Summer 2018 Quarterly Supplement to

The
TRACTOR
FACTOR

—Photo by Jim Krencik

Precise program takes in wide swath of students:
Seth Conway, precision farming manager for Monroe Tractor, spoke to students from Perry and Livonia
before giving some a ride in a Miller Nitro sprayer that follows a path created by satellite every six seconds.
The demonstration was part of Precision Agriculture Day at Genesee Community College.
...See inside!
AGRICULTURAL NEWS & VIEWS FROM THE GLOW REGION

Come Ride And Drive At Our Event JAVAFARMSUPPLY.COM

2 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
From 4-H showman to industry expert
HARVEST: Anika Zuber has seen a lot of angles, opportunities in young career
By JIM KRENCIK
jkrencik@batavianews.com
A
nika Zuber’s collegiate
and professional ca-
reer has taken the By-
ron native to Cornell,
Italy and some of the most pro-
gressive companies in agricul-
ture and retail.
Although she’s often on the
road, Zuber’s office is now a
floor above some of the awards
she won as a young 4-H show-
man.
As a dairy processing and
marketing specialist for the
Cornell Cooperative Exten-
sion’s Harvest New York team,
Zuber covers 16 counties, doz-
ens of dairy plants and hun-
dreds of farms.
“There’s no average day,”
Zuber said during one of the
few quiet days she’s had since
taking on her Batavia-based
role in December. “The cool
thing about this position,
there’s things to accomplish
Tractor Factor
— positively contributing to
the economic development of
dairy processing ... but you can
make it what you want to, and
take initiative with it.”
She commutes from Mad-
ison County to both Cornell’s
Ithaca campus and to the local
dairy community that put her
on a path she doesn’t intend to
leave. Anika said growing up
with the Registered Holstein
and Brown Swiss cows milked
at Zuber Farms made her want
to never really leave.
“That upbringing launched
me into a career in dairy and
gave me a lot of opportuni-
ties growing up,” said Zuber,
a former Genesee County
Dairy Princess. “I was in 4-H,
showed cows at the 4-H Fair,
and then I went to Cornell.”
Zuber started at the univer-
sity studying agricultural sci-
JIM KRENCIK/DAILY NEWS
ence, resisting following her
Anika Zuber travels across 16 counties in western New York in her duties as dairy processing and
sister Tristan into food science
marketing specialist for Harvest New York, a Cornell Cooperative Extension team dedicated to
See ZUBER T4 growing agricultural production and value-added products.
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 3

Batavia North Java Yorkshire Westfield

45 Center St.
(585) 219-4761
4862 Rt. 98
(585) 457-9421
3101 Rt. 39
(716) 492-2510
8884 W. Rt. 20
(716) 326-4666 JAVAFARMSUPPLY.COM
4 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Zuber
From T2
before transferring in.
“It was a natural fit to focus
on dairy, even though there’s
not a specific track,” said Zu-
ber, whose first internship
came after her freshmen year
at O-AT-KA Milk in Batavia. “I
worked with their R&D team
there, and that was the first
time I realized how different
dairy farming is from dairy pro-
cessing.”
She continued at Cornell,
adding internships at an Ital-
ian cheese company that made
small batches from goat, sheep
and cow milk; and Leprino
Foods, a large mozzarella pro-
ducer.
“I’ve seen the industry from a
lot of different vantage points,”
said Zuber, who started her ca-
reer in the management train-
ing program at Hannaford Su-
permarkets in Albany area.
“That was a really awesome
experience, because I was
overseeing the fresh depart-
ments - the produce, the bak-
ery, the deli,” she said. “It was
a nice marriage of seeing things
through a consumer view and
in leadership.”
An interest in learning even
more angles of the industry
flowed naturally into the Ex-
tension program. A Water-
town-based Harvest New York
position for the state’s northern
industry was created in 2015.
Tristan had worked in the same
role in Batavia before switching
to a job directly in the industry
selling cultures to dairy plants.
Harvest New York differs
from Extension teams like
Northwest New York Dairy,
Livestock & Field Crops team
because it doesn’t work direct-
ly on farms. Staff work on food
distribution, commodities and
marketing for the state’s pro-
duce, livestock and dairy in-
dustries.
“We’re in the value-added
sector,” Zuber said, noting that
as farms maximize their pro-
duction, markets need to be
found. “We have all these great
raw agricultural commodities
in New York. So how do we help
the value-added industries
grow?”
She sees three main areas to
accomplish her goals. All in-
tertwine with economic devel-
opment - building a workforce
to assisting new and existing
plant, attracting new business-
es to the region, and helping ex-
isting plants get technical and
market support.
It’s a good time to take on
these challenges. Zuber point-
ed to the Western New York
Tech Academy in Bergen,
which will graduate its first
food processing tech students
this year; and Genesee Com-
munity College, which has its
own food production program.
“We do have a lot of cool
programs to help like dairy
and food processers with re-
sources they can utilize,” she
said, including the Extension
and on-campus experts and
training programs available to
businesses as small as start-up
cheesemakers to long-estab-
lished milk cooperatives.
The main thing is to be en-
gage with businesses. Solving
the glut in the dairy supply is an
industry-wide, and consum-
er-driven issue, but Zuber said
there is a growing innovation to
meet it.
Artisan cheeses, non-
GMO branded fluid milk and
farm-level bottling have all im-
pressed her.
“The concept I find interest-
ing, we formed these coopera-
tives so farmers (had a place) to
sell their milk, and that exempt-
ed them from marketing their
milk themselves,” Zuber said.
“In today’s world, farmer’s are
not the marketers, but we’re
starting to see that shift back
... when I talk to a farm starting
with value-added products, I
ask how they are going to mar-
ket it?”
The Zuber family now milks
2,400 cows, with Anika’s father
and uncle as partners and her
brother taking on day-to-day
operations. Running a dairy
farm is one role Anika said she’s
not sure she could take on, but
the 2010 Elba High graduate
still has plenty of time to find
new roles in dairy.
“It’s cool being in the next
generation in the industry,
because we need more young
people,” Anika said. “I don’t see
myself ever leaving the indus-
try, I’m just so passionate about
it. My dog’s name is butter. I’m
pretty well ingrained in it.”
Tractor Factor
Fighting for clear skies over Barre
By MALLORY DIEFENBACH
mdiefenbach@batavianews.com
BARRE — In March, Her-
itage Wind filed its prelimi-
nary scoping statement for
its proposed 200-megawatt
wind farm. However, not ev-
eryone is happy with the in-
coming wind farm.
Kerri Richardson, founder
of Clear Skies Above Barre,
said it started last year with
a public hearing on a MET
tower in Barre. She said while
she wasn’t able to attend,
but from what she head, the
interpretation was the com-
munity needed more infor-
mation, but it was OK with
going ahead with the MET
tower because after a year of
gathering information, Her-
itage Wind would let Barre
residents know if the town
has a good wind resource or
not for industrial wind tur-
bines.
“We never heard anything
so everyone was lulled into a
thought that it was OK, noth-
ing was really progressing,”
she said. “Then the day be-
fore Good Friday we received
a letter in the mail stating
we had until the following
Friday to respond to over
188-page preliminary scop-
WELDING & FABRICATING
SAND BLASTING & PAINTING
TRUCKS • TRAILERS • MACHINERY
• Custom Fabrication
• CNC Plasma Cutting
www.MapleGroveEnterprises.com
ing statement.” neighbors who have signed
Richardson said it was dis- leases who will be financially
concerting to her, as a citi- benefitting from the project,
zen receiving the letter, that and it will be beneficial to the
they only had eight days to community in that way and
respond to a massive docu- appreciate its neighbors.
ment and have an opportu- “We are not in opposition
nity to look through it. She to our neighbors or to their
said she dug in to learn about success,” she said. “We are
what was going on and, as here to protect and make
a community member, re- sure all community mem-
quested an extension on the bers of Barre are protected
PSS public comment period, and that we truly understand
receiving an extension until (the windmills) and there is
May 4. Richardson said after- opposition to the industrial
ward, she learned if the com- development of our commu-
munity wants to make a dif- nity.”
ference and make sure Barre There are currently 32
residents were aware of what members in Clear Skies
was going on, it needed to Above Barre, and the next
form a community group. meeting will be Wednesday
From there, Clear Skies at the Hoag Library in Albion.
Above Barre was formed and If anyone is interested
began a door-to-door gener- in joining or getting on the
al awareness campaign. e-mail lists, he or she can
The objective of Clear contact clearskiesabove-
Skies Above Barre is to “pro- barre@gmail.com. With the
tect the health, safety and Article 10 process being ex-
welfare of the residents of pensive, for those who want
Barre and surrounding com- to help financially in looking
munities that would be im- at studies and getting experts
pacted by industrial wind to review the documents that
development, that values are being submitted by Her-
a sense of community and itage Winds, they can visit
neighborhood relations.” www.gofundme.com/man-
Richardson stressed the age/help-clear-skies-above-
group is aware there are barre.
• Rolling, Bending, Shearing • CNC Press Brake
• MIG & TIG Welding • Mobile Repair & Millwright Service
STEEL, STAINLESS & ALUMINUM IN STOCK
AIRGAS CYLINDER EXCHANGE STATION
7075 Route 98 North | Arcade, NY
585-492-3340
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 5

www.cedarstreetonline.com Celebrating 25 Years 1993-2018

• Best Cub Cadet Prices • Exceptional Finance Offers**
FREE TEST DRIVES
• Service & Parts After the Sale EVERY DAY IN OUR
• Authorized Factory Warranty Center
• One of N.Y.’s Largest Inventories TEST DRIVE PARK • No Pressure Non-Commissioned Staff
• We Make Buying Fun & Easy • Locally Owned & Operated
2018 Lawn Tractors XT1/XT2 Series 2018 RZT Series - Residential Zero-Turns
LX 46 • 679cc Cub Cadet EFI Dual ZT-2200 RevTek
• 46” twin-blade cutting deck • 24hp Twin Kohler 7000 Hydro Manual PTO RZT • 4-Wheel Steering with Steering Wheel Control
• Optimized steering system • Full-pressure lubrication w/spin-on oil filter
• Deluxe hydrostatic transmission w/enhanced automatic traction control
SX 42 • New Tilt Steering Column with LED Light
• 42” Stamped Deck
Model Description List SALE
Model Description XT1 Series List SALE RZT LX 46 18hp†† Kawasaki FR600V Dual ZT-2200 RevTek LX Feature Pkg 46” FAB Lap Bars $3199 $2899*
LT42 18hp† Single Kohler Courage Hydro Foot Manual PTO 42” Stamp Deck $1699 $1499* RZT LX 50 21.5hp†† Kawasaki FR651V Dual ZT-2200 RevTek LX Feature Pkg 50” FAB Lap Bars $3299 $2999*
LT46 22hp† Kohler 7000 Hydro Foot Electric PTO 46” FAB Deck $1899 $1699* RZT L 54 24hp† Kohler 7000 V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2200 RevTek 54” FAB Lap Bars $3299 $2899*
Model Description XT2 Series List SALE RZT LX 54 23hp†† Kawasaki FR691V Dual ZT-2200 RevTek LX Feature Pkg 54” FAB Lap Bars $3499 $3199*
LX42 22hp† Twin Kohler 7000 SC Hydro Foot Manual PTO Bumper 42” Stamped $1899 $1799* RZT SX 42 679cc Cub Cadet EFI Dual ZT-2200 RevTek 42” Stamped Tilt Steering Wheel $3499 $2999*
LX46 24hp† Twin Kohler 7000 SC Hydro Foot Electric PTO Bumper 46” Stamp $2099 $1999* RZT SX 46 679cc Cub Cadet EFI Dual ZT-2200 RevTek 46” FAB Tilt Steering Wheel $3899 $3299*
LX46 EFI 679cc Cub Cadet Twi EFI Hydro Foot Electric PTO Bumper 46” Fabricated $2399 $2299* RZT SX 54 21.5hp†† Kawasaki FR651 V-Twin Dual ZT-220 RevTEk 54” FAB Tilt Steering Wheel $4399 $3699*
SLX50 24hp† Kohler 7000 Hydro Foot Electric PTO Brush Guard Fast Attach Blades 50” Stamp $3099 $2499*
GX54 D 26hp† Twin Kohler 7000 SC Cub Connect GT Hydro Diff Lock Electric PTO Brush Guard 54” FAB $3999 $3599*
2018 Z-Force Residential Zero-Turns
• 25 HP Kohler 7000 Series PRO V-Twin OHV
2018 Shaft Drive Garden Tractors XT3 Series Z-Force • Heavy Duty One Piece Steel Frame
Choose Your Tractor & Your Deck L 60 • 60” Triple_Blade Cutting System
• 60” FAB Deck with QuickAttach™
XT3 GSX • 25 HP Kohler Command V-Twin OHV engine
• Automotive-style beltless direct shaft drive Model Description List SALE
Model Description List SALE ZF L 48 24hp† Kohler 7000 PRO V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2800 RevTek 48” FAB Lap Bars $3999 $3599*
GS 22.5hp† Twin Kohler Command Hydro Electric PTO Manual Lift LED Lights $4499 $3999* ZF L 54 25hp† Kohler 7000 PRO V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2800 RevTek 54: FAB Lap Bars $4299 $3899*
GSX 25hp† Twin Kohler Command Hydro Elec PTO Elec lift EPS Diff-lock LED Lights $5499 $4999* ZF L 60 25hp† Kohler 7000 PRO V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2800 RevTek 60” FAB Lap Bars $4399 $3999*

