when farmingtook so much time and effort,friends actually had moretime to visit.

Today, now at an age past when I could retire, Ioperate a little farm. I have all the modernequipment to keep farming even as my body isstarting to wear out. For this I am grateful. It'staken me a long time to get here. But somethingis missing.

This little farm is surrounded by much largerfarms. Their equipment dwarfs mine. Theyaccomplish so much in so little time it makesyour head spin. They have hired labor, fleets oftrucks, behemoth tractors and manure spreadersso big, that work so far from home; it takes afleet of tractor trailers to feed them. The localfeed mills are gone. The implement dealerships,few and far between, are conglomerates.Veterinarians travel hundreds of miles. Fertilizerdealers don't want to be bothered with trivial

sales. The word 'farmer' is often replaced with'producer' or 'grower'. But what is missing most -visits among people with common interests - asense of community.There are still communities in the country wheremuch of the experiences of a half century agoare still enjoyed. The troubling aspect is that somuch of today's society is completely ignorant ofthis enlightening phenomenon - the joy of shar-ing work. Today we have agri-science and agri-business, but what about agri-culture? What canmake an entire society aware of their rich her-itage in an environment so far removed fromwhat is really so important?

Bill Henning is Small Farm Specialist withCornell Cooperative Extension's NWNY Dairy,Livestock, & Field Crops Team.

COMMUNITY AND WORLD

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October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 5

Resource Spotlight"Animal Welfare Approved" Seal of Approval Program

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has instituted an Animal Welfare Approved seal ofapproval program based on a set of welfare-friendly husbandry standards. The AnimalWelfare Approved seal is not just a list of rules: It is a philosophy of respect that pro-vides animals on the farm with the environment, housing and diet they need to behavenaturally, thereby promoting physiological and psychological health and well-being.

The Animal Welfare Approved Standards require farmers to provide animals the FiveFreedoms identified by the United Kingdom's Farm Animal Welfare Council:

Freedom from fear and distressFreedom from pain, injury and disease (including parasitical infections)Freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutritionFreedom to express normal behaviorFreedom from physical and thermal discomfort

Animal Welfare Approved standards are species specific and forbid practices such astail-docking piglets and de-beaking chickens. Farmers who meet the Animal WelfareApproved standards can participate without being charged fees or royalties.Participating farmers have access to AWI husbandry advisors who can offer advice onanimal health, husbandry, housing and animal environments. A complete list of AnimalWelfare Approved husbandry standards can be found atwww.animalwelfareapproved.org.

For more information about the Animal Welfare Approved seal, contact the AnimalWelfare Institute, P.O. Box 3650, Washington, D.C. 20027 or online at www.animalwel-fareapproved.org

Loaded and coming in. Photo by Shayne Coward

Page 6 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

By Jerry Michael

Farmers are usually preoccupied by the cropsthey have to plant and harvest every year, andmay give scant attention to the trees in thewoodlot on the "Back 40". Trees typically reachtheir individual "economic maturity" in 75 to100 years, so forest management is often puton the back burner. In the past, many forestowners considered their woodlot as a sourceof firewood, venison for the table, or recreation.In addition, they might have hoped that the for-est would provide some income from timberwhen the kids were ready for college.

Times are changing, and at least three factorshave pushed forest management to the frontburner in recent years. First, the increasingvalue of northeastern hardwoods has causedsawmills and loggers to actively prospect forharvestable woodlots. Second, escalating prop-erty and school taxes have pressed owners offorestland to look for ways to meet expenses.

Third, society-at-large has become increasing-ly aware of the broad benefits of healthyforests for air and water quality, wildlife habitatand overall quality of life for humankind. Insome areas, this public interest has resulted innew land-use regulations, legislation support-ing conservation easements and, most recent-ly, consideration of rewarding forest owners (insome form) for carbon sequestration.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?As a forest owner, what are your objectives inthis new environment? This is the first questionI ask forest owners when visiting their woods.Establishing objectives is the first step in devel-oping a management plan for your forest prop-erty. Objectives can include recreation, fire-wood harvests and enhancement of wildlife

habitat in addition to income from sawtimberand other forest products.

These objectives are not mutually exclusive,and provision for each of them can be includedin your plan for the sustainable management ofyour woods. As illustrated in the following para-graph, it is usually appropriate to involve thefamily in discussions leading to the establish-ment of objectives.

Which of the following two scenarios makesthe most sense to you?

1. A logger offers you $40,000 cash for thetrees he has marked in your 25-acre woodlot.You are pleasantly surprised, accept the deal,and pay off the loan on your tractor. The har-vest removes all desirable tree species 12" indiameter or larger, does not include any thin-ning of inferior trees, and leaves the woodlot insuch a condition that the next harvest will bemore than 50 years in the future.

2. You retain a consulting forester who devel-ops a long-term management plan for your for-est, including periodic harvesting of economi-cally mature trees, plus timber stand improve-ment (thinning), and regeneration. The consult-ant manages an initial harvest yielding $25,000and advises you that your plan for sustainablemanagement of your forest should yield a simi-lar harvest every 20 years or so, "forever".

If your objectives for your forested property areshort-term, you might be tempted to accept thelogger's offer. If you want to keep the farm inthe family, you would probably forgo the log-ger's offer and retain the consultant.Recognizing that trees are not a short-rotationcrop, you would do so without delay.

GETTING STARTEDTo get started, go to www.forestconnect.com, asite maintained by Cornell UniversityCooperative Extension with information usefulto forest owners in any region of the country.From the Home Page, click on "Publications",and then click on "Enhancing ForestStewardship". Download and review the first 10chapters for all of the background informationyou will need to establish your objectives andwork with a consulting forester on a plan forthe sustainable management of your forest-land.

If you have finished your reading, but are stillnot quite ready to hire a private consultantforester, consider talking with a State Forester(ex, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservationor PA Bureau of Forestry) who may be able towalk your land with you and prepare a basicforest stewardship plan. Another option is tocontact your local Cooperative Extension coun-ty office and ask them if they have a volunteerprogram such as the Master Forest OwnerVolunteer (MFO) program in NY State.

Most states have something similar to theMFO program, sponsored by cooperativeextension or private forest owner organiza-tions. These volunteers can help you identifytree species, evaluate the potential of yourwoodlot to achieve your objectives and referyou to additional sources of information andassistance.

DO IT YOURSELF?Let's say you have concluded, with or withoutthe help of a forester, that your woods are notready for a harvest at this time. Do you havethe interest and time to perform some timberstand improvement (TSI), which will acceleratethe growth rate of your most valuable trees? Ifso, go back to forestconnect.com and down-load the publication "Crop Tree ManagementQuick Reference".

I enthusiastically recommend crop tree man-agement to most of the forest owners I visitbecause it is the most effective and efficientmethod of timber stand improvement, especial-ly for the "do it yourselfer".

Additional publications available on the forest-connect.com website include: agro-forestry,improving wildlife habitat, firewood harvesting,taxes and insurance, etc. Spend some timeexploring the resources available on this siteand its many links, and add it to your"Favorites" list; I promise you will refer to itoften.

Not on the web? Not a problem. Your localcooperative extension office will have a largesupply of forest management bulletins andpublications available at a modest cost, andthey can help you locate what they don't havein stock.

On a final note, parcelization and development,often driven by increasing costs of ownership,are among the most serious threats to ourforests today. Sustainable management canprovide a stream of income to help cover these

costs, and allow you to keep the "Back 40" aspart of the family farm. The tools for developinga long-term plan are at your fingertips, so getbusy!

FIND OUT MOREFor more information on how to arrange a visitfrom a MFO volunteer in your area or how tobecome a MFO volunteer, contact your countyCornell Cooperative Extension Office or visitwww.cornellmfo.info. Most New England stateshave similar forest owner volunteer programsas does Pennsylvania. Contact your stateCooperative Extension Forester to learn how toget involved in the program.

New York's Master Forest Owner VolunteerProgram is sponsored by The NY ForestOwners Association, NYS-DEC Div. of Landsand Forests, The Robert H. WentorfFoundation, USDA Renewable ResourcesExtension Program and Cornell CooperativeExtension.

Jerry Michael has served as a Master ForestOwner Volunteer (MFO) with CornellCooperative Extension since 1995. He hasvisited over 100 forest parcels in theSouthern Tier of NY State, offering advice toforest owners on sustainable managementpractices. This article is based on observa-tions made during these visits, as well asinformation available from CornellCooperative Extension, NY Forest OwnersAssociation, and other sources. Jerry hasbeen very active on various committeeswithin NY Forest Owner's Association andcurrently is on the board of the BroomeCounty Association of Cornell CooperativeExtension. He can be reached at 607-648-2941, or gotreego@stny.rr.com.

FOREST AND WOODLOT

How 'Bout Those Trees!How to manage the forest rresources on your family farm

Every MFO volunteer visit typically ends with wrap up session, which includes a pitch for joininga forest owner organization such as NY Forest Owners Association. Photo by Gary Goff

Jerry Michael showing how sugar maples thatare repeatedly browsed by deer fail to grow inheight and take on a "bonsai bush" appear-ance. Photo by Gary Goff

The old axiom, "what you see is what you get" applies when it comes to assessing regenerationpotential. Unless appropriate silviculture is applied to this stand, the next stand will be com-posed of mostly American beech. Photo by Gary Goff

Forest owners and Jerry Michael looking up into the crowns to determine if the stand needs tobe thinned to achieve optimal growth. Photo by Gary Goff

by Bernadette Logozar

In a world of information highways, highspeed communication and an increasinglyfluid global economy, more and more peopleare becoming concerned about where andhow their food is produced. They are lookingfor a connection, or reconnection with thesource of food they place in their freezer,refrigerator and pantry.

This growing consumer interest in the foodsystem provides farmers and rural entrepre-neurs an opportunity to grow your business-es by providing customers a connection withthe farm and the farming experience. Thereare lots of ways to add value to your farmenterprise. See the accompanying list ofideas for something that might work for youand your farm operation.

Try to make your products and businessunique by using your old farm buildings. Putyour gift shop in a barn or develop otheruses for buildings. Develop creative namesfor your products, creative packaging, andprivate labeling. Provide printed "how to"instructions for picking, storage, canning andfreezing. Don't be afraid to sample yourproducts, one taste may get them to buymore to take home.

Another idea for adding value to your farm isto expand a way of life by offering customersthe opportunity to: "Rent a farm" as in rent alifestyle for a week or a month; grow an ani-mal or a Christmas Tree for a specific family;Rent a garden patch; Host farm festivals,Ethnic or Traditional Holiday Ranch tours,Cowboy poetry. Check out this website tosee an example of 'renting mother nature"

www.rentmothernature.com.Whatever you choose to do in order to addvalue to your farm and expand your farmincome, some things to think about is to con-sider these following questions:* If you create it, can you manage it? * Does it make you unique? * Does it conflict with your busiest times? * Where are your customers coming from?* What do your customers want? * What are your customers willing to spend? * Will your facility hold that many people? * Do you offer enough parking? * Do you have ample restrooms?

Some Hints and tips from Agritourism opera-tors:"Start small""Find you niche and do it well"

"Differentiate yourself from other food andrecreation establishments""Know who you are and be that!" "Do what you say & say what you do.""Exceed expectations""Be Open!"

Bernadette Logozar is Rural & Ag EconomicDevelopment Specialist with CornellCooperative Extension of Franklin County.She can be reached at 518-483-7403 x312or bel7@cornell.edu.

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 7

MARKETING

Adding Value to Your Farm

Offering a hay wagon ride pulled by horses can help visitors experience a bit of the past. In theNorthern Adirondack Region, Country Dreams Farm offers folks a view from a different perspec-tive. Photo by Bernadette Logozar

Resource SpotlightResource Guideto DirectMarketingLivestock andPoultry

This resource guide coverseverything producers needto know about direct mar-keting meat and poultry:meat regulations; slaugh-tering, cutting and pro-cessing; value-added prod-ucts; certification programsand labeling; marketopportunities and more.One way for farmers torealize higher returns fortheir farm products isthrough direct marketing.This resource guide makesdirect marketing more fea-sible by explaining com-plex meat laws in laymanterms and by clarifying thelegalities of direct market-ing livestock and poultry.The resource guide hopesto promote a more directmarket chain from farm toconsumer in New York.

The Resource Guide toDirect Marketing Livestockand Poultry is now avail-able! Download your freecopy from the NY Farms!Website atwww.nyfarms.info/whatny-farmsdo.html or purchasea copy for $5 from CCEFranklin, 355 West MainSt., Malone, NY 12953.

Agritourism Ideas

If your farm is already open to visitors youcan add to the experience by developingany number of ideas-and this list is by nomeans exhaustive!

