New York Farm Bureau News Bytes

In today's episode we speak with dairy farmer and registered dietitian Abigail Copenhaver about the tasty benefits of dairy. Get ready for an insightful discussion on the benefits of chocolate milk, why lactose milk is often sweeter, and how dairy plays a crucial role in athletic recovery. Tune in and discover the secrets of this delicious and nutritious beverage during this special month dedicate...

Join us as we delve into the intricacies of the Farm Bill, a significant legislation that provides essential funding for USDA programs supporting farmers and national food assistance initiatives. In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Williams, the Deputy Director of Public Policy and National Affairs Director at New York Farm Bureau to better understand the crucial role the Farm Bill plays in s...

Join chef and owner of The Marshal, Charlie Marshal, as he takes us on a captivating journey through New York's thriving wine industry. Discover the exceptional flavors and varietals that have propelled New York wines to national acclaim, and gain insights into the challenges faced by a restaurant owner in New York City. Tune in and raise a glass to the vibrant promising future of New York's wine...

In this episode, we are joined by Tara Vander Dussen, a dairy farmer from New Mexico who is also an environmental scientist, blogger, and podcaster. As an outsider to New York's dairy farming community, Tara offers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by dairy farmers in the West and how they compare to those in New York. We discuss Tara's farm, her views on sustainability, and the role of...

In this episode, we dive into the growing world of adult-use cannabis in New York state. We'll be speaking with Seth Jacobs, of Slack Hollow Organics, is a farmer who's growing the crop and Renee St. Jaques, senior director of public policy for New York Farm Bureau and staff representative to the organization's cannabis committee. Seth, has been growing vegetables at his farm outside of Albany for...

In this episode of the News Bytes Podcast, we speak with Henry Mondschein, an Investment Advisor Representative of GWN Securities, Inc. who works with Nationwide Insurance's Land As Your Legacy Program. We discuss the importance of farmland transition for farmers who want to continue their family legacy and pass down their livelihood to future generations. We learn about the financial and emotiona...

Welcome to today's episode, where we are privileged to have a conversation with Dick McGuire, a true legend in New York agriculture. With a career spanning over several decades, Dick's journey from farming in an era before tractors to serving as the state's Commissioner of Agriculture and President of New York Farm Bureau, is nothing short of remarkable. As a man who has played a critical role in...

In this podcast, we sit down with Roxi Beck, the consumer engagement director for the Center for Food Integrity, a coalition of more than 150 members and project partners representing the diversity of today's food system and president of Look East, to better understand the Center's mission to build trust and confidence in today's food system by engaging with consumers and stakeholders. We also exp...

Farms face many economic and political hurdles in order to provide the nutrients we need. Beyond providing local food and open spaces, they are integral to the financial success of our communities and state. In this episode we speak with Robert Duffy, head of the greater Rochester chamber of commerce and former New York State lieutenant governor and Veronica Nigh, senior economist with the America...

Brett Sciotto, CEO of Aimpoint Research, was a keynote speaker at this years NYFB annual conference. He encouraged attendees to be innovative and consider the evolving needs of customers in the agriculture and food industry. He believes that those who respond to the changing demands will have a competitive advantage. We sat down with Brett after his speech to ask him what all of this will mean for...

Welcome to season 2 of the New York Farm Bureau News Bytes Podcast. We are excited to be back for our second season and hope you are ready for a jam-packed season full of informative, entertaining, and educational content about the New York Farm Bureau World. On this episode, we dive into the NYFB Public Policy Priorities with the Director of Public Policy, Jeff Williams. The legislative session h...

The New York Farm Bureau has an exciting event planned on December 6 in Buffalo that will examine what agriculture may look like in the next decade. The conference is called Focusing on the Future of Northeast Agriculture….adapt, advance, achieve. To learn more about the event, we spoke with Henry Talmage who is NYFB”s Director of Insurance and Business Development.

As technology, research, and new ideas continue to transform agriculture, there is an effort here in the State to help the next wave of entrepreneurs and creators increase agriculture and economic development in upstate New York. It's called Grow New York. The goal is to cultivate growth and innovation in agriculture to benefit farms, our food supply, and regional economies. In this week's episode...

