Since 1984 the Dairy Farm Beautification Program has been sponsoring this award which recognizes well maintained and attractive farm operations.  This years winners will join the prestigious group of 41farms throughout Oneida County that have received this award.  The Dairy of Distinction Award helps to enhance consumer confidence in dairy products while projecting a positive image of the dairy industry. Congratulations to the following dairy farms.

DiNitto Farms L.L.C, located on Benton Road in the town of Marcy is owned and operated by the DiNitto Family. Purchased in 1947 by Rocco DiNitto, the farm was originally Central NY Livestock Sales Inc. and became an active dairy farm in 1982 when Rocco’s son, Tony DiNitto Sr., purchased the farm.

From the 150 cow conventional barn on River Road the farm expanded its operation in 1994 with the construction of a double 10 Boumatic milking parlor and large free stall barn that houses 600 cows on Benton Road.  The farm is home to 300 head of young stock raised in a 60 stall calf barn and 150 stall heifer barn. The farm works 900 acres of land from which hay and corn are raised.

DiNitto Farms L.L.C. employs eight individuals and management of all daily operations is overseen by Tony DiNitto Jr. In June of this year DiNitto Farms L.L.C. was the gracious host of Farm Fest which was attended by thousands of people.

Wayne and Kim Landis own and operate their family farm on Shanley Road in the town of Deansboro. Originating from Elizabethtown, Pa., the Landis Family relocated to Oneida County in 2005 following the purchase of the farm property and the cows.  This active farm family consists of five siblings that share in the love of the farm and its daily responsibilities.

Arie Landis is the herd manager for this 85 head dairy, while her brother, Christian Landis is in charge of managing the crops. Crops grown include 200 acres of hay, 80 acres of corn, 50 acres of soybeans, and 60 of small grains.  Ninety acres of pasture land allows the Landis family to practice a rotational grazing system for feeding their Holstein milking string.

In 2008 the pastures were subdivided into paddocks using high tensile wire. A well designed and maintained lane way ensures a comfortable commute for the cows as they travel to and from the parlor. When the cows are not out to pasture they are housed in a free stall barn and milked in a swing 12-style milking parlor that was added in 2006.   A two story barn is used to house 100 head of young stock.   Isaac Landis helps to keep the farm running smoothly by fulfilling his responsibilities of making repairs and seeing that general chores are completed.

Young stock on the farm are cared for by Abigail and Daniel Landis.  Not only are the Landis children active participants on this family farm, they are strongly encouraged to help make decisions regarding the daily operations of the farm. Over the past year the Landis family farm has been shifting their management and production style from traditional to organic practices. Artificial hormones and antibiotic use have been replaced with natural and organic treatment options.

In addition to producing milk, the Landis family operates a roadside stand that offers their homegrown produce.  Asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes and pumpkins are available seasonally. Be sure to visit the stand located at 7225 Shanley Road in Deansboro.

The Landis family expresses their gratitude and thankfulness for their family’s success in the following statement.  “We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for the help of other farmers and especially for the many blessings from the Lord!”

The Stricker Family Farm on Barker Road in Clinton is owned and operated by Bob Stricker. The two story conventional tie stall barn is home to 50 milk cows and 25 head of young stock.  The farm operates on 217 total acres of which 150 are tillable and an additional 30 acres are rented.  Crops grown include hay, corn and oats.

This Dairy of Distinction farm also has a history of family involvement.  Bob’s parents, Bill and Mary Stricker purchased the farm and 82 acres in 1947 and began milking 18 cows.  The purchase of 135 additional acres in 1963 allowed the Strickers to expand their herd to 50 cows.  Bill and Mary’s hard work and dedication to their farm enabled them to raise eight children.

In 1984 a partnership with their son Bob was formed and in 2001 Bob became sole owner and operator of The Stricker Family Farm. Family involvement continues today with help from Bob’s sister Linda McComb and Bob’s nephew, Ryan Lallier. Bob Stricker also employs three additional part time employees.  Loraine Barker, Timothy Zimbler and Zack Reed all play a part in this farm’s success.

Congratulations to all three Dairy of Distinction award winners!

