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New farm bill could herald hemp resurgence in Southern Tier, Schumer says

New farm bill could herald hemp resurgence in Southern Tier, Schumer says
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have plenty of disagreements, with one notable exception: industrial hemp. Both agreed it was time to decriminalize industrial hemp. The two vigorously pushed through a new Farm Bill, recently signed by President Donald Trump, that removes industrial hemp from list of controlled substances. Why? Both Kentucky and... more

State provides nearly $1.6M for conservation easements on Cayuga County farms

State provides nearly .6M for conservation easements on Cayuga County farms
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced Thursday that nearly $1.6 million will go toward protecting almost 700 acres of at-risk farmland in Cayuga County. The state’s Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program provides funds to local governments, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and land trusts to offset the costs of conservation easements used to protect viable agricultural... more

Concord grape growers get New York state help

Concord grape growers get New York state help
New York is spending $1.3 million to support the state’s Concord grape industry. The money will go to the new Concord Vineyard Improvement Program at Cornell University. The program will help growers renovate vineyards, plant new vines or diversify their operations. New York’s $340 million Concord grape industry has had to endure lower prices tied to a drop in juice... more

Annual meeting highlights farmers’ work to protect Skaneateles watershed

Annual meeting highlights farmers’ work to protect Skaneateles watershed
Farmers from across central New York gathered in Skaneateles Tuesday to discuss the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Program’s work in 2018 to protect the lake. Founded in 1994 by the city of Syracuse, SLWAP is a voluntary program that works with farmers within the Skaneateles Lake watershed across parts of Cayuga, Cortland and Onondaga counties to protect water quality. At... more

How U.S. tariffs are hurting New York farms and businesses

How U.S. tariffs are hurting New York farms and businesses
Edged between cornfields in the largely rural community of Marathon, a company with millions of dollars invested in high-tech cutting and forming machines produces components for some of America’s largest manufacturers. Square Deal Machining in Cortland County makes steel enclosures for military electronics, screws for aerospace and metal pieces for one of the nation’s foremost tent makers. Business has rarely... more

After new infestation found on Cayuga Lake, experts warn of hydrilla spreading

After new infestation found on Cayuga Lake, experts warn of hydrilla spreading
A new infestation of hydrilla, an invasive species of plant that can choke waterways with its rapid growth, was found on Cayuga Lake in October, prompting experts Wednesday to warn about the plant’s ability to spread. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes the aquatic plant as “the world’s worst invasive plant,” largely for its extreme ability to reproduce. Like... more

State providing nearly $300,000 to eastern Finger Lakes farmers

State providing nearly 0,000 to eastern Finger Lakes farmers
Nearly $300,000 in funding will be made available to help farmers around Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles and Otisco lakes to plant crops in order to protect water quality, the state announced Wednesday. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation announced $285,000 in will be used to promote the use of cover crops in the eastern... more

Case against Owasco farmer illegally housing workers again adjourned

Case against Owasco farmer illegally housing workers again adjourned
An Owasco farmer first cited by the town in September for illegally housing workers had his case Monday adjourned for the third time since October. Melrose Farms owner Joseph Tidd was cited in September after being caught housing workers on the farm, violating a February order not to house workersand their families in the structure that was not up to code. On... more

Owasco farmer who illegally housed workers reimburses town

Owasco farmer who illegally housed workers reimburses town
Joseph Tidd, the owner of Melrose Farms in Owasco, reimbursed the town this week for attorney fees spent litigating his citations for illegally housing workers, according to Owasco Town Supervisor Ed Wagner. The town first cited Tidd in February for a code violation after housing migrant workers on his dairy farm in a structure without a certificate of occupancy or... more

Illegal housing case for Owasco farmer adjourned pending fine determination

Illegal housing case for Owasco farmer adjourned pending fine determination
The case against an Owasco dairy farmer cited for illegally housing workers in substandard conditions was again adjourned Monday, this time in order for a possible fine structure to be considered. Melrose Farms owner Joseph Tidd, who was cited in September for illegally housing workers in a now-condemned structure after he was previously issued a cease-and-desist order, had his case... more

11-year-old airlifted to Upstate Medical with serious arm injuries after Tyre farm accident

11-year-old airlifted to Upstate Medical with serious arm injuries after Tyre farm accident
Seneca County Sheriff Tim Luce has provided new insight into the incident in Tyre Tuesday morning. Around 9:56 a.m. deputies and investigators were called to 534 Pucker Road in Tyre for the report of a farming accident. Upon arrival, deputies found that the 11-year-old victim’s arm was stuck in a chain-operated shaft in a conveyor-style wood planing machine. The Magee... more

Cayuga County CAFO farmers say unity, not blame, needed to protect water

Cayuga County CAFO farmers say unity, not blame, needed to protect water
Jon and Julie Patterson are the sixth generation of their family to work the land at Patterson Farms, an approximately 1,400 cow dairy farm that straddles the border between the towns of Aurelius and Springport. With such a strong family history, the husband-and-wife duo said it’s one of their most important goals to leave behind a healthy farm for their... more

Melrose Farm owner has ‘no intentions’ of letting workers continue to live in condemned housing

Melrose Farm owner has ‘no intentions’ of letting workers continue to live in condemned housing
The owner of Melrose Farm was back in Owasco Town Court Monday night with a decision on what he plans to do with a structure he was using to illegally house workers on his farm. Joe Tidd told Justice Mark DiVietro that since his last court appearance on Sept. 24, he has “totally gutted” the workers’ housing building. During his last court appearance,... more

New DEC rules for livestock farms won’t affect Cayuga County

New DEC rules for livestock farms won’t affect Cayuga County
New permits governing large livestock farms in New York being developed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation in response to a lawsuit over federal clean water rules will not affect Cayuga County. The DEC recently unveiled a draft version of new permits for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, developed in response to a ruling from the state Supreme Court that foundexisting... more
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