The  38th Annual Winter NOFA-NY Organic Farming and Gardening Conference will be held January 17-19, 2020 at the Oncenter in Syracuse, NY. The conference is an opportunity to connect with sustainability-minded farmers, gardeners, and consumers. Billed as one of the largest in the region, with more than 1,100 attendees annually and more than 100 educational workshops and an approximate 80 trade show vendors. This year, NOFA-NY is combining two events – the Winter Conference and the 9th Annual Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference into one weekend. The 2020 theme is Extending the Table. View the conference schedule here.

Peter Jemison is the keynote speaker. Peter is the site manager of Ganondagan State Historic Site which houses the Iroquois White Corn Project that currently yields an average of 5,000 pounds of corn per year. He is a Heron Clan member of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Each year at the Winter Conference, NOFA-NY presents the Farmer of the Year award to someone who has gone above and beyond to advance organic agriculture in New York State.  For More Information and Registration

Whether you are a farmer, gardener, homesteader or eater, NOFA-NY welcomes you to join them as they extend the table!

 

Thank you, everyone! We have reached our capacity.

We hope to have one more event later this year so keep following this website for more details.

Kraai Preserve – woodlands and the stream corridor along the Ganargua Creek, photo credit Trail Works

In keeping with the season’s theme of gratitude, why not start a new tradition? Build some lasting memories by going outside with family and friends for a “Walk in the Woods” on Thanksgiving day.  The fresh fall air along with a trail hike has restorative and stress-relieving power. The joys of nature are the simplest form of gratitude.  Plus, one hour of hiking burns between 430 and 460 calories. Paint a memorable family rock and hide it in the woods and find it again, year after year. Remember to bring the camera.  For added fun, consider an outdoor treasure hunting activity using GPS-enabled devices. There are hundreds of geocaching locations right here in Wayne County. Geocaching is an outdoor activity, where participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” at specific locations marked by coordinates. Pick up a trail passport from the Trailworks at any public library, Wegmans, or visit   https://trailworks.org/category/geocaching/ for Geocaching trails at various locations around Wayne County.

So go ahead – take the dog with you and start a new Thanksgiving tradition, just remember, we’re still in a pandemic so please practice good social distancing, even outside.

The District office will be closed on November 26 and 27th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

2022 Soil Health & Climate Resiliency Field Days

Join the New York Soil Health team and partner organizations at a soil health field day! The statewide event series will take place May-August 2022. For more information visit https://www.newyorksoilhealth.org/fielddays/#.YpZDFSzMKUk

nesting_boxesAs winter wanes and our thoughts turn to springtime, it’s time to think about nesting boxes for birds.  Many cavity nesting birds scout out and select nest sites starting in late February through May, so now is the time to begin making preparations.

Nesting boxes are available year round.

Order Online here

This year is the 58th Apple Blossom Festival in Williamson N.Y.  This festival is the longest continuous festival in New York. There are endless float ideas to inspire you, from tie dye to Woodstock. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to enter a float. Generous cash prizes will be awarded to three lucky floats but everyone wins by participating in one of Western New York’s biggest parades! Parade starts promptly at 2:00 on May 20, 2017.
More information and event times can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/Williamson-Apple-Blossom-Festival-133175249382/

 

(photo left: 1968 Williamson Apple Blossom Festival – this year’s theme is “Still Groovy After all these years”)

Pictured: Mark Humbert, Senator Pam Helming, Jacob Flowers, Ethan Humbert, Steve Olson, Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, District Manager Lindsey Gerstenslager and Conservation Field Manager of Wayne County AEM programs, Ron Thorn

2019 Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Conservation Farm of the Year has been awarded to Humbert Farms because of their dedication and commitment to protect and conserve the natural resources within our community through the New York State Agricultural Environmental Management Program.

The family-run farm is located in the Town of Rose on Lakes Corners -Rose Valley consisting of 3400 acres of owned/rented property with the majority of the commodity in field crops.

The Humbert family, Mark, and son Ethan have participated in the implementation of several farm management projects to keep their farm on the forefront of conservation; working with neighboring farms to carry out crop rotation, crop cover, manure sharing, natural resource sharing, irrigation, and best management practices implementation. The farm utilizes minimal tillage conservation systems, green fertilization techniques, conservation crop cover for year-round protection of soil erosion and is consistently working to minimize their impact on central Erie Canal system and Greater Sodus Bay. These BMPs limit damage to the aquatic life and protect recreational uses of streams and waterways they flow into, providing community sustainability for the future.

The Humbert family has worked to update their Certified Nutrient Management Plan in an effort to help guide the farm for management of rotation of crops, effective manure application for crop production and management of other natural resources. They work in partnership with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency and the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District to further the benefits of land stewardship and conservation implementation, by managing their farm and providing a higher quality commodity while looking out for the health of the environment.

“The Humbert family exemplifies what good agricultural environmental management is to Wayne County and New York State, by their continued efforts to participate, demonstrate and educate local area farmers community members and leadership, says Lindsey Gertenslager, District Manager Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District. “They continue to inspire all agricultural entities with a ‘Can-Do’ attitude, which leads to new opportunities for everyone.

