Dr. Milton C. Sernett and Scott Hughes, creators of the NAHOF Traveling Abolition Museum, discuss the outreach exhibit with Dr. Carolyn Howe, Worcester, Mass., Women’s History Project in front of one of the installed walls of the mobile exhibit telling the history of American Abolition from the Colonial Period to the Civil War.

Robert Djed Snead portrays Syracuse Underground Railroad station conductor Jermain Wesley Loguen at Loguen’s October 2011 Induction to the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro.

(Town of Smithfield, NY – Jan. 2012) As Black History month commences, Peterboro is finalizing plans for 2012 programs that explore and explain the 19th Century history of African-Americans in the hamlet and its significance to the history of our nation.

On Jan. 31, the anniversary date of the Thirteenth Amendment that abolished slavery, the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum Traveling Abolition Museum was transported from Case Library at Colgate University to Memorial Library at SUNY Cortland for Black History Month.

The museum had been installed at Colgate for Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorations at the college. Milton C. Sernett, Ph.D., professor emeritus Syracuse University, developed the text and visuals for the traveling museum that cover the history of American Abolition from slavery in the Colonial era to the Civil War.

Sernett, a member of the Cabinet of Freedom for the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum (NAHOF) in Peterboro, will also be presenting at SUNY Cortland on the Abolition Crusade in Upstate New York. Robert Djed Snead, a Jermain Wesley Loguen re-enactor who performed at Loguen’s NAHOF induction in October 2011, will perform and present Loguen at SUNY Cortland.

The History Center in Ithaca will be hosting the John Brown Lives! Timbuctoo exhibit during Black History Month. Timbuctoo explains Gerrit Smith’s plan to gift 3,000 African-American men with 40 acres of land.

The 20th Annual Peterboro Civil War Weekend June 9 and 10 will join in the nation’s commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Military battles were not waged on Peterboro soil, but Peterboro was the center of human rights activities that waged war against slavery, and those activities led to the ignition of the Civil War.

Sernett will present The Terrible Swift Sword: Abolitionists and the Civil War. Also, Alice Keesey Mecoy, will return to NAHOF to share insights into her great-great-grandfather John Brown.

NAHOF will exhibit a copy of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation gifted by the New York State Library. Lincoln presented his draft of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet September 22, 1862. The New York State Museum will open an exhibit Sept. 22 about the Proclamation, which was briefly owned by Gerrit Smith of Peterboro.

For more information, visit sca-peterboro.org or AbolitionHoF.org, or call (315) 366-8101.

The Grass Whisperer

By Troy Bishopp

(Peterboro, NY – Jan. 2012) “We really enjoy showing everyone around the farm and seeing the positive effects of a pasture-based farming system,” said a welcoming Steven Weaver from Weaver Family Farm to 40 farmers traveling from Rochester to Boonville to attend the New York Northeast Organic Farming Association’s field day.

According to Bethany Wallis, Organic Dairy Education Coordinator for NOFA-NY, “These meetings provide a venue to share knowledge among farmers, learn more about implementing organic grass-based dairy systems and help build a strong membership from the soil up.”

It was this symbiotic relationship between soil biology, pasture plants and grazing animals under the watchful management of the Weaver family that folks appreciated delving into. Steven began the pasture walk by describing the goals of the farm.

“To be economically viable, work as a family and leave the land better than they found it,” Weaver said. “For us, an organic grass-based dairy is the centerpiece to achieve this goal.”

He showed fellow farmers his grazing monitoring chart and pointed out that his old permanent pastures gave him a consistent three pounds of milk per cow more than his 3-year-old seedings of orchard grass, ryegrass and clover.

As the group looked for clues on the land for this increase in production, they found an active biological soil coupled with diverse perennial plant mixtures and learned about different grazing techniques, including out-wintering, over seeding, intensive grazing (65 cows per acre per 12 hours) and following up the herd with horses and poultry.

“I think it’s a combination of factors from deep rooted forbs, earthworm castings feeding plants, rest and the pulsing of the roots by grazing animals that leads to a successful pasture system that provides us feed until Thanksgiving,” Steven said.

The healthy and productive swards were complimented by a ‘gateless’ system of PVC poles lifting the wire for the cows to walk under into the lane, gravity flow watering to every paddock and a very successful homemade sticky cow to catch face flies. Steven also gave a tour of his milking parlor and bedded pack barn which is crucial to nutrient retention in the winter and overall herd health. He described his many strategies in using bedding materials, adjusting air flow with barn curtains and learning about the nuances of composting which he said is a real art.