* on-farm walking tour* horse drawn wagon rides* orchard tours* special events* contests* offer good value* seasonal festivals* on-farm camping* processing tours* on-farm bakeries* old fashioned hayrides* working farm vacation* bed & breakfast* nature study* artist retreat* bird watching* early morning u-pick club* u-grow your own vegetables* u-fish, craft or flea markets* corn mazes off-season mailings* kids "farm" playground area* pony rides* host a local theatre group* sweet corn roast* "adopt a pumpkin" and watch it grow* scarecrow festival* star gazing* have a Haunting Season* offer regional cuisine* Corporate or Group retreats* u-pick or community garden* story teller* rent a tree* peddle tractors* scavenger hunts* Christmas themes* pig & goat races* Easter Egg & Bunny hunts* Enchanted Forest

Need Info?Visit the Cornell SmallFarms Program online atwww.smallfarms.cornell.edu.

by Laura Biasillo

While resources for beginning farmers are abun-dant, few are comprehensive. The CornellUniversity Small Farms Program and the NewYork Beginning Farmer Project have recentlyreleased a resource guide entitled, "Guide toFarming in NYS: What Every Ag EntrepreneurNeeds to Know."This resource was modeled after a successfulNew Hampshire Beginning Farmer resourceguide. The guide outlines issues related to get-ting into farming or diversifying your farming

enterprise, and also provides contact informationfor agencies and contact people within your areaof the state.

For beginning farmers there are a multitude oflegal issues and regulations that must be satis-fied in order to begin operating. In this article I'llshare just a sample of the many tips you'll find inthe Guide to Farming in NYS.

REGULATIONS 101Whether you will be direct marketing or farmingfor lifestyle reasons, there are regulations youmust meet in order to ensure your right to farm.Zoning, Right to Farm laws, on-farm and productliability and environmental regulations are centralto good relationships with your customers andneighbors.

If your land is not zoned "agricultural", then youwill need to visit your local planning or assess-ment department to inquire about changing thezoning. This should not be an issue if you arebuying fallow land or an operating farm. Withmore and more rural areas being zoned "low-density suburban" for development, it is impor-tant to speak with your planning board to ensureyou will be able use your land for agriculture nowand in the future.

In addition to your parcel(s) being zoned agricul-tural, it is also important that you are located inan agricultural district. Being located in an agri-cultural district ensures that your agriculturaloperation is exempt from excessively restrictiveregulations, including many local and state regu-lations such as SEQR (State EnvironmentalQuality Review), some building codes, and theneed to provide professionally stamped plans forfarm buildings. You can find out if your land islocated in an agricultural district by contactingyour local planning department.

COMMUNICATION IS KEYWhen it comes to legal regulations for beginningfarmers, much depends on the type of agricultur-al enterprise. The most important issue is yourrelationships with your neighbors.

Communication with your neighbors about whatyou are doing on your farm and what to expectwill go a long way towards avoiding complaintsand also in educating them about agriculture andwhere their food comes from. The most commoncomplaints usually revolve around noise, smelland livestock escapes.

If you plan on having agri-tourism events, thenyou will need to post your property for tres-passers and also have landowner liability insur-ance. While this is not often the case for begin-ning farmers, it is still a good idea if hunters tra-ditionally come on your property and for safetyreasons in general.

If you will be raising livestock, you must have thecorrect type of fencing. You should also let yourneighbors know what they can do if the animalsbreak the fence.

If you will be selling your products at a Farmers'Market you will need to make sure you have thecorrect licenses and product liability insurance.None of these are difficult to get, but it is impera-tive that you have all of your licenses and liabilitydocuments in order in the event of somethinghappening.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUESEnvironmental regulations for a new farmermainly fall into three categories: water quality,pesticides and agricultural environmental man-agement. Any landowner is subject to water qual-ity regulations, whether they farm or not. It isbest to contact your closest DEC office to learnabout their regulations related to your agriculturalenterprise.

Agricultural Environmental Management (oftenreferred to as AEM), looks to aid farmers inincorporating good environmental practices intoplanning. The implementation of such practicesoften has grants or cost-share programs associ-ated. AEM programs are typically run out ofcounty Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

The decision of utilizing sustainable farmingpractices should factor into what types of pesti-cides you will use. If you will be using "restricteduse pesticides" then you will need to becomecertified by DEC and show your license whenpurchasing the pesticides. This is a five-yearlicense.

If you will be using "general use pesticides" thenyou will not need a license to purchase or use.To be eligible for certification you must have oneseason's experience working with the crops, live-stock or stored products on which you will beusing pesticides and also be at least 17 yearsold. You must then take the certification examduring the five years of certification you mustobtain recertification credits.

TO LEARN MORE...For many beginning farmers sifting through allthe regulations can be time consuming and diffi-cult. By providing every county extension office inNYS with the New York Beginning Farmer Projectresource guide, as well as having it online, indi-viduals are able to choose the venue they feelmost comfortable in using the resource. Thisresource will be updated at least once a year tostay current on changes in regulations or issuesrelated to beginning farming or agriculture ingeneral.

For more information on getting into farming, orto diversify your on-farm enterprise, contact yourlocal Cornell Cooperative Extension office. The"Guide to Farming in NYS: What Every AgEntrepreneur Needs to Know" can be down-loaded for free at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu(click on "Resources" and then "BusinessManagement").

Laura Biasillo is the Agricultural EconomicDevelopment Specialist at Cornell CooperativeExtension of Broome County in Binghamton, NY.She can be reached at (607) 584-5007 orlw257@cornell.edu.

It's critical to understand the legalities involved in direct marketing. Here, Eric & Sandy Krennersell their fresh herbs and greens at Johnson City Farmers' Market for the first year.

Photo by Laura Biasillo

Bonnie Jensen and her son man their tent at the Downtown Binghamton Farmers' Market onopening day, June 15, 2007. While Bonnie and her family have farmed for generations, this is thefirst year they have sold at in a Farmers' Market setting and it was quite a learning experience.

Photo by Laura Biasillo

Amanda Heller comes from a family of farmers and market farmers at that. But this is herfirst year selling at the Downtown Binghamton Farmers' Market and she is loving every day ofit. Photo by Laura Biasillo

Page 8 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

NEW FARMERS

Understanding the Legal Nutsand Bolts of FarmingNew "Guide to Farming in NYS" Offers ComprehensiveSummary of Legalities and Regulations

Resource SpotlightNew York's New BeginningFarmer Loan Program

New York State is making it easier forbeginning farmers to acquire agriculturalland and equipment by offering low-costfinancing through the New York BeginningFarmer Loan Program (BFLP). Throughthe BFLP, beginning farmers can borrowup to $250,000 to help start a farmingbusiness or facilitate inter-generationaltransfer of a farm business.

To obtain BFLP financing, the beginningfarmer works with a lender to arrange theterms of a loan. The interest rate is basedon the applicant's credit rating, the type ofloan, etc. The BFLP acts as a conduit byissuing and selling a tax-exempt bond(aggie-bond) to the lender with the fundsbeing loaned to the farmer and the loanassigned back to the bank. With the loanbeing tax-exempt, the bank can give abetter interest rate to the farmer, usuallyaround 1 to 2 percentage points less thanthe usual taxable interest loan.

To be eligible for BFLP financing theBeginning Farmer must:* Be engaged in farming or wish toengage in farming in NYS.* Be a NYS resident at least 18 years old.* Not have previously owned farmlandwith a value greater than $125,000 andacreage greater than 30% of the medianfarm size in the county where the parcelof land is located.* Possess adequate education, trainingand experience in the type of farming tobe financed * Perform the farm labor or management,or delegate these duties to his or herspouse/fiancé and/or minor children.

The BFLP is administered by the NYSEnvironmental Facilities Corporation(EFC) in partnership with the NYSDepartment of Agriculture and Markets.For more information on the BFLP, call800.200.2200 (NYS). Visit www.nysefc.organd click on "Programs" and "BeginningFarmer", or e-mailbeginningfarmer@nysefc.org.

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 9

by Martha Herbert Izzi

Fresh, as in "Fresh Start" is standing patiently asMaria Dunton, DVM, starts a twenty minutecourse of placing pins in the right meridians totreat his feet, specifically his stiff hock. "Freshwas a divorce present to myself" says stableowner, Rebecca Rice, who found him in CountyLimerick, Ireland years ago as she began a new,single life.

Now in his teens, the fox hunter injured himselflast year. When he was initially seen by anothervet, he received injections in the joint to correctthe injury. His trainer could not believe hisimprovement this year and was amazed thatacupuncture had improved his movement so wellthat no injections were necessary. What isapparent during this session is the visiblechange in the horse as he relaxes to a point ofbeing almost asleep. Fresh will be on a weeklytreatment for four weeks.

Next we watch Brego, bred locally, who has acongenital defect in his front left leg and heproves that every horse reacts differently toacupuncture. His leg points out to the side andMaria's goal is to stimulate bone growth to cor-rect the deformity. Brego reacts to a needleplaced at the meridian BL (bladder) 13, which isthe master point for lung. And an even strongerreaction to SI (small intestine) 9, the point forfront leg lameness. He shivers and shakesbefore our eyes and pushes two pins out, one ofwhich is actually crooked. It's 'pay dirt' in the ver-nacular. The energy, or Qi as it is known, inthose two areas is now unblocked and flowingthrough his body. His leg, according to Rice, "isso much better."

Yet another horse in Rice's stable, Sassy, hasbecome a legend for the strides she has madethrough acupuncture. The ten year old was"lame all the time." Within one week followingthe first treatment, there was no lameness. Bythe third week, Sassy had grown almost oneinch of new hoof. The crack that was three quar-ters of an inch wide and a half inch deep in theold hoof was simply not there in the new hoof."We were kind of drop jaw," Maria says. "To growan inch of hoof is unheard of. Now I can expectmiracles."

Dunton is a 1980 Ohio State Veterinary Schoolgraduate. She began to study and use acupunc-ture during her training. She even used acupunc-ture years ago on her then young daughter whohad developed juvenile arthritis. It significantlyreduced her pain level. But last October shebegan in earnest with a six month course at theTampa, Florida IVAS (International VeterinaryAcupuncture Society) where she attended oneweek a month. It's a "rare night" that she doesn'tgo home and review acupuncture books, asking

herself "how can I do something more effectivelyor differently?"

Acupuncture has been practiced on animals forcenturies beginning with the Chinese who dis-covered that animals have similar meridians andreflex-points to humans. Legend has it thathorses used on the battlefields were found tobecome sound after they had been hit by arrowsin specific parts of their bodies. Later cows,dogs and other animals were added to the list ofsuccessful recipients. Dr. Dunton recently treat-ed the cow of a local Vermonter for a reproduc-tive problem. "The major challenge, she says, isjust to get the needles into the cow because theskin is so tough." She knows another vet whoeffectively treated a cow for a prolapsed uterus.Acupuncture has also been shown to be remark-

ably effective in stimulating heat in cows that hadfailed to respond to GNRH within fourteen daysand thus able to be artificially inseminated.

Understanding the neurophysiology behindacupuncture is sometimes a major obstacle formany western-trained medical practitioners,though as a treatment form it has gained wideacceptance among human patients and theiranimals in recent years. The acupuncturist stimu-lates the animal's "Qi," the energy that flowsthrough "meridians" or pathways that are con-nected to internal organs, the nervous systemand muscular and joint structures and thusboosts the immune system. At the same time itdecreases inflammation and aids the body inreleasing hormones and endorphins in a self-healing process.

Following our afternoon at the stables, we arenow at the clinic where Maria does a small ani-mal practice. And today she is working on Jack,a German short hair pointer who is fourteenyears old. This is his third session, and alreadyhe is another success story. When he began,Jack almost couldn't walk, and had great difficul-ty climbing stairs.

Before she begins the treatment, she checks hispulses and tongue color (his is deep purple) toassess his condition. Marie pushes the pin intoBL 40, the master point for hind legs and back.It's another time where the animal visibly relaxesto the point where he tries to lie down to sleep.His tongue begins to hang out and it is becom-ing pinker by the minute, a signal that he is heal-ing.

Maria's greatest dog success story so far was aChesapeake Bay Retriever, then twelve yearsold. He had allergic dermatitis, a chronic skinproblem, since he was two years old. He wasperennially on antibiotics, steroids, and allergyserum for desensitization. Since his acupuncturetreatments he has a whole new hair growth andall vestiges of the allergies have disappeared.His owners were more than skeptical, theythought of acupuncture as "voodoo" but theywere desperate enough to try anything and theynow have a vastly different opinion of the ancientand honorable treatment of acupuncture.

As with any treatment modality there are limits.Yes, there are "miracles" but sometimes ananimal requires more acupuncture treatmentsthan perhaps an owner is willing to accept orpay for or perhaps the animal needs a combi-nation of medications and acupuncture, espe-cially really old animals. What is known is thatacupuncture has little or no negative effects onthe animal.

Deciding how many treatments to administer isanother issue which requires the vet and theowner to agree and sometimes trust to chancethat an additional number of sessions willmake the difference. As to those diseases orconditions for which acupuncture is not effec-tive, Dunton says that "it does not work forcancer. You can make an animal feel better,increase their white blood cell count, affectthings around the cancer, but the cancer itself

will not respond." Likewise an animal with acompletely severed spinal cord is not going tobe "cured" by acupuncture.With respect to treatment cost different vetscharge according to whether they are treatingan animal in a clinic or at their own barns.Dunton's standard range, after an initialassessment fee, ranges from $40 to $60 asession.

Finally, it should be mentioned that animalacupuncture is strictly regulated, requiring for-mal training and certification. And onlylicensed veterinarians may practice what isconsidered a surgical procedure.

Martha Herbert Izzi raises Tunis Sheep/AlpineGoats on Bel Lana Farm in Shrewsbury,Vermont. She can be reached at 802-492-3346 or mhizzi@yahoo.com.

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK

Acupuncture:A Staple in the Stable?

Jack's pink tongue is a sign that he is healing.

Healing hands place needles in strategicpoints.