Late Blight has been reported in the neighboring states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and on Long Island – it has not been reported in Oneida County.

Home Gardeners, now is the time to start spraying with fungicides containing the chemical CHLOROTHALONIL.  Follow the manufacturer’s suggestions for rates and frequency. Unfortunately organic products containing copper have not proven to be highly effective against Late Blight.

Have more tomato blight questions?  Download the Tomato Blight factsheet from our webpage http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oneia/

Out of the 1330 individuals that came through the entrance gates for the 14^th Annual Herb and Flower Fest, 610 passed through the Butterfly House.  Those in attendance came from our entire sister counties and other states such as: Myrtle Beach, SC, VA, Dayton, Ohio, Gloucester, MA, Lawrence Kansas, and San Diego, CA.

As the weather was overcast most of the day and with eventual light showers in the afternoon, the adult monarchs in the Butterfly House were inactive.  However, those attending the exhibit were exposed to the many stages of the monarch’s life cycle and learned of the host and nectar plants required to maintain the species.

As many people are concerned with insect conservation, we feel the monarch butterfly with it’s charisma can raise awareness about all insects and the importance they play in the world around us. In addition, due to the close relationship to plants and the sensitivity to disturbances, the studies of butterflies, is an important indicator of habitat and the ecosystems health in which we are all a part of.

Please come to the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Parker Scripture Botanical Gardens this summer to enjoy the monarch butterflies as well as the many other teaching gardens and nature trail for you and your family’s enjoyment. Pack a lunch for under the pavilion, stroll the gardens and enjoy nature!

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County

Master Gardeners

From Oriskany Falls: Jessie Rocker.

From Sherrill: Joseph Luckette.

By Margo Frink

(Oneida, NY) After 31 years of harmonizing barbershop style, members of Sound of Silver Chorus have decided to call it quits.

“After much discussing and agonizing, the 19 singers voted to dissolve the local chapter of Sweet Adelines International,” said Rose Hosp. “In many attempts to sign on new members needed to revitalize and strengthen the group, no new singers were found. Other concerns added to the decision to dissolve as the only viable solution.”

Hosp said the group met in Oneida and its members came from all over including Oriskany, Utica, New Hartford, Clinton, Wampsville, Canastota, Chittenango, Remsen and VanBuren. She said in order to have a balanced performance at least 16 members are needed and not just any members, but voices that sing particular parts.

“At times we had to refuse an engagement because we didn’t have all the parts,” Hosp said.

And it took dedication and commitment to memorize music and perform. The group rehearsed year round, when others take the summer off, she said.

Fortunately, three quartets have immerged from the group so ladies barbershop harmony will still ring in the Central New York area.

Harmony Time is one of those quartets. Its members are from the Chittenango and Canastota areas. Three members of the BARBer Shoppe Belles live in the Utica area and one is from Van Buren. The other group, Notes 2U hails its members from Utica, Syracuse, Deerfield and Manlius.

The quartets are available to sing at any engagement. Harmony Time and the “Belles” have performed as a double quartet and will perform at the Vienna Historical Society this summer. Harmony Time and Notes 2U also performed at this year’s Oz-Stravaganza in Chittenango.

“We don’t need equipment or a lot of space,” Hosp said.

Hosp said Sweet Adelines International is very much alive and who knows, maybe interest will start up again in the area.

“The chorus sincerely thanks all those who have supported Sound of Silver over the past 31 years,” Hosp said. “It certainly provided its members with fun, musical education and harmony.”

To hire Harmony Time, call Pat at 687-3535; the BARBer Shoppe Belles contact is Rose, at 896-2475 and to book Notes 2U for an engagement, call Michelle at 794-2803.

(Oriskany, NY) Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito (D-Rome) announced that the final state budget includes over $42 million in funding for the New York State Preparedness Training Center at the former Oneida County airport in Oriskany. The money will be used to expand the center to become a training hub for first responders across the Northeast.

“This center is vital to the Mohawk Valley economy, not only as a top training facility for our emergency responders, but also for our local economy,” said Destito. “People will be traveling to our community to train and they will patronize our restaurants, hotels and gas stations – helping to give our economy the jumpstart it so desperately needs.”