The day was highlighted by fellowship surrounding a smorgasbord of local food made by the Peterboro Amish community, cheese and milk from Organic Valley Family of Farms and topped off with a cornucopia of pie choices and ice-cream (of course) to benefit the Siloam Springs School.

This pasture walk was supported by New York State Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, Organic Valley and the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Grazing Planning Continues to Improve with Practice

The District in conjunction with the Central New York Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc., are piloting 12-month planned grazing charts with several inspired farmers around the Bay and Great Lakes Watersheds.

This daily monitoring tool adopted from Holistic Management International that hangs on a door, seeks to improve decision-making on individual fields, record rainfall and animal production factors, prevent over-grazing, extend the grazing season and provide historical data for long term profitability.

To date, more than 150 charts have been distributed in various forms in an effort to learn how farmers use them and how to improve their functionality. They can be purchased for $3 each. To find out more give the office a call at (315) 824-9849 ext. 110.

Northeast SARE Fosters Grazing Training for Agency Professionals and Farmers

2011 marks another season for 42 grazing professionals throughout the Northeast coming together to learn more about building relationships and helping farmers set goals, plan, implement and monitor towards profitable holistic grazing management.

This three-year project working with a team of coordinators from NY, PA and VT have been busy teaching the practical nuances of planned grazing using a variety of tools and approaches including a “milk-house door friendly” 12-month monitoring chart.

The groups also teamed up this season with local farmers to “throw some darts” and learn about biological reading of the land to measure the results of different grazing management strategies. These continued evaluations are part of the project’s goal to help agricultural service providers meet farmers where they are to increase on-farm profitability, improve soil health while measuring quality of life issues.

We thank the many farms that opened up their land and minds to these intense training sessions.

“Through this planned grazing project and one on one consultations with our agency professional we have saved more than $6,000 in feed costs by strategically monitoring our rest periods and stockpiling pastures into December while keeping manure on the land and actually planning and then taking a family vacation,” said one participant. “The planning tools have revolutionized our operation.”

To learn more about the tools and project, visit cnyrcd.org/planned-grazing-participants.

The Sixth Consecutive Award for Local Conservation

For the sixth consecutive year, Madison County’s Soil and Water Conservation District was recognized for its media and tradition of outreach efforts by the New York State Soil & Water Conservation Committee and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets as part of a comprehensive Agricultural Environmental Management Program (AEM) in New York State.

This year’s installment was predicated on being at the right place at the right time and capturing the beauty of the region on film; the district has garnered the “Best Photos in the News” award for their wide array of more than 30 photos featured and published in local newspapers, national magazines and online.

The aware also recognized the quality of articles and expert-source quotes with especially well-articulated sound-bites on tough issues like federal TMDL requirements.

“It’s an honor to have this recognition bestowed upon the district by Commissioner Aubertine,” said Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman Doug Holdridge of Lincoln. “It demonstrates the commitment and support of our local community to conservation efforts.”

Troy Bishopp is grazing specialist for the Madison Co. SWCD/Upper Susquehanna Coalition. He can be reached at  (315) 824-9849 ext. 110, troy-bishopp@verizon.net or thegrasswhisperer.com.

Monday, December 5

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Village of Vernon Board Meeting of November 21

2:46 p.m. and 7:46 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of November 14

3:36 p.m. and 8:36 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget Workshop of November 29

Tuesday, December 6

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 29

2:20 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 15

2:42 p.m. and 7:42 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 14

2:58 p.m. and 7:58 p.m.: Are Kids Ready to be On Line Panel discussion of November 3

Wednesday, December 7

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 28

2:07 p.m. and 7:07 p.m.: NAHOF:  Frederick Douglass – Pioneer Reformer

2:54 p.m. and 7:54 p.m.:  Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

Thursday, December 8

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Heaven Bless the Little Ones with Thom O’Connor

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 29

Friday, December 9

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

Several of the programs this week are being re-run, due to technical difficulties last week.

Alex Weaver cradles the colors of wild apples picked.

Pictured is the Peterboro Amish Community’s old cider press.

The Grass Whisperer

By Troy Bishopp

While many were using the Internet to Facebook friends or Youtube a favorite homemade video, this grass/apple whisperer was Googling for inspiration on wild apple lore while raising a ceremonial, tart cup of unpasteurized, hand-pressed cider to the taste-buds.

