The Boondocks blog, No. 61 for the week starting March 24, 2008.
Sad truths of farming these days
Burn ban should not include small communities
Farmers take advantage of good maple season
Sweet sap becoming tasty syrup
Marketing local goods subject of conference
Appeal of local produce growing
Hecha en Argentina: First official drawing of VW's new pickup - Autoblog
The Backroad Librarian: Fifteen Miles to Derby
Recession Brings Investors to Stores That Sell Overalls
The new organic - The Boston Globe
Horses Require Rescue as Georgia Drought Persists
The sad truth - comments… - timesunioncom - Albany NY
Rancher arrested for selling snake vodka
"Truck Nuts" Ban Bill Dies In Virgina
APA rules against Lewis Family Farm in Essex
Natural gas prospects heat meeting
Energy looks at high energy prices and our future.
Enviroman looks at man and the environment.
Hayseeds looks at politics and life in our nation.
Individual looks at myself and how I'm changing
Outblog is all about my outdoor experiences.
Transit looks at the changing ways we get around.
Truck gives you stories and trips in my Ford Ranger.
“orking farms and hobby farms across the country, even here in the Capital Region, are accosted by neighbors who don't want to hear roosters crow or tractors plow. By neighbors who don't like the smells that accompany farming. By neighbors who don't understand the pre-dawn and late hours of work required. By neighbors who think, perhaps, that farmers let their animals loose on purpose to dig up their dang geraniums.”
“As a member of the Rensselaer County Legislature, I have sponsored legislation opposing the state proposal to no longer allow municipalities with populations of less than 20,000 to determine whether to prohibit open burning. I believe small towns, particularly rural communities, should still be allowed to decide whether to allow open burning.”
“My days begin at dawn. I venture to the barns, bid my good mornings, and tend to the llamas, miniature horses and donkeys, goats and chickens. Farming is a hobby for me, and I love it. It's a life of joy, heartache, and challenge, and I certainly prefer it to afternoon tea. Teri Conroy.”
“Sap is flowing again from the state's sugar maple trees, marking the start of a centuries-old spring tradition of making maple syrup.”
“The sweet smell of boiling maple sap filled the sap house at Stone House Farm near Sharon Springs as Tim Everett checked the temperature and color of the amber fluid circulating through his evaporator.”
“But many people don’t realize that the Empire State ranks high on the list of maple syrup producers. And all it takes to get the taps flowing is a few spring-like days that end cold, said Pete Gregg, a spokesperson for the Upper Hudson Maple Producers Association.”
“Agriculture professionals are teaming up to help the region's farmers find new ways to market what they grow and the livestock they raise.”
“Timothy Daniel Sullivan (July 23, 1862 – August 31, 1913) was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent figure within Tammany Hall. Euphemistically known as "Dry Dollar," the "Big Feller" and later "Big Tim" due to his physical stature. He controlled much of the city's criminal activities for from 14th Street to the Battery in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”
“An absolutely fabulous op-ed ran in the Niagara Falls Reporter on the Heller case. It’s the first one I’ve seen which brings up the history of the Sullivan Act:”
“The Sullivan Act was passed into law in New York state in 1911 and remains Big Tim's primary legacy. It effectively banned most people from owning and, especially, carrying handguns. Under the onerous conditions of the corrupted law, a peaceable citizen of sound mind could apply for a pistol permit, but if any of a number of elected or appointed officials objected to its issuance, he or she could be denied the license. The law remains in effect to this day and has been used as the basis for gun laws in many other states and municipalities.”
“Price Chopper Supermarkets said that it plans to increase its purchase of locally grown produce by 25 percent.”
“See that drawing in the right corner of the pic? That's an official VW render of the company's new pickup, internally called the Robust. It's hanging at an event called ExpoAgro in Argentina, where the truck will be built. The banner on the left says "The VW pickup for the field." VW isn't playing around with the model, either, having invested a billion pesos into its Pacheco factory to get ready for the vehicle's 2009 or 2010 launch.”
“Without public transportation, rural Americans with disabilities face a difficult choice: move to the city to get the services they need, or stay in their hometowns and try to get by. Even in Kansas, where nine out of ten counties have some form of rural transit, Dorothy Russell can't get 15 miles up the road for dialysis.”
