2011 Year in Review: East of Hudson Program

You can now find the Watershed Agricultural Council's 2011 Annual Report online. But first, take a look at this photo montage of East of Hudson Program projects completed last year. (You can also view it on our YouTube channel.) Thanks to our Croton Watershed partners and participants for making 2011 a banner year in agriculture and forestry conservation practices and setting the bar high for water quality protection.  

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Truck Farm Teaser

The Roxbury Arts Group (RAG) and the Council round out this month with the IMPACT Film Series at Stamford's 76 Main! on Thursday at 7 p.m. Movie admission is free; donations benefit future RAG programming and Council's Conservation Easement Stewardship Fund. Mark your calendar now for this month's line-up:

June 7: The Greenhorns
June 14: Reclaiming Our Water
June 21: Good Wood
June 28: Truck Farm                                   

Jim Sickler and his Boer meat goats at Miz Inka Farms, Franklin

On Thursday, June 21 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., the Sheep & Goat Producer Group will visit Miz Inka Farms, 13171 State Highway 357 in Franklin. Hosts Ruth and Jim Sickler will take the group on a tour of their 365-acre Boer goat farm operation. Discussion will focus on herd expansion and facility design. The Sickler's will also share their farm story and welcome management suggestions from group members. Jim grew up on a dairy farm and milked cows from 1979-1987. At Miz Inka, they plant roughly 90 acres of field crops annually, plus an acre or so of potatoes. They looked to goats as a tool for making the farm more sustainable, and because they are fun for the grandkids. To sign up for the farm tour, contact Kim Holden (607) 865-7090, ext. 241. Please park on the lawn in front of the barn.

Ray James takes pointers on hoof maintenance at the 2011 Walton Regional Livestock Show.

Join the Council in sponsoring this open-class showmanship event for beef, sheep, goat and hog owners. The Walton Regional Livestock Show returns to the Delaware County Fairgrounds on June 16-17 with two days of animal-handler judging, a silent auction and free community dance in the chicken barn. Pick up the June issue of the Catskill Mountain Region Guide or read the article on our website.

Click this photo to see more on Flickr, thanks to Jeanette Gisbert.

Armed with shovels, stakes and trees, a volunteer team from Dannon recently helped Westchester Land Trust (WLT) protect water quality, animals and habitats at Pine Croft Meadow Preserve in Waccabuc by planting more than 200 trees and clearing harmful invasive plants. The Council's Watershed Forester Brendan Murphy helped coordinate this 18th day of planting through the regional chapter of Trees For Tribs (T4T). Many thanks to the enormous generosity of Dannon and to the Volunteer Center of United Way and the collaboration of WLT and WAC in making the day possible.   

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Grant: Anaerobic Digestion Initiative (NRCS-NY)
Newsletter: GLCI Grazette (NRCS)
Technical Bulletin: Off-Farm Processing-First Steps to Entering Direct Sales (Cornell Small Dairy Team)
Blog: New York's Changing Climate (Cornell Ag & Life Sciences)
Upcoming Classes: Kids' Stuff Weaving Workshops (Pure Catskills member Tabitha Gilmore-Barnes Studio)
Farmstand Open: Hilltop Hanover Farm, Yorktown Heights, Fridays 2-6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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Last month, Wood Marketing Specialist Joshua VanBrakle addressed 40 forestry professionals from India at Frost Valley YMCA.

Need a speaker for your next event, workshop or conference? Let us provide an expert staffer to present on topics related to agriculture, forestry, conservation easements, water quality, farm to market, communications and the Council's community impact. To learn more, contact our Communications Department at (607) 865-7090, ext. 226.