The cool thing about surfing the web is that sometimes you are reunited with the past.

As the morning sun peaked through the hues of red and yellow foliage, I found myself morphed back to Walden’s pond in 1862 reading Henry David Thoreau’s book entitled “Wild Apples” where he celebrated the iconic tree and its fruit:

“Every wild apple shrub excites our expectation thus, somewhat as every wild child. It is, perhaps, a prince in disguise. What a lesson to man! So are human beings, referred to the highest standard, the celestial fruit which they suggest and aspire to bear, browsed on by fate; and only the most persistent and strongest genius defends itself and prevails, sends a tender scion upward at last, and drops its perfect fruit on the ungrateful earth.”

I wish I could converse with my ancestors to find out what kind of apple tree varieties dot our draws and hillsides. I must be getting older because I have played around these secret groves as a child, never thinking any deeper beyond which tree climbed the best.

But now I am starting to see through the blinders of my ungrateful youth to fully appreciate these natural assets.

My fascination with the unknown reds, greens, yellows and even purple mystery varieties came at the hands of farmers who abandoned my pasture walk in favor of the “trees.” As I listened to their crispy chomping and critiques of which would make a good pie apple, it reminded me of the flavor intricacies in grass-finished beef or of wine tasting.

Liberty Hyde Bailey had it right when he posed this question:

“Why do we need so many kinds of apples? Because there are so many folks. A person has a right to gratify his legitimate taste. If he wants 20 or 40 kinds of apples for his personal use … he should be accorded the privilege. There is merit in variety itself. It provides more contact with life, and leads away from uniformity and monotony.”

Upon researching these organic gems, I learned about the terrific health benefits that keeps the doctor away. One medium apple contains only 80 calories, and the pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density.

Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease, and other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Health benefits aside, the wild trees conjure up a deeper value for the farm. Yea, it’s the one you can’t exactly put a price on. The sacred branches are prized by dowsers to find water. The dead wood cut to flavor charcoal for a prize-winning brisket.

Big bucks and tom turkeys are drawn to harvest the drops or rub the velvet off.

The pollinators use the blossoms and the birds make nests in the canopy.

And the roots bind the soil while the cascading shade cools livestock.

Thoreau even talks about the spiritual nature of the majestic tree when farmers practiced “apple howling” on New Year’s Eve, honoring them in ceremony to bear well the next season. This salutation consisted of “throwing some of the cider about the roots of the tree,” and then “encircling one of the best bearing trees in the orchard and reciting the following toast three times:

‘Here’s to thee, old apple-tree, Whence thou mayst bud, and whence thou mayst blow, And whence thou mayst bear apples enow! Hats-full! caps-full! Bushel, bushel, sacks-full! And my pockets full, too! Hurrah!’”

I’ll go so far as to say wild apples build community…

In the last two years, there has been a kind of renaissance surrounding the fruit-in-waiting, due to the anticipation of hosting apple-harvesting parties for my farming neighbors. In years past, the apples would simply fall to the ground and feed the soil, wildlife and cattle with a few bushels going into apple sauce.

Now that the secret is out on the quality of these old-world varieties, my friends can no longer accept them as worm food and show up with smiles, ladders and apple crates when they get the phone message of “Fruit on!”

Harvesting apples by agile moms, dads and climbing children hardly seems like real work compared to my brief stint picking drops from the ground while fighting off the yellow jackets for 25 cents a bushel at a local orchard. When you have 15 family pickers, it’s pretty easy to fill the bed of a pick-up and still have time to relax in the warm sun of late September, lying in the pasture munching on a piece of history.

Some would say, why don’t you charge for the privilege to pick your wild apples?

Well, I suppose it has merit being organic and all, but for at least 40 years, no one has done much of anything with the forgotten fruit except let the drops fatten animals. From my vantage point, I feel rewarded beyond monetary gain that our farm and my ancestor’s sweat equity have once again nourished fellow farm families with 120 gallons of cider, countless jars of apple sauce, many pies, pomace for their animals and stories.

Lots of stories.

The wild apple of our eye is in receiving the fruits from our friend’s labor with countless quarts of cider, apple jelly and one secret-recipe, caramel-encrusted apple pie from Kristine Weaver, which I have aptly anointed “Heaven Pie.”

An unknown author once said, “Climb a tree; it gets you closer to heaven.”

I say, bite into a wild apple, and you’re already there.