From our Cornell Master Gardener friends:

Master Gardeners Great Gardens of Wayne County Tour Tickets on sale now!

Do you love gardens of all shapes and sizes? Whether you have a green thumb or not, there’s a golden opportunity coming soon for you to see what your gardening neighbors are doing. On our self-guided tour, you can discover a diverse selection of wonderful gardens at your own pace.

Whether you enjoy woody plants, flower gardens, water features, or home food production, there’s something for everyone.

This year, our Master Gardeners have selected five gardens for you to tour in the Town of Ontario.

When: June 19th from 4 to 8 pm. Rain or Shine.

To purchase tour tickets send $10.00 per person to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County 1581 Rte. 88 N. Newark, NY 14513-9739 by June 14th or stop in our office – 830am -430pm Monday-Friday.

Please call (315) 331-8415 for more information. For special needs please contact us two weeks prior to the tour.

You are cordially invited to attend the 2019 4R Technical Field Day at SUNY Morrisville.

4R is an approach to agricultural nutrient management and soil and water stewardship that emphasizes using the Right Source of Nutrients at the Right Rate and Right Time in the Right Place for the protection of New York’s waterways

But it’s more than just a catchy buzz phrase. The approach provides a science-based framework for plant nutrition management and sustained crop production while considering specific individual farms’ needs.

The 2019 4R Field Tech Day will highlight existing 4R Programs and technologies. The 4R Field day counts towards required 4R Training as required by 4R NY Nutrient Stewardship Certification and offers 5.5 hard-to-find CCA credits. Plus Free lunch!

Date: October 15, 2019
Location: SUNY Morrisville Campus, Morrisville, NY
Address: 80 Eaton St, Morrisville, NY 13408

Agenda:

All morning sessions will take place in Charlton Hall

* 8 a.m. Registration and coffee
* 9:00 a.m. Welcome, Jen Gilbert Jenkins SUNY Morrisville
* 9:15 The 4R Program, Sally Flis, TFI Director of Agronomy, NYSABA Pres.
* 9:45 NRCS programs available to support the implementation of 4R strategies, NRCS speaker
* 10:10 TNC, 4R, and Conservation, Gregg Sargis, TNC
* 10:35 Precision Ag Map- Extracting value from different map layers- Avery DeGolyer, WNY Crop Management, CCA
* 11:00 COFFEE BREAK and transportation to demo 1
* 11:30 Environmental Tillage Systems- Soil Warrior- demo
* 12:15 Lunch (including transportation to lunch and then back to demo sites after lunch)

* Afternoon Demonstrations will take place in fields around the Morrisville Dairy Complex
* 1:30 – 3:00 Rotating 20-minute demonstrations including soil sampling technology from Western New York Crop Management and Growmark FS, Sprayer Calibration and Drone imaging demonstrations by Cazenovia Equipment Company, INC, Cover Crop roller demonstration by SUNY Morrisville and more!
* 3:00 Transportation back to an original parking lot

CCA Credits- 1.5 NM, 3.0 SW

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register:
https://4rtechnicalfieldday.eventbrite.com

Congratulations to Michael Stanyard of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), the recipient of the 2016 Wayne County Agriculture Environmental Stewardship award  Awarding stewardship effort from across the agriculture communities

This year has been a great year for conservation in the agricultural industry in Wayne County. The varying soil types because of water quality considerations sometimes restrict implementation of specific projects that will aid in farms continuing to run their businesses while being considerate environmental health. Many farms were able to implement projects simply because crops were able to be planted early to on time.

Over the past several years, the District has awarded an Agricultural Environmental Stewardship award to a member of the agricultural support community that goes above and beyond to continue to provide services and manage environmental issues, aid in dealing with the difficult years and lend a hand to other farms. The award was created to be given at a grassroots level, to individuals that strengthen the community.

The Wayne County could not survive without individuals that participate, act, engage and play a key role in the agricultural, while supporting strong aspects of conservation for the environment.

This year’s award recipient was awarded to Michael Standard, Team Leader, Field Crops Specialist of the Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crop Team, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 with recognition by the County Board of Supervisors, located at Wayne County Court House Chambers, 26 Church Street, Lyons, NY 14489.

Mr. Stanyard has been supporting Wayne County agricultural communities while continuing to address environmental related issues including but not limited to: soil health, cover crops, integrated pest management, crop disease management, climate resiliency, commodity marketing research, crop typing, organization of technical Ag teams, agricultural business planning, discussion groups, agriculture water quality management and so much more.

He continues to be an active participate in the Wayne County Agriculture Advisory Committee for 5 years and has assisted farms in relation to USDA and Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation Programs through the local working group.  He advisement is available and offers outreach for any community member or group that requests it.  His continued interest in the world of insects has provided technical assistance in addressing issues within Wayne County. Because Mike is a resident of Wayne County, honoring him with this award is extra special, as he continues to take part in efforts of Agro forestry, and wildlife conservation planning, along with the continuation of education with the youth.

We honor Mike as the 2016 Wayne County Agriculture Environmental Stewardship recipient because of his dedication and continue passion for leading the Wayne County Agricultural Community into the future.

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