Senator Clinton to Host New York Farm Day

The Wine Press, Aug 21, 2004

New York farm-fresh products, award-winning wines, and fine restaurants will travel to the nation's capitol next month to tastefully show Congress, the Administration, and others that New York is a major agricultural state, and agriculture is a major part of the state's economy.

On Tuesday, September 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will host "New York Farm Day" in the elegant Senate Russell Caucus Room at the crest of Capitol Hill. Attendees will include dozens of other Senators, the New York Congressional delegation from the House of Representatives, members of the Committees on Agriculture, legislative chiefs of staff, agricultural specialists in Congress and the Administration, members of the Washington media, top area restaurants and fine wine shops.

"Senator Clinton has become a true missionary for New York agriculture, including the grape and wine industry," said Jim Trezise, President of the statewide New York Wine & Grape Foundation, which organizes the event. "This food and wine showcase is designed to facilitate her strong advocacy of New York agriculture by tastefully showing her colleagues that New York has some of the best foods, wines, and restaurants in the world."

In the past two years, New York Farm Day has become one of the most popular receptions on Capitol Hill. As a reminder of this year's Farm Day gala, in early September all U.S. Senators and New York Representatives will receive an elegant green marble champagne chiller etched with a gold "Pride of New York" logo and containing a bottle of New York sparkling wine with glasses, compliments of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets.

The event is organized according to the State's major wine-producing regions–Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and Lake Erie (Chautauqua)–as well as North Country. Each region will have a "Farm Table" showcasing local agricultural products, a "Restaurant Table" featuring a special recipe created from those products, and a "Wine Table" offering award-winning wines to match the foods.

In addition, New York City will be represented by five top restaurants: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Charlie Palmer, Rosa Mexicana, Sardi's, and Savoy. A sample creation: Rosa Mexicano's Hudson Valley Duck Quesadillas with Guacamole con Frutas made with New York apples. Throughout the room, there will also be several poster presentations depicting the positive economic impact of agriculture, and the Pride of New York program.

The "Farm Tables" and a centerpiece "Cornucopia" created by Bill Sanok of Cornell Cooperative Extension (retired) on Long Island will include everything from A to Z (apples to zucchini), with a bounty of fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and seafood illustrating New York's diversity as an agricultural state. Though few farmers can attend since they'll be in the middle of the fall harvest, they generously contribute their products for this event.

From Long Island, there will be shellfish and oysters as well as smoked duck and assorted fall vegetables. Chef/Owner Tom Schaudel of Cool Fish Restaurant will offer Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with Red Ginger, Chiles and Soy–accompanied by wines from Bedell Cellars, Castello di Borghese, Corey Creek Vineyards, Macari Vineyards, Martha Clara Vineyards, Palmer Vineyards, Peconic Bay Winery, Pellegrini Vineyards, Pindar Vineyards, and Raphael.

The Hudson Valley region will be represented by Cornell Cooperative Extension with diverse farm products including fresh produce and honey, along with Saratoga Salsa and Saratoga Water. The Culinary Institute of America's gustatory offering of Gourmet Cookies and Confections will accompanied by wines from Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Millbrook Vineyards, and Rivendell Winery.

Appropriately located between the large apple-producing regions of the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes, the New York Apple Association will feature fresh apples, cider, apple wine, apple sauce, and dried apples. NY Farms!, a broad-based agricultural association, will offer a wide array of specialty venison, beef and other meat products.

From the Finger Lakes region, farmers and chefs involved with "Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty" will display the abundance of fresh produce and specialty items created upstate. Chef Debra Whiting of Red Newt Bistro (Red Newt Cellars) and Chef Art Kelly of Veraisons (Glenora Wine Cellars) will demonstrate how wineries have taken the lead in fine cuisine in that agriculturally rich region. Participating Finger Lakes wineries include Anthony Road Wine Company, Casa Larga Vineyards, Chateau LaFayette Reneau, Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, Fox Run Vineyards, Fulkerson Winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, Heron Hill Winery, Hunt Country Vineyards, King Ferry Winery, Lakewood Vineyards, Pleasant Valley Wine Company, Red Newt Cellars, Sheldrake Point Vineyards, Standing Stone Vineyards, Swedish Hill Vineyards, Wagner Vineyards, and Widmer Wine Cellars/Brickstone Cellars.