42” Stamped Deck................................$499* 48” FAB Deck.......................................$899* ZF S 48 24hp† Kohler 7000 PRO V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2800 RevTek 48” FAB Steering Wheel $4499 $4099*
50” Stamped Deck................................$699* 54” FAB Deck.......................................$999* ZF S 54 25hp† Kohler 7000 PRO V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2800 RevTek 54” FAB Steering Wheel $4799 $4399*
54” Stamped Deckk..............................$799* 60” FAB Deck (GSX ONLY)................$1,199* ZF S 60 25hp† Kohler 7000 PRO V-Twin OHV Dual ZT-2800 RevTek 60” FAB Steering Wheel $4899 $4499*

Model Description List SALE

2018 Cub Cadet Commercial Zero Turn Mowers 2018 PRO-Z 100 Commercial Zero-Turns
INCREDIBLE MANEUVERABILITY PRO Z 554 S KW ^ PRO Z 148 L EFI ^ 25hp† Kohler Confidant Twin EFI ZT3400 48” FAB ROPS Lap Bars $8,499 $6,599*
AND CONFIDENCE • 27hp Kawasaki FX850v (852cc PRO Z 148 S EFI ^ 25hp† Kohler Confidant Twin EFI ZT3400 48” FAB ROPS Steering Wheel $8,899 $6,899*
engine & 12cc Parker HTJ 2018 PRO-Z 500 Commercial Zero-Turns
The PRO Z Series sets a new bench- Transmission
mark, providing more strength, PRO Z 554 L KW ^ 27hp†† Kawasaki FX850V 12cc Parker HTJ 54” FAB ROPS Lap Bars $11,899 $9,299*
• 54” triple 7-gauge FAB steel
performance and comfort than ever. PRO Z 554 S KW ^ 27hp†† Kawasaki FX850V 12cc Parker HTJ 54” FAB ROPS Steering Wheel $12,999 $10,299*
cutting deck w/top, bottom &
From frame to front yoke, the side reinforcements 2018 PRO-Z 700-900 Commercial Zero-Turns
PRO Z Series is designed to • Steering wheel w/quick PRO Z 760 L KW ^ 31hp†† Kawasaki FX921V 14cc Parker HTG 60” FAB ROPS Lap Bars $13,299 $10,299*
adjust steering column PRO Z 760 S KW ^ 31hp†† Kawasaki FX921V 14cc Parker HTG 60” FAB ROPS Steering Wheel $14,499 $11,499*
outlast the demands of everyday • Power steering & foot PRO Z 960 L KW ^ 35hp†† Kawasaki FX1000V 16cc Parker HTG 60” FAB ROPS Lap Bars $14,299 $11,299*
professional use. pedal control PRO Z 960 S KW ^ 35hp†† Kawasaki FX1000V 16cc Parker HTG 60” FAB ROPS Steering Wheel $15,599 $12,199*
* Product Price — Actual retail prices are set by dealer and may vary. Taxes, freight, setup and handling charges may be additional and may vary. Models subject to limited availability. Specifications and
programs are subject to change without notice. Images may not reflect dealer inventory and/or unit specifications. Prior sales excluded, while supplies last only. **Offer Subject To Credit Approval. Some restrictions
apply. See store associate for details. † As rated by Kohler, all power levels are stated in gross horsepower at 3,600 RPM per SAE J1940 as rated by engine manufacturer. †† As rated by Kawasaki, horsepower
tested in accordance with SAE J1995 and rated in accordance with SAE J2723 and certified by SAE International. Δ^ Commercial products are intended for professional use.

Mon.-Fri. 7-5:30,
Owned & Operated By Your Friends & Neighbors Since 1993 Sat. 7-4 Professionally Set-up,
Serviced & Delivered in
Genesee County

www.cedarstreetonline.com
For Only $39
6 • Thursday, May 31, 2018 Tractor Factor

Precise program takes in wide swath of students

SCHOOLS: Demos at Genesee Community College show off the technological advancements in agriculture
By JIM KRENCIK
jkrencik@batavianews.com
BATAVIA — The Miller Nitro
5250 sprayer is pretty impres-
sive, especially in a field along-
side Genesee Community Col-
lege.
It can cover a 100-foot swath
with crop fertilizers and pro-
tective agri-chemicals with
systems that allows each noz-
zle to spray independently
along a GPS-guided auto-steer.
Who wants a ride, asked Seth
Conway, the precision farming
manager at Monroe Tractor.
Students from 13 districts
saw recently just how precise
the precision needs to be in
modern agriculture during the
college’s annual Precision Ag-
riculture Day. Conway said the
satellite-directed sprayer gets
positional data every six sec-
onds that are accurate to less
than a few feet; while other sta-
tions dialed into the subjects
the size of seeds or smaller.
Kendra Lamb of Lamb
Farms and Keith Carlson of At-
tica Veterinary Associates wel-
comed students into a Conable
Technology Building class-
room where a microscope sat
near equipment used to han-
dle embryos and ultrasounds
for breeding dairy cows to have
more desirable traits.
Lamb said both milking and
show stock have benefited
from embryo transplants and
genotyping — the process of
taking a small piece of tissue
from newborn calves to a lab.
“What we get back is an re-
port with tons of information
about her genetic makeup — it
tells us what she’s projected in
milk, fat and protein; it tells us
their health and wellness traits
as well,” Lamb said. “It helps
us identify who the elite ani-
mals are in our herd, because
we want more of their genet-
ics.”
Students at the program
were selected in simpler ways.
Precision agriculture has
been offered for two years in
Perry, teacher Mark Mancari
said. His students, joined by a
pair from Livonia, were those
interested in taking the course
next year.
“We started it as a pilot pro-
gram, and it’s been relative-
ly successful — the numbers
are growing,” Mancari said.
“A lot of the interest has to do
with technology. To see these
things put to use, especially
for us with drones. If you had a
tractor at school, I’m sure a lot
of kids would want to drive it.”
Schools represented at the
event came from across the
GLOW region, including stu-
dents from the Agri-Business
Academy at the Genesee Val-
ley Educational Partnership.
Instructor Kerri Richardson
pinch-hit as a presenter on ro-
JIM KRENCIK/DAILY NEWS
botic milking, explaining to a Weather prevented a full demonstration of drone capabilities
student interested in a career during Genesee Community College’s Precision Agriculture Day.
in animal nutrition about how
a farm might use a portion of
the cow’s desired mixed ration
as an inducement to enter the
parlor and complete the feed
formula as they depart.
“Whether you’re a farmer or
not, we all have a vested inter-
ested in this — to understand
agriculture is a foundation of
society and that it has oppor-
tunities across all aspects of
society, like robotics or heavy
machinery. There’s an avenue
for you,” Richardson said.

e
Lee Shuknecht
h Best
Simp l y T
r v e s t e r In P E
O E@ N 2 4 / 7
a
& Sons, Inc.
Onion H d!! ONLIN
www.shuknecht.com the Worl TAT E D CJ.COM
U P S
Manufactures Custom Onion Harvesting
Equipment for the Agricultural Industry
We have engineered, developed and manufactured a
TOTAL MECHANICAL ONION HARVESTING
AND ONION PACKING HOUSE SYSTEM
FABRICATION, WELDING & MACHINE SHOP
FULL MANUAL METAL MACHINING SERVICES - METAL FABRICATION
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY REPAIR & REBUILDING
We repair: Manure Spreaders • Trucks & Truck Bodies • Plows
Feed Wagons • Buckets for Agricultural Use
USED ARMY TRUCKS & PARTS • FARM PARTS
STEEL SALES, INVENTORY & DISTRIBUTION
Give us a call with any of your special needs - we are here to help you! www.upstatedcj.com
4458 Ford Road, Elba, NY 14058 • www.shuknecht.com 125 Prospect St. Attica, NY 14011 • (585) 591-0678
Office 585-757-6628 • Fax 585-757-9395 • shuknecht@gmail.com www.UpstateDCJ.com
Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 7
8 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Another farming crisis America’s youth turn
from farming, population continues to age
By JESSICA DILLON
jdillon@batavianews.com
T
here’s another dilem-
ma lying just beneath
the surface of econom-
ic uncertainty, hints
of it whispering warnings in
the creak of knees that aren’t
so quick to bend these days, in
tired eyes and achy joints, in
bad backs and leathery skin.
The average age of the U.S.
farmer is steadily on the rise
and there aren’t enough young
farmers entering the industry
to fill the gaping void.
Meanwhile, populations
across the globe are increas-
ing, meaning that more and
more people are demanding
more and more food.
And when U.S. farmers say
they “feed the world,” they
aren’t exaggerating - bigger
harvests in the U.S. tend to
improve food affordability on
the global front, helping, for
instance, Chinese pigs to grow
fat on cheap soybean meal
grown by American farmers.
Their efforts subsequently im-
prove the diets of hundreds of
millions of impoverished citi-
zens across the globe. But with
fewer individuals choosing
farming as an occupation than
ever before - new farmer num-
bers dropped at least 20 per-
cent, according to the most re-
cent USDA agricultural census
- and with retirement looming
ever closer on the horizon for
the average farmer, now aged
60, the nation - and, to some
extent, the world - is left to
wonder: Where will our food
come from? And who will grow
it?
Recently, the Attica FFA
teamed up with Attica Part-
ners for Agriculture to provide
some answers, presenting a
documentary film and a pan-
el discussion to address the
impending crisis. Over baked
goods and anecdotal bonding,
panelists, community mem-
bers and students donned
their thinking caps and, after
delving into 75 minutes worth
of footage, facts and figures,
Tractor Factor
got down to the nitty-gritty.
“Where are we headed in ag-
riculture in the future?” asked
moderator Barry Flansburg,
president of the Albion FFA
alumni. “How do we get young
people involved?”
For the panel, composed
of experts representing local
dairies, farms small and large,
Farm Credit East and the US-
DA Farm Service Agency, the
answers didn’t come so easily.
Farming is among one of the
most hazardous and demand-
ing occupations in existence
- working 90 hours a week in
a physically demanding envi-
ronment is to be expected, and
agricultural workers are ex-
posed to a slew of occupation-
al hazards each and every day.
Ergonomic stress, sunlight, ROCCO LAURIENZO/THE DAILY NEWS
viruses, inorganic dust, pesti- Sivue Farms is a family operation in Wyoming County.
cides and other chemicals may
play a significant role in the ad-
verse health issues many farm-
ers report, including musculo-
skeletal disorders, respiratory AWARD WINNING
diseases and injuries.
And with milk, wheat, soy-
PUMPELLER®
Patented
bean and bulk maple syrup Turbine The PUMPELLER® Hybrid Turbine
prices down by a significant Impeller revolutionizes manure pump performance.
margin, farmers aren’t making See it in action on JameswayFarmEq.com.
a lot of money, if any, for their
efforts.
The resulting equation is a
messy one. How do you make ORTEL SUPPLY INC.
INC
C.
long hours and poor pay ap- 268 LIBERTY STREET Tel: 1-877-496-5050
1 877 496 5
peal to youngsters ready to en- ARCADE, NY 14009 Fax: 1-585-492-1736 JameswayFarmEq.com
ter the job market?
Well, the panelists decided,
by promoting teamwork, in-
novation and communication
- educating the public is key, Come Grow With Us!
they said. At Kreher Family Farms we believe our
“We have done so well in the people are our greatest resource. We
past 20 to 30 years producing believe in providing our employees with a
our products that we haven’t positive experience, opportunities to learn
been talking to the consumer,” and grow in their careers, and to be a part
Flansburg said. “We just as- of our legacy and our future.
sume they get it because we’re
involved in agriculture around
Kreher Family Farms offers a variety of jobs ranging from farm labor and animal
the clock. We need to get back
care, to egg processing, maintenance, compost and fertilizer, and organic
to talking to the consumer, be-
crop and farming operations. We offer full and
cause when the consumer un-
part-time opportunities with plenty of room to grow!
derstands agriculture they’re
more apt to get involved and
consume.” Apply Online at www.krehereggs.com
Meghan Rodwell, a senior Or Call Nicole at (716) 759-6802
See CRISIS T9 If You Have Any Questions!

