Agriculture today

Having a farm today to support a family, and hopefully make a decent profit, means: hard work, good marketing, management skills, and keeping politically informed. The dairy business for example, is very complex, and it is getting more difficult to compete with the very large dairies. The farmers must take responsibility and get involved: engage in elections, attend related meetings, and be advocates for their business and their industry.

Some politicians names appear in the news as agricultural activists. Watch what they accomplish and then form your own opinions. Here are some of the recent mentions: NY State's (D) Attorney General attended a meeting in Syracuse, NY about the dairy industry sponsored by the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC), April 1st, 2004. He made it clear to the 170 people that came, that his doors were open to help, and that feedback information was needed. Another NY political figure who voiced concern was that of (R) Senator Nancy Larraine Hoffmann. The Senator said, "Agriculture is the backbone of our state's economy and, in fact, is New York's number one industry. Helping New York's 38,000 farm families is one of my top priorities." US (D) Senator Charles E. Schumer, once named "Man of the Year" by the NY Farm Bureau, said, "...the value of agriculture and farming goes beyond the dollars produced. Farms are the incubators of the values that made this country great. Reliance, a love of nature and individualism are all bred on farms and then the values spread." At the 2004 campaign debate, Schumer said, "I love the farmers. They're great".

In 2005, NYS (D) Senator Hillary R. Clinton has been fighting to support the expired federal program: Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC); fighting to restrict imports of milk protein concentrates (MPCs), and has been helping NY’s dairy farmers move into organic farming. The NY Farm Bureau names NY State Legislators annually into its “Circle of Friends” list. NYS (R) Senator James L. Seward has been recognized as a member due to his understanding of issues and strong support for the NY agricultural industry. To see who's on the latest “Circle of Friends” list, visit the “Press Room” at The NY Farm Bureau website http://www.nyfb.org/newsrel.htm and look for the press release on that subject.

Links to Farming resources

Keeping up with the latest farming news and opportunities is more important today than ever before, so we have collected a short list of resource and aid sites for today's farmer.
It's also important to attend Chenango County Agricultural Development Council meetings (open to the public) at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County at 99 N. Broad St., Norwich. The ADC, funded through public support and donations, works to support, promote and expand agricultural activities within Chenango County.

Nearly everyone is growing something in Oxford. Some people get elaborate with man-made ponds and aquatic wildlife, some are interested in butterfly gardens, some cultivated flowers like roses or irises, while others grow fairly large vegetable gardens with exceptional hybrids. Some people still "can" their own goods, and tap their sugar maple trees to make their own maple syrup. They're all for personal pleasure. Below are just a sampling of some of the people in Oxford who have combined this pleasure with business and seek to make a profit.

Local farms

Two very unique professional farms in Oxford, NY, are: Bundle Creek Farms, owned by Jeff and Martha Emerson, and Carriage Barn Herbs, owned by Sandy Ballard. At Bundle Creek Farms, they raise some very unusual livestock: alpacas! Like sheep, they are raised for their fur which is exceptionally soft, dense and warm. The other, Carriage Barn Herbs, LLC, is a hydroponic farm. Sandy produces culinary herbs (i.e.-sage, basil, thyme, etc.) year round in a hydroponic greenhouse, on County Road 32, which is completely natural (no pesticides), for area restaurants.

As mentioned earlier, there's the "Century Farm", Marshman family's, "Tiger Lily Holsteins". They're located on County Road 32, 3 miles South of Oxford Village, milking over 350 registered holsteins daily.
Just down the road is Kim Marshman's (self-service) farm stand called "The Barnyard". The stand is stocked with sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions, fresh-cut flowers, pumpkins, and Marshman's special "Black Gold"-compost, from mid July - October, 7 days-a-week. She also has fall decorating supplies and much more. School Tours are available.

For discerning shoppers, right in LaFayette Park is our own Farmers' Market. Local entrepreneurs, such as Kim Marshman, set up stands selling fresh produce and hand crafted wares. In addition to fresh vegetables, depending on who shows up, you may find: home grown fruits, eggs, flowers, herbs, etc. You may find a table of hand crafted items, sheared wool, or home made goods such as jams, canned fruits, or canned vegetables may also be available for sale. (There's no cost to the vendors to set up.) It's well worth a visit to meet the farmers and see what's the best, freshest, and most unique! Come early for best choices. You'll find the Market on the Northwest side of the Park near the Bandstand. The Farmers' Market is open on Saturday mornings from 9:00am - 12-Noon, from mid July through October.

There are two noteworthy businesses located on Race Road. One is another family owned farm, the Weidman Farm. John V. Weidman owns and manages the working farm as well as specializing in rural land improvement and development. He's available for contracting, consulting, water diversion and development, site development and equipment sales. The other business provides reliable service to farmers when machinery breaks down-- Kuhn's Equipment Repair. Kuhn's repairs tractors, radiators, and other farm equipment. Their goal is to help farmers maintain their existing equipment with preventive maintenance, painting and other major repairs.

Serving the needs of all, from backyard flower gardens to fields of corn, is Canal Street Hardware. Kenneth and Nancy Ryan run a Trust Worthy Hardware store with McDowell & Walker dairy products. They've got mowers, manure, Muck shoes, mulch, and much more. They also carry agricultural feeds and supplies. It doesn't matter if you have acres to tend or simply one tomato plant to cage, Canal Street has it all. If you have gardening questions, be sure to ask Ken, Nancy, or their knowledgeable staff. They're sure to be able to help with those "stubborn weeds and pests", but I don't think they've come up with a cure for the problematic rocks.

<< Back

Agriculture home - Learning and Education - Farming today