Plans for expansion include creating movie-set like streetscapes to host shooting drills, adding courses for operators of emergency vehicles, renovations and improvements to the education and administration building, and a weapons training complex. The aim is to provide world class and nationally accredited training for our first responders, police, fire officers, EMS, and many other government agencies.

“The better prepared first responders are, the better they will be at handling emergencies,” said Destito. “As chairwoman of the Assembly Standing Committee on Governmental Operations, which oversees Homeland Security issues, I worked to ensure that funding for the training center was included in the final state budget.”

(Washington, D.C.) In a letter on Thursday, June 17, 2010, U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri (NY-24) and U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) called on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District Commander LTC Daniel Snead to remove a special condition in the draft wetlands permit that would prevent development of the Marcy Nanotech site until a semiconductor manufacturer has been identified and brought under contract.

“From the beginning, the goal has always been for EDGE to negotiate a permit with the Army Corps that would allow them to begin developing the site in an effort to attract a microchip manufacturer,” said Arcuri.  “The draft permit presented by the Army Corps completely ignores that understanding and the tremendous amount of effort and resources that EDGE and the various state agencies have expended over the last four years to move this project forward.”

“We’ve got to end this bureaucratic Catch-22, where we need to have a chip manufacturer before we can develop the site, but we need to develop the site in order to attract a chip manufacturer,” said Schumer.  “This project has serious potential for economic development – just look at what is going on 100 miles east, at Global Foundries.  To not permit development to go forward at this point would waste a vast amount of resources the community has already spent, and would be a weight around the neck of efforts to creating good paying jobs for residents of the Mohawk Valley.”

“Just last month I visited the future site of the Marcy Nanotech Manufacturing Project and saw firsthand how critical this is to our local economic development in the Mohawk Valley,” Senator Gillibrand said. “To move this project forward, the Army Corp must reconsider the special condition they have placed on Mohawk Valley Edge’s permit to develop this site. This project holds tremendous economic potential for the region and is far to important to squander.”

For more than four years, Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises (EDGE) has been working with the USACE, Buffalo District to advance a wetlands permit application for the Marcy Nanotech site.  The draft permit issued by the USACE on May 12, 2010, currently includes a requirement that prohibits EDGE from disturbing the majority of existing wetlands on the site “until a semiconductor manufacturer has committed and been secured by executed written contract to utilize the subject project site for the stated project purpose in this permit.”

This special condition is contrary to the central purpose behind the permit application – to begin development of the site for the express purpose of marketing it to a potential end user.  The hope of EDGE has always been to create the most convenient and accessible site as a means of attracting a tenant.

Mohawk Valley EDGE and the USACE have been involved in ongoing negotiations over just how large an area EDGE will need to clear at the Marcy site and the amount of corresponding new wetlands EDGE will be required to create at the Oriskany Flats State Wildlife Management Area in order to offset the impact at the Marcy site.  In order for EDGE to clear the site and prepare it for construction, they must first obtain a permit from the USACE because the development will involve removal of stream segments and other federally protected wetlands.

Below is the text of the letter sent by Arcuri, Schumer and Gillibrand to USACE, Buffalo District Commander LTC Snead:

LTC Daniel B. Snead, District Commander

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District

1776 Niagara Street

Buffalo, NY 14207

Dear LTC Snead:

For more than four years, Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises (EDGE) has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE), Buffalo District to advance a Section 404 permit application for the site in Marcy, NY.  Throughout this process, the intent has always been for the issuance of a permit that would allow EDGE to undertake the necessary site preparation in order to attract a semiconductor manufacturer.  This initiative is critical to the long term economic development of the Mohawk Valley region.  EDGE and the various state agencies have expended tremendous efforts during this time to obtain the necessary funding, waivers and covenants required for this important project to move forward.

It is our understanding that the draft permit issued by USACE on May 12, 2010, currently includes a special condition (#1), which prohibit EDGE from disturbing the majority of existing wetlands on the site “until a semiconductor manufacturer (tenant) has committed and been secured by executed written contract to utilize the subject project site for the stated project purpose in this permit.”  In our view, this defeats the central purpose behind the permit application – so that EDGE could develop the site for the express purpose of marketing it to a potential end user.  The hope of EDGE has always been to create the most convenient and accessible site as a means of attracting a tenant.  This special condition deprives EDGE of that incentive.