Crisis
From T8
loan officer at Farm Credit East
in Batavia, said she couldn’t
agree more.
“One of the things I’ve al-
ways said is they (the consum-
ers) don’t know what they don’t
know,” Rodwell said. “They
don’t know that these jobs are
out there. They don’t know
that agriculture doesn’t always
involve being on the farm ...
Whether you’re selling corn,
beans, meat milk or money, we
all are in this together and we all
have that little fire that burns in
our belly. We have to do a better
job of embracing the public.”
Why?
Because, the panelists said,
that’s where they can find the
next generation - that’s how
they can fill the gap.
“There’s a lot of farms in the
area that don’t have a son or a
daughter wanting to take them
over,” said Joe Siler, Jr., of Sivue
Farms. “A lot of the older gen-
eration kind of did a poor job
of not having a succession plan
of any sort to get out of farming
and have that farm keep going.”
But via FFA and 4-H pro-
grams, if farmers are willing to
bend a little and reach out to
students who are interested
in farming but can’t, or don’t
want to, spend eight hours a day
milking calves, maybe farmers
can begin make lasting connec-
tions. Maybe they can rope in
those people who cringe at the
thought of sitting behind a com-
puter screen 40 hours a week.
Maybe they can show the public
just how rewarding farming can
be, they said.
Because of all the farmers sit-
ting on the panel - including Na-
te Hartway of Hartway Farms,
Ben Colopy of Emerling Farms
and Dan McCormick of McCor-
mick Family Dairy - every single
one of them loves what they do.
They said they hope to inspire
others to love it, too - and to
challenge the stigma that farm-
ers are “dumb dirt” uneducated
folk who don’t know anything
except to work hard.
“Not only are we not dumb
farmers, but we’re people who
love what we’re doing,” Siler
said.
He has a 300-head herd of
black angus beef soon to begin
calving - 160 births are planned
by the end of April - 1,200 acres
of crops and 30 acres of vege-
tables grown for farmstands
in Java and Elma. He’s been
farming all his life, and said he’s
surprised at how much people
don’t know about farming - and
all the joys that come with it.
“When our guys are out
working they’ll say, ‘Wow, it’s
5 o’clock already? or ‘Wow, it’s
7 o’clock already?’” Siler said.
“These people sit behind a desk
all day and literally all they want
to do is go home. And then all of
a sudden, they’re on the farm
and here it is 5 o’clock and they
love it. It’s addicting, it really is.”
His comments garnered
nods of approval and murmurs
of agreement from the audience
- but there’s another problem,
they said. Even if you love farm-
ing, even if you want to spend
the rest of your life working hard
and getting dirty, it’s hard to
break into the market.
“I don’t care how much drive
you have, you can’t do anything
without opportunity,” Hartway
said. And he should know - he
struggled to make his own start
just a few years ago.
“Access to land, access to
capital, trying to have a job, a
Tractor Factor
ROCCO LAURIENZO/THE DAILY NEWS
Joe Siler Jr. stands in his farm’s
straw barn in North Java.
family and to farm full-time,”
have all proved themselves as
major hurdles he’s had to over-
come, Hartway said. But now
that he’s done it, he’s happy and
finding success growing pump-
kins, corn and soybean on a
farm in Orleans County.
So, too, is Emerling, who said
that innovation has been in-
valuable in his success.
“If it wasn’t for the next gen-
eration giving me the ideas -
small acreage, green houses,
dairy farms,” Emerling said. “I
wouldn’t be here. We need to
help the next generation almost
actually think of something,
help them out with what their
talents are, whether it’s the con-
struction part of it or the dairy
part of it. You can get your start
with just a few cows - there are
so many different ways that if
these kids or these adults have
the drive, they can succeed.”
And though Rodwell said it’s
“frustrating” that she can only
approve loans to farmers who
have at least three years’ experi-
ence under their belt, there are
ways to get around that.
“Just remember that your
great-great-grandparents got
along because they did things
together,” said Dan Hill, a
farmer from Collins who got
his start during the great farm-
ing crisis of the 80s. “They built
barns together, they practiced
shared ownership. Some peo-
ple are good with livestock and
GREAT TRUCK
For All Your Chores!
The 2018 Toyota
Tundra Double Cab 4x4
Starting at $36,000
Features 5.7L, V-8 Cyl. Engine MPG Range 13/17
TOYOTA OF BATAVIA
A DIVISION OF UPSTATE AUTO GROUP
3899 West Main St., Batavia
Minutes from Exit 48 Batavia
1-800-NEW-TOYOTA • (585) 344-4141
ToyotaOfBatavia.com
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 9
you might have to capitalize on
that, other people are good with
mechanics. You may have to
share a hay baler - don’t think
that you’ve got to just buy every-
thing and do it all yourself. You
can share machinery, you can
share expertise. Don’t be afraid
to start small.”
As long as Americans em-
brace farm-to-table lifestyles,
insist on knowing where their
food is coming from and flock
to farmers’ markets, there exists
great opportunity, the panelists
said. And they left the discus-
sion feeling good that they, at
the very least, got the ball roll-
ing.
“Grow slowly in steps, learn
from your mistakes,” Hill said.
“I hope throughout the coun-
try, especially in Western New
York, we can have more of these
meetings.”
10 • Thursday, May 31, 2018 Tractor Factor

Dairy sends call for help

ONGOING DISCUSSIONS: Wyoming County farmers and officials detail situation in statewide webinar
By JESSICA DILLON Wyoming County. “The haz- Such as in the case of a New
jdillon@batavianews.com ards of farming in the United York dairy farmer that, in the

T
he mental health as-
pects of farming have
been overlooked or
“worse yet, completely
disregarded” for far too long,
said Stephen Acquario, Esq.,
executive director of the New
York State Association of Coun-
ties.
“Let me say right off the bat
that our main concern is the
mental health challenges that
are facing the dairy industry,”
Acquario said during a webi-
nar broadcast in April from
States and in New York state
are alone a challenge with
the heavy equipment and the
work that is required to pro-
duce the products ... These
farmers are often in solitude
with the animals producing
these products.”
And when there’s no end in
sight to the financial woes that
threaten to put under their
livelihoods, their animals and
the only way of life only they’ve
ever known, things can quickly
grow dark and desperate.
winter of 2010, finished up
his morning milking and then
methodically shot all 51 of his
milking cows in the head with
a small-caliber rifle. He shot
himself in the chest soon after
— leaving behind nothing but
a short note referencing stress,
depression and financial woes
as the explanation for his un-
timely, and tragic, exit.
And he was not alone — a JESSICA DILLON/DAILY NEWS
study by the Center for Dis-
Doug Berwanger, chairman of the Wyoming County Board of
Supervisors, served as moderator of a New York State Association
See HELP T11 of Counties webinar in April.

Think FERRELLGAS PROPANE

for ALL of your Agricultural, Residential & Business Needs.
We offer exceptional community support, service & pricing.
From CROP DRYERS to HOME HEATING!

Ferrellgas is proudly partnered with AGRIMARK FAMILY DAIRY FARMS...

call today to secure your affiliated pricing for your business and employees.
Also incredible pricing to keep you in propane all year no matter what you use it for.

Come see us at 655 Ellicott St., Batavia


Help
From T10
ease Control and Prevention
found that people working
in agriculture take their lives
at a rate higher than any oth-
er occupation. And experts
still cannot see the bottom of
the deep trough representing
a several-year stretch of low
milk prices.
And so NYSAC — with the
help of a representative from
the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, a finan-
cial lender for farmers, an
employee of a milk producing
cooperative and a working
dairy farmer — made moves
to shout “Wake up!” and
shake awake the seemingly
sleeping legislators, hoping
to open the eyes of officials
at every governmental level
during Wednesday’s webi-
nar.
The message was essential-
ly, “We are in the midst of a
gripping national crisis here,
and we need your help.”
The discussion was filmed
in the heart of Wyoming
County, the state’s top dairy
producer, and was attended
in person by about a dozen
concerned citizens. Many
more tuned in.
“We have 340 family farm
owners in Western New York,
and our farms milk 95,000
cows two to three times a day,
producing 630 tanker loads
a week,” said Jodi Smith, Sr.
Dairy Market and Policy An-
alyst for Upstate Niagara Milk
Cooperative. “The demand
for fluid milk has declined
rapidly since 2011, and our
farmers are facing consider-
able lower revenues as a re-
sult.”
Over the past 17 years, she
said, demand for Class I, or
the liquid, drinkable milk
that comes in gallons and
jugs, has declined by about
20 percent. And it happened
even more suddenly than it
seems — 10 percent of the
volume lost has occurred in
just the past seven years.
“It’s been a period of rapid
decline,” Smith said. “Class I
demand is down 10 percent.
That’s 1.2 billion pounds of
milk in the Northeast.”
Combine that with dra-
matically lowered milk pric-
es, an abundance of milk pro-
duction, alternative demands
for soy and almond milks,
high operating costs and
unchangeable weather and
then, panelists said, you’ll see
why the industry needs feder-
al support.
The picture only gets
bleaker.
“In 2015, New York farm-
ers earned $568 million, a
third of what it was in 2013,”
Acquario said. “The next few
years show no sign of recov-
ery. Because of their con-
tributions to the New York
economy, we owe it to the
farmers to assist them during
this time.”
But there aren’t many solu-
tions in sight. At least not as
of yet.
The webinar included a
discussion about the benefits
of the USDA’s Margin Protec-
tion Program, or MPP, which
is a USDA-backed insurance
product designed to support
farmers through milk market
fluctuations.
But the MPP’s success,
or lack thereof, has proved
shocking, said Kate Hem-
street, a county executive di-
rector with the USDA Farm
Service Agency.
“We know the dairy indus-
try has price cycles, and typ-
ically the FSA has provided
relief,” Hemstreet said. “But
there’s a big difference his-
torically.”
In 2009, payments made
Lamb Farms, Inc
585-948-5777
lambfarms@hotmail.com
A New York leader in quality
milk production and ag innovation
Tractor Factor
out to struggling dairy farm-
ers involved in a protection
plan totaled $4.7 million. In
2016? Just $11,157.
And so it became clear that
the program desperately re-
quired change — enrollment
for a revised MPP continues
through June 1.
But even that may not
help as much as it could. In
Wyoming County there are
a number of large dairy pro-
ducers, and though the MPP
changes are indeed positive,
according to Hemstreet, av-
erage or smaller producers
are likely to benefit most
from the program.
“We all know that com-
modity prices go up and
down,” said Mark Merrill, Sr.
Vice President at the Bank of
Castile, which lends money
to dairy farmers in Wyoming
County. “The current chal-
lenge is that the trough that
we are in right now has last-
ed longer than any other that
we have been in the last 36
years. The dairy economy is
stressed more now because
people don’t know how long
this trough is going to last.”
But the ability of the dairy
farmer — especially the Wy-
oming County dairy farmer
— to look at their operation,
tweak small things and still
make meaningful chang-
es in profitability is “just
an amazing thing,” Merrill
said. And he believes that
the sturdy hearts and hands
of multi-generational farm-
ers around the region will be
lambfarmsinc.net
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 11
able to weather the storm,
and said that in regards to
the trouble facing local farm-
adapted by buying forage
from neighboring farms and
rotationally grazing his cows,
ers, well “trouble is a relative the crisis still “cuts into the
term.” fun of it all,” he said.
For Jim Youngers, a dairy “We are the bell weather
farmer from East Arcade, county for what is to come in
trouble has meant having to this industry,” said Doug Ber-
dig into the nest egg — one wanger, the chairman of the
supported, in no small part, Wyoming County Board of
by his wife who works full Supervisors and chair of the
time as a registered nurse - to NYSAC Standing Committee
pay the bills. on Agriculture. “The chal-
“Things were great until lenges to produce milk on
a few years ago,” Youngers the farm are numerous, and
said. “A two dollar drop in the federal, state, and local
milk prices is a lot. It’s tough governments must contin-
to make ends meet.” ue to assist this unique and
And though, as he ap- important industry in New
proaches retirement, he’s York.”
Do you have HEEL pain
or ARCH pain?
HEEL SPUR SYNDROME/PLANTAR FASCIITIS
is a common problem among people who are active. It starts as
a dull intermittent pain in the heel which may progress to a sharp
persistent pain. Classically, it is worse in the morning with the first
few steps, after sitting, after standing, or after walking.
• Plantar fasciitis often begins with irritation and tearing of the
fibrous band of tissue on the bottom of the foot, which may
eventually result in the formation of a heel spur.
• Contributing factors: flat pronated feet, high arched feet, poor
shoe support, increased age, sudden weight increase,
increased activity level, family tendency.
• Approximately 2-3 times your body weight of force is exerted
on each foot with walking. Flexible, non-custom molded arch
supports found at those advertised shoe stores cannot support
these forces and usually do not provide long-lasting relief, do not
come with a lifetime warranty, and are typically more expensive
than custom-molded ones made by our office.
• 95% of our patients’ symptoms are resolved with conservative
treatment, avoiding surgical intervention.
• We also offer surgical procedures with the best post op success
rates using Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy techniques, EPF
resulting in minimal incisions and scarring, immediate ambulation
and often back in a shoe in 1 week.
• If you can’t remember when your feet didn’t hurt, now is the
time to give us a call.
Advanced Podiatry Associates
Dr. Joseph Canzoneri
2 STATE STREET, BATAVIA
585-343-8150
NEW PATIENTS WELCOME
MINIMAL WAIT TIME
Mon., Thurs., Fri. 8AM-5PM; Tues. 11-8PM
EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE
In Ofice Flouroscan • Handicap Accessible
12 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Vintage Cow offers up local focus
CUTTING-EDGE NOSTALGIA: Location mixes tradition with innovative outlook
By JESSICA DILLON
jdillon@batavianews.com
ATTICA — Ever heard of a
micro-creamery? It’s like a mi-
cro-brewery ... but not.
Swap beer for milk, stouts
for cheese curds and then,
maybe, you’ll start to get the
picture.
Some say it’s like taking the
sunlight, green grasses and
fresh air afforded to local dairy
cows and bottling it up one
step closer to home — it gives
farmers the chance to take out
the middle man, to sell their
fluid milk directly to custom-
ers and to provide a voice the
faces behind (and sometimes
on) the milk jugs shelved in
grocery stores.
Still have questions,
though? The Vintage Cow
Farmers Market and Creamery
can help.
Located at 11105 Alexan-
der Rd. (Route 98), the just-
opened greenhouse and mar-
ket will soon feature products
made from the efforts of small-
scale micro-creamery pro-
cessing on an Exchange Street
dairy.
And though the Jersey
cream top milk and cheese
curds aren’t available just yet,
consumers can get their fix of
farm fresh eggs, cuts of beef,
pork, poultry and lamb from a
Marilla farm, cow’s milk soap
Tractor Factor
from a dairy in Bliss, local po-
tatoes, honey, Merle’s maple
products and even handcraft-
ed artisan cutting boards, old
barnwood signs and more in
the meantime.
“Our plan is to be open,
probably minimal hours in
the winter, but to be here year-
round,” owner Katie Carpen-
ter said. “It’s been totally awe-
some to collaborate with other
local farms.”
Born out of a love of brown
cows and a desire to provide
the local community with
down-to-earth products and JESSICA DILLON/DAILY NEWS
Owners Katie Carpenter and Dana Chamberlain, local dairy
good, old-fashioned conversa-
farmers, pose in the storefront of the newly opened Vintage Cow
See VINTAGE T13 Farmers Market and Creamery on Route 98 in Attica.
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 13

