Capital Area Agricultural and Horticultural Program

March 16 & March 18th, 2021, Farm Disaster Preparation Certificate Training 6:30-9:00 PM Online via Zoom Space is limited and pre-registration is requested by March 3rd to allow time for mailing resource materials. Cost: $35 per farm ... For more information or to pre-register contact Lynn Bliven at 585-268-7644 ext. 18 or email at [email protected]. The Farm Disaster Preparation program helps farm owners plan for and manage disasters that might occur. This program focuses on practical pre-disaster education and preparedness, including farm equipment safety on the road, fire or structure collapse, storm and wind damage, criminal activity, farm chemical risks and biosecurity. Farms that complete the Farm Disaster Preparation training will receive a certificate to provide to their insurer and may be eligible for a credit or discount toward the farm’s annual insurance premium. The value of the credit or discount will vary according to individual policies and policyholder circumstances, but can be up to a 10 percent discount. The Farm Disaster Preparation Certificate is directed to all sizes of farms and all types of products. Dairy and livestock farms are especially encouraged to participate in the program due to their additional concerns regarding animal agriculture. The person representing a farm should be the insurance policyholder; other key farm personnel are also welcome. Course Instruction Team: Lynn Bliven, Ag & Natural Resources Issue Leader CCE Allegany County; Stephen Hadcock, Team Leader CCE Capital Area Ag & Horticultural Program; Tess Southern, Ag Educator CCE Madison County; and Jim Carrabba, Agricultural Safety Specialist New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH).

Agricultural producers in Broome, Otsego, Saratoga, Tioga and Washington counties and contiguous counties, Albany, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Schoharie, Tompkins and Warren are eligible.

Upcoming event! 2.0 DEC (categories 10, 1a, 21, and 23) and CCA credits will be available.

February 25, March 25, 2021, Greenhouse Weed Management Virtual IPM Workshop (Zoom based) Online via Zoom, 1:00 PM2:30 PM EST (including check-in for DEC credits) Limited to 10 participants in each session. Please sign up for only one session the material presented on each session date is identical. Cost: $20/person residing in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Washington Counties. $25/per person residing elsewhere in NYS... 1 NYS DEC credit approved in each of these Categories: 3a, 24, and 25, for a total of three credits. Because DEC credits can be earned for this class, participants cannot share a computer. To register: https://buff.ly/3iLCCnY In this hour, Brian Eshenaur, NYS IPM, will discuss the importance of weed management in greenhouses, and how standing weeds can act as pest and disease harbors even during the off-season. The focus will be on cultural and sanitation controls, but will touch on limited chemical management options. To review participation requirements for DEC credits, visit https://buff.ly/3dJpSO7

Upcoming Event!

Of interest to farmers who are veterans.

Did you miss the Winter Green-Up live, but wish you’d been there? You’re in luck! Please visit https://buff.ly/3pbPPrU to purchase access to recordings for all three sessions. For $20.00, you will have unlimited access to these materials. The Winter Green-Up has a long tradition of presenting speakers with expertise in grazing, meat and food production, and livestock handling. Winter Green-Up 2021 was no exception. 2021’s topics and speakers included: Elizabeth Marks, a... Biologist for the USDA NRCS in the Hudson Valley of New York and a certified Holistic Management (HM) educator. She will be discussing Climate Change Trends Over the Last 125 Years In the Northeast and What Farmers Can Do to Be Resilient to Them. Ed Rayburn, an Extension Specialist at West Virginia University, focusing on pasture and forage management and livestock nutrition. He will be speaking about Capturing and Converting Sunlight to Healthy Soil, Meat and Milk It’s What Plants Do. Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus of Behavioral Ecology in the Dept. of Wildland Resources at Utah State University, where he directed an award-winning research group pioneering an understanding of learning’s influence on foraging behavior and how behavior links soil, plants, herbivores, and humans. Fred will be teaching us about Nourishing the Wisdom Body. Contact Ashley at (518) 649-0267 or [email protected] with any questions or for more information.

Of interest to dairy farmers:

Horse Symposium in March!