Dr. Maria Dunton treating Fresh, as owner Rebecca Rice looks on.

Sassy has a watchful eye as Dr. Dunton places the needles.

Dr. Dunton works to re-direct Brego's deformed leg. Photos by Martha Herbert Izzi

Page 10 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

by Ulf Kintzel

An electric netting is a prefabricated temporaryfence with conductive horizontal twines, with builtin posts and connecting non-conductive verticals.This mesh of fence is usually 150 to 164 feetlong and can be rolled up after taking it down.There are a number of different electric nettingsfor sheep on the market.

The three most important practical items that candiffer in electric nettings are, in my opinion,height, the material of vertical connections, andthe number of spikes per post. The "regular"height is 33 to 36 inches tall while the higher net-tings are about 42 inches tall. The material of theverticals is either flexible (strings) or static(struts). The posts can have either single spikesor double spikes.

I use Euro Netz (Euro Net) made in Germany. Itis about 36-inches (90 cm) high and about 164feet (50 m) long with flexible verticals and double

spiked posts. The height is sufficient. Taller net-tings are more difficult to keep erected. The flexi-ble verticals allow for faster take down and areeasier to roll back up for transportation. Nettingswith struts as verticals are more designed assemi-permanent fencing since the struts keepthe sections between posts from sagging.

The double spikes allow me to step the post intothe ground as opposed to forcing them in byhand, as is necessary for single spiked posts.Using the foot is particularly important when thesoil is hard, stony, or semi-frozen. The doublespike also keeps the posts more securely in theground, especially in windy conditions.

The electric netting can be used to subdivide alarger parcel of land that is fenced in permanent-ly, for example, with woven wire. Or it can beused entirely as the perimeter and interior fence.When I use it as interior fence to subdivide alarger parcel I use it like anyone who uses regu-lar twine fencing with plastic or metal posts. In

the summer I like to include shade by including alarge tree, several trees or a hedgerow. I also tryto think ahead where the next cell will be. Thisallows me to leave one side of the fence erectedwhen I fence in the new parcel.

When I use the netting to pasture rented adja-cent land, neighboring harvested hayfields orland seeded down temporarily for my sheep, i.e.with cereal rye, I try to shape the cell somewhatrectangular. A square is the ideal since it has thebiggest amount of space of any rectangular forthe same amount of fence being used. I start atthat end of the field that suits me, which is oftenthe one next to an access road. When I rotatethe flock and put up the nettings for the next par-cel I usually leave one side of the old cell stand-ing.

The time that my sheep spend in one of thesecells of pasture varies greatly. It can be any-where between one day and a week. If I use aneighbor's harvested hay field in the fall or winterI often enlarge the current cell after two to threedays rather than building entirely new. That isoften simpler and I also don't have to move thewater tank and the water troughs so often.

Sometimes limit of shade in the summer is aconcern and the existing shade trees are includ-ed in the original cell and I enlarge that originalparcel after a few days. When putting up the net-tings it is very important to have the sections putup as tight as possible by stretching it as muchas possible. Loose sections of fence are likely tobecome a death trap for sheep. They can hangthemselves that way. Also, I use a spike attachedto a string or rope on each corner post in orderto increase tension in the fence.

The source of energy is a decisive factor when itcomes to the reliability of the fence. I useGallagher energizers that are designed for sheepfencing. The standard energizer I have has 2.6Joules. Energizers that store less than that areoften not sufficient for 15 to 20 nettings or forhigh weed load on fewer nettings. The GallagherB260 is my long time favorite. It is handy and it ispowerful.

Of course, the energizer won't work to its capaci-ty when the grounding isn't deep enough or thesoil isn't moist enough. I use a marine battery topower the energizer. Marine batteries aredesigned to be run down entirely and then re-

charged again. In dry conditions I like to use abucket that leaks lightly at the bottom, fill it withwater and set it next to the ground rod. Thewater will slowly drench the soil around theground rod without running off.

It pays to have as many nettings as possible.More is better. I like to have about 20 to 25 rollsof netting that are less than 5 years old. I usuallyget about five years of reliable use out of the net-tings. Some producers claim their average use isabout ten years, but I find that nettings lose con-ductivity past 5 years of age. Including the oldernettings remaining from previous years I havemore than 35 rolls at any time. That is easiersaid than done since it is indeed a majorexpense for my farm.

I buy my nettings from my native Germany.These days one roll cost me about $105 includ-ing shipping. The shipping part is currently about$25. The price depends on the current exchangerate USD versus Euro. I used to be able to buythese nettings for less than $80, shipping includ-ed, when the dollar was worth more and most ofthe financial world laughed at the Euro. Yet, thecurrent price is still competitive to any domesticnetting with only single spiked posts.

Having a good number of electric nettings allowsme to style the pasture the way I want it to be,following natural borders such as the edge of afield, a tree line, a forest line, the property lineand so forth. When I used to have fewer nettingsdue to financial limits I had to subdivide morethan actually necessary, creating unnecessarylabor.

Despite the greater cost in comparison to twine, Ifind electric nettings the safer choice for sheep.Electric nettings are more effective when itcomes to keeping lambs, sheep, and guard dogsin and predators such as coyotes and blackbears out. The peace of mind that comes fromknowing your sheep are safe when you hear thecoyotes howling at night is priceless.

The Ulf Kintzel family's White Clover Sheep Farmis in Rushville, Yates County, NY. Ulf can bereached at (585) 554-3313, or ulf@whiteclover-sheepfarm.com. The farm web site is at:www.whitecloversheepfarm.com.

GRAZING

Electric Netting for Sheep

Resource SpotlightSAVE THE DATE! Northeast Grasstravaganza 2008

March 28th 29th, 2008 at the Holiday Inn in Binghamton, N.Y. Hosted by theCentral New York RC&D Project Inc.

Featured speakers include: Kathy Voth, Research Associate with Utah StateUniversity's BEHAVE Program and contributor to Stockman Grass Farmer;Nebraska beef farmer Kevin Fulton; Janet McNally, Minnesota sheep producerand columnist for GRAZE magazine; farmer, grazier and marketing expertDavid Smith; and Dan Barber, Chef and Owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill atStone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

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Electric netting makes a good interior fence to subdivide pastures for rotational grazing ofsheep. Photos by Ulf Kintzel

Netting comes in rolls 150 to164 feet longand 33 to 42 inches high.

Double spikes make it much easier to pushthe posts into hard ground.

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 11

by Susan Neal

The forestry industry has long been consid-ered the realm of men. But today, as naturalresource management becomes less aboutextraction and exploitation, and more aboutsustainability, women are quietly securing posi-tions for themselves in this once all-malearena. Many women choose traditional eco-nomic pursuits in forestry, such as small diam-eter logging, forestry consulting, and nut orChristmas tree production. But there are agrowing number who have turned to thosepractices known collectively as agroforestry.

Agroforestry is a wise land-use system thatincorporates diverse and integrative farmingand forestry practices in an ecologically sus-tainable and profitable manner. It is a systemthat combines the raising of traditional cropsand/or livestock with the production of treesand shrubs.

Proponents claim the benefits of agroforestryinclude habitat protection for wildlife, improvedstewardship of soil and water resources,preservation of natural resources for futuregenerations, and diversified income sources.As noted by Alice Beetz, NCAT AgricultureSpecialist and author of the ATTRA'sAgroforestry Overview publication, "Farmersadopt agroforestry practices for tworeasons...to increase their economic stabilityand...to improve the management of naturalresources under their care."

New York State has a growing community ofwomen involved in agroforestry practices.Many are drawn to the unique, niche productsthat can be produced alongside more tradition-al agricultural items. Maple syrup, honey, andspecialty furniture supplies have been commonproducts of the industry for years; but otherwomen are pursuing more exotic crops suchas mushrooms, forest botanicals and pharma-ceuticals, woody ornamentals for the cut flowertrade, and even the production of pine needlemulch. These products are finding small, butgrowing, consumer outlets.

For the last ten years, Debbie Polaski(Saugerties, NY) managed a specialty mush-room business. On her one and a half acreproperty, Aunt Debbie's Gourmet Mushroomsproduced Shitake and oyster mushrooms forrestaurants and farmer's markets in theHudson Valley. Just what led her down themushroom path?

Debbie says, "When my children were young, Ineeded a business I could operate from myhome. Growing specialty mushrooms fit thebill." The decision to give mushrooms a tryturned into a business that provided the bulk ofher family's income for nearly a decade.Debbie has since retired from the mushroomgrowing business and now manages severalfarmers' markets for organic producers in herarea.

Women cite a variety of reasons for theirinvolvement in agroforestry, particularly a longhistory of family involvement, a desire to learna new skill or profession, or the fact that manyforest products just seem to naturally comple-ment existing agricultural products alreadybeing produced.

Anni Davenport's interest in agroforestry beganwhen she was a child. In the mid-eighties, herfamily began producing maple syrup on theirsmall subsistence farm. Today Anni is a maplesyrup expert who Jim Ochterski, AgricultureAgent in Ontario County, says "defies the typi-cal image of a maple guy." After high school,

Anni pursued an education in natural resourcemanagement and forestry at SyracuseUniversity, and for a time she coordinated themaple syrup program at Pennsylvania StateUniversity.

Anni furthered her exposure in the field byauthoring papers on maple syrup productionfor both Penn State and a variety of industrypublications. In 1998 she bought the familyfarm and has been producing maple syrupever since. Her syrup and other sweet treatsare sold at her farm supply and feed store, TheFamily Farm Store in Spencer, NY.

When asked if she ever encounters any resist-ance to the fact that she is a female producer,she admits with good humor that syruping has"always sort of been an old boy's club," butthat she has met countless individuals whohave been very supportive of her efforts.Perhaps the most interesting trend she seestoday is the involvement of more and morewomen within the industry, partnering withspouses and other male producers. She feelsthis is a trend that will continue as morewomen pursue careers in agroforestry and nat-ural resource management.

Carol Clemens' introduction to farming beganwith an agroforestry pursuit...beekeeping. Shepurchased a property brimming with fruit treesand berry bushes in 1979 and understood rightfrom the beginning that "bees were the corner-stone of any agricultural enterprise." Today,Heather Ridge Farm (Preston Hollow, NY) pro-duces a multitude of farm products includinggrass-fed beef, pork, and poultry. But sheclaims that the heart of the farm is still thebees. Her honey has been voted Best Honeyin the Hudson Valley by Hudson ValleyMagazine, and she offers two varieties at herfarm store, along with beeswax soaps andcandles.

Carol admits that she is not certain why bee-keeping is considered by many to be an agro-forestry activity instead of a traditional farmingactivity, but she thinks it may be a historic andcultural reference to a time before chemicalfertilizers, when orchards depended almostentirely on bee pollination for their success.

While the specialty crops and agroforestrymethods practiced by women today vary great-ly, most female producers would agree that

they share a common goal...the desire to par-ticipate in a rewarding career that not only pro-vides a promising economic return, but alsoensures the health and sustainability of pre-cious natural resources.

These hard-working, savvy businesswomenare breaking new ground and quietly leadingagroforestry into the future. While they may notexactly be inciting a revolution, they are cer-tainly inspiring a revelation in forestry and sus-tainable agriculture.

Author Susan Neal farms and writes atWiccaway Farm in Beaver Dams, NY, and is acontact person for the NY Women inAgriculture Network. She can be reached at(607) 535-2135 or wiccawayfarm@aol.com.Anni Davenport of the Family Farm Store,Spencer, NY, can be reached at (607) 589-7866. Carol Clemens or Heather Ridge Farmsand Farm Store, Preston Hollow, NY, can bereached at (518) 239-6045.

WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE

Women in Agroforestry

Resource SpotlightAgroforestry Resources

Cornell Cooperative Extension's South Central New York Agriculture TeamWebsite. See the "Woodlots and Ponds" link atwww.scnyat.cce.cornell.edu/forestfarming/index.htm.This is an informative website about agroforestry, including information aboutmarketing forest products.

Agroforestry Research Center-Cornell Cooperative Extension of GreeneCounty. www.arc.cce.cornell.edu. Agroforestry education and research pro-gram in the Catskill Mountain / Hudson Valley area.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information ServiceNational Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/agroforestry.html, 1-800-346-9140. The Agroforestry Overview provides awealth of information on the subject, including definitions, marketing informa-tion, references, and resources.

The National Agroforestry Center (NAC), www.unl.edu/nac; (402) 437-5178.Educational resource providing free or low-cost publications and newsletterson agroforestry practices and products.

Working on Hives - Christine O'Dell and her bee-keeping mentor Carol Clemens.Photo by Heather Ridge Farms

Carol Clemens in Bee Attire Photo by Heather Ridge Farms

Carol Clemens in Bee Attire Photo by Gary Gold

Small Farm Quarterly

Youth Pages

BByy KKeerrrriiee WWaallkkeerr,, OOrrlleeaannss CCoouunnttyy 44--HH AAlluummnnii,, AAggee 2222

Born and raised on a small farm in Orleans County, I never imagined I would be sittingin Clemson, SC contemplating my future career in agricultural education. I look backnow and think of all the places I have gone thanks to the Orleans County CornellCooperative Extension and 4-H program. 4-H has led me on a path of great discover-ies and wonderful relationships.