Vintage
From T12
tion, Carpenter and her busi-
ness partner Dana Chamber-
lain said the new venture has
proven, even in its first week,
an “unbelievable success.”
“It’s been going fabulous,
better than I think we could
have even expected,” Carpen-
ter said as she moved among
rows of perennials bursting
forth in rich, colorful splendor.
“We’re having so much fun.
“We’ve met so many nice,
kind-hearted people,” she con-
tinued. “People are hearing
about us from all over and it’s
been really awesome. The flow-
er business is a happy business,
people come in and they’re just
so excited and we get to help
them in a different way.”
It took only some gentle
nudging from Chamberlain’s
husband and a little bit of ser-
endipity before everything be-
gan to fall, quicker than ever ex-
pected, into place, the two said.
“It’s all my husband’s fault,
we blame him,” Chamberlain
said. But then she laughed and
said that, really, it’s all thanks to
the Jersey cows.
“We both love our brown
cows and wanted to do some-
thing similar in marketing our
own products,” Carpenter said.
“Her husband said, ‘Hey, you
guys should talk some more
about that.’”
And soon, with guidance
from the Wyoming County
IDA’s offering of the Kauffman
FastTrac entrepreneur course
and involvement in various
other classes and seminars, all
signs began to point, literally,
toward Route 98. In search of
a place to market their prod-
ucts, the two put in an offer on
the site, formerly known as The
Country Garden, six weeks ago.
“It’s been a great journey and
a wonderful blessing because
this has all just come together
in a way that’s beyond fath-
omable,” Chamberlain said.
“There’s got to be a higher pow-
er involved because it’s just,
this place came available, the
former owners were willing to
work with us, the suppliers that
we’ve come in contact with,
they’ve been willing to work
with us...”
And what of the “vintage”
The Vintage Cow Farmers Market, a greenhouse and farm market,
offers an array of local products ranging from cow’s milk soap to
fresh cuts of beef and poultry.
feel?
“With us being dairy farm-
ers, we wanted something kind
of nostalgic,” Carpenter said.
“Our business is focused on
old-fashioned customer ser-
vice. We wanted to focus on the
local and loved the idea of pro-
moting dairy in a different way.
We want to be a one-stop kind
of shop, so people can come
to us and get a variety of local
goods.”
More changes are coming
soon — seeds for Indian corn
and some pumpkins will be
JESSICA DILLON/DAILY NEWS
planted this summer in prepa-
ration for the fall, berries and
other local produce will make
its way onto the shelves and
hopefully, by July, ice cream
will be available, too.
“The town has generously
donated their ditch cleanings to
us so we can plant a cut flower
garden,” Carpenter said. “Peo-
ple can come here and sit and
watch the creek and enjoy their
ice cream.”
And though neither, admit-
tedly, have much of a green
thumb, they’ve found that car-
ing for a nursery is a lot like car-
ing for livestock.
“We just try to keep them
(the plants) alive,” Cham-
berlain joked. “We talk to our
plants, but we don’t sing be-
cause they’re like my kids, who
say, ‘Please, don’t sing, mom.’”
Their methods seem to be
working — a greenhouse full
of marigolds and lilies bustled
with activity on Wednesday af-
ternoon. And from providing
custom-made planters and
cemetery urns to offering sage
words of advice in regards to
the best local products, the two
said they’re glad to be able to
share their story and, hopefully,
remind the community not to
take precious staples like dairy
for granted.
“All of these wonderful things
keep happening,” Chamber-
lain said. “We’re just above and
beyond our blessings here. It’s
very humbling.”
The Vintage Cow is open six
days a week — they’re closed on
Tuesdays — and more informa-
tion regarding their hours and
offerings can be found by vis-
iting their Facebook page, The
Vintage Cows Farmers Market.

MATERIALS is proud to be a
LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED American Company!
Concrete | Asphalt
Sand | Gravel - Crushed Stone
Pickup | Delivery
Dump Truck & Slinger Services
Paving Services

Call 585.658.2248 for all your material and trucking needs!

14 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
As milk prices drop, some farms opt to implement new technology
By JESSICA DILLON
jdillon@batavianews.com
L
egend has it there’s
a barn full of cows in
Pennsylvania which re-
fuse to eat anything but
bubblegum-flavored nutrition-
al pellets.
“Cows are weird,” said Russ
Klein, a fourth-generation
dairy farmer at Silver Meadows,
a 750-acre operation located
on the western shores of Silver
Lake. “They get onto some-
thing they like and that’s what
they demand.”
Since the installation of his
farm’s robotic system at the
tail-end of 2014, he’s discov-
ered that his own cows — ap-
proximately 200 of them —
seem to prefer orange citrus
to that quintessential straw-
berry-banana punch combo
(according to experts, that’s
a precise breakdown of what
you’re tasting when you bite
into a wad of gooey, sticky,
pink bubblegum). With the
cows now on their own milking
schedules thanks to implemen-
tation of advanced DeLaval
milking technology, Klein said
they begin to develop individ-
ual routines and a heightened
curiosity. In other words, their
personalities, including their
flavor preferences, really start
to shine through.
“I think you see the character
start to come out in these cows
a little bit more,” Klein said of
how the barn environment has
changed since his two robots
entered into service just over
8276 Park Rd., Batavia NY 14020 • (585) 343-7440 • www.GeneseeNY.com • www.VisitGeneseeNY.com
Staying in the game
Russ Klein, seen here in the robotic milking parlor at Silver Meadows Farm, said the system was
added at the farm toward the end of 2014.
two years ago. “Now when
you’re in the pen, you’re not
there to move the cows to the
milking parlor, so they get used
to you and their personalities
start to come out.”
And so while some public
entities have suggested that
robotic milking systems are
impersonal and make for un-
pleasant milking situations for
cows, in Klein’s experience, he
said, “it’s just the opposite.”
“You really are letting the
cows dictate what they want
during the day and you’re not
dictating a schedule for them,”
Klein said. “I don’t think either
Salutes Agriculture
The #1 Industry in Genesee County!
Tractor Factor
way is wrong, but this barn
is extremely calm, quiet and
cow-friendly. You really can
adapt the robots to any situa-
tion.”
It’s also safe to say that the
cows prefer robotic milking to
hand milking “hands down,”
Klein said, especially when they
get to chow down on the or-
ange-flavored pellets during a
session.
The process, it seems, is si-
multaneously simple and com-
plex.
“The cows in the pen are free
to choose when they want to
come in and milk,” Klein said.
ROCCO LAURIENZO/DAILY NEWS
“They’ll come in if it’s time to be
milked, and each cow has an in-
dividual setting as to how often
she can be milked. If it’s time to
milk her, the machine will read
her electronic ear tag and pro-
ceed with the milking process.”
If it’s not, the machine lets
her go and sends her back to the
group until she visits again - no
harm done.
Most cows in the barn are
Neil Mohler
& Metal Rooing
CUSTOM WOOD WORKING
Kitchens, Baths, Built-ins
No Warranty Panels $$Cheap$$
TRADITIONAL PANEL
40yr 28 Gauge • Heat Formed
1084 Kingsley Rd., Wyoming, NY 14591
Monday - Saturday 6am - 8pm • 585-495-9916
allowed to be milked every 5.5
hours on average, Klein said,
depending on the cow’s milk
production, her age and her
stage of lactation, among other
things. Collectively, they pro-
duce about 27,000 pounds of
milk every other day.
Sometimes the comput-
er sends out a kind of warn-
ing — every day, about two
or three cows don’t come up
to the milking station within
a 12-hour window, and then
Klein, his parents or one of the
other longtime farm workers
have to herd them into the fetch
bin.
“They’ll show up on a list and
we’ll bring them in here, where
the only way out of here is to go
through the robot,” Klein said.
And that’s just for the cow’s
health and safety, really - cows
should be milked at least twice
a day.
“Other than that, cows are on
their own milking schedules,”
Klein said. “They’re fed a grain
supplement in here (that’s the
flavored pellet) and it’s kind of
like a candy bar for the cows.”
While it may be a treat to eat,
it serves a dual purpose - bal-
ancing each cow’s diet with the
necessary amount of grain and
mixture of nutrients needed to
See PRICES T15
ROOF TRUSSES
Houses & Pole Barns
OMNI PANEL
50 yr. 27 Gauge Heat-formed

