CROTON VOLUNTEERS HONORED:  East of Hudson Program participants, friends, organizational partners and program staff gathered to honor four former Council members -- Annie Farrell, Barbara Wilkens, Peter Kamenstein and Bill Murphy -- on Friday, September 25. Pictured (l-r) are: Board member Barbara Howard, Council Chairman Fred Huneke, Bill Murphy, Barbara Wilkens, EoH Agricultural Program Coordinator Carrie Davis and Peter Kamenstein.  Preceding the luncheon, the group toured three participating farms in the Croton Watershed: Ryder Farm (vegetables), Snow Hill Farm (beef) and Chase Meadows Farm (horse boarding). Each farm owner showcased new and future construction projects and talked about applicable management practices they've adopted since joining the East of Hudson (EoH)Program.
Thanks to Chase Meadows owner Barbara Howard, EoH committee member Betsey Ryder (at left), and Snow Hill Farm owner Laura O'Donohue (pictured below at left, with Susan Carpenter of Westchester Land Trust, EoH participant George Whipple of Pine View Farm, and Snow Hill Farm Manager Chris Zedda) for opening their farm operations to the tour group.
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT DAY: Register now for the 9th Annual Catskills Local Government Day to be held Thursday, October 15 at Belleayre Mountain Ski Center, Highmount. For agenda and registration form, go to Catskill Watershed Corporation.
 BUY LOCAL CHALLENGE UPDATE:NYS Ag&Markets Commissioner Patrick Hooker took the Challenge along with NYS Assemblymen Cliff Crouch and Pete Lopez last month. A stunning 253 area residents pledged to spend $181,027 on local products in the month of September. Above, Hooker is pictured (center) with (l-r) the Council's Farm to Market Manager Challey Comer, Barb Hanselmann of The Farmer's Wife pies, and Maple Shade Farm owners Abby and Jay Wilson with children John, McKenzie and Ryan.
 At left, NYS Assemblyman Pete Lopez of the 127th District signs his pledge while visiting with Cindy Barber (left) and Challey Comer (right) at Barber's Farm, Schoharie. If 1000 people spent $10 a week on local products, we'd infuse $500,000 into our communities in just one year! Reports show that the farm dollar continues circulating local economies 3-7 times over, a spending potential of $3.5 million dollars.
NYC WATER MAKES IT TO STATE TASTE-TESTING FINALS: New York City's Catskills-born water entry didn't score a blue ribbon in the Best Tasting Water Competition at the New York State Fair last month; the City of Schenectday took home top honors. But that's not to say the work we do in the NYC watershed isn't top notch. Water quality reports continue to verify that what we do through the Council's upstream programs continues to the benefit 9-million New Yorkers downstream. WAC and DEP staffers did their part to get out the word about water at the Delaware County Fair. DEP Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush (above left) and Council Chairman Fred Huneke kicked off the agencies' collaborative booth exhibit.
Below (l-r), WAC Communications Director Tara Collins, DEP Bureau of Water Supply Section Chief John Schwartz and Agricultural Program Assistant Manager Elaine Poulin were all smiles when it came down to promoting the region's most precious resource -- water. |
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SAVE THE DATE: Sheep-goat producers can learn about animal anemia and parasite control at the FAMACHA Certification Workshop on November 14 and 15. Download a registration form for the one-day workshop offered in Delhi and Cooperstown.
On November 9 at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Robert Glennon, author of "Unquenchable", will speak about the global water crisis at SUNY-Ulster. The talk is a collaborative effort of the Council, Water Discovery Center and NYC DEP.  HOLIDAY SHOPPING ONLINE:Shop at iGive.com and select the WAC Conservation Easement Fund as your shopping benefactor. Over 700 retailers pay a percentage of your purchases directly to the Fund, at no cost to you. The average American spends $1,000 on holiday gifts; your iGive.com "presents" could keep on giving, benefitting the Fund by $50. If 100 of us shop through iGive.com, we could place $4,000 in the Fund by December 31. Click on the icon to shop and donate today. |
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10/11: Bounty Along the Hudson, Agroforestry Center, Acra
10/15: Local Government Day, Belleayre Mountain, Highmount
10/16: Adult First Aid/CPR, Agroforestry Resource Center, Acra
10/23: Forest Ecology, Silviculture & BMPs,
Agroforestry Resource Center, Acra
10/23: Woodland Talks & Walks: tree & plant ID, Lennox Model Forest, Delhi
10/24: Love That Local Living Economy: Author Michael Schuman of The Small-Mart Revolution, SUNY-Delhi, Delaware County
10/25: WAC at New Amsterdam Market, NYC
10/30: Game of Logging: Level 1, Agroforestry Resource Center, Acra
10/30: Woodland Talks & Walks: Woodland Wildlife, Lennox Model Forest, Delhi |
| The Watershed Agricultural Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City Watershed region. The WAC is funded by The New York City Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and other federal, foundation and private sources. The WAC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. | |