Troy Bishopp is grazing specialist for the Madison Co. SWCD/Upper Susquehanna Coalition. He can be reached at (315) 824-9849 Ext. 110, troy-bishopp@verizon.net or thegrasswhisperer.com.

Tuesday, Nov. 29

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Village of Vernon Board Meeting of November 21

2:46 p.m. and 7:46 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of November 14

Wednesday, Nov. 30

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Are Kids Ready to be on Line:  A Panel Discussion

3:02 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 14

3:18 p.m. and 8:18 p.m.:  Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 15

3:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

Thursday, Dec. 1

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Heaven Bless the Little Ones with Thom O’Connor

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: NAHOF:  Frederick Douglass:  Pioneering Reformer

3:41 p.m. and 8:41 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget: Police, Fire and Planning

Friday, Dec. 2

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

2:23 p.m. and 7:23 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting of November 17 with John Ready

Just a sampling of local foods sold at the Poolville Winter Farmers’ Market. The market opens again Dec. 10. (Photo by Chris Hoffman)

 By Chris Hoffman

(Poolville, NY – Nov. 2011) Saturday, Nov. 12 was the opening day of this year’s Winter Farmers Market at the Poolville Community Center (PCC), and as in years past, people turned out in droves.

New managers Martine Cook of Heirloom Meadows Farm in North Brookfield and Amy Somers of Somers Harvest Farm in Hamilton took the helm this year after Things From Here ran the market beginning in 2009.

A new feature of the market this year is the presence of a “guest chef” from a different local restaurant each month.  This month the guest chef was Janssen Fay who, along with his wife Leah, opened Nola’s Restaurant in Clinton in 2005.

Janssen and Fay offered a lunch of cream of mushroom soup, salad, and made-to-order grilled sandwiches.

Next month, the guest chefs will be Roger Foster and Charles Wilburn of the Poolville Country Store.

Cook said, “The idea is to showcase a variety of local restaurants who make the effort to source their ingredients from local farms and producers.”  Half the profits from these sales are donated to the PCC to help with upkeep of the building.

In years past, separate fundraising efforts raised money to help pay the PCC’s electric and heating bills. Beginning this year, vendors have agreed to pay $60 each for the season to offset the PCC’s costs.

Cook also said that there are enough vendors now who have had a very satisfying experience in the past with this market that if a particular vendor can’t make one of the dates, there are others who can step up to fill what would otherwise be an empty slot. This way shoppers always have a full market with plenty of choices.

The vendors at Saturday’s market included Highland Farm from Hamilton, Ingleside Meadows Farm from Canastota, Johnston’s Honeybee Farm from Eaton, Dutch Girl Cheese from Leonardsville, the Poolville Country Store, The Imaginary Farmer from Hubbardsville, Lucky Moon Farm from Cazenovia, Quarry Brook Farm from Sherburne, G&M Farms from Morrisville, Fruit of the Fungi from Lebanon, Mizrahi Manor Farm from Norwich, Heirloom Meadows Farm from North Brookfield, Somer’s Harvest Farm from Hamilton, Sabino’s Farm from Sherburne, Windy Hill Apple Orchard from Cassville, and Jake’s Gouda Cheese from Deansboro.  Beginning next month, Evans Farmhouse Creamery in Norwich will return to the market.

Vendors offer a wide variety of products:  eggs; pasture-raised pork, beef, lamb, and goat meat; onions, garlic, and root vegetables; fresh and dried herbs, as well as greenhouse grown salad greens, chard, kale, and collards; mushrooms; jams, jellies, and salsas; peppers and seasonings; apples and cider.  Additionally, Bruce Rivington from Red Gate Farm is selling Kriemhild butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows from four local farms: Journey’s Joy Farm in Peterboro, Monanfran Farm in Canastota, Sunny Acres Farm in Georgetown, and Red Gate Farm in Hamilton.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturdays of the winter months:  Dec. 10, Feb. 11, March 10, and April 14 (no market in January).

For more information, or to get on their mailing list, email poolvillefarmersmarket@gmail.com.

(Madison County, NY – Nov. 2011) The Madison County Landfill Operation (all sites) and the ARC MRF Recycling Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 24.

The Landfill Office on Buyea Road in the Town of Lincoln will be closed on Friday, November 25.