Prices
From T14
keep her healthy.
Don’t let the process, fool
you, though, Klein warned -
there’s still plenty of work to do
on the farm.
Though the robotics system
provides better comfort for the
cows and frees up some time
that the farmers can devote to
other chores, only 100 cows,
selected based on their health
and a variety of other factors
that suggest they don’t need as
much hands-on attention, live
in the free-flow pens of the ro-
botics barn. The other hundred
are still milked by hand back at
the old milking parlor, where
legacy practices take prece-
dence.
And, of course, there’s plen-
ty of other manual labor to go
around no matter what barn
you’re in. Twice a day, workers
hand-scrape the stalls and al-
leys in the new barn - it’s more
often than that in the milking
parlor - feed the cows out of
the bunk and do whatever else
needs doing, like equipment
repairs and crop management.
And things at Silver Mead-
ows weren’t always so ad-
vanced, either. Klein’s grand-
father and great-grandfather
purchased the property in
1954, when cows were milked
in a tie-stall barn. That was, and
still is, the primary type of dairy
cattle housing, but some fault
it for its contributions to lame-
ness, swollen hocks and neck
lesions in cows.
Growing up, Klein said he
never imagined milking tech-
nology would be where it is to-
day.
“No, I was just having fun
running around,” Klein said.
“The first robot I saw, I think,
was in 2003. They put a unit in
down in Belfast, and I saw that
and I was just amazed at what
you could do.”
Soon after, he went off to col-
lege, where his interests height-
ened.
“Robotics started to get a lit-
tle bit more popular in the Unit-
ed States,” Klein explained.
“More people put them in and
they started working better and
better. It took me just shy of 10
years to convince mom and
Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 15
dad we ought to bite the bullet “Such an investment is kind ahead of changing market dy- has proved challenging, Klein
and put a system in.”
The farm decided to install
of unique given the size of Sil-
ver Meadows,” Rand said. “The
namics.”
Silver Meadows is among
said he’s glad to have made the
move.
the system after participating in robotic system ... is a more effi- just a small number of dair- “We’ve been able to make
the Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy cient way of milking. I think this ies nationwide to hop on the payments, we haven’t slipped
Acceleration Program. The is an interesting story due to the new tech train - according to behind,” he said. “I guess even
PRO-DAIRY team and coop- challenges facing dairy farmers Bloomberg, less than 5 percent though we’re in a pretty low
erative extension experts work from lower prices - an example of dairy farms nationwide have turn, we’ve been able to cash-
with farmers to analyze their of a farm looking ahead and robotics systems - and so even flow things. It’s not fun, but at
businesses and help them de- changing with the times to stay though the economic market least we’re getting by.”
velop specific business plans,
and the Dairy Acceleration Pro-
gram has assisted hundreds of
farms statewide on a range of
issues. In this instance, their
focus was on determining from
the financial analysis whether
it was feasible for Silver Mead-
ows.
“Using PRO-DAIRY and the
Dairy Acceleration Program
allowed us, before we got start-
ed, to get comfortable with our
financial numbers,” Klein said.
“It was a huge leap for us and I
think with doing budget analy-
sis and looking at the numbers
and being sure that we were go-
ing to be OK, we weren’t going
to go bankrupt, it allowed us to
see, ‘All right, this is going to be
a positive investment for us.”
The PRO-DAIRY program
paid for some of the logistics
of the new barn design, some
engineering costs and some
financial analysis, as well as
environmental impact studies,
Klein said.
“It just brought everything
up to date and you kind of dot-
ted your ‘i’s and crossed your
‘t’s with the whole project,” he
said. “We did some of the things
you maybe would have cut cor-
ners with when the program • Receiving wet or dry grain
wasn’t available.”
The project was 100 percent
• FREE STORAGE for 30 days
financed by Farm Credit East,
something Klein said has “been
• Call about scheduling DRY WHEAT deliveries to our
quite a challenge” given the NEW FACILITY in PERRY
current state of milk prices.
“Since we’ve built the barn • Dumping 5 trucks at once
and put the robots in, we have
not seen a favorable milk • Pick up your check the NEXT DAY or on your next load
price,” Klein said. “I remember
doing all of our cost analysis
with PRO-DAIRY, where we For pricing ask for 585-226-8340
worked with a five-year average
milk price. Since we built the
barn, we haven’t seen that milk
Dick Walthew Extended hours
price, so a little bit of a chal- or Michael Howlett & weekend receiving
lenge there.”
But according to Ben Rand,
manager of PR and media re- Just off Rte 5 & Rte 20 in Avon
lations at Cornell University’s
College of Agriculture and Life
We give you access to several Feed Wheat markets across
Sciences, it’s a move that will the NorthEast. Discounts apply
likely help Klein to stay afloat.
16 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Farm to table businesses booming
Consumers’ appetites for
local foods are growing, and
restaurants have taken notice.
Today, many local businesses,
including farms and restau-
rants, have mutually exclu-
sive relationships that make it
possible for local residents to
enjoy nutritious, locally pro-
duced meals.
According to the market
research firm Packaged Facts,
local foods generated $11.7
billion in sales in 2014 and
will climb to $20.2 billion by
2019. Farm-to-table remains
a growing trend that benefits
farmers, restaurateurs and
consumers. This is evidenced
by the rising number of farm-
ers markets cropping up in
neighborhoods all across the
country, as well as the niche
offerings by regional food
purveyors. The U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture says
that, in the last 20 years, the
number of farmers markets
has grown by more than 350
percent. Many consumers are
now choosing “local” for din-
ing at home and when din-
ing out, and this is making a
major impact on the nation’s
food systems.
Foodies as well as industry
experts predict that the local
foods movement is a perma-
nent and mainstream trend.
In 2014, the National Restau-
rant Association found the
desire for local foods domi-
nated its “Top Food Trends.”
The most in-demands foods
include locally sourced meats
and seafood as well as locally
Tractor Factor
sourced produce. Consumers can be a wide-ranging term more stringent rules that in- rimeter of the state.
also are interested in farm/ that refers to foods produced dicate “local” constitutes food The growing preference
estate-branded foods. Some in a particular town, state or produced within the borders for locally produced foods
restaurants are even produc- even region. The 2008 Farm of a state or within a small pe- is great news for the farmers
ing “hyper-local” food, or Act defines a “locally or re-
herbs and produce grown gionally produced agricultur-
right on the property.
As the demand for local
al food product” as one that is
marketed less than 400 miles
STERLING TENTS & AWNINGS
foods has evolved, so has the from its origin. However, a Residential or Commercial
term “local foods.” “Local” few states have established
We’ll help you select a beautiful
addition to your home or business.
40 Years in Business
L LTransmissions, Inc.
“Family Owned and Operated”
Retractable • Aluminum • Back-lit • Patio
& Window • Take-down & Put up
A Complete Automotive Repair Facility
STERLING TENTS
and AWNINGS
150 Pearl St. • Batavia
585-343-1735 343-3726
www.sterlingtent.com
8781 Alexander Rd. (Rt. 98), Batavia, NY 14020
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am to 5:00pm
Approved
Auto Repair
www.LandLtransmissions.com
Need a Tow?
L&L Transmissions has Re-Opened
its doors once again to L&L Towing!! READY MIX
Call 716-984-4870 CONCRETE
(585) 798-1800
• Service 7 days a week
A FULL • After-hours delivery available
SERVICE • 50’ Concrete Conveyor
VETERINARY • Front & rear mixers/conveyor service
RY
PRACTICE, • NYS DOT approved materials
,
CALL US TODAY! QUALITY SERVICES & MATERIALS
P: (585)237-5550 PerryVet.com AT COMPETITIVE PRICING
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 17

THIS IS OUR MARK.

It matters to us because it fuels our farms
and our families. It brings our dairy to
and small food producers that
have long fought for footing tables around the world. Our mark stands
among the mega-importers. for all the things that bring us together and
According to the trade pub-
lication Produce Business, make us stronger.
even though “local” does not
place limits on the size of
the farm, the growing desire Celebrate June Dairy Month and get to
among consumers to go local know us at dfamilk.com
dfamilk
is benefitting many small and
midsized farms, as consumers
are increasingly buying foods
grown closer to where they
live.
In addition to meats, fruits
and vegetables, consumers
can find many locally made
items that expand the poten-
tial for farm-to-table. These
include, but are not limited to,
artisanal cheeses, wines, beer,
baked goods, milk and other
dairy, and honey.
Local, sustainable foods are
in demand, helping not only
local restaurants and mer- Jonathan Doane | McCormick Farms | Bliss, N.Y. ADVTNE1812
chants, but also the small and
medium farms that service
these establishments.

Gluten Free Pizza FICARELLA’S PIZZERIA FICARELLA’S PIZZERIA FICARELLA’S PIZZERIA FICARELLA’S PIZZERIA FICARELLA’S PIZZERIA
Not A Gluten Free Kitchen.
CHICKEN SPAGHETTI 20" MEAL DEAL
$ 00
FRIDAY
FISH FRY!
Batavia’s Only
PARMESAN
w/SPAGHETTI
w/ Side
WITH
MEATBALLS
w/ Side
EXTRA LARGE
PIZZA
w/Cheese
• 14” Medium Cheese
Pizza w/1 Topping
• 12 Buffalo Wings
or 12 NEW
1
OFF PASTA
$
10 99 $
10 50 $
20 75 $
24 99
Drive-Thru
Salad, Bread Salad, Bread & One Boneless Wings
Pick Up Window
ficarellaspizzabatavia.com & Butter +Tax & Butter +Tax Topping +Tax
• 2 Liter of Pop +Tax with this coupon
21 Liberty St., Batavia
Expires 8/1/18. Not valid w/other Expires 8/1/18. Not valid w/other Expires 8/1/18. Not valid w/other Expires 8/1/18. Not valid w/other Expires 8/1/18. Not valid w/other
OFFICIAL PIZZA OF THE
BATAVIA MUCKDOGS 343-5545 offers. Please mention coupon when
ordering. Tax not included. Coupon
good at Batavia store only.
offers. Please mention coupon when
ordering. Tax not included. Coupon
good at Batavia store only.
offers. Please mention coupon when
ordering. Tax not included. Coupon
good at Batavia store only.
offers. Please mention coupon when
ordering. Tax not included. Coupon
good at Batavia store only.
offers. Please mention coupon when
ordering. Tax not included. Coupon
good at Batavia store only.
Mon-Thur 11am - Midnight Fri & Sat 11am - 1am Sun 11am - Midnight
18 • Thursday, May 31, 2018 Tractor Factor

Stephen M. Hawley
& Assoc., LLC @
The Insurance Center
Auto • Home • Business • Farm • Life

“Neighbor Helping Neighbor”

Savings
up to 40%
50 Main St., Batavia
BATAVIA STARTER & ALTERNATOR
Independent Rebuilder Servicing the
Serving 343-2282 Entire Northeast Since 1989
esee
the Gen gion Specialty Powder Coating
y Re Monday-Wednesday 8:30-5:30
Countr 867 Thursday 8:30-6:00pm Friday 8:30-5:00
Starters • Alternators • Generator • Regulators
since 1 Saturday 9:00-1:00

www.smhawley.com D.C. Motors • Custom Battery Cables

Rare or Hard to Find • Tractor Restorations • Classic/Antique • Ag/Industrial
I Rebuild Your Unit with Same Day Service
• Bulk Liquid
ATTENTION Hauling
Call me at Too far to drive? Ship it to me at:
3282 West Main St. Rd.,
FARMERS • Septic System
585-344-3285 Batavia, N.Y. 14020
Call us for your Cleaning, Repairs,
Excavating & & Installations
Get The Advantages of Insuring Locally
Trucking Needs • Topsoil, Sand
Stone, & Gravel We are a young and
Since 1954
• Excavating - growing agency, always
Commercial, here when you need us,
& Residential right in your community.
• Waterline
Installations
585-343-2910 INSURANCE AGENCY
adcallsons.com
41 Liberty Street, Batavia, NY • Phone: (585) 219-4214
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 19

Over 85 Years
OPEN 9-9
Did You
Tim
7 DAYS
Ask me about the 100% Money Back Guarantee!

DOREEN GRAHAM
Know?
Enj e to Certain types of dairy can
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

June is nth
570 East Main Street • Batavia, NY 14020
have a positive effect on
o oy! Cell: 585.329.0734

DairyndM
Ofice: 585.409.2121 • Fax: 585.343.8502
blood pressure. According
to the Cleveland Clinic,
a ...
doreengraham@howardhanna.com
HowardHanna.com
people with high blood
pressure, which occurs
when the force of blood
pushing against blood ves-
sel walls is above normal
range, can look to diet to
help lower their blood
pressure. Among the foods
that can benefit people

OR with high blood pressure

is low-fat dairy. Calci-
10 Flavors of Soft Frozen Custard Specializing in Agricultural Welding, um-rich foods, such as
low-fat dairy products like
Commercial, and Metal Fabrication
& 22 Flavors of Hard Ice Cream! Serving the GLOW region since 1998 skim milk, 1 percent milk
and Greek yogurt, can
Banana Boat help lower blood pressure.
Vanilla custard covered with hot fudge,
fresh strawberries, chocolate custard In addition, the Cleveland
covered marshmallow, whipped cream, Clinic notes that low-fat
dustrial roasted nuts and three cherries! and low-salt cheese also
New Stewart flavors Key Lime & Grape can help people achieve
Plus Orange & Cream Soda healthier blood pressure
levels. People with healthy
Sundaes blood pressure can switch
Cherry Cordial • S More • Peanut Butter • Fresh Fruit
to low-fat dairy to avoid
Hot Fudge • Pecan or Cashew • Spanish Sundae & More
(Create Your Own Sundae!) Custom in House or Portable high blood pressure,
y Ice Cream Cakes and Pies Welding & Fabrication which is often referred to
as hypertension. In a study
Animal Pens with Dividers • Cattle Trailer
211 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 343-5888 Floors • Bucket Repairs • Tailgate of more than 5,000 adults,
oliverscandies.com Fabrication • Truck Extensions • And More
researchers in Spain found
that those who reported
Aluminum • Stainless Steel • Cast including the most low-fat
Iron Welding dairy in their diets were 54
Certiied American Welding Society (AWS) percent less likely to de-
5782 Main Rd•Stafford, NY•(585) 356-2634 velop hypertension over
adamsweldingandfabrication.com a two-year period than
those who consumed the
least amount of low-fat
dairy products.
20 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Agri-Palooza: See life through a farmer’s eyes
By JESSICA DILLON
Jdillon@BataviaNews.com
CASTILE — There’s some-
thing to be said of plucking
ripe, round apples straight
from spindling branches still
covered in early morning dew,
of straining every inch of mus-
cle to move that last, heaviest
bale of hay, of returning home
after a long day of hard labor to
sip on a glass of icy lemonade,
of sinking weary, sunburned
limbs into a well-worn chair
to watch the sun descend in a
fiery blaze, darkness drifting
over the hundreds of rolling
acres that make a place home.
For many farmers, that’s the
only life they’ve ever known —
and they wouldn’t have it any
other way. But their lifestyle,
their blood and sweat, goes
General Construction Contractor
SJF CONSTRUCTION, INC.
FOR ALL YOUR AGRICULTURE NEEDS:
• Concrete bunks, manure storage, freestall and
milking parlor concrete
• Excavation and drainage
NOW OFFERING:
Diamond Cut Grooving to New or
Existing Concrete Floors
• Create ‘Cow Friendly’ concrete loor
• Helps prevent injuries
585-547-9490
info@sjfconstructioninc.com
Tractor Factor
far beyond pitching manure,
spreading feed and squeez-
ing teats for milk. It’s gruel-
ing hours in the hot summer
sun, it’s working when there’s
work to be done, no matter
holidays or birthdays or out-
ings planned with friends,
it’s stress and collaboration,
a constant dealing with un-
ruly animals that can’t tell you
what’s wrong, it’s losing mon-
ey with every milk check and
still, somehow, having to con-
tinue on.
“Society in general has been
removed from the dairy farm
at least one generation, if not
two,” said David Pankow,
owner of Pankow Farms on
Glen Iris Road, during a ra-
re lull in work on a rainy May
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE PANKOW/JAMIE PANKOW PHOTOGRAPHY
See PANKOW T21 Pankow Farms in Castile will host the 2018 Agri-Palooza on June 10.
Celebratin
g
40+ Years
in Constru
ction
PARTS & SERVICE
• CUTTING EDGES & TEETH -
For all makes & models
• SANDER CHAIN -
Fabricated to your specific
measurements
• HYDRAULIC HOSES - One of
the larest selections of
hoses & fittings in the area.
• UNDER CARRIAGE WORK TO
EXCAVATORS & DOZERS -
Regardless of brand
• MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE PANKOW/JAMIE PANKOW PHOTOGRAPHY
The life of a dairy farmer will be on display during the 2018 Agri-
Palooza on June 10 at Pankow Farms.
Pankow
From T20
Tuesday. “A lot of people,
maybe their father or their
grandfather worked on a farm
and they can relate to that and
they reminisce back to how it
was back then...But the dairy
farm today is a business. It is a
business that takes a lot of ef-
fort and a lot of thinking and
managing to keep it produc-
tive and profitable. It’s not you
just that you go plant corn and
milk cows and things like that.
It is so involved now. It is as
involved as any industry out
there.”
Great Food Great Prices!
Great People!
461 N Main St., Warsaw
(585) 786-0820
PASSENGER • TRUCK • FARM • INDUSTRIAL
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
3165 Route 246 | Perry, NY
Open Daily 7:30 to 5:30 | Saturday 7:30 to Noon
www.sedamtire.com
Rebates
Available
Now!
585.237.2124
Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 21
WCCHS Announces
New Providers and
New Medical Specialties
Farkad A. Balaya, MD Lauren Loss, MD Mandip Panesar, MD, MS, FASN Frank S. Cohen, MD
BOARD CERTIFIED BOARD CERTIFIED BOARD CERTIFIED BOARD CERTIFIED
OBSTETRICIAN/GYNECOLOGIST NEUROLOGIST NEPHROLOGIST GENERAL SURGEON
On June 10, from 12 to 4
p.m., as Pankow Farms opens
its doors to Agri-Palooza —
an event that highlights agri-
culture in Wyoming County,
allows the public to spend a
day on a working farm and in-
cludes educational displays,
farm tours and children’s
games and activities — that’s
something David says he
hopes the community at large
will realize.
“We strive to make a very
healthy product here,” he
said. “We work hard to do that.
We’re honored that they chose
us here and we’re excited to
have people come here and
see our farm. We’ve all worked Wyoming County Community Health System continues to make
See PANKOW T22 our community a healthier place to live, with new board certified
physicians and expanded medical specialties. Dr. Farkad Balaya,
OB/GYN, and Dr. Frank Cohen, general surgeon, are welcome
additions to our existing healthcare programs for women’s health
and surgical services. In addition, Dr. Lauren Loss, neurologist, and
Dr. Mandip Panesar, nephrologist, bring entirely new healthcare
specialties to our community, expanding our capability to offer
specialized care right here, close to home.
To learn more and to stay connected with what’s new at
Monday - Sunday: 8am - 9pm
WCCHS, visit wcchs.net or call 585-786-2233.
www.wcchs.net • 585-786-2233 • 400 N. Main Street • Warsaw, NY 14569
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. TDD: 1-800-662-1220
22 • Thursday, May 31, 2018 Tractor Factor