“While Saks and Tiffany flop in the stock market, retailers specializing in rural America soar — thanks to a weakening economy.”
“The future of food may depend on an unlikely marriage: organic farmers and genetic engineering.”
“A town woman is charged with one count of misdemeanor animal neglect after authorities inspected a goat farm she operates and found more than 40 dead goats and at least 150 more in poor condition, officials said.”
“As a record drought persists in the Southeast, residents have realized they can no longer properly care for their animals. Horses, in particular, are being turned in to a rescue operation in north Georgia.”
“The night husband and I first whispered about the affect sprawl could have on our farm (should development reach our area), our daughter overheard us. That was a few years back, and the tears that ran down her face that night still haunt me. And so, my journey to preserve and protect our farm began.”
“A rattlesnake rancher who calls himself Bayou Bob found a new way to make money: Stick a rattler inside a bottle of vodka and market the concoction as an "ancient Asian elixir." But Bayou Bob Popplewell's bright idea appears to have landed him on the wrong side of the law, because he has no liquor license.”
We always knew some legislators in our country did more frivolous things then they do in New York:
The Virginia General Assembly killed a bill that would ban "truck nuts" from your truck or SUV.
The nutty idea is the brainchild of Chesapeake Delegate Lionell Spruill. We're talking about the fake testicles people hang on the backs of their vehicles. Spruill's bill would have banned anything on a car or truck that looked like human genitalia.
"Yeah, I definitely think those should be outlawed. I don't approve of that," says one local woman we talked to.
I mean, really. Why shouldn't trucks be allowed to have balls? What are you afraid of seeing? I don't think I'll be getting them for my Ranger anytime soon, but still.
Read "Truck Nuts" Bill Dies In General Assembly.
From the Press-Republican:
RAY BROOK—The Adirondack Park Agency Enforcement Committee has ruled against the Lewis Family Farm and issued permit violations on two partially constructed farm-worker houses.
In its 13-page decision, the APA fined the farm, owned jointly by Salim B. "Sandy" and Barbara Lewis, a penalty of $50,000, to be paid by April 28.
The APA also said the farmers could not occupy or let employees live in the buildings until after-the-fact APA permits are in place.
The APA demanded the Lewis Family Farm submit a "detailed description of the use of each dwelling and connection to the Lewis Farm agricultural operations," along with an "as-built" plan for the septic systems.
Mr. Lewis said they will appeal the APA decision.
AGRICULTURE STATUS
The modular houses, valued at close to $300,000 apiece, were erected over the past year to provide farm-worker housing. They are on Whallons Bay Road in Essex, about 100 yards from the hamlet boundary line in Whallonsburg.
The Lewis Family Farm obtained building permits from the Town of Essex before construction began, and Mrs. Lewis said she understood at the time from the town zoning officer that no APA permits were required for agricultural buildings.
Once foundations were dug and concerns raised, she contacted the APA and was told by staff that APA permits were needed to build "single-family dwellings."
Read APA rules against Lewis Family Farm in Essex in the Press-Republican.
From the article:
CONKLIN—No one was jumping around yelling "Show me the money," but the message seemed clear—natural gas companies are paying more to lease land for exploration drilling.
The numbers seemed to get bigger and the rumors swirled throughout Conklin Presbyterian Church on Thursday night about who was getting paid what. More than 400 people attended the meeting on natural gas exploration, sponsored by the state Farm Bureau.
Conklin farmer Daniel Fitzsimmons said property owners seem to get the best prices by organizing and selling large tracts of land under one lease. Fitzsimmons said he's trying to form the "Town of Binghamton/Conklin Group" that would leverage large acreage into a favorable lease for property owners.
"The more people are organized, the better it's going to be," Fitzsimmons said. Fitzsimmons said he heard of one group that made $3,000 an acre with royalties of 20 percent of the gas production.
Read Natural gas prospects heat meeting in the Binghamton Press Connects.
“All three businesses have something in common -- products not normally associated with farming in upstate New York. They're examples of niches farmers are trying to carve out in this financially risky business. ”