I began my career in 4-H when I was only two years old. My mother was a leader andmy oldest brother was the first member of her club. When I turned eight years old, Iwas became a member myself. I remember the early days: sewing, cooking, and craftmaking. As I grew older, I became more involved in the volunteer aspect and the youthleadership program. The Orleans County 4-H Fairbecame a week long event that I could not miss a day of.I never showed any animals, but I was there. I tried tohelp with anything I could during the day and slept in mytent at night. I think about how my mom probably hatedsleeping in that tent, but she did it so I would not missa moment of the fair. Throughout my high school years, Ibecame more involved in the horticulture program in 4-H.I helped plant gardens, learned plant identification, par-ticipated in the horticulture contest at the county leveland even went on to the contest at the state level.

When it came time to choose a college and a careerpath for my life, I followed my 4-H horticulture "roots".As we all know, Upstate NY is not the best place forsomeone who wants to do year round horticulture, so Iheaded south. Clemson, SC became my new home, but Inever forgot where I came from. For two summers Ireturned home and worked as the Orleans CountyCornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Summer Assistant -assisting with fairs, events and state and county activ-ities. I loved every minute of it! Four years later Iobtained my Bachelors of Science degree in Horticulturefrom Clemson University.

Upon graduation, I had no idea what I wanted to do. So Iwent back to the drawing board. It was then that I real-ized just how much 4-H had shaped my life. I decidedthat I wanted to be able to do that for someone else.

This all brings me back to today... I am currently pursu-ing my Masters degree at Clemson University in

Agricultural Education. I have hopes of becoming a 4-H Educator here in SouthCarolina and giving back what so many have given to me. I will always remember andmiss the people and events of 4-H in Orleans County, but I thank each and every oneof them for bringing me to the place I am today. Oh the places I have been... and theplaces I will go!

For resources in horticulture and garden based learning, visit http://www.hort.cor-nell.edu/gbl/

For two summers Kerrie Walker was the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-HSummer Assistant.

The Youth Pages are written by and foryoung people. Many thanks to 4-H teensfrom New Orleans County who contributedto this issue.

We believe there’s a bright future for youngfarmers in the Northeast. Whether you liveon a farm or only wish you did...we’d love tohear from you!

Get your article published by sending it to:SFQ Youth Pages

c/0 Celeste Carmichael4-H Youth Development Program SpecialistCCE State 4-H Youth Development Office

340 Roberts Hall Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853607-255-4799 • cjc17@cornell.edu

Oh the Places You'll Go

Kerrie with some of her college friends.

Page 12 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

BByy BBrriiee OOllsseenn,, AAggee 1144,, HHeellppiinngg HHaannddss 44--HH CClluubb

Hi! My name is Brie Olsen and I live on a small farm in Orleans County. I have beenin 4-H for 7 years and it has played a very significant roll in my life.

At my home, preparing for fair is an important part of summer. It is a difficultbut enjoyable task. With each task I take on comes responsibility. For example, Imust teach each sheep I bring how to walk with me around the ring until they willwalk by my side without me even having to lay a finger on them. Another sheepresponsibility would be washing a sheep! Now you may think that it would bealmost like washing a dog! Ha! By the end of this oh so joyful experience the onlything you gain is wet pants and the smell of lanolin. This, however, is only one wayI participate in the fair. Each year I also try my best to grow a selection of flowers and vegetables toenter in the fair. Although, I do not have the greenest of thumbs, with a little luck(and help from my mom!) they usually turn out decently. Along with sheep show-ing and growing plants, this year I have taken on something extra. I have takenfour kids and I have taught them how to show sheep. Two of my "students" comestraight from a farm, but my other two have never experienced the farm life. Notonly was this interesting for me to teach, but it was also interesting to observe.One factor that really struck my interest was how each of them approached the

sheep. Just by standing there you could easily tell which ones came from thefarm. The two boys that came from the farm tackled the sheep and had themset in one try. On the other hand, the two that were not raised as farmersapproached them with great caution. Although their ways were very different,they were both affective and very amusing to watch! They have come a long wayfrom when they started, and now I can say that they are ready for anything thefair throws their way.

To me fair is an opportunity to show others what someone can do with hard workand determination. Kids who show at fair want to help others experience a newand exciting way of life, that anyone can have if they put their mind to it. Sonext time that you go to a county fair, please remember to stop and think aboutall the hard work that is put into all the animals and displays you may see.

For more information about the 4H Sheep program, visithttp://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/sheep/index.html

BByy TToomm SSmmiitthh,, AAggee 1177,, OOrrlleeaannss CCoouunnttyy BBeeeeff CClluubb && SSeenniioorr CCoouunncciill

When I first joined 4-H in Orleans County, I didn't have a show animal. The beef leader,Mr. Keppler, sponsored me an animal to show at the county fair. The next year I workedharder and brought 2 of my own. Then 4, then 5, 6, 8, 10, and now 13. Now I'm involvedin other animal areas and other shows as well.

Seven years ago, I sold my first 4-H steer after the county fair and invested themoney into a registered heifer. Through the study of EPD's and artificial insemination, Ihave greatly increased the quality of my cattle. I have now expanded my herd to 15 reg-istered animals.

Last year I showed my cattle at 14 shows, including the county fair, State fair, and theKeystone International Livestock Exposition. I received the honors of master showmanat the New York Junior Hereford Association Classic Show, the Grand Champion Bred &Owned female at the Coby Classic, and the Reserve Grand Champion IntermediateDivision Bull at the National Hereford Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I also showedswine, sheep, and entered horticulture exhibits at the county fair. I have received bothshowmanship and conformation honors in all areas, including master showman andbest of show and reserve best of show honors with my pigs last year. I have learned agreat deal from showing.

I was a member of the New York State Junior Livestock Judging Team last year andwas the high scoring member at the National Competition at the NAILE in Louisville,Kentucky. I also judged at Keystone, State Fair, and the NYJBPA Coby Classic BeefShow, where I won the judging competition.

As I enter my Senior Year at Brockport High School as the valedictorian of my class ofalmost 400 students, I can truly look back and say that all of these experiences haveinspired me. All of those late nights working with my animals, all of the public presenta-tions that I was never excited about, all of the time that I have put into sponsoring

other 4-H'ers my animals, and all of the times that I have answered the famous ques-tion, "Do brown cows really make chocolate milk?" have really paid off. I feel ready to fin-ish high school and to move on to the challenges of college. The skills I have gained havehelped me to finish that late night homework, prepare for that big test, and especially,to interact with other people and to effectively communicate my ideas.

For more information raising beef animals, visit www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/beef/index.html

2007 Orleans County 4-H Fair Master Swine Showman

Steer-ed RightOctober 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 13

County Fairs: Hard Work and Helping Others

by Celeste Carmichael

Even if you and your family are exposed todaily outdoor adventures on the farm, thereare benefits to a family camping trip. Be it inthe backyard or in a state campground,camping in the great outdoors does some-thing special to connect kids to nature andtheir families.

I am writing as my family is traveling back toreality from Lake Durant State Park in theBlue Mountain area of the Adirondacks.Three nights away from the hub-bub of nor-mal life was a treat, and while some mayprefer the Ritz Carleton, I prefer the wideopen spaces of nature. It may not alwaysbe full of stress free moments (like whentwo mice took up residence in our car...orwe were trying to set up a tent in the rain),but our family seems to like each other bet-ter when we have time to just "be" together.

And, as you might have experienced,"being" and playing together isn't as difficultwhile away from all of our favorite technolo-gy-vices (tv, computer, cell phone, games,etc). Most moments of our camping dayswere taken up with biking, hiking, swimming,frogging, listening to the loons, finding blue-berries or playing Yatzee (I am proud to bethe reigning family champion).

It turns out that there is a variety of researchthat confirms that being away from it all - inthe great outdoors is, indeed, a good familything to do as it enhances family communi-cation and cultures environmental aware-ness in young people. I thought that you,too, might appreciate knowing more aboutwhat the researchers are saying on thesetopics.

When children spend leisure time in theoutdoors, playing - they grow up torespect the environment.Nancy Wells, assistant professor of designand environmental analysis in the College ofHuman Ecology at Cornell, has studied thistopic, analyzing data from aU.S. Department ofAgriculture Forest Servicesurvey that explored child-hood nature experiences andadult environmentalism. "Our

study indicated that participating in (non-for-mal) wild nature activities before age 11 is aparticularly potent pathway toward shapingboth environmental attitudes and behaviorsin adulthood," said Wells, whose previousstudies have found that nature around ahome can help protect children against lifestress and boost children's cognitive func-tioning. "When children become trulyengaged with the natural world at a youngage, the experience is likely to stay withthem in a powerful way -- shaping their sub-sequent environmental path," she added.

Challenging outdoor recreation canimprove parent-adolescent communica-tion and thus strengthen families.There has also been some interesting workdone by Dr. John Kelly McCoy from theBrigham Young University College of Family,Home and Social Sciences. Dr. McCoy hasfound that challenging outdoorrecreation/camping can improve parent-ado-lescent communication and, as a result,strengthen families.

Dr. McCoy led a study that took twenty-threefamilies with an at-risk adolescent (a teenwith defiance issues, substance abuse, poorperformance in school, negative family andpeer relationships) out for a physically chal-lenging four-day outdoor camping experi-ence. In the end families indicatedincreased trust and support, increasedaffection and kindness towards one another,and increased communication.

The study suggests that working throughoutdoor challenges together gives bothyouth and adults a reason to talk - openingcommunication pathways, and builds trustand mutual respect.

Overall the study found, what you mightalready know - camping and adventurousoutdoor recreation provide families withopportunities that are different from theireveryday lives, making room for more andbetter communication to occur. These kindsof activities give families a reason to worktogether, a reason to talk and uninterruptedtime together as a family.

Personally, I find it very interesting to seewhat the researchers have to offer aboutparenting and family living, but I always findit worthwhile, too, to get a local reality checkby asking my kids for their opinion. Here is

what my daughter, Cara, age 9, has to sayabout the topic, "Camping is really cool. Ilove when my family goes camping. Wealways get silly, well - sometimes we getmad at each other about things; but then weend up laughing about it later."

Hope that you can get out and have somefun, family adventures this fall. I sure hopethat we can.

Celeste Carmichael is a State ProgramSpecialist with the NYS 4-H YouthDevelopment Program. She is also the

Youth Pages Editor for Small FarmQuarterly. If you have topics that you wouldlike to see appear in Raising Rural Kids orwould like to suggest an interview candidatefor this column, please contact, her atcjc17@cornell.edu or 607-227-2715.

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Photos by Celeste Carmichael

For more information on raising kids toappreciate the outdoors and each other.

Cornell Chronicle Online: "Camping, hikingand fishing in the wild as a child breedsrespect for environment in adults, studyfinds."www.news.cornell.edu/stories/March06/wild.nature.play.ssl.html.

Anasazi Foundation,www.anasazi.org/results.html. Dr. McCoy'sstudy The Influence of Challenging OutdoorRecreation on Parent-AdolescentCommunication can be found in full here.

by David Kline

I had a pleasant surprise the other week. Iopened the bee hive and discovered everyframe filled to the edges with clover andlocust blossom honey. Likewise, the broodchamber frames were overflowing with youngbees from eggs to sealed brood -- an indica-tion of an excellent queen along with plenty ofpollen and nectar. Amid all the bad news ondisappearing bees worldwide, I was hesitantto check the bees in fear of what I would find.With joy I gave the bees another super ofdrawn comb to fill with clover nectar.

Because of the early summer drought, wegrazed all of our second cutting hay and I hadsome time on my hands. So the followingweek I set up the archaic two-frame A. I. Roothoney extractor in the basement, fired up thecapping melter, and set out to steal the twosupers of honey from the bees. Stuffing thebee smoker with baler twine and lighting it, Icracked the hive lid and gave the bees a fewpuffs of sisal smoke. Waiting a few momentsfor the bees to move lower into the hive, Iremoved the cover and inner cover and to myamazement found the bees had already filledthe new super with 30 pounds of white cloverhoney. All in a week's time!

While I manage the honeybees to work for us,they still are not domesticated and remainwild animals. When the bees bring the nectarinto the hive it is too high in water content tobe honey. The bees then have to evaporatethe moisture from the nectar to turn it intohoney. This is done by a number of bees,maybe a hundred, fanning their wings at 250beats per second at the hive entrance, whichforces air up through the frames and the nec-tar becomes honey.

But honey is more than nectar alone. The nat-uralist John Burroughs wrote in Wake-robin in1895, "Most persons think the bee gets honeyfrom the flowers, but she does not: honey is aproduct of the bee; it is nectar of the flowerswith the bee added. What the bee gets fromthe flower is sweet water; this she putsthrough a process of her own and imparts to ither quality; she reduces the water and addsto it a minute drop of formic acid. It is thisdrop of herself that gives the delicious sting toher sweet. The bee is therefore the type of thepoet, the true artist. Her product alwaysreflects her environment, and it reflects some-thing her environment knows not of. We tastethe clover, the thyme, the linden, the sumac,and we also taste something that has itssource in none of these flowers.Once the honey is right, the hive bees capand seal it with wax."