Moreover, this special condition is unnecessary to ensure the least possible amount of wetland disturbance.  Over the course of the last four years, USACE, EDGE and its consultants and engineers, as well as other federal and state agencies, have painstakingly negotiated the areas detailed in the draft permit to minimize the wetland disturbance at the site and tailor the appropriate amount of off-site mitigation.  In addition, as the eventual signatory to the permit, EDGE will remain liable for any disturbances beyond the scope allowed by the permit and for the satisfactory completion of the mitigation plan that USACE has already deemed sufficient to offset impacts at the primary site.

For these reasons, we respectfully request your assistance in removing Special Condition 1 from the permit and allowing EDGE, upon validation of the permit, to immediately commence developing the site, in accordance with the mitigation plan.

As in the past, we appreciate your prompt attention and personal involvement in this important matter.  Please contact us as soon as possible to discuss this matter.

Sincerely

Several local business members of the Mohawk Valley Growers Association donated various annual and perennial plants.  The Extension produced a graph format of the empty container in which the sponsoring nursery drew up a design highlighting the donated plant material.  The teens learned about placement, color combinations, soil moist gels, fertilizers and basic care of the container flowers.  They experienced hands on planting of the fourteen different containers.

Sponsors of the planters donated an estimated $1,200 worth planting materials and they included:  Benson Farms, Brick House Acres, Candella’s Greenhouses, Casler Flower Farm, Chester’s Flower Shop, Inc., Elizabeth’s Country Garden, Freedom Farm Market LLC, Happy Valley Farms, North Star Orchards, Olney’s Flower Pot, River Road Farm & Greenhouses, Seneca Trail Garden Center, and Snyder’s Greenhouse Gardens.

Cornell Cooperative Extension will have the container designs and photos of the planters posted to the CCE website site shortly.  One can scale down these annual and perennial container designs to fit their home or office planters and shop for the plant material at our local Mohawk Valley Growers businesses.  Visit the Oneida County Office Building sometime this summer to see the various planted containers.  Check out Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County website at www.cce.cornell.edu for additional gardening information under the Home and Garden link or call the Horticulture Hotline, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to noon at 736-3394, ext. 127.

The session will inspire you to color your world by adding container plantings to your garden.  Participants will learn a bit of history of container gardening along with the basic information of how to grow plants in containers.  Just about anything can be grown in containers, be it annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs or even vines and small trees and shrubs.  Ideas for container design and form will be provided along with a demonstration of plantings in a unique container.  Participants will discover an amazing number of plant possibilities and an equally amazing variety of containers, both purchased and improvised.

Sample plants and containers will be provided courtesy of George’s Farm Products and Greenhouse in Clinton, NY.

Roseanne Loparco, Master Gardener will be presenting the class.  The Mini Learning Session will take place in the pavilion at the Extension’s Parker Scripture Botanical Gardens, 121 Second Street, Oriskany, NY located behind the Farm & Home Center Building.  Please dress for the weather.

For more information, contact Holly @736-3394 ext. 125.

The session will inspire you to color your world by adding container plantings to your garden.  Participants will learn a bit of history of container gardening along with the basic information of how to grow plants in containers.  Just about anything can be grown in containers, be it annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs or even vines and small trees and shrubs.  Ideas for container design and form will be provided along with a demonstration of plantings in a unique container.  Participants will discover an amazing number of plant possibilities and an equally amazing variety of containers, both purchased and improvised.

Sample plants and containers will be provided courtesy of George’s Farm Products and Greenhouse in Clinton, NY.

Holly Wise, Extension Educator will be presenting the class.  The Mini Learning Session will take place in the pavilion at the Extension’s Parker Scripture Botanical Gardens, 121 Second Street, Oriskany, NY located behind the Farm & Home Center Building.  Please dress for the weather.

For more information, contact Holly @736-3394 ext. 125.