On Monday, November 14th, the Catskills CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) group visited Apple Pond Farm in Callicoon, NY for their annual meeting and 2012 planning session. Approximately 25 participants shared their impressions of the 2011 schedule and discussion led to 2012 training and other group member needs that CRAFT could help organize. 

Planning for 2012 will continue with social and networking events through the winter months. The 2012 Catskills CRAFT program will encompass three areas of activity that can be spearheaded by group members:  1.) on-farm training, 2.) work parties, and 3.) social events. 

Farm visits will demonstrate a specific skill that the group seeks training in. These will be enhanced by a separate track of work parties in which member farmers seek assistance with a specific farm task. This track may utilize a new Time Banking system being launched by one of the member farmers in Delaware county. And finally, the group will hold at least two social events during the next season that focus on community building and engaging beginning and established farmers alike. 

Hosts, Sonja Hedlund and Dick Riseling, coordinated a beautiful and abundant potluck for the group to share in. For over 25 years, Sonja and Dick have been farming their 80 acres. Chicken, goats and sheep are raised for eggs, meat and fiber. In 2003, the farm expanded into renewable energy with a wind turbine, solar hot water system and solar panels. The farm now produces 85% of its electricity each year. They host farm vacations and educational programs. 

For more information about Apple Pond Farm, visit www.applepondfarm.com.

Catskills CRAFT farm visits and events are scheduled June through November. As 2012 planning continues, additional events will be added. Visit www.catskillscraft.org for a full schedule and email info@catskillscraft.org to be added to our group distribution. 

On Monday, October 3rd, the Catskills CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) group visited Wildflower Farm in Delhi, NY. Approximately 25 participants were led by John Janiszewski though the farm’s aquaculture system that connects plants with nutrient-rich tilapia tank water within a straw-bale barn and connected greenhouse. 

The tour began with a discussion of the building’s construction which sits atop the farm’s original barn foundation. Designed for maximum insulation, the structure has proven effective in keeping the warm-water tilapia in comfortable temperatures throughout the cold New York winters. The “fish room” itself contains five cut segments of an old metal silo that have been repurposed as tanks and fitted with the necessary filtering  and maintenance systems. 

The main tank currently holds nearly 5,000 tilapia fingerlings that arrived on the farm in July and will begin hitting market weight of 1.5 to 2.5 pounds in early 2012. A second smaller tank holds the remaining market-size stock of approximately 150 fish, all of which are currently sold out. 

The farm faced a great challenge this year when attempting to reorder fingerling stock. Nearby hatcheries Wildflower Farm previously ordered from had gone out of business. The difficulty in locating stock led to a delay that caused a complete “sell-out” of the existing supply. With this challenge in mind, the farm also acquired 150 breeders and will begin experimenting with them in the months to come. 

Each tank is connected to a solids trap that removes large waste particles from the system. The water is then again filtered through a mesh filter system and the remaining liquid is routed into the greenhouse where the water passes through yet another filter system, this one containing rocks embedded with bacteria that remove any remaining waste elements before the water is routed back into the fish tanks. As John said, “At that point, the water is drinkable and you might not even know the difference.” Looking at how clear the water is in the fish tanks, it isn’t such a stretch. 

Discussion led to other aspects of the farm from a new tick-deterring organic fertilizer they’ve developed to their small herd of cattle and how they are tended to at Wildflower Farm. Plans for future experiments range from trying to raise a few salmon, maybe a bass or two, and just for fun, maybe even some shrimp. Only two of the five large tanks are in use so John has room to continue his experimentation. 

For more information about Wildflower Farm, visit www.wfftilapia.com. Catskills CRAFT visits are scheduled at a different farm each month through November. Visit www.catskillscraft.org for a full schedule. 

On Monday, September 12, the Catskills CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) group visited Mountain Dell Farm in Hancock, NY.  Participants, led by farmers Mark Dunau and Lisa Wujnovich, saw first hand how Mountain Dell Farm utilizes just five acres to supply their community supported agriculture (CSA) and restaurant customers with vegetables from June through November.

While the region's recent storms were evident in damaged beds and pooling waters, Mountain Dell Farm is grateful to have product for their customers and have been working hard to get their fields back in shape. 

The farm is laid out in fields that are from 15 to 25 feet wide and are from 100 to 200 yards long. These fields produce 50 varieties of vegetables and most of the greens require multiple plantings to keep up with supply due to short harvest windows. Throughout the tour, transplants mixed with established greens demonstrated this intensive planting schedule. 

Row covers are on stand-by for next month’s expected frost. Over the past 20-plus years farming these fields, Mark and Lisa have pin-pointed the exact temperatures at which their crops must be covered to avoid frost damage. On a mid-November pick day, it is not unusual for Mountain Dell Farm to harvest over 700 pounds of greens. 

Committed to not growing too fast and focusing on serving their existing clientele, many of whom have been customers since the farm began, Mark and Lisa have established a unique small farm that maximizes land use while providing a level of income that allows them to maintain the farm and employ two on-farm interns. 

As is required of all of Mountain Dell Farm’s interns, this year's interns, Patrick and Kenny, managed their own farm project. 20 chickens were processed last week and Kenny served a delicious creamy chicken soup at the potluck meal that followed the tour. 