Now instead of two supers, my daughter Annand I spun out three supers and eight gallonsof likely the finest honey I've seen in my 30-some years of keeping honeybees. I do knowthat I have never extracted fresher honey fromnectar to table in eight days. The nice part isthat we now have eight gallons of food thatwill never spoil using almost no fossil fuel,perhaps a pint of camping gas in the oldColeman camp stove to heat the water in thecapping melter. The Coleman I picked up freefrom the no-sale wagon following the springMt. Hope Machinery Auction. My wife will usethe beeswax from the cappings to makeChristmas candles for the family and the faintaroma of the bee and summer will linger allthe way through the holiday season.

I returned the three extracted supers to thehive giving what I hoped was ample space forhoney storage for the next six weeks, or untilthe fall honey flow. The fall honey from gold-enrod and aster tends to be dark and of astronger flavor. The bees don't mind eatingthat honey during the cold months. YesterdayJoseph the bee inspector stopped to checkthe colony for foulbrood, mites, hive beetles,or problems bees encounter. He reported thatthe bees are in excellent condition. He addedthat the top super is already filled with newhoney and that the queen is doing her job toowell and has moved into the other two honeysupers and is filling them with brood.

That means I have to smoke her down intothe brood chambers and place a queenexcluder between her and the honey supers.The bees would eventually force her down

and fill the frames, after the brood hashatched, with fall honey. I don't want to waitfor that and miss all the white clover honey.The good queen in the hive, along with sever-al frames of sealed brood and honey, wasbrought to me by Joseph a year ago when heinspected our colony and found them queen-less. The bees had swarmed and apparentlysomething happened to the young queen. Acolony of bees without a queen is doomed.

For $75 Joseph rescued our colony. A bar-gain. He told me the other day that the queenwas from a wild swarm. For many centuriesbeekeepers thought the queen was king ofthe colony. It wasn't until the 1600s that it wasdiscovered the king had ovaries and is themother of all the bees. So thanks to the queenand her court, we have honey and, becauseof their pollination efforts, Macintosh applesauce for the winter months.

Few things can compare with a piece of freshwheat bread still warm from the oven spreadwith butter and covered with white cloverhoney dripping off the sides. What I then liketo add is a slice of sun-ripened tomato zaftigwith the goodness of summer, a touch of salt,and I've got a feast that the upscale New YorkCity eateries have a tough time to match.

David Kline farms and writes inFredericksburg, Ohio. He is the author of twobooks, Great Possessions and Scratching theWoodchuck. He is also the editor of FarmingMagazine (www.farmingmagazine.net) whichis available for $18 per year from FarmingMagazine, PO Box 85, Mt. Hope, OH 44660.

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by Marty Broccoli & Juanita Finn

The Central New York harvestseason is not very well timedto market produce to schools.Enter butternut squash -abundant, fresh untilFebruary, and pureed foryear-round use. But, howmuch squash is served inschools?

Intrigued by value-addedoptions, in June 2004,Upstate New York Growers &Packers (UNYG&P), an 18-member cooperative, beganto develop a frozen cookie forschool markets using mem-bers' squash, apple andhoney ingredients.

The experience has been anexciting and mostly positivelearning curve, and the Coophas translated the experienceinto marketing other value-added products. But evenafter four years, developing aquality, nutritious product thattastes good; keeping produc-tion costs low enough to meetschool pricing; and marketingare ongoing cookie chal-lenges. How do we keep thisventure a success?

BE OPEN TO CREATIVEIDEASIf you have excess product,find a delicious way to convertit into value-added, especiallyif it helps extend your market-ing season. If you have a deli-cious family recipe, find a wayto produce it in volume.

CONSUMER RESPONSE =OPPORTUNITYTurns out people tend to thinkof cookies as flat and chewy,not mounded and moist, likeUNYG&P's taste-test product.One school district decided itwas a breakfast item, compa-rable to popular "muffin tops".One welcomed a 2 1/4 oz.cookie as a grain option.Another test district designat-ed a 1 1/4 oz. version a fruitoption. The five school sys-tems that offered the warmestreception, served 7,000 cook-ies in December 2004.

BE PREPARED FORREJECTIONAnticipate as many differentresponses as there are cus-tomers, including outrightrefusal of some buyers towork with you. Embrace criti-cism as an opportunity toknow how to satisfy cus-tomers. Two districts werevery negative about the con-cept and cookie.

While UNYG&P can meet thedemand for custom-cookies,nothing can make cookiestaste better if they're not pre-pared according to directions.Accept the fact that even withgood directions, preparationmay be out of your control. Beaware of the potential for

buyer/partner conflicts ofinterest that may preventyour productfrom beingaccepted.

WORK WITHQUALITY PART-NERSResearch potentialproduction facilitiesand talk to their pres-ent clients to find outhow satisfied they are.Find people at New YorkState Department ofAgriculture and Marketsand within retailers, institu-tions and other potentialbuyer organizations whocan provide advice and opendoors. Talk to other producerswho are marketing to yourpotential buyers about theirexperiences.

IT TAKES TIME When test marketing, and ifyou have to handle your ownsales, be prepared to spendtime promoting. The UNYG&PPresident served cookies at atrade show in California thatdeveloped interest and leads.It also takes time to build acustomer base.Understanding your customerbase is necessary to planwisely. Negotiations begun in2005 to market cookies toNew York City schools are stillin progress. Professional pro-duction and marketing con-sultants may be well worththeir fees. Research andapply for any grant funds thatmay be available to help payfor industry-specific consult-ants to help advance yourbusiness plan and products.

LOGISTICS AND TIMINGARE CRITICALDemand, timing, delivery,price and quantity logisticsrequire a lot of attention andusually an immediateresponse. Producers have tobe able to determineeconomies of scale and thesecurity of their customerbase before investing in theirown sophisticated productionequipment. Resolving the"Catch 22" issue of havinglarge clients interested, butnot being able to supplyenough product when andwhere the client needs it, at aprice the client wants to pay,is a huge issue.

Timing is critical, especiallymarketing to school districts,where sales may need to bemade when you need to be inthe fields. A dedicated mar-keting person is crucial forsuccess.

SUCCESS HAS IMPLICA-TIONS FOR PRODUCERSUNYG&P's largest regularcustomer is a school districtthat buys 8,000 cookies amonth. While recipe and dis-tribution rights belong toUNYG&P, producer-members

who are paid for ingredientsat wholesale prices havebeen most active in theCoop's value-added projects.Profits go into Coop reserves.MORE FARM-TO-SCHOOLPROMOTION IS NEEDED TO

HELP OPEN SCHOOLDOORSResearch and understandschool and institution buying

practices andlimitations. Doeverything youcan to pro-mote "buylocal" to yourlocal schooldistricts,and gener-al con-sumers,who, asthe par-entsandrela-tivesof

school children, can becomevaluable advocates for fresh,nutritious, safe food in ourschools.

Marty Broccoli and JuanitaFinn work with the AgricultureEconomic DevelopmentProgram of CornellCooperative ExtensionOneida County. For more

information contact MartyBroccoli at CCE Oneida atmjb83@cornell.edu or 315-736-3394 ext 121.

Page 16 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

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Resource SpotlightFrom Restaurant to Retail: A Handbookfor Food and Hospitality Professionals

This handbook offers advice to farmers on transforming aspecialty food item into a branded retail product. Farmershave the unique advantage of providing the main raw ingre-dient featured in a specialty product, providing an immedi-ate market niche. As consumers seek more local foods,farmers can fulfill this growing demand by creating a pack-aged product that can be sold at their farmer's market orelsewhere. This practical guide includes twenty step-by-step exercises and dozens of quotes from experienced pro-fessionals who have brought products to market. AuthorBarbara Lang, former restaurateur and Cornell UniversityHotel School lecturer for eighteen years, received her mas-ter's of professional studies degree at Cornell in food mar-keting.

For more Information, visit www.restauranttoretail.com orcontact Barbara Lang at barbara@restauranttoretail.comRTR Ideas (607) 255-6421 P.O. Box 803, Dryden, NY13053.

by Roger C. Thomas

I'd like you to meet Dan and Karen Dove,owners of DoveTales Farm, who along withtheir son Mark, 12 and daughter Carly, 11,own and operate a 155 cow dairy farm nearTruxton, NY in Cortland County. Owning andoperating a dairy farm was something thatthey had always wanted. With a lot of hardwork on their part and some assistance fromthe Farm Service Agency's loan programs,this lifetime dream has become a reality.

A FAMILY AFFAIRDan and Karen first contacted me at theCortland FSA Office in February 1996. At that

time they were both working on a large dairyoperation in Ontario Co. They owned 55 cowsand 50 head of youngstock along with a trac-tor and feed cart. Their animals were housedon the farm where they worked. They enjoyedtheir jobs, but felt that it was time to find aplace of their own. As Dan told me recently,"We did this for the kids. We wanted to raiseour kids on a farm and not at the local daycare facility". As it turned out, at milking timethe parlor at their new farm became the daycare facility, complete with playpen and babyswing.

Karen has a Master of Science degree inAnimal Science with a concentration in repro-ductive physiology and had worked on severallarge dairies in Ohio and New York. Dan wasborn and raised on a family dairy farm inSeneca Falls, NY and was a partner on hisfamily's 160-cow dairy. He was also the dairymanager of a 300-cow operation in OntarioCo. prior to the purchase of their present farm.Together, their education and past work expe-riences gave them the right background tobecome dairy farmers on their own.

Even though the Dove's cattle and equipmentwere debt free and they had saved up a con-siderable down payment, they were unable toobtain financing from the commercial lendersthat they had contacted because they lackedthe 25% down payment required by mostbanks to purchase real estate. One of thesecommercial lenders, NBT Bank, suggested tothe Doves that they contact FSA regarding theBeginning Farmer Down Payment FarmOwnership Program.

The Doves received their first assistance fromFSA in 1996 with three loans: a direct annualoperating loan for start-up expenses andannual operating expenses; a direct operatingterm loan for the purchase of additional cowsand equipment; and the direct BeginningFarmer Down Payment Farm Ownership loanto purchase the 340 acre farm. The balance of

the funds needed for the farm purchase wasprovided by a loan from NBT Bank.

BUMPS ALONG THE WAYAs with most farms, not everything wentaccording to plan. A delayed real estate clos-ing resulted in delayed planting and lowerthan expected crop yields in 1996. FSAhelped out with a subsequent operating loanin 1997 to purchase forages needed to getthem through until the new crops could beharvested. In 1998, the Doves implementedan intensive grazing program. In 1999,drought caused reduced pasture yields to apoint where pastures had to be irrigated bypumping water from the nearby river to keepthem from burning up.

Then in 2000, excessive rains caused floodingof the pastures from the same nearby river.The flooding of the fields reduced yields andcows had to be kept out of the pastures andfed inside until the water receded and thelaneways could be improved. Things went fair-ly smoothly until June 2006, when floodingresulted in reduced corn silage yields.

STEADY PROGRESSThe Doves began with a low investment inmachinery, owning only two tractors, a skid-steer loader, mixer wagon, bedding chopper,and a manure spreader. For the first fewyears, they had their crops custom plantedand harvested. Their expertise was in the careof the cows and they felt that this is wheretheir time and energy could be best utilized.

Over time they purchased additional equip-ment and took over more of the croppingoperation. They continue to hire the cornplanted and harvested, but they now do somecustom large square baling for other farmersin the area.

They've also made many improvements totheir farm over the years. Concrete walls wereadded to the original bunk silo. In 2000, a fourbay commodity shed was constructed. In2006, they built a 40' X 96' hay and machin-ery storage barn. Future plans call for a shopto be added to the end of this building, as wellas a calf and heifer barn.

Karen and Dan are above average operatorsand excellent managers of cows, time, and

money. They put in long hours on the farmwhile raising two small children, but feel thattheir efforts are paying off. Despite her verybusy farm schedule, Karen also served on theCortland Co. FSA Committee for two years asthe minority advisor.

Their children, Mark and Carly, are active par-ticipants in the operation and their dutiesinclude calf feeding, bedding cows, mowingthe paddocks with a lawn mower, and movingthe cows around in the 100 acres of managedpasture. They also belong to the local 4-Hclub and play sports.

In the beginning of this adventure, Dan andKaren were unable to take much time off.However, they now try to take part of theirweekends off and spend time with family andfriends. Karen has three Haflinger horses thatshe enjoys hitching up to the wagon and tour-ing around the farm. Carly recently acquiredan Appaloosa horse to ride.

ADVICE FOR OTHERBEGINNING FARMERSI recently asked Dan and Karen if they hadany advice to give other beginning farmers."Make sure that at least one of you is a goodcow person," Dan said. He credits their suc-cess to Karen's "cow knowledge" and Karenis quick to add that Dan's ability to fix andrepair equipment has been key to their suc-cess. They both agree that it is their teamworkthat keeps things running smoothly on a dailybasis.

They also advise beginning farmers to "find agood neighborhood with lots of other farms."They said the local farming community was abig help when they moved into the area andthey continue to help each other. They alsosuggest beginners should "manage the risksthat you can control, and get all of the helpyou can get from other USDA and SWCDagencies". They'll be the first to tell you thatthey have benefited from many governmentalagencies working together to meet a commongoal, "improving the quality of life on theirfamily farm."

In their first decade of farming on their own,and with FSA assistance, Karen and DanDove have purchased a productive farm,increased cow numbers from 55 to 155,raised adequate numbers of youngstock, andare well on their way to becoming successfulfarm owners and operators. In 2003, Dan andKaren became graduates of the FSA directoperating loan program and in 2005 theymade their last payment on the beginningfarmer down payment loan.