Pankow
From T21
very hard to build this farm
up to what it is right now and
I hope people appreciate it, I
really think they will.”
Because there’s more to it
than hard work, he said. To
run a farm is to understand a
complex business model that
requires no small amount of
intuition, intelligence and have evolved in this indus- believe people don’t under- those neat and tidy percep-
problem-solving skills from a
group of devoted, conscien-
try to the point where, as you
see these automotive indus-
stand how much education it
takes to operate a farm. There
tions of farm life shattered.
“I think Agri-Palooza is a
tious employees. tries and these manufacturing are no dumb people here. nice way to get the general
“All of these employees companies using robotics and These people are very smart.” population out onto the farm
may pitch out a little bit of ma- things like that, we use robot- David’s wife, Valerie, a so people can see what goes
nure, but on the same token, on here,” Valerie said. “Peo-
ics here as well. That’s how our self-admitted Buffalo gal, said
they may be running a piece
industry has evolved. I truly she knows what it’s like to have See PANKOW T23
of technologically advanced
equipment,” David said of his
14 full-time workers who man
about 1,400 acres of owned
and rented land and milk 650
cows each and every day. “We

:ƵŶĞϭϬ͕ϮϬϭϴ
:ƵŶĞϭϬ͕ϮϬϭϴ
June 10, 2018
EŽŽŶƵŶƟůϰ͗ϬϬƉŵ
EŽŽŶƵŶƟůϰ͗ϬϬƉŵ
Noon until 4:00 pm
Discover•••Experience
Discover
Discover Experience Enjoy
Experience ••Enjoy

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE PANKOW/JAMIE PANKOW PHOTOGRAPHY (5808

(5808 Glen
(5808Glen IrisRd,
Glen Iris
Iris Rd,Castile)
Rd, Castile)
Castile)
ADay
AA Dayofof
ofFun
Fun for
Fun for Everyone
Everyone
Cows line the barn at Pankow Farms in Castile.
Day for Everyone
Carney's Market GuidedFarm
Guided
Guided Farm
Farm Tours
Tours
Tours Farmers’
••Farmers’
• Farmers’ Market
Market
Market ••
• Children’s Activities
Children’s
Children’s
Farm Activities
Activities
Equipment Farm Exhibits
•• Farm
• Educational Equipment
Equipmentand Displays
•EducationalExhibits
•Educational
22 N. Main St., Castile, NY 14427
585-493-5494 Horse-Drawn Exhibits
Wagon and•Displays
and
Rides Displays
Animal Exhibit
•Horse-Drawn
•Horse-Drawn
Farm Wagon
DiscoveryWagon Rides ••Races
Rides
• Pedal Tractor Animal
Animal Exhibit
Exhibit
• Food
•FarmDiscovery
•Farm Discovery••Pedal
Pedal Tractor
Tractor Races
Races •• Food
Food
Open Mon.-Sat. 7 AM - 9 PM, Sun. 8 AM - 9 PM

Congratulations PanKow Farms Free to the Public For more information call the Wyoming County Chamber
for hosting 2018 Agri-Palooza No Pets Allowed & Tourism at 585-786-0307

Freetotothe
Free thePublic
Public Formore
more information callthe
theWyoming
WyomingCounty
County Chamber
NoPets
PetsAllowed
Allowed
Coordinated by the following Agencies:
For Wyoming County
information call Chamber & Tourism,
Chamber
No &Tourism
& Tourismat
Wyoming County Farm Bureau, Wyoming County Farmland
at585-786-0307
585-786-0307

Coordinatedbybythe
Coordinated thefollowing
followingAgencies:
Agencies:Wyoming
WyomingCounty
CountyChamber
Chamber&&Tourism,
Tourism,Wyoming
WyomingCounty
CountyFarm
FarmBureau,
Bureau,Wyoming
WyomingCounty
CountyFarmland
Farmland

FULL SERVICE SUPERMARKET

Bring this ad for a
Bring this ad for a
AND SELF SERVICE GAS STATION

Bring
OPEN 7 DAYS 8am-9pm

121 North Center Street • Perry, NY

www.shurinemarketplace.com FREE ice cream!
585-237-2910 FREE ice cream!
FREE
SUMMERFUN

Pankow
From T22
ple talk about farms and say,
‘Oh, it’s really neat,’ and stuff,
but they have no idea what it’s
like. I’m from Buffalo myself,
I didn’t grow up on a farm, so
when I first started dating my
husband I’d come out here
and I just thought everything
was the coolest. I mean, it’s a
whole different way of life.”
It’s old hat for her now —
she and David are technically
first-generation farmers on
the orchard and dairy estab-
lished back in 1988, though
she doesn’t think the term
gives her father-in-law enough
credit.
“Dave’s father and mother
rented a farm up in Buffalo,
in Clarence, and they wanted
to build up their own place,”
Val said. “They moved down
the road (from here), but be-
fore (David’s) mother passed,
they had done the government
dairy buy-out and sold their
farm.”
Even so, thanks to Mr. Pan-
kow, she said, her husband just
couldn’t shake the love of the
lifestyle he’s always known.
And Mr. Pankow, though now
80 years old, still helps out
where he can — and insisted
on planting peach trees beside
CASTILE
AG SERVICE
Feed • Seed • Fertilizer
Clothing • Footwear
Farm Supplies
Grain Drying
98 S. Main Street, Castile, NY
493-5240
Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 23
the house, even if the frost pre- thousand words — to visually background on our farm or Tourism and the Wyoming
vents them from bearing sweet
fruit most years.
see stuff like that, hopefully it
will make a positive impact.
any dairy, they would have a
better understanding of what
County Farm Bureau, is now
in its eighth year, and will pro-
“It is a great lifestyle,” Val- “The public ultimately gets their politicians are putting in- vide visitors not only the op-
erie offered. “I have four chil- to say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ on many to law.” portunity to learn more about
dren, three boys that work of the things that come up to Agri-Palooza, a collabora- the industry, but to support it
on the farm with us and my vote,” he continued. “I think tion of the Wyoming County by purchasing a slew of prod-
daughter, she’s our youngest. if they were to understand the Chamber of Commerce and ucts from local agribusinesses.
She’s a photographer but loves
the farm life...It’s a great way
to raise a family and we’ve al-
ways believed that work ethic
is important. The farm helped
us instill that in our children.”
But life on the farm is far
from easy, she said.
“These days the farming
industry is in a pretty bad
slump,” Valerie said. “It gets
frustrating. It’s been many
years in a row now that it’s
been happening. It’s a labor of
love, I guess. We know farm-
ing. We’re good at what we do.
We just wish we could be paid
for the efforts that we put in.”
And David said he hopes
that the event, which is meant
to help the public discover, ex-
perience and enjoy farming,
can turn even that into some-
thing positive.
“I just want the public to
be able to come out to our
Perry’s Finest
farm and see,” David said.
“(We have visitors who come
from the city,) and they’re
Pizza, Subs,
just amazed at what it takes
in a single day to produce the
milk they consume and find at
the store. A picture is worth a
Wings
& More!
Since 1981
163 South Main Street
Perry, NY 14530
(585) 237-2113
Order Online at
www.Darylspizzeria.com
24 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Watching, waiting for the next invasion
TREE KILLER: Spotted Lanternfly’s appearance in Eastern New York sets arborists, government on path to act
By JIM KRENCIK
jkrencik@batavianews.com
ROCHESTER — Jacob Young
believes there could soon be a
wide-scale project to eradicate
the Spotted Lanternfly, but it
will be tree-owners that most
likely take the first step in stop-
ping the invasive species.
As described in Jan Beg-
linger’s April 17 Master Garden-
er column, Spotted Lanternflies
are a distinctively colored and
destructive inch-long pest na-
tive to China and other parts of
Asia.
Young, the Rochester-based
district manager for Davey Tree,
hasn’t seen it appear locally, but
he’s not calling it a victory. Dav-
ey Tree is a continent-spanning
business qualified to handle
disease and insect diagnosis
and treatment in addition to
landscape management proj-
ects; and it was among the firms
called in to quarantine and
eliminate the Asian Longhorn
Beetle under a state and federal
campaign.
The beetle is considered
eradicated in Chicago, Toron-
to, New York City and portions
of the Cincinnati suburbs after
extensive quarantines were un-
dertaken; although some areas
remain under those orders.
“I don’t see this insect on the
same level, but I see (the gov-
ernment) participating at some
level because of the potential
for significant loss,” Young said.
Spotted Lanternfly have no
native predators, but would
find a wide menu of dining op-
tions in upstate New York. They
prefer to use the Tree of Heav-
en, a long-established, but inva-
sive, Chinese species as a nurs-
ery — but will suck the life out
of maples, oaks, stone fruit trees
and grape vines.
“If the population isn’t man-
aged, it grows immensely, and
it can cause total devastation
not just to the crop, but to the
plant,” Young said. “They can
suck so much sap, and pop-
ulation expands so fast that it
(feasts) until the tree dies.”
In it’s red, yellow and brown
adult form, the lanternfly is a
plant-hopper that has the aerial
ability of a moth.
So the discovery of a dead
insect in Delaware County last
November was worrying — live
lanternflies had been discov-
ered no closer than the Phila-
delphia suburbs.
“That’s the curious thing - it
was in Pennsylvania, then sud-
denly, they found a dead adult
near Albany,” Young said. “That
is a big jump, and they’re not
sure (how it happened).”
With the Emerald Ash Bor-
er, the discovery of the insect
and it’s tree damaging impacts
moved in a wave of forewarn-
ing. Young said his company
has been contacting clients
and visiting properties to set up
protection programs, but has
found little awareness of the
Spotted Lanternfly.
Tractor Factor
“I don’t believe it has arrived
(here), but we need the public
to participate and to keep their
eyes out for it,” he said. “They’ll
spot before we will. The DEC
has set up pheromone traps to
hopefully catch a few adults ...
but they are so colorful that I be-
lieve the general public will be
the savior when they arrive.”
The warnings to search for
sap dripping down an infested
tree, egg masses or the soot-col- COURTESY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE/BUGWOOD.ORG
ored mold that grows over the The Spotted Lanternfly turn red later in their development after
insect’s excretions come at emerging as white-spotted black nymphs in May.
what otherwise is a time to sa-
vor the positives of arboricul- goals with landscaping,” Young create the property they dream
ture. said. “This time of year is won- of and want to maintain. I just
“We take great pride in join- derful — people are delighted love being out with people, and
ing with homeowners and with seeing leaves and blos- joining arms with people and
commercial properties for their soms. There’s an excitement to making improvements.”
YOUR BARN
& HOME
SPECIALIST
Trusted, Reliable, & Professional
Time Tested Since “1945” Richard Wendt, President
rwendt@rahaitzcoinc.com
cell: 585.356.4300 FREE
ESTIMATES
COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL • RESIDENTIAL Randy Tonner, Estimator
585-343-2400 rtonner@rahaitzcoinc.com
cell: 585.409.3243
lookingforaroofer.com
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 25

