GREENE – Local food can build healthy relationships, farmers and agriculture officials say, between the people who consume it and the people who produce it.
It can also build a healthy economy, they say.
Buying and marketing locally grown products was the theme of Chenango County Farm Bureau’s National Agriculture Day celebration Thursday at The Silo Restaurant in Greene. Around 35 area farmers, officials and community members attended the luncheon. They were there to honor the county’s number one industry.
“We’re here to show our gratitude to the men and women who make agriculture possible,” said Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers. “They characterize what made America great: Hard work.”
Times are not easy, however, some local producers say.
When asked what he saw being the biggest challenge farmers face in Chenango County, semi-retired dairy farmer Ken Swift replied, “Probably the biggest thing is they’re being driven out.”
Swift, who owns a farm in Amblerville, thinks tax levies rely too heavily on property value, which he says hurts farmers most since they often have the most land.
“I hate to see the small farm go,” he said. “How do you solve it? I don’t know.”
Risings costs have added to their woes, says Mary Klecha Conroe, an 80-cow dairy farmer in Coventry.
“It’s real difficult with a 28 percent increase in feed costs, fuel prices ... Everything has increased,” said Klecha Conroe. “It’s going to be a tough year.”
However, there is cause for hope, Klecha Conroe believes. To offset the tough times, she sees potential in marketing other products, like sweet corn, directly to local consumers. The Coventry farmer believes putting a name and face with a quality product can help her and other farmers, which isn’t the case when milk gets hauled off the farm in bulk.
“There’s a huge appreciation for you providing a really good product in this area,” she said. “When I produce my milk, I have no control over what I get for it.”
Regardless of the difficulties, there’s no chance Faith Sisk will give up.
“I’m going to keep farming until the money’s gone,” said Sisk, who owns and operates Banner Ridge alpaca and Boer goat farm in Greene.
Her message to consumers: Think local when they think food. “Shop locally. Get involved and shop back with local producers,” she said. “It keeps money in the area, it’s good for the state and the economy in Chenango County.”
Dr. Yusuf Harper, co-owner of Norwich Meadow Farms, was a featured speaker at Thursday event. He and partner Zaid Kurdieh, have built, if not the largest, one the largest organic produce farms in Central New York, Harper said. Growing a wide range of vegetables and herbs in what Harper says isn’t a “traditional” way, the two have found renowned success marketing in New York City and Westchester County.
For the future, he believes curbing the loss of younger generations to other markets and industries will be a key in sustaining farming. He also thinks re-connecting consumers with the people who grow their food, as it was before the advent of the supermarket, will benefit not only agriculture, but the entire community.
“We need to start thinking about the flow, or leak, of our economy to the outside,” he said. “Think globally, buy locally. Your voting for our community.”
“If dollars float out of the community, so do your children,” Harper said.
The Farm Bureau received proclamations recognizing Thursday as Agriculture Day locally from the state Senate, Assembly, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors and the City of Norwich.
Assemblyman Peter Lopez (R-Schoharie), who represents Afton and Bainbridge, presented a joint proclamation from Assemblymen Cliff Crouch (R-Guilford), Gary Finch (R-Auburn) and himself.
Lopez is an strong advocate for farms as alternative energy producers. He drives a Jeep that runs on bio-diesel. He feels strongly that a tax credit, that was vetoed in the 2007-08 budget, for heating fuel that contains bio-fuel will pass this year.
“Without the subsidy and incentive, we’re not going anywhere (in alternative energy),” he said.
Several other speakers also discussed many of the buy local programs, such as Chenango Bounty, the mobile farmers market, and other guides that help consumers become more aware of local products and producers market them.