The Doves are exactly the type of borrowerthat can benefit the most from the FarmService Agency's loan programs. They cameto FSA with a well thought out plan and with afew minor changes along the way, their planhas worked. They were the first beginningfarmers that I was able to help with the FSABeginning Farmer Down Payment FarmOwnership program and they have been rolemodels for others to follow. Dan and Karenhave been a pleasure to work with and I missmy visits out to their farm.

Roger Thomas is a Farm Loan Officer withUSDA's Farm Service Agency located inCortland, NY. He can be reached at (607)753-0851 or roger.thomas@ny.usda.gov.

NEW FARMERS

DoveTales FarmDan and Karen Dove made good use of the FSA BeginningFarmer Down Payment Farm Ownership Loan Program to starttheir own dairy farm.

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 17

The Dove Family, (left to right), Jake, Mark,Dan, Karen, Carly

Dan and Karen Dove with Jake the dog andlarge square baler, Dan's pride and joy!

Machinery and hay storage buildingAll photos by Roger Thomas

Commodity Shed

Farm sign, "DoveTales"

Rotational pasture

Carly with Red, her Appaloosa horse

The Dove Homestead

Pasture shades for heifers

Resource SpotlightFSA's Beginning FarmerDown Payment Program

The Beginning Farmer Down PaymentFarm Ownership Loan Program was apart of the 1992 Ag Credit Act and pro-vides funds for beginning farmers tobecome owner-operators of family-sizefarms. To be eligible for this program onemust meet the definition of a beginningfarmer, basically someone who hasfarmed less than 10 years and owns lessthan 30% of the average farm acreage fortheir county. The purpose of this programis to provide a portion of the funding forthe purchase of farm real estate.

This program initially began providing30% of the purchase price or appraisedvalue, whichever is lower, with a 10 yearterm. It was later changed to the presentprogram of providing 40% of the purchaseprice or appraised value, whichever islower, with a 15 year term. A shorter termcan be requested by the applicant. Theinterest rate has remained at 4%. As withany loan program there are a few limita-tions:

1. The "down payment" portion of the pro-gram is the 10% of the purchase pricethat is supplied by the applicant. This canbe in the form of a gift or cash.

2. The purchase price or appraised value,whichever is less, cannot exceed$250,000.

3. Financing provided by FSA and othercredit cannot exceed 90 percent of thepurchase price or appraised value,whichever is lower.

4. The other financing for the balance ofthe purchase price must be amortized forat least 30 years and no balloon paymentin the first 15 years.

The remaining balance of the purchaseprice or appraised value, whichever islower, not to exceed 50%, can come fromanother lender or an individual and maybe guaranteed by FSA.

The use of this program allows FSA tospread out its limited farm ownershipfunding over more farms and allows FSAto assist more beginning farmers. AlsoFSA can take a junior lien on the realestate being purchased to allow the otherlender to have a first lien and reduce theirrisk thus encouraging participation in theprogram.

If you would like more information aboutFSA's Beginning Farmer Down PaymentFarm Ownership Loan Program or any ofour other programs, please contact yourlocal FSA office.

by Bill Henning

Ann Wells is a veterinarian who runsSpringpond Holistic Animal Health in PrairieGrove, Arkansas. "I work to put myself out ofbusiness," she says, but that will probablynever happen.

Folks in New York recently got to know Annbetter through pasture walks with her on twodairy farms and two beef farms. Those of uswho got to participate became familiar with arefreshing approach to animal well being -enabling the animal to do the best it can tocope with disease. Ann is staunch advocate forpasturing as a means to naturally enhance ananimal's immune capabilities, primarily throughstress reduction.

To help farmers better understand how toreduce stress, Ann developed a scoring sys-tem which lists a number of common stressors(see sidebar.) A positive score on an itemmeans the animal is not stressed, while nega-tive scores indicate stress. The more positiveyour number is the better the animal can copewith disease.

Ann doesn't expect that people will score theiranimals all the time, but the system does pro-vide a learning tool, or review, for those seek-ing to take advantage of an animal's naturalabilities to reproduce and produce.

Come to think of it, we might even apply theprinciples to ourselves. Pastures really are,well - pastoral, bucolic, and stress reducing.

Author info: Bill Henning and his wife Kathleenoperate a grass-based beef and sheep farm inthe Finger Lakes region of New York. He isalso the Small Farms Specialist with PRO-DAIRY/CCE-NYNY Dairy, Livestock, and FieldCrops Team.

GRAZING

Helping Your Animals Copewith DiseaseAlthough good grazing management can minimize the stresson your livestock, it's still important to monitor the stressfactors that might be affecting them.

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Page 18 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

Resource SpotlightFundamentals of Beef Management

This 148 page guide was developed by the University of California specificallyfor small-scale operations, and includes a wealth of information for readers get-ting started in the beef cattle business. Chapters discuss:* Beef breeds - to help you select breed characteristics that best match yourenvironment, economic situation, and production goals* Equipment for handling cattle and corrals* Fencing needs - including descriptions of basic designs and constructionmaterials* Truck and trailer design considerations, tips for safe transportation, informa-tion on shrinkage, and legal requirements associated with transporting cattle* Health and management of your livestock, including dehorning and castra-tion, cattle identification, general animal health, identification and treatment ofinternal and external parasites, and reproduction* Range and irrigated pasture management* Animal nutrition and feeds that meet nutritional requirements of various class-es of cattle* Calving * Carcass traits and how they affect the value of the beef you produce* Record keeping, marketing, and economics, key aspects of a successful beefcattle operation* Regulations relating to land use and zoning ordinances, waste disposal, live-stock identification, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act

Four appendixes, a glossary and index, round out the manual and also providemore specialized information that will help keep you abreast of trends andchanges in the industry. For information about ordering this publication, contactUniversity of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources CommunicationsServices at 1-800-994-8849. Cost is $18.00.

LIVESTOCK STRESSSCORESHEETScore each animal for every item. Add thenumbers for that animal at the bottom.

Nutritional Status____Very good = 3, Good = 2, Adequate =1, Poor = -1, Very poor = -3

Weather Extremes____ No weather extremes = 0, Hot &humid = -2, Extreme cold = -2, Cold & wet= -3

Genetic Predisposition____ Flighty = -1, Calm 0

Chronic Disease____ Present -1 Not present = 0

Antibiotics____ Given within last 2 weeks = -1, Nonegiven = 0

Parasites____ No signs = 1, Mild parasitism = -1Severe parasitism = -2

Social Behavior____ New animals in herd = -1, Closedherd = 0

Weaning____ Conventional weaning = -1, Pastureweaning = 0

Handling____ Rough handling = -2 Normal = 0,Low-stress handling = 1

TOTAL ____

Pasture walk participants on their way to stress reduction.

by Fay Benson

The Randles family of Argyle is goingthrough a common but risky process on theirNew York dairy farm. They are adapting theirfarming business to serve new direct-market-ing outlets opening up for dairy products.They have decided that by investing in afarmstead cheese plant, their family dairy willbe able to supply an expanding market forlocally made artisanal cheeses. The Randlesunderstand that having a healthy dairy farmbusiness in New York means change isinevitable, and planning for that change iscritical. Without planning, the time and capitalspent can seriously harm the existing busi-ness.

RANDLES FAIRVIEW FARMMy sister Marge is part owner of the 50-cow,Randles Fairview Farm located in ArgyleN.Y., 45 miles north of Albany, along with herhusband Dave, his brother Will and Will'swife Stephanie. Their story is typical of NewYork dairies. Dave and Will are fourth gener-ation farmers who took over the farm fromtheir father in the '70s and '80s. Their farmsystem was well-designed and well-run. Itsupported the brothers' families and paid forthe transfer process when their father passeddown the farm. But over time the two couplesbegan to notice the erosion of their incomedue to higher costs of production and stag-nant milk prices.

The farm paid the bills and provided a mod-est draw to each family. But they foresaw adilemma when it came time to pass the oper-ation on to the next generation. To do that,the business not only has to pay its bills andpay the managers. It also has to purchasethe equity from the current owners.

The Randles had always kept good produc-tion and financial records. These recordsgave them an accurate picture of what finan-cial resources they had, and served as thefirst piece of their business plan. They real-ized that continuing to supply the fluid milkmarket was unlikely to reverse their shrinkingprofits. They began to address part II of theirnew draft business plan: "Identify the prob-lem and brainstorm solutions".

Working with the cows and the soils on theirfarm is something both brothers enjoy, soboth agreed that staying in the dairy busi-ness was their first choice. The brothersweren't interested in becoming employeemanagers which is what would be required ifthey chose to expand the size of their herd.

They considered producing certified organicmilk to increase income. But there were veryfew other farms in their area that had madethe transition, and the obstacles they identi-fied were too risky for them.

LIGHTING A FIREIn the end, it was the thought of turning theircows' milk into cheese that lit a fire underthem. Marge stresses how important thiswas. "Most of the ideas we had in our brain-storming would have helped solve our prob-lem, but if we weren't excited about the proj-ect, we probably wouldn't have perseveredthrough the barriers and obstacles that wehave encountered over the past three years."

Once the Randles identified farmsteadcheese production as their goal, they starteddoing their homework - reading, asking ques-tions, and attending meetings on the cheese-making process. They contacted food sci-ence experts at Cornell CooperativeExtension to help answer their questions andidentify resources. The New York Department

of Agriculture and Markets' staff providedinformation about facilities and identified theprocessing equipment they would need tocomply with the detailed inspection processthat oversees cheese production in NewYork.

The Randles also hired a well-known cheeseproduction expert, Peter Dixon, to come totheir farm to help them visualize their project,identify marketing avenues for their finishedproduct, and make numerous batches ofcheese in their kitchen.

One advantage the Randles have had duringthe process is a business planner on staff.Marge is a Certified Financial Planner. Herwell-crafted business plans have helped thefamily look for risks in their new businessventure, as well as garner grants. They arecurrently making use of grants totaling$22,000 from the USDA SustainableAgricultural Research and Education (SARE)program and the New York Farm ViabilityInstitute (NYFVI). The grants help but thefamilies still had to fund the remainder of theestimated $100,000 start up costs.

PLANNING A SYSTEM VS. PLANNING ABUSINESS The Randles quickly realized that their plan-ning for "Argyle Cheese Factory" provedmore complicated and wider in scope thanwriting a traditional business plan. The rou-tine questions addressed in their businessplan included: What is the capital invested?What is the cost of production? What is themarketing plan? What is the income neededto pay off loans, labor cost, production cost? Tackling these questions was important, butMarge said that in planning a farmsteadcheese business each component of theplan impacted other areas of the business.For example, choosing the products thatwere to be sold was important to marketingbut also determined equipment needs, build-ing space, energy requirements, and produc-tion time.

-After visiting other farmstead operationsMarge coined the phrase "Planning so thatyou hit a wall rather than a ceiling". Shemeans figuratively hitting a wall is fairly easyto rectify, because walls can be moved out-ward. Hitting a ceiling requires seriouschanges to the structure. She shared thestory of a visit to a farmstead cheese opera-tion in another state where the couple had"Hit the Ceiling". They started making yogurtwith a 100 gallon vat pasteurizer which couldproduce 400 quarts of yogurt per batch.Their product was well received and within 8months they had orders for 1,500-2000quarts per week. Their dilemma was thatthey needed to run batches 5 days out of theweek and they were limited on time to do thebatches and the filling of the containers. Theywere also limited in space available to "age"the yogurt. The couple needed the sales they

had to repay their existing loans and to get afamily draw. Their system would have beengood had they sized their pasteurizer overtheir original plan, which would have requireda larger heat or BTU source, and more build-ing space.

HURDLES AND BARRIERSGeneral Napoleon said about battle plans;"Very few survive the first engagement," butthey are still important for re-planning. Thishas been the Randles's experience with theiroriginal business plan. As their planningmoved forward there were many changesthat had to be refigured into the plan so thatthe end result was still what they had envi-sioned. Here is a sample of some of theirhurdles:

* Their original plan was to cooperate with aneighboring dairy farm to operate the cheeseplant. After the first year of planning theneighbor realized that the cheese operationwasn't in their best interest and opted out, sothe Randles had to refigure amounts of milk,capital availability and the location of theplant.* When the Randles were offered a free boil-er for their plant it seemed like they couldn'tgo wrong. They designed the cheese plantfor the free boiler. Marge and Dave's sonAndrew explained how to calculate the BTUsrequired for the amount of milk they plannedon processing and comparing that to theBTUs that the boiler required in LP gas. Thiscalculation showed that the boiler was toobig and that it would be cheaper for them topurchase a new smaller boiler for their plant.

This was a problem since the plumbing hadalready been installed in the plant.* The original plan was to have product forsale by June 1st, with all the changes to theoriginal plan the new date for product sale isthis September and they have decided thattheir fist product will be yogurt instead ofcheese. This is because yogurt can be readyfor sale quickest because the production timeis days rather than months as it is withcheese.

THE PLAN IN ACTIONWhen the Randles open their business, theywill have the capacity to produce 900 poundsof cheese each week. Eventually, theRandles plan to make yogurt and severaltypes of cheeses -- including queso fresco,cheshire and derby.

Their marketing plan targets farmers mar-kets, local farm stands, and specialty foodstores. The Randles plan to capitalize in onthe ever-growing "buy local" trend by havingan on farm store. They have installed largewindows on either side of the steel buildingthat will house their cheese plant so con-sumers can see where their food comesfrom.