Marquarts earn educational kudos

CAREER HORIZONS: Gainesville location named BEC’s 2018 Outstanding Business
By JESSICA DILLON
jdillon@batavianews.com
PERRY — They may be best
known for their crispy, salty,
avocado-oiled chips made
from 100 percent New York
potatoes, but on earlier this
year, Marquart Companies
earned another claim to fame
as the Wyoming County Busi-
ness Education Council’s 2018
Outstanding Business Partner
in Education.
The announcement came as
no surprise to the many school
administrators and local busi-
ness leaders gathered for the
BEC’s 37th annual breakfast
meeting, held this year at the
Charcoal Corral — and not just
because gift baskets filled with
bags of New York Chips and
other Marquart merchandise
served as centerpieces during
the event.
Marquart’s continued in-
volvement in every facet of the
BEC’s mission, from teacher
business tours and staff pre-
sentations to this year’s in-
augural partnership with the
Genesee Valley Educational
Partnership’s Diesel Mechan-
ic Program, has proven an in-
valuable step toward inspiring
today’s youth to pursue ca-
reers vital to the local econo-
my, BEC officials said.
“Marquart Companies is a
pretty obvious choice,” said
BEC Past President Julie Don-
lon during the award presen-
tation. “(The purpose of the
award) is to recognize a BEC
business member or part-
ner that has worked with us
throughout the year to help us
achieve our mission — to en-
courage partnerships between
businesses, education and the
Wyoming County communi-
ty that will prepare our young
people to be productive mem-
bers of our workforce.”
A lengthy overview of this
past year’s diesel mechanic
partnership helped to paint
that picture.
“Reflect back on your high
school days,” Donlon said.
“Some of you may recall the
learning that took place as you
entered kindergarten. Some, I
have heard, said, ‘I walked to
school uphill against the wind
in both directions.’ Some rode ROCCO LAURIENZO/DAILY NEWS
the bus. However you got to Aaron Marquart and Mark Davis receive an award for “Outstanding Partner in Education” from Julie
school, your paths were prob- Donlon, Business Education Council past president.
ably different, but I would say
that many of us would prob- there and we need to fill that qualified diesel technicians, them (the GVEP) was abso-
ably reflect back of our class- gap.” he said. lutely a no-brainer.
room setting and it would be Especially not Mark Davis, “Our company, obviously, “The industry that we’re in
pretty similar.” vice president of operations is based on equipment repair for equipment repair and die-
Rows of desks, stacks of text- for Marquart Companies, who and customer service,” Davis sel currently is experiencing
books, flash cards and memo- is in constant need of highly said. “So for us to partner with See AWARD T26
rization, she said, helped you
to learn a thing or two.
“But honestly, I think our colebuildingsolutions.com
students today deserve more,
deserve better,” she said. “Our
communities need something
different to prepare students
to enter into the trades. No one
would deny that there is a need

7418 Route 415N

Bath, NY 14810
607.776.2000
SMALL ANIMAL AUCTION
Saturday, June 9th, 2018 | 11:00 AM
Accepting all poultry and rabbits.
Please NO reptiles, cattle, horses, ponies, sheep, goats or pigs.

We will not accept any animals that are not in suitable boxes or crates.
They must be free of contagious or communicable diseases.
***No out of state animals accepted***

Consignments will be accepted from 7:30 AM until 10:30 AM.

NO CONSIGNMENTS ACCEPTED AFTER 10:30 AM.

***Credit Cards accepted with a 3% Buyers Premium***

Jonathan Lubic, Manager • 585.250.2032

(585) 469-9934
26 • Thursday, May 31, 2018 Tractor Factor

Award
From T25
a need for 200,000 additional
technicians,” he continued.
“We only have an influx of
3,500. For ourselves, it makes
us a little nervous — it makes
sense for us to get involved
with young students. We’re
very, very happy to be a part of
this.”
That classroom — the Mar-
quart classroom that dozens of
students had the opportunity
to take advantage of over the
even narrowing which students
he’d bring to the breakfast with
him.
“They’re all outstanding stu-
dents — I wish I could bring
them all,” Jacobi said.
And the three who did ac-
company him couldn’t hide
their enthusiasm as they dis-
played photos of themselves
toiling away on engine blocks
and let the group know that
they were learning something
during their participation in
the two-year training sequence
aimed at students with a desire
to work on trucks, heavy ma-
chinery and corporate fleets.
“We learned to take off tires,
ulations of full engine rebuilds.
And then, they shared their
success stories.
Petranek will be attend-
ing Ohio Technical College in
Cleveland in the fall, Isaac will
be attending the University of
Northwestern Ohio for diesel
tech and Sam has taken a job
at Empire Tractor in Batavia,
where he’ll begin full-time after
graduation.
That, said Linda Leblond,
BEC executive director, is what
it’s all about.
“Thank you for your contri-
bution of time and for provid-
ing occupational awareness,
workforce and life skills,” she
said to the attendees. “Thank
www.unicornspecialties.com
Dump, Equipment
you for all of the things that
you do for our students inside
and outside the classroom to
make our community stron-
ger. You are helping our youth
to achieve their career goals by
providing them with the neces-
sary resources to do so ...Thank
you, all of you, for the time you
give your students.”

& Cattle Trailers

past year — proved a little dif-
ferent than what might arise in
the memories of most. A state-
of-the-art facility at Marquart
Farms took students beyond
books and desks to trucks, en-
gines, forklifts, tools and farm
equipment, to professional
diesel mechanics, to real-world
experience.
“The efforts that Marquart
Companies made to make their
classroom experience a true
educational setting that would
lead students into a success-
ful career was truly amazing,”
Donlon said. “For the first year
of a new career and techni-
cal program housed within a
for-profit business, we have
been so fortunate with the
success of our program. The
biggest challenge that we had
to overcome is that we had too
much student interest. It typi-
cally takes two to three years for
us to get our numbers up when
starting a new program.”
That’s not the case with die-
sel mechanics, instructor Steve
Jacobi said. He had trouble
clean the rims so that way,
when we put them back on,
there’s no rust or anything that
would make them come loose,
inspect them and make sure
that the tires are in good con-
• Gooseneck & 5th Wheel Hitches
dition so that they will prop- • Complete Trailer Repair
erly drive,” said senior Ashton
Petranek. “Once you put them
back on, you torque them to a
certain specification which is
UNICORN SPECIALTIES LLC
usually 450 foot pounds. That’s
a lot of torque right there, let 585.762.4308
me tell you. I can hang off the
torque wrench and it will not Rt. 5., Corfu
move.” NYS Inspection & Repair Station
His joking is right at home
in the shop, seniors Isaac and FOR ALL YOUR
Samuel Shearing assured —
working with Jacobi is always “a TRAILER NEEDS!
lot of fun,” and they’re glad they
had the opportunity to do so.
They shared stories of “gar-
bage” equipment that came
into the shop “knocking real
bad one day” and emerged
shining and new, of learning to
replace brakes and getting to be
so good at it that “you get to be
able to do this in, like, five min-
utes,” and of the trials and trib-

New York’s Leading Auctioneer

Appraiser & Real Estate Broker

P.O. Box 58, Stafford

585-343-5449
www.williamkentinc.com
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 27

Green thumbs on display at Letchworth open house

By BRIAN QUINN ers on display, he said, were
bquinn@batavianews.comm mowers his students fixed.
GAINESVILLE - Whether “They’re just projects kids
you were there for the break- are working on,” he said. “We
fast, the tractors, the animals donate them to people in the
or the plants, there was plenty community who are in need.”
to see and eat at Letchworth Hess said Letchworth en-
Central School’s Ag Depart- tered a contest run by In-
ment Open House May 12. ter-State Studio, the company
Standing in the area where that prints the school’s year-
the plants were kept, which books.
included those grown by stu- “We entered a contest they
dents and some by a grower in have for community service
Hamburg, agriculture teach- projects in schools. We won
er Kelly Wilcox said the open first prize, $750, which we’re
house started three years ago. going to use for doing more
“In my horticulture class, I lawn mowers next year,” he
have 12 students, Space is lim- said. “We do a lot of grants, BRIAN QUINN/DAILY NEWS
ited out here, so we do tend to but this is the first time we’ve Letchworth preschool teacher Chelsie Mantrelli and her son, Raylan, along with special educaton
put a cap on enrollment,” she done that one.” teacher Marissa Zinone, take a look at some of the plants at the open house.
said. “Having a non-tradition-
al classroom is a blessing and
a curse.” We Service All Makes
The class has its good days
and its bad days, but the im-
portant thing is to keep trying.
“Some days, we’re really
successful and some days, we
& Models
O’Brien’s
Septic & Portable Toilets
fail horribly and we figure out
why we failed and try again,”
she said. “We fail because
Trailers Available
there was a pest issue or the
All Phases of Auto Repair
heat was too high or some
• NYS INSPECTIONS • Weddings
variable.”
Those who stopped by for
the open house may have
• BRAKES •
• SUSPENSION •
585-343-6101 Campsites
met Lily, a goat, or Margaret, • EXHAUST • 149 Hutchins St.,
a mini-horse, who were in a
fenced-in area near the plants.
• TIRES • Batavia Big or Small Events
• CHASSIS • Service Hours:
“We have an animal barn.
We’ve had to bring some • ALIGNMENTS • Mon. - Fri.: 8am-5pm Weekend Outings
animals out here, which is
non-traditional,” Wilcox said.
“We have mini-horses, dairy
FULL SERVICE AUTO REPAIR Construction
cattle, sheep, goats, chickens,
turkeys.”
Ball Fields
Wilcox said the open house
was down a little bit this year Golf Courses
in turnout, but, in the past,
has drawn 100 to 150 people.
Among those who visit-
Farm
ed for the open house was
Chelsie Mantelli, a preschool Vacuum Pumping
teacher at Letchworth, who
brought along 2-year-old Ray- 61st
61st Annual
Annual of Septics
lan Mantelli.
“He likes the breakfast and Attica Championship •
the tractors. There’s some Repair/Installation
lawn mowers he likes and the
wagon rides,” she said. “This
Rodeo
585-766-1221
is his second time, but he’s too August 2nd 8pm • August 3rd 8pm 585-335-9466
young to remember the first.”
Forrest Hess was the teach- August 4th 1pm & 8pm • August 5th 2pm
er responsible for the me-
chanical portion of the open Tickets available now www.obrienseptic.com
house. Some of the lawn mow- www.dailynewstickets.com Proud to be a Certiied Women-Owned Business Enterprise
28 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
GVEP’s good eggs are pioneers
SCHOOLS : Batavia Campus animal science operation first in state’s Grown & Certified program
By JIM KRENCIK
jkrencik@batavianews.com
BATAVIA — The 20 hens in-
side a barn at the Genesee Val-
ley Educational Partnership’s
Batavia campus are more en-
amoured with a straw covered
tire than a sign in hanging in a
corner of their pen.
But the sign — proclaiming
the egg-laying operation as the
first New York State Grown &
Certified product made at a
school — is an achievement
encouraging students in the
animal science program to
add another layer to the busi-
ness training that comes along
with their coursework.
“It’s really changing what
we’re going to be doing with
our program — it’s exciting,”
animal science instructor Hol-
ly Partridge said as students
worked in the existing dog
grooming operation housed
in the facility. “We can turn
the egg business into a real
agribusiness with profits and
losses, budgeting and all those
(financial lessons).”
Students have raised and
sold turkeys for fundraisers
and cared for rabbits and oth-
er animals in addition to the
grooming business. Partridge
describes herself as a facilita-
tor.
“I facilitate the opportuni-
ty for the animals to teach the
students, which is what you’ve
seen (with the chickens) —
they provide the opportunity
for them to learn,” Partridge
said.
Students Kalista Ganshaw
and Emily DiSanto, both from
Batavia, explained that they
feed and water the chickens
every day and make sure there
is a ready amount of oyster
shells and ground egg shells.
That ensures the chickens pro-
duce eggs that aren’t brittle.
At peak, students were col-
lecting around 18 eggs a day
— Partridge says it’s one of the
few things she’s never had to
ask them to do.
“There’s something about
reaching under the chicken
and pulling out that hot egg,”
Mailin Domingo, 17, collects the chicken eggs in the nesting
boxes and then will wash and candle them.
Partridge said, noting fresh-
ly-laid eggs come out at 107 de-
grees and are wet. “It’s a huge
science concept (to teach) be-
cause they dry out so quickly.”
Every egg is washed and sort-
ed by size and weight, and un-
til recently the end game was
offering them to the school’s
culinary program and selling
them to staff. With the certifi-
cation, Partridge said her pro-
gram will phase out its ducks
and expand to around 60 hens
this fall. Ultimately, they’d be
sold at fresh markets and to
bakeries and restaurants.
“When we have enough to
market, we can use the certi-
fication to get a better price
“Let Us Manage Your Timber
for Tomorrow... Today!”
LOGGING & LUMBER LLC
P.O. Box 191 • 143 Wheatland Ctr. Rd. • Caledonia, N.Y. 14423
Garrett Guldenschuh
Timber Buyer GULDENSCHUHLOGGING.COM
Tractor Factor
practices. pation, as Grown & Certified
In Genesee County, Grown has found a niche with several
& Certified products include apple and stone fruit produc-
colored cauliflowers and ro- ers. Other products include
manesco broccoli from Fen- malt barley grains from Kast
ton’s Produce in Batavia; Farms in Albion, tomatoes
maple syrup from Randall’s from Intergrow in Albion and
Maple in Alexander; and on- asparagus from Piedimonte
ions from CY Farms in Elba. Farms in Holley.
In Wyoming County, the Also Grown & Certified are
state has certified the ma- the milk, yogurt, dips, sour
ple syrup from Maxon Estate cream, cottage cheese and ice
Farms and Zimpfer’s Maple cream produced by Upstate
Products in Attica; and the Niagara cooperative mem-
trees at Domes Tree Farm in bers.
Bliss.
ROCCO LAURIENZO/DAILY NEWS Jon SanFratello, the execu-
Orleans County has the
greatest level of local partici- See EGGS T29
because its a niche for the mar-
ket,” she said.
GROWN IS GROWING
Trucks For
If the students at Genesee
Valley are the first school to
participate in NYS Grown &
Every Job
Certified, their experience
with the program can be ben-
eficial if they seek a career in HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS
local agriculture. 16 produc-
ers in Genesee, Orleans and
Wyoming counties have now
completed the certification
process.
Launched in 2016, the state
program is intended to reach
consumer demand for foods
that have a limited transport
impact and high standards for
food safety and environmental
Celebrating Over HUGE SELECTION
42 Years of Business • Work Trucks • 4x2 • 4x4
• Duallys • Duramax® Turbo Diesel
DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) Members
Special Purchase Options for Chevrolets
See Sales Person for details
Hours: Sun. Closed, Mon.-Thurs. 9-8; Fri. 9-5:30; Sat. 9-4
Cell: 585.721.8468
36 MAIN ST. ATTICA, NY 1-800-639-5005
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 29