Monday, November 21, 2011

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Are Kids Ready to be On Line Panel Discussion November 3

3:02 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 14

3:18p.m. and 8:18 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 13

Tuesday, November 22

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget Discussion:  Planning, Police  and Fire Departments, November 16

Wednesday, November 23

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting of November 17, with John Ready:  Veterans Memories Project

2:26 p.m. and 7:26 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

2:49 p.m. and 7:49 p.m.:  Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of November 14

Thursday, November 24

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Heaven Bless the Little Ones with Thom O’Connor

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: NAHOF: George Gavin Ritchie, presented by Nellie K. Edmeston and Dr. William E. Edmeston, Ph.D.

Friday, November 25

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 14

2:40 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.: Assembly Calendar with Claudia Tenney

2:55 p.m. and 7:55 p.m.: Oswego County Legislature Meeting of November 10

(Peterboro, NY) The Peterboro Civil War Weekend Committee announces plans for the 20th annual Peterboro Civil War Weekend to be held June 9 and 10. The annual event coincides with the sesquicentennial of the Civil War commemorated throughout the nation.

Peterboro had a pivotal role in the ignition of the Civil War because of Gerrit Smith, who was an influential leader in anti-slavery efforts – a movement that led to the Civil War.

Smith’s support of John Brown caused a direct ignition of the Civil War.

For two decades, the Peterboro encampment has demonstrated many aspects of military and civilian life in the mid-1800s. In recent years, exhibits and programs on abolition and the Underground Railroad have been added.

The committee plans to develop more programs in 2012 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. For more information: civilwarweekend.sca-peterboro.org.

(Nov. 8, 2011)

Madison County Judge (County, Surrogate’s and Family Courts) – Uncontested

Dennis K. McDermott 7,777

Brookfield

Town Supervisor

John Salka 402; Joshua Haar 304

Highway Superintendent

Rod Jennison 342; Robert Piersma 372

Town Council

Marylou A. Rhodes 215; Joseph H. Walker 412; Clinton A. Abrams 450; Jefferson L. Mayne 303

Cazenovia

Town Supervisor

Thomas J. Clarke 597; Ralph M. Monforte 853

Town Council

Elizabeth C. Moran 860; Jennifer Basic 822; William N. Zupan 819

DeRuyter

Highway Superintendent Walter C. Cook 264; John Farewell 200

Eaton

Town Supervisor

Priscilla Suits 312; James C. Monahan 170

Fenner

All races uncontested.

Georgetown

Highway Superintendent

Howard F. Hunter 105; Duane J. Newton 78

Hamilton

Town Supervisor

Eve Ann Shwartz 613; Scott Mills 504

Town Council

Dominick Pangallo 529; David N. Holcomb 604; Chris Rossi 563; Kerry Dart 487

Lebanon

All races uncontested.

Lenox

Town Supervisor

Rocco J. DiVeronica 874; Richard  L. Rossi 445

Town Council

Douglas Havens, III 485; Richard Wimmer 664; Tom Bush 750; Edward Cerasia 407

Lincoln

All races uncontested.

Madison

Town Council

Brad Dixon 244; Anne Meyering 119, Gregory M. Reuter 267

Nelson

Town Council

Sharon A. Driscoll 199; John LaGorga 221; John E. Laubscher 202

Smithfield

Town Clerk/Collector

Janice C. Sebring 105, Page B. Winn 55

Stockbridge

Town Council

Roy E. Meeker 129; Kyle R. Russ 78; Roland C. Shea, Sr. 121

Sullivan

All Races Uncontested

Oneida

(Oneida, NY – Nov. 8, 2011) With 100 percent of the votes recorded from the Madison County Board of Elections, the unofficial results for races in the city of Oneida are as follows:

Mayor

Leo Matzke – 1,118

Donald Hudson – 1,223

Ward 1 Common Council

Susan Stratton – 159

Brahim Zogby – 217

Michael F. Musacchio Jr. – 34

Ward 2 Common Council

David Cimpi (unopposed) – 488

Ward 3 Common Council

1. A.     Max Smith (unopposed) – 264

Ward 4 Common Council

Michael Kaiser (unopposed) – 181

Ward 5 Common Council

Jim Chamberlain – 191

Brian Karst – 103

Ward 6 Common Council

Claudette Buss – 120

Tom Simchik – 183

Supervisor Wards 1, 2 and 3

John Reinhardt (unopposed) 1056

Scott Henderson (unopposed) 1055

Supervisor Wards 4, 5 and 6

James Rafte (unopposed) – 683

Lewis Carinci (unopposed) – 620

Proposition 1

Yes – 1,422

No – 772