New York State legislators wrapped up farm tours in the Mohawk Valley and western New York. The mission: Invite lawmakers from New York City to visit with farmers and learn more about the issues affecting agriculture. Today we talk with two of these lawmakers. First, we speak with Senator George Borrello, who represents the 57th senate district in western New York, and partnered with Assemblyman C...

We are fortunate in New York state to have the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health based in Cooperstown. The staff offers a number of services, training, and financial assistance for farms. This week on New York farm Bureau's News Bytes, we speak with NYCAMH's director, Julie Sorensen about NYCAMH's mission of enhancing agricultural and rural health by preventing and treating occu...

New York grows about 30 million bushels a year, from about 600 orchards across the state. Apples are sold, ready to eat right off the tree while others, make their way into cider, apple sauce, and hard cider In today's episode we talk with Laurie Ten Eyck . Laurie and her family run Indian ladder farms in Altamont just outside of Albany. It's a family farm that has certainly changed a lot through...

This week marks national suicide prevention month. It is an important reminder that all of us need to think about our mental health as much as our physical health as well as pay attention to the warning signs that our loved ones or friends may be struggling. We begin today’s discussion with Jennifer Schwytzer , a family consultant with NY FarmNet who talks about a new grant from USDA that is helpi...

The New York state fair is in full swing and Syracuse. Fairgoers are walking the barn, seeing prize livestock and blue ribbon vegetables on display. This includes seeing the birth of a calf at the dairy cow birthing center, but that experience is meant to be much more than witnessing an "udder miracle", as it's called. We sat down in the middle of the birthing center tent with Eileen Jensen , the...

Last week, we explored the diversity of agriculture on Long Island. It is an incredibly diverse sector ranging from fruit and vegetable farms, to wineries, aquaculture, nurseries, equine and so much more. If there is one thing they all have in common, it is support from agricultural professionals that assist in some of the more technical needs to better manage their operations. Today we talk with...

In this week's episode we explore Long Island, NY. With close to 500 farms covering 30-thousand acres, this area is one of the major productive areas in all of New York. Farms share the increasingly developed area with more and more residential home, which means more customers but also development pressures for the farmers. Featured in this episode is Long Island Farm Bureau's Administrative Direc...

In this third and final installment from the NYFB “Future of Agriculture Summit,” we continue the conversation about reaching more urban lawmakers. We talk with Senator Michelle Hinchey, representing the Northern Hudson Valley in the Catskills and rural parts of the capital region around Albany and Schenectady. After that, hear from Assemblymember Donna Lupardo from the Binghamton area. Lupardo ch...

In this second installment from the NYFB “Future of Agriculture Summit” we continue the conversation around labor on the farm. We talk with Richard Stup, Agricultural Workforce Specialist in the Horticulture Section at Cornell Cooperative Extension. We also hear from NYFB's National Affairs director about a series of state wide listening sessions that provide an opportunity for farmers to give fee...

This week's show takes a look back at last week’s NYFB “Future of Agriculture Summit” and the conversation around the need for more applied research and agricultural education. We talk with Julie Suarez, the Assoc. Dean for Land-Grant Affairs at Cornel University CALS and Tara Berescik Burke, President of the NY Assn. of Agriculture Educators.

This week, we are highlighting New York Farm Bureau member Black Button Distilling, started in Rochester by its founder and master distiller, Jason Barrett, more than a decade ago. He has developed award winning bourbon, gin and vodka, using New York products. He is now going a step further by buying his own farm to raise Juniper trees for gin and Oak trees to construct his bourbon barrels.

In episode 10 of the NYFB News Bytes podcast our roving Farm Bureau county manager Mark James sits down with the father-daughter duo behind the Tin Barn Brewery, Dale and Lauren Van Pamelen. Other news: USDA National Ag Statistic Service for the week ending Sunday, July 10 Highlights from the New York State Agricultural Fatality Report: 2019-2021 Music credits: Palms Down, Denzel Sprak, Decompress...