& Certified program came af- No veterinarian could provide

Eggs terwards, from a State FFA
representative’s suggestion.
them in such small doses.
“The vet at Cornell had
From T28 Partridge said taking it on put been arguing with Albany
Batavia in the center of a com- — you can’t do this, it’s not
tive principal at GVEP, said the plication within Albany. possible,” Partridge said.
business mindset is something “We went through a huge “We’ve been going through
students can transfer to any issue that took us a very long this process for three years,
field. time, because in order to be and Albany changed the reg-
“This gives them an oppor- Grown & Certified, all the ulation — under a certain
tunity to see what a business chickens had to be vaccinat- number of birds, you didn’t
structure is like, it gives them ed for salmonella,” Partridge need to be vaccinated.”
true hands-on experience,” he said. “I went online, talked to As compensation, students do
said. vets, the state vet tech, Cornell a blood test on every chicken
Some students are already ... and there was no way I could each year to test for antigens.
developing business plans,
physically vaccination my All the eggs all need to washed,
or returning their skills to the
chickens for salmonella.” with those with blood spots
family farm.
Ganshaw and DiSanto That’s because the vaccina- or imperfections tossed to
agreed that getting hands-on tions come in packs of thou- the animal science program’s
—and working with animals, sands — and the big producers pigs. ROCCO LAURIENZO/DAILY NEWS
with hundreds of thousands It’s another chance to learn Mailin Domingo,17, candles the chicken eggs collected earlier in
there’s a lot to handle — has
of chickens buy them directly. through the animals. the day.
helped.
Fellow students Amber La-
Rock of Batavia, who grew up
on a farm when she was little;
and Breanne Duzen of Pem-
broke, an aspiring vet tech;
both said that future students
should just at the chance to
build on their project.
“I have seen actually great
social growth in them - we
spend an awful lot of time Mark J. Dewey
working as teams, their team- Kim B. Dewey
work and employability skills Nathan M. Dewey
have improved,” Partridge
said of her pride in the quartet.
“We’re working really hard on
developing problem solving 585-548-7407
skills.”
CERTIFICATION WASN’T EASY fax: 585-548-2743
Researching breeds to test e-mail: dew99@juno.com
out, Partridge and her stu-
dents settled on a breed that
produces calm, red hens and
5966 Griswold Road, Byron, NY 14422 We’re Everywhere
at least one polite, white- Complete Lawn Care & Landscaping Service
plumed rooster. They could Residential & Commercial
each lay about 300 eggs annu-
ally, coming in a brown shade
It’s still the collision shop of your choice!
that is distinguished from the FREE ESTIMATES
ornamental, less productive
hens they bunk with.
For All Your Body, Paint, & Collision Repairs... FULLY INSURED
“It’s a breed that was a
high-producer and very, very
calm — that’s what we needed
226-6120 Call now to set up
your appointment
with our students,” Partridge 2606 Lakeville Rd., Avon
said. The high-producing leg-
horn varieties are too high- Just 1/4 Mile North of I-390 • Exit 9 Park & Ride
strung for a classroom, she We Sell Mulch,
added.
Beautiful Brick Patios Topsoil & Stone
The ag program pays slight- Walkways • Firepits Available for Pick up
ly more to buy day-old chicks Retaining Walls or Delivery
to ensure they get only hens.
While they are bred from a
Pennsylvania-originating vari- Est. 1991
ety, everything form Day Two 768-6578
on is all New York.
Participating in the Grown
Please Remember To Support Your Local Farmers! bubbaslandscape.net
81 Lake St.,
LeRoy
30 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Tech Academy kids think green, get green
SCHOOLS: $125,000 committed to Academy Greens aquaponics project at Byron-Bergen Central School
By JIM KRENCIK
jkrencik@batavianews.com
BERGEN — Students at the
Western New York Tech Acad-
emy have secured $125,000 to
create Academy Greens, a busi-
ness venture that will sell fresh-
ly-grown baby spinach to school
cafeterias.
“This essentially serves as the
heartbeat of what we’re trying to
accomplish here ... this is your
legacy, this is your future,” said
Tech Academy Principal Thom-
as Schulte after their “Shark
Tank”-styled presentation end-
ed with Schulte announcing the
school would fill whatever gap
the investments from National
Grid, Bonduelle and Farm Fresh
First left toward students’ goal.
“All I ask is your commitment
and your motivation internally,
to make this absolutely the best
product this project can put
out,” Schulte added.
A business plan, tying in stud-
ies in the Academy’s account-
ing, food processing technology
and supply chain management
pathways, sets initial goals of
72 bunches of spinach sold for
$3 a bunch. It would be grown
in a system that continuously
flows water past the pods, with
nutrients supplied by fish — the
tilapia would be harvested at the
end of the school year for addi-
tional revenue.
“Our mission is to bring the
three pathways together to work
in one environment,” said Jason
Dixon, an accounting track stu-
dent from Oakfield-Alabama.
“We’ll have hands-on experi-
ence with each pathway — the
financing from the selling of the
spinach and fish, the planting ...
or the distributing of the prod-
ucts.”
Potential investors, led by
GCEDC CEO Steve Hyde, treat-
ed the pitch like a professional
start-up. They were too de-
tailed at times, Hyde said, like
in publicly presenting their
admitted weaknesses in a
strengths-weaknesses-oppor-
tunities-threats analysis; and
not detailed enough in places.
How would you manage
when the spinach — which
students estimated could be
harvested every 16 or 17 days
— comes in below customers’
needed quantities, or above
them?
“I’ve spent my whole life try-
ing to match up supply and pro-
duction with demand,” advised
Mark Gardiner, the vice presi-
dent of operations at Farm Fresh
First, who is taking a potential
investment idea to his board.
“The challenge you’ll have with
something like spinach is that
it might not come off like clock-
work.”
Students could explain exact-
ly what data they’d be tracking
— Noah Toal from Oakfield-Al-
abama presented the pH range
that was acceptable in their nu-
trient-enhanced water, targeted
plant and root depths, and ideal
height and width for the plants.
The presenters were students
from Alexander, Byron-Bergen,
Le Roy, Oakfield-Alabama and
Warsaw.
“We’re really hoping to gain
WE HAVE TIRES
FOR ALL YOUR FARM EQUIPMENT NEEDS
CALL THE FARM & FLEET TEAM AT SEDAM TIRE TO ENJOY:
• Convenient on-site diagnosis
• Speedy response times
• Professional farm tire repair
FARM & AUTO SERVICE
SINCE 1926
3165 Route 246, Perry, NY 14530 • 1.585.237.2124 • www.sedamtire.com
Tractor Factor
educational experience,” ex-
plained Samantha Lucki of
Oakfield-Alabama, who is in
the food processing technology
track. “This whole project pro-
vides us with work experiences,
teamwork and valuable work-
place skills.”
The sharks said students han-
dled their pointed questions
well and were well-prepared.
Hyde challenged them to focus
on their purpose — what is your
main objective?
“(Funding)to be able to get
started, get off of our feet and
produce spinach and possibly
other produce,” Kyle Gloskey of
Le Roy replied.
They hope to be able to
clear more than $1,000 in an-
nual profits once the costs of
utilities are balanced against
sales. Students are eyeing a so-
lar energy system to power the
greenhouse, but admit there are
equipment costs they had not
fully fleshed out.
Hyde said Bonduelle, which
• Access to an expansive
and competitively priced
agricultural tire inventory
FOR ALL YOUR FARM EQUIPMENT
.2124 NEEDS
has food processing offices in the manager of community and
Bergen and Oakfield as part of customers for National Grid’s
its worldwide reach, has com- Batavia office, said he’d bring a
mitted to 100 hours of in-kind pitch for advisement and finan-
technical assistance. Paul Gister, cial aid for the project as well.
We’re Everywhere
Complete Lawn Care & Landscaping Service
Residential & Commercial
Beautiful Brick Patios
Walkways • Firepits
Retaining Walls
We Sell Mulch,
Topsoil & Stone
Available for Pick up
or Delivery
FREE ESTIMATES
FULLY INSURED
Call now to set up your
appointment
bubbaslandscape.net
768-6578
81 Lake St., LeRoy
• Commercial tire
retreads
• And much more
We Carry We Do
Forestry Flotation
Tires!
Tires!
 Tractor Factor Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 31

Living the farm life

After spending her share of time at the track, pig returns to her former home
By BRIAN QUINN
bquinn@batavianews.com
Where is Flower these days?
Those who remember see-
ing the pig riding in the back
of a car at Genesee Speed-
way’s track last year or in 2016
may be curious about Flow-
er’s whereabouts.
Not to worry, she hasn’t
been eaten. She’s living on the
Seth Hinkson farm in Basom.
She returned to the farm, from
whence she came, after being
brought there by Cathie In-
man of Darien Center.
Cathie and her husband,
Carl, had Flower at their home
almost from the time she was
born in the summer of 2016.
“I do rescue piglets for Seth
when the mother won’t take
care of them or there are too
many,” Cathie Inman said.
“She was about six hours old
when I got her. I bottle-fed her MARK GUTMAN/DAILY NEWS
from when she was a day old.” Flower the pig in the morning sun light.
Cathie Inman didn’t have to
hold her hands very far apart think she’s a pig. When we Flower. remembers us, which kind said. “In the summer, they’ll
to show how small Flower was took her to the barn and told “We wanted everybody to of surprises me,” she said. lay outside. Now, they lay in
in 2016. Since then, Flower her to get in the stall, she know we didn’t eat her. She “I didn’t know pigs had that the barn.”
has blossomed into a roughly wasn’t happy. She was loose went back to the farm and had good of a memory, but they “They (pigs) probably live
400-pound pig. While she was in our house. She came and babies,” Cathie Inman said. do.” eight to 10 years, I’ll bet. Af-
with the Inmans, Flower was went as she pleased.” “People don’t believe us.” Hinkson said Cathie Inman ter you breed them so many
a fixture of sorts at the Speed- Now that Flower’s gone Flower spends her days and asked him to look after Flow- times, they don’t produce as
way, going there with Carl and and the Inmans have given nights now at Hinkson’s farm. er. well,” Hinkson said. “Hope-
riding in the back of the car her away, people have been “We’ve been up a couple “She had piglets and has fully it will be another four or
that he drove. She could be wondering what happened to of times to see her. She still been living the farm life,” he five years before she’s gone.”
seen at the track on Saturdays.
“She was very popular.
People used to come just to
see her,” Cathie Inman said.
“When we took her to races
and led her around, we kept
saying, ‘She’s going to get old-
er.’ She went there (Genesee)
and Freedom (Raceway). She
went to all of them. Genesee AGRICULTURE & CONSTRUCTION REPAIR & FAB
was the one where most peo- NO JOB TOO SMALL
ple saw her. She was at the
(County) Fair. She was there
for Autograph Night. The kids 585.356.8167
got a chance to bottle-feed her
and pet her. She was inter- Greg Midkiff, Owner
viewed by the announcer.” gregory.midkiff@gmail.com
Cathie Inman said she gave
the pig her name. Fully Mobile With All Processes
“I named her ‘Flower’ after D1.1 Certiied • Field Service
the skunk in ‘Bambi,’” Inman
Specializing in General Facility Repairs • Hard Surfacing
said. “I don’t want her eaten.
She’s too spoiled. She doesn’t Aluminum/Stainless Steel • Cast Steel & Iron
32 • Thursday, May 31, 2018 Tractor Factor