Mark Dunau has summarized the farm’s practices in an informative online article. For more information about Mountain Dell Farm and and to access this article, visit www.markforpresident.dontsubmit.org/farm.html.

Catskills CRAFT visits are scheduled at a different farm each month through November. Visit www.catskillscraft.org for a full schedule. 

Lucky Dog Organic Farm welcomed a dozen beginning farmers from the Catskills Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) on Monday, August 8th for a farm tour and discussion of how the farm has adapted to expansion. Kalan Joslin, the field manager, and Richard Giles, owner, led the group on a tour through the farm’s multiple greenhouses and produce fields in Hamden, NY. The group ended the evening with a potluck social.

In fewer than ten years, Lucky Dog Organic Farm has grown to encompass a farm store, wholesale operation, community supported agriculture (CSA) program, farmers market sales and two on-farm restaurants. Approximately fifty percent of their revenue comes from their CSA and farmers markets (Pakatakan farmers market near Margaretville, the Callicoon farmers market, the Cooperstown farmers market and the Socrates Sculpture Park Greenmarket in New York City). The balance is sold through regional distributors. This accelerated pace of expansion seems second nature to Richard and Holley White-Giles who have planted their family along with their crops in this small river-bottom town.

The farm is comprised of 45 owned acres and has expanded onto an additional 115 leased acres where they grow organic produce and cover crop used to enrich farm-made compost. With the increase in land came the need for efficiencies in techniques, equipment and staff. 

With Kalan demonstrating, the participants were shown the unique block seeder that Lucky Dog traded in for its traditional cell seeding technique in an effort to reduce plastic waste. They begin with a soil mix and water that when fed through the block seeder, produces “flats” of seeded soil that are placed in reused plastic bread trays. This system both eliminates waste and cuts a labor-intensive farm task down to a two-person operation. 

As do all organic farms, Lucky Dog battles with weeds each season. Last season, Lucky Dog was awarded a grant through the Watershed Agricultural Council that enabled them to purchase a tractor-mounted vegetable bed flameweeder. This piece of machinery burns propane fuel through torches aimed at the surface of the crop beds in order to destroy small emerging weeds either just before planting or just before the crop emerges. With this flameweeder, they are able to sweep quickly across these areas without disturbing the soil, to kill new flushes of weeds, decreasing the staff time dedicated to weeding and the fossil fuels that would be required of several high-horse power tillage trips doing the same job. For more information, visit http://pure-catskills.blogspot.com/2011/06/views-from-field-richard-giles.html. 

While new introductions in techniques and equipment have enabled Lucky Dog to expand through efficiencies, staffing and teaming has been a key factor in the farm’s ability to adapt. Lucky Dog employs six year round and 16 additional seasonal staff at the farm. In 2002, Kalan, the CRAFT visit’s tour leader, began working at Lucky Dog and this job became a passion. Now a truly indispensable employee, Kalan helps to manage the farm with Richard and works closely with the other crew members, training and sharing expertise. 

For more information about Lucky Dog Organic Farm , visit www.luckydogorganic.com, or stop by their farm store the next time you pass through Hamden. 

Catskills CRAFT visits are scheduled at a different farm each month through November. Visit www.catskillscraft.org for a full schedule. 

The 2011 Catskills Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) kicked off on June 13th at Willow Wisp Organic Farm, growers of a diverse mix of organic vegetables, herbs and cut flowers for the Upper Delaware River Valley and The Catskills. Host farmers Greg Swartz and Tannis Kowalchuk lead 30 beginning farmers on a field tour of their 12-acre farm in Abrahamsville, Penn. Participants buzzed with interest and excitement throughout the evening that ended with a potluck social.

Sharing his experiences and passion for farming, Greg took the CRAFT guests on a walking tour of his greenhouse and produce fields, providing tips, tricks and advice to the many inquiring farmers in attendance. Having spent seven years as an apprentice before purchasing and beginning his own farm in 2007, he offered a unique understanding for his audience, highlighting the challenges that have lead Willow Wisp Organic to its successes. In addition to explaining how and what was growing beneath their feet, Greg offered vendor and supplier recommendations; demonstrated how specialized equipment has increased efficiencies in sowing and weed control; and described how to identify and increase production of trend crops.

A short hike to a side-hill field overlooking the valley opened discussion of Greg’s personal transition to full-time farming. His adventure began with what he thought would be a six-month farm program and turned into apprenticeships at three different farms.  Internships taught Greg how to learn by doing and provided numerous opportunities to manage and experiment with cropping systems. With each new project and experiment, Greg’s passion for farming grew. Thoughtfully, Greg and Tannis developed their farm business plan, purchased their farm and are investing in its future.

Attendees left with full stomachs, a good deal of information to digest, and looking forward to the next Catskills CRAFT farm tour. Direct access to mentor farmers is a necessary resource for any developing farmer. Catskills CRAFT bringing that access right to the farm.

Willow Wisp Organic Farm products are sold in equal parts at farmers' market, through their on-farm CSA and to local retailers and restaurants, within 50 miles. Greg and Tannis are committed to supporting future farmers as their mentors have done for them. For more information about their farm or products, visit www.willowwisporganic.com.