The change to their farm hasn't been easyfor the Randles. The fire that was lit underthem three years ago still burns strong, evenwith the countless hours spent on educatingthemselves, the unexpected changes anddelays and the thousands of dollars in capitolinvolved in establishing the cheese plant. Thewritten business plan was a constantreminder of their vision of the future for theirfamily farm.

If you don't have a financial business plannerin your family, Cornell Cooperative Extensionand NY FarmNet have farm business spe-cialists who can help you plan how to dealwith the profit squeeze. Planning a changecan be a lot of fun because everyone candream of what they would like to see in thefuture. And honest planning helps ensurethat your dreams don't turn into nightmares.

Fay Benson is a Small Farm Educator withCortland County CCE. He may be reached at607-753-5213 or afb3@cornell.edu.

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 19

COWS AND CROPS

Planning a Farmstead CheeseOperation

Label for Argyle Cheese Factory

Resource SpotlightFarmstead Cheese Resources

Start up information for small scale dairy processing:The Dairy Practices Council 51 E. Front St. Suite 2 Keyport, NJ 07735Phone/Fax: (732) 203-1947 E-mail: dairypc@dairypc.org

Cornell Small Farms Program, Dairy resources www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/resources/production/dairy.cfm

New York Artisans and Farmstead Cheese Makers Guildwww.nyfarmcheese.org/cheesemakers.asp?id=3

Farmnet for business planning assistance to NYS farmers: 1800 547-FARMWeb page www.nyfarmnet.org.

Plan carefully for any major business change

To minimizing risk when planning for change, farm families should:* Inventory your farm's existing resources, These include:o Extra labor and management timeo Buildings, land, and geographic locationo Capitol and credit* Determine what's wrong with the current system.* Brainstorm solutions to the problem.* Choose solutions that match the family's capabilities and desires.* Assess the side effects or risks changes may bring.* Set up methods of measuring progress toward the solution.* Seek perspective from an outside specialist

In the Summer issue of Small FarmQuarterly we featured an article on JakeFairbairn's covered bedded pack barn inArkville, NY, a project which was fundedin part through a USDA ConservationInnovation Grant. We're pleased to reportthat this project recently received highesthonors at the Conservation InnovationGrant Showcase which was held at theNational Conference of the Soil andWater Conservation Society of NorthAmerica.

John Thurgood of Cornell CooperativeExtension of Delaware County and BrianLaTourette of the Watershed AgriculturalCouncil received the award for theirposter titled "Conservation and ProducerBenefits of a Bedded Pack ManagementSystem" which explained the bedded-pack system that was implemented lastfall on Jake Fairbairn's farm, Lazy CrazyAcres.

The intent of the Conservation InnovationGrant is to explore non-traditional solu-tions to solve environmental concerns onthe farm. The bedded pack managementsystem consists of a steel framed fabriccovered structure with ten foot high side-walls. The barn houses the cows late fall,winter and early spring and allows thecows to loaf on a soft bed of straw. Newbedding is added every other day tokeep the floor clean and comfortable forthe cows. All of the manure is stored in

the bedding material until the summerwhen the material can be either spreadon fields or composted. Jean Bonhotal,compost specialist of Cornell Universityhas visited the site and says the beddedpack is well suited for composting.

Thurgood said, "This practice showsgreat promise for providing an economi-cal way to store manure. The system notonly provides for manure storage, it alsoprovides for animal housing and can

make daily chores much less time con-suming and physically demanding."Thurgood says "Receiving the award wasonly possible because of our outstandingWatershed Agricultural Program team,innovative leadership of the WatershedAgricultural Council and a farmer thatwas willing to take the risk of having thesystem built on his farm." LaTouretteadded, "When we left for the conference

we had no idea we would be shaking thehand of the national chief of the USDANatural Resources Conservation Service[Arlen Lancaster], it was quite an honor."

Dan Flaherty, whole farm planner for theWatershed Agricultural Council is a cre-ative thinker and discovered the beddedpack barn system in northern Vermont.Mr. Flaherty, farmer Jake Fairbairn andother program staff visited Vermont a

couple of times and were impressed withthe system. Flaherty stated, "Jake wasn'tsold on the bedded pack idea at first, butafter a while warmed up to the concept.The system can be managed with theequipment that small dairy farms have,the cows like it, and the bedding doesn'tsmell all that bad when it is emptied fromthe barn."

The system was implemented with fund-ing from the Natural ResourcesConservation Service's, ConservationGrant Program and The WatershedAgricultural Council. The overall projectmanager was Challey Comer of theWAC. The structure designed by WACengineers Mike Sinniger and PaulaChristman. Christman related, "The barnsidewalls and posts are constructed ofuntreated hemlock and locust, sinceJake said he may want to produce milkorganically in the future and treated lum-ber is frowned upon by organic certifiers.A local forester supplied the lumber."

The cows spent last winter and earlyspring in the barn this year and did verywell in the new system. Fairbairn said,"My cows are in better condition and myyearlings have done better than ever...they really look great. The cows werehappier and so was I."

The bedded pack system is now beingstudied by Mariane Kiraly, educator forCornell Cooperative Extension inDelaware County, who will be research-ing how the system affects farm profitsand labor. Kiraly stated, "If the systempans economically we may see a lotmore bedded pack barns in the future."

STEWARDSHIP AND NATURE

Covered Bedded Pack BarnProject Receives NationalAward

Page 20 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

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Resource SpotlightNew Alternative Swine Production Health Reference

In recent years there has been dramatic growth of specialty markets for meatsproduced on farms that satisfy new sets of consumer preferences. These pro-duction systems bring special opportunities and also unique challenges. A newguidebook, Managing for Herd Health in Alternative Swine Systems, draws onthe knowledge of veterinarians and experienced producers who are successful-ly working in alternative production systems.

"Alternative swine systems" often differ from a typical, "conventional" operationboth in the inputs they use and in the way pigs integrate with the overall farm.There is likely to be tighter integration, with crops providing bedding and in turnrelying on swine manure returned to the field. Swine pasture may rotate withother crops. Alternative swine systems are often tied to specific premium mar-kets that determine some of their production practices. Typically this includesthe avoidance of antibiotics. It may also include practices to assure animalcomfort and restrictions on synthetic wormers.

Managing for Herd Health represents a three-year effort by swine producers,field veterinarians, ISU scientists, and the nonprofit organization PracticalFarmers of Iowa (PFI, www.practicalfarmers.org). Real-world examples andproducer profiles are spread throughout, as are "words of wisdom" from experi-enced hog farmers.

Copies are available without charge from Practical Farmers of Iowa. Contactthe PFI/ ISU Extension Farming Systems Coordinator Rick Exner, 515-294-5486, dnexner@iastate.edu. The 50-page guide is also available atwww.pfi.iastate.edu/pigs.htm, where you can download updated versions ofguide chapters and also leave your comments and suggestions for future revi-sions.

by Bernadette Logozar

I can hear the chant in my head, it's all aboutmarketing, marketing, marketing. This seemsto be the one area where farmers-whetherthey are trying to sell cheese, yogurt, vegeta-bles, flowers, meat products or value-addedagriculture products-will say they have thebiggest learning curve. Growing, raising, andmaking the product generally is NOT thechallenge for experienced farmers, but mar-keting what they grow, raise and make IS achallenge.

There are folks who spend their whole livesfocusing on marketing other peoples stuff. Sohow does someone who is busy trying togrow, raise or make the product get an edgein this fast-paced, savvy world we have?Well, agricultural products have a few thingsgoing that other products don't have and bybanking on these features you, the farmercan reap the benefits-in this case it is sales.That said let's dig in.

THE BASICS -- SIGNAGECheryl Gnade-McGrattan from NYSDepartment of Ag & Markets states youshould have "Signs, Signs, everywhere!"Announce what you have ready or coming inso that travelers know what to expect whenthey stop by. If you have some road frontagehave several signs posted along the way totantalize potential customers as they getcloser to your location.

Be sure to let folks know well in advance thatyou're open for business. Although some saya little goes a long way, bigger is definitelybetter when trying to pull traffic from a mainroad to your farm stand.

Signs should be placed at a suitable distancefrom the stand so that drivers have time toturn into the market. Generally, signs areplaced at the market site and at least a quar-ter of a mile from the stand in either direc-tion. However, doing the "count down"towards your location works well. ForExample: Cherries! 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile,next left. Your signs should be simple and

easy to read, with few words in bright colors.

Consider also using the shape of the productyou are selling to tell people what is in. Forexample: If you are selling brown eggs, yoursign might be a brown egg-shaped sign. Sohow big should the letters be? Rule of thumbfor making roadside signs is that the lettersshould be 1/5th as wide as they are high.Information about sign 'readability' is in Table1.

FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SANDWICHBOARDGnade-McGrattan recommends you 'fall inlove with the sandwich board'. These aregreat for keeping your name out on the mainroad and keep the advertising fresh.Changing your signs frequently keeps theloyal customers coming back for the newthings that are in. Another tip is that specifici-ty trumps broad statements. For exampleannouncing that "Pink and yellow throatedpetunias just in!" says something differentthan "Hundreds of annuals".

Materials used for signs can vary. You canuse plywood and paint to do much of yourroadside signage. If you want to make a bit ofan investment you can purchase pre-madesigns with the produce on them. These canbe plastic, metal or wood. More recentlymore and more people have been using'election' signs. Those firm plastic signs thathave a metal stand that can be set up withease and stored in minimum space. Be sureto check with your local municipality for anyregulations regarding roadside signage.Whatever your choice of signage rememberto use your signage to your advantage andlook for ways to maximize your exposurewithout breaking your wallet.

Once folks are at your farm stand use thisopportunity to market what you've got. Atyour farm stand or farmers market be sure totell your farm story. If you have other farmerssupplying some products share their storiestoo. Have recipes available for items thatmight be a little different-such as garlic scape

pesto or pasta bean salad. Share how youserve a particular product to your family.

For those regular customers, have a "VIPbag" which can be simple brown paper lunchbag, with their name on it, holding a littlesomething to say 'thank you' for their patron-age. It might be that fresh ripe tomato or thepint of raspberries they missed out on lastweek. Announce what is coming in. It mightbe a simple sign by the door that says "Comeback next week for ________."

Another way to creatively market your prod-ucts without adding cost is to bundle itemstogether either for convenience or experi-ence. For example: "Asian Supper Basket" or"Pick a Pizza Pie".

DO A MARKETING COLLATERAL AUDIT"Marketing collateral" refers to all the itemsor ways you connect with your customers.These might include brochures, businesscards, signs, folders, website, on-hold mes-sages etc. Take some time to review whatyour collateral is saying about you. It can besurprising when you gather all the bits thatyou have been handing out to folks in onelocation (like the kitchen table) and look at itcritically.

The review won't cost a thing, but streamlin-ing your materials so you that you send out aconsistent message may bring more cus-tomers to your door. Being consistent withyour marketing materials will help people toidentify your farm and your products from allthe others that are out there-which will keepthem coming back for more.

Consider creating a template for your adver-tising and use that consistently throughout allthe ways that you might touch your cus-tomers. For your printed materials pick one or

maybe two type fonts and stay with them.Choose your colors carefully, and avoid WordArt.

And if you're on the web, create an email sig-nature that has how to contact you as well asregular update on your business. If I had afarmstand, my email signature might look likethis:

Best regards,Bernadette

B's Market Stand bmarket@anyserver.com www.bsmarketstand.com Open May - September, M-Thurs 10-5Major Road, Anytown, USA1-800-000-0000

This week just in Fresh Sweet Corn! Stop byto pick a dozen on the way home.

You should also use what you have to "upsell." If you have an email signature, whenwas the last time you updated it? You can

use different signatures for maximum market-ing effect in various situations. And if youhave several product lines, you should havea signature for each.

Another way to up sell is by using your on-hold messages or voice mail messages toupdate customers on products, sales andspecials. Be sure to use your Fax Coversheets and Bills or invoices as a way to con-tinue to up sell. These are points of contactwith your existing customer base. Keep themcoming back by keeping the anticipation ofnew items you will be offering and when.

WHEN THEY CALL...When people ask for sales literature fromyour company they're probably asking sever-al of your competitors for their literature atthe same time. Some tips to remember tohelp you stand out from the rest are:* Email within 24 hours * Get the response in the mail within 2 daysafter receiving the inquiry, one day is better.* Print: "Here is the information you request-ed" on the envelope* Print: "First Class Mail" on the label or theenvelope, again to make sure everyone whohandles it understands that this is not mass,'junk mailing'. Or use Priority Mail envelopefor extra impact.* Clip a personalized thank-you note to thefront of your literature package. Referencethe exact nature of the literature request:"Thank you for stopping by B's Market Boothand chatting with us at the NextYearFoodShow in NYC. Here is the information youasked we send you about our Fall Productline."* Send EXACTLY what the customer askedfor. Sending your complete set of literaturewastes money (for printing and postage) andmakes it more difficult for the customer tofind what he or she is looking for.

* Log the inquiry and place a follow-up call aweek after it was mailed .

UPDATE YOUR MARKETING STRATEGYIn summary, some things you can do toupdate your marketing strategy include:1. Learn to love the sandwich board 2. Conduct a marketing collateral audit3. Build a competitor file -for marketing 4. Explore ways to 'bundle' your products foreither convenience or experience.5. Create and update your email signature 6. Update your on-hold and voice mail mes-sages regularly7. Enjoy your market season!

Bernadette Logozar is a Rural & AgEconomic Development Specialist at CornellCooperative Extension of Franklin County inMalone, NY. She can be reached at 518-483-7403 or bel7@cornell.edu

MARKETING

Bootstrap Marketing: How toKeep Your Marketing Budgetfrom Going Through the Roof

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 21

Page 22 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 8, 2007

by Janet Aldrich

The Shea family farm, situated along awinding road in Long Eddy, DelawareCounty, was homesteaded in 1880 byTom Shea's great great-grandfatherEdward Shea. He started a small dairyfarm that has been owned and managedby the Shea family for 130 years. In 1993Tom Shea was working in a machineshop when he began to reflect upon hishappiest moments in life. He arrived atmemories of being outdoors and helpingon the farm when he was young. His

realization drew him back to the farm onLong Eddy, where he took over steward-ship.

Tom's approach to farming was influ-enced by Allan Savory's book, HolisticManagement - A New Framework forDecision Making, which pointed himtoward integrated, diversified farming sys-tems. Shea farm currently producesbeef, sheep, hogs, chickens, vegetables,and several value added products. Whenasked what he considers his main crophe answers: "Grass - the animals are thetools this farm needs to keep the grassgrowing."

AN INTEGRATED SYSTEMToday Shea Farm is a fully diversified100 acre farm run on organic and holisticprinciples. In 2000 Tom Shea became afull time farmer with a focus on raising amix of cross and purebred BeltedGalloway and Scottish Highlander cattle.Tom experimented with integrated rota-tional systems that benefit both cropsand animals. He discovered Tamworthhogs were an important addition to themix, to till the ground in preparation forplanting annual crops for the other animalgrazers, beef and sheep.

Tom explains, "Most importantly, the hogsbreak the parasite cycle. They are a deadend host to intestinal parasites, thus end-ing the need to use chemical wormer onour livestock." Once they have done theirjob tilling the soil they are moved in the

fall to the wood lot and orchards to for-age. Says Tom, "Our porkers provide asustainable alternative to conventionaltillage, reducing the need for labor andtractor use by 8-10 times. Hogs eliminatethe need for herbicides because they eatevery living thing."

Today, seven family members contributeto the success of Shea Farm: Tom andDebbie Shea and their children Deannaand Cade, Tom's parents Chip andConnie Shea, and his uncle, Guy Shea.Connie keeps the books and runs thefarm store. Chip and Guy, who haveworked on the farm throughout their lives,help with farm chores, haying, and

machinery upkeep. The Sheas recentlyadded honey to their product list andDebbie, the beekeeper, just harvestedher first crop. She also grows the veg-etables and herbs, and makes farmsteadsoaps with pure, farm-grown ingredients.

GRAZING IS KEYGrazing is the backbone of Shea farm.They graze on their own 100 acres aswell as on 300 acres of neighboring land.Neighbors saw how the farm was bring-ing overgrown fields back to lush produc-tion and wanted the same for their prop-erties. They pay for the soil tests and lim-ing and the grazing animals renew thebeauty and productivity of the land. Thiswin-win arrangement is unique in theHancock area where agriculture seems tobe disappearing and unused lands areeither developed or overgrown withbrush.

The farm's cattle are crossbred Angus,Belted Galloway and ScottishHighlanders. The cattle graze the fields inrotation and are always provided freshwater and grasses when needed. Tomkeeps a close eye on the animals' graz-ing progress and keeps them moving.They are allowed to forage for 1-3 daysand are moved up to new fields oncethey've done their job. Tom has no troublemoving them - they are eager to followhim up the road to new, tastier pastures.Needless to say, this is a rural road withlow traffic volume.

The cattle are on pasture year round, andare also fed hay in the winter. Mostcalves are born in May, and calving isusually over in July. Calves stay with theirmothers until 10 months of age whenthey are turned onto pastures of theirown for a 1-3 day rotation. They pasturethrough to fall and the fastest growingsteers are harvested at 16-18 months ofage. The rest are harvested in the springat 23-25 months.

The meat from these grass-fed animals istasty and tender. Says Tom, "It's hard toexplain the health benefits of not givingthem any grains. Ruminant's biologicalsystems are designed to forage." Tom iscommitted to grass-based agriculture. Hesubscribes to "The Stockman GrassFarmer", a magazine that brings farmersthe latest information from across theworld on high profit grassland manage-ment.

After a pasture has been grazed by thecattle or sheep, the Shea Farm hogs maybe put in to dig it up and get it ready forplanting buckwheat or winter rye, or anannual crop such as pumpkins, field corn,or turnips. "Buckwheat and winter rye arenatural weed killers", Tom notes. Theannual crops are either harvested orgrazed. This year's turnips will be eithergrazed by the cattle or sold as a freshvegetable. After the annual crop, buck-wheat or rye, the pasture is seeded toclover or grass. This rotation takes aboutfour to five years.

OTHER SHEA FARM PRODUCTSShea Farm's maple syrup operation con-sists of about 300 taps on productive oldgrowth maple. They produce on averagearound 50-60 gallons of syrup a season.They boil the syrup using wood from theirwoodlots, giving the syrup that old fash-ioned wood smoke flavor.

The Sheas also produce small high quali-ty hay bales for horses, cattle, and sheepand large round bales for beef cattle anddairy. They grow Ophio garlic, a Germanstiff-neck garlic that they sometimes grindinto a flavorful powder. They grow a mixof Connecticut field pumpkins and sweet-er varieties for cooking as well as jack-o-lanterns.

The Farm Store offers frozen meats,including pork sausage, Kielbasa, bacon,ham, chops and spare ribs. The beef issold as ground beef and steaks. The

lamb is sold as rib, loin and shoulderchops, ground meat, stew meat, half andwhole legs. The pastured pork, and grassfed lamb and beef are cut, wrapped andfrozen by the pound; feeder pigs andsmoked pork are also available.

Lambs are sold either processed or live.The wool from the Tunnis/Icelandic crosssheep is sold raw, washed or carded. Aself-taught spinner, Debbie spins thewool into yarn and does some specialtyitems upon request, such as knee-highsocks (Tom's personal favorite).

The free range chickens include SilverWyandottes for meat and a Rhode IslandRed cross called Golden Reds for farmfresh eggs. Tom was intrigued by JoelSalatin's chicken tractors and inventedhis own - two old recreational campersthat could be easily pulled from pastureto pasture, serving as a portable coop.

NEW DIRECTIONSThe recent purchase of an old JohnDeere combine will enable Tom andDebbie to begin producing small grains.This year they will plant about 3 acres ofbarley, 14 acres of buckwheat and 8acres of field corn. They also intend to

expand honey production and invest inmore efficient equipment for a bigger sapharvest. Tom plans to offer bales of bar-ley straw to landowners interested inalgae control for their ponds.

The Shea Farm store is open Saturdaysfrom 10-2:00 or by appointment. Specialmeat orders or store visits can bearranged by calling Tom and Debbie at845-887-6546. The store is located at452 Shea Road in Long Eddy, NY.

Janet Aldrich is Senior ExtensionEducator for Cornell CooperativeExtension in Delaware County. She andher husband Keith Aldrich own MapleGrove Farm, a small scale dairy farm inLaurens, NY. She can be contacted at607-865-6531 or jla14@cornell.edu. Thisarticle first appeared in The Part-TimeFarmer, July/August 2007 issue. It isreprinted with permission.

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK

Shea Farm of Long EddyHolistic Management with Grass Fed Animals.

Tom & Debbie with their Tamworth hogs - the farm's natural tillers

A portable coop - the chickens are easilytransported to new pastures in a renovatedcamper

Connie, Tom & Debbie provide a warm welcomeat the farm's on-site store

All photos by Janet Aldrich

Debbie and Tom Shea outside the farrowingbarn

Sheas with cows

October 8, 2007 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 23

By Barbara Silvestri

Our continuing series on New YorkState's Agricultural EnvironmentalManagement (AEM) Program focusesthis quarter on an issue that's close tohome: the water that your family drinks.In addition to protecting the environment,AEM planning can help you to ensurethat the water your family drinks staysclean and healthy. The Farmstead WaterSupply Evaluation worksheet is the firststep.

The main factors that determine the safe-ty of your water supply are the conditionof your well or spring and its proximity tosources of contamination. For example, acracked well casing may allow bacteria,nitrates, oil, pesticides or other contami-nants to enter the well more easily.Spilling pesticides or fuel near a well canresult in the contamination of your fami-ly's, and your neighbors', drinking watersupplies. Feedlots, barnyards, septic sys-tems, and even wildlife are potentialsources of pathogens and nitrates.Fertilizer applications and waste storageareas can also be sources of nitrates.Pathogens, petroleum products, pesti-cides, and nitrates can pose serioushealth hazards if they get into drinkingwater supplies.

Maintaining your well or spring develop-ment properly can prevent dangerous andcostly problems for your family down theroad. If the groundwater that suppliesyour well or spring becomes contaminat-ed, it can be very difficult to clean up.The only options may be to treat thewater, drill a new well, or obtain waterfrom another source. If contaminationaffects your or your neighbors' wells, youmay be responsible for clean up costs.

The good news is that simple mainte-nance and management practices cangreatly reduce these risks. Conductingan AEM Risk Assessment can helpassess your farm's water supply andidentify opportunities to increase safety.Signed into law in 2000, New York State'sAEM Program provides a voluntary andconfidential way to assess a farm's envi-ronmental practices and then addressany concerns identified.

The AEM Farmstead Water SupplyEvaluation Worksheet will help you identi-

fy risks to your water supply safety in thefollowing areas:

WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF YOURWATER SUPPLY RELATIVE TOPOLLUTION SOURCES?It is safest for the water supply to be ups-lope of any pollution sources with surfacewater diverted away from the water sup-ply. Runoff water collecting and pondingaround the wellhead may pose a risk.

Risk is reduced if the farmstead watersupply is sufficiently separated from con-tamination sources like septic systems,petroleum storage tanks, or silos. Havingseparate water supplies for householdand livestock use can also minimize risk.

The water supply is safest if the wellhead is not in an area that periodicallyfloods. If there is a stream near the well,the stream water could also affect wellwater quality.

FOR DRILLED WELLS, WHAT IS THECONDITION OF THE WELL?Risk is reduced by having a clean steel,plastic or wrought iron casing at least sixinches in diameter with no holes orcracks. The cap should be tightlysecured with a screened vent that facesthe ground. There should be a pitlessadapter or sanitary well seal for pumplines or electric cables.

A deep casing with a screen is safest. Acasing that rises at least 1-2 feet abovethe ground surface will help prevent flood-ing contamination. Thorough groutingaround the well casing and concrete (orsoil) sloping away from the casing at the

surface will both minimize contaminationrisk.

WHAT ARE YOUR MANAGEMENTPRACTICES?Water should be tested every spring forthe presence of bacteria and the concen-tration of nitrates.The best scenario would be to have con-sistently satisfactory water quality with nobacteria or pesticides detected, andnitrates less than 5 mg/l as N. If contami-nants are occasionally found, the problemshould be investigated further, correctiveaction taken and the well disinfected.

Water supply and plumbing systemshould be inspected annually and recordskept of maintenance performed. Anyunused wells on the farm should becapped and protected, and abandonedwells should be plugged.

Safeguard your family and your neighborsby taking some time to assess your watersupply situation as part of a complete

AEM farm assessment with a member ofyour local AEM team of resource profes-sionals. They can equip you with theinformation you need to make smart deci-sions that will protect the water your fami-ly and neighbors rely on.

If you would like to schedule a free, confi-dential AEM Risk Assessment for yourfarm, including a Farmstead WaterSupply Evaluation, contact your CountySoil and Water Conservation District.Other resources include your localCornell Cooperative Extension educatorsand staff at your county HealthDepartment.

To learn more about AEM, view theWorksheets (including theFarmstead Water SupplyEvaluation worksheet), orto locate your ConservationDistrict office, visit:www.nys-soilandwater.org.

Check the next issue ofSmall Farm Quarterly formore information on howAEM is helping over 10,000farm families statewidefarm cleaner and greener,and how you can use AEMto your advantage on yourfarm.

Barbara Silvestri isInformation & EducationProgram Coordinator withthe NYS Soil & WaterConservation Committee inAlbany, NY. She can bereached at (518) 457-3186or barb.silvestri@agmkt.state.ny.us.

Agricultural EnvironmentalManagementSafeguarding Your Family'sDrinking Water

STEWARDSHIP & NATURE

Beef cows grazing at Gordon Farms in Albany County. The farm has recentlyinstalled several AEM practices that protect water quality, while increasing the effi-ciency of the farm operation. "Our new barnyard runoff management system pro-tects our drinking water, keeps the barnyard cleaner and makes it a lot easier to dochores, said Sarah Gordon. Our cows are even drier, healthier and happier!"

Photo by Sarah Gordon

At Agri-Mark, we believe in activelyworking together for better farm milk

prices, whether it be through the growth ofour Cabot or McCadam brands of cheeseor support of the plans like the current

Federal MILC Program.If you are a dairy farmer, we will work

hard for you in the marketplace,not against you. Join 1,400 dairy farm

families working for a better future bycalling our Membership Department at

11-800-225-0532.