The Lake Erie region, where "Concord is King!", will be represented by National Grape Cooperative/Welch Foods, featuring a wide array of grape products including sparking and still grape juice (purple and white, and fruitsnacks. Wines from Niagara Landing Wine Cellars and Warm Lake Estates will be featured as well, accompanying a mouth-watering Apple Cheddar Smoked Chicken Strudel from the Asa Ransom House near Buffalo.

The final stop for the evening will be North Country, where Cornell Cooperative Extension will present a wide range of products including Apple Butter, McCadam Cheeses, Honey, Garlic, Buffalo Jerky, Goat Jerky, and Herbal Teas. The Maple Producers Association will present a broad array of products including maple syrup, maple cream, maple mustard, and maple peanuts. A dessert table will feature regional ice cream topped with local maple syrup–accompanied by lusciously sweet Ice Wines from Hunt Country Vineyards and Wagner Vineyards.

"New York has it all - great foods, great wines, great restaurants," said Trezise. "When most people think of New York, they think of the Statue of Liberty, Broadway, or Times Square. But New York is much greater than those wonderful attractions, and it's fun to watch people discover that fact."

New York Farm Day is sponsored by Constellation Brands, Farm Credit Associations of New York, New York Farm Bureau, the New York State Restaurant Association, the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, the New York Apple Association, and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, with additional support from MasterCraft Glassware and Randall Tagg Photography. The event is organized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation in conjunction with numerous other organizations and individuals who have contributed their time, products and services for the good of New York.

New Alliance Brings Federal Support and Shared Marketing To an Expanding Network of Northeast Beef Producers

Doug Bunker, President, NYNBC(888) 332-9884

The New York Natural Beef Cooperative (NYNBC) has joined forces with the New England Livestock Alliance (NELA) to form a multi-state partnership to profitably produce and market livestock products to consumers seeking naturally-raised meats with superior taste, tenderness and health benefits. Artisanal meats marketed by the partners will also appeal to consumers who want regional products from Northeast farms. Aside from the benefits of working together to ensure a steady supply of their premium products, the two organizations will also share with their members the benefits of two major USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grants.

In April 2004, NELA announced the receipt of a $250,000 Value-Added grant awarded through USDA's Southern New England office. NELA will use grant funds to expand the number of producers participating in its programs. NYNBC, a network of livestock producers in Western and Central New York State, will now draw on its $243,300 grant to increase producer membership and to expand a marketing campaign in partnership with NELA.

NELA will provide management and program services for NYNBC, including technical assistance to its members for production of pasture-raised beef. The New England and New York groups' shared marketing initiative will develop and promote premium meat products to grocery stores, restaurants and institutional buyers throughout the Northeast. The two groups will share an Executive Director and other staff.

Benefits for Participating Producers: Beef producers who join the growing NELA/NYNBC network will receive a number of benefits, including payments for livestock that are well over commodity prices. NELA and NYNBC producers follow protocols established by the partnership for raising animals naturally. Some animals are finished with grain for a guaranteed tender, dry-aged natural beef. The grass-finished product is a great dietary source of Omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid - the "good fats" that protect against heart disease and cancer. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for the premium products marketed by the partnership.

NELA and NYNBC producers will have the benefit of ultrasounding for each animal, recently upgraded with support from a USDA Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG). Ultrasound allows technicians to measure meat tenderness and quality, and to assist producers in making breeding decisions. Experience has shown that ultrasound screening can increase market price by 15-20% per head.

Participating producers will also have free use of source verification software that allows producers, processors, retailers and consumers to verify the source of the meat they are handling or buying, and retrace the path the product took to reach the dinner table, and will give producers feedback on the quality of products from their animals.

A new, unified brand and marketing effort under development for the partnered organizations will appeal to increased consumer interest in products from local, family farms. A 2003 survey by the Leopold Center showed that freshness, family farms and local production matter more to consumers than organic labels. Each package of meat sold by the partnered organizations will bear the name of the farm on which it was produced.

Stafford Premium Meats in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, will process meat for the two groups. Stafford has hired Chris Bailey to direct marketing and oversee plant operation along with Plant Manager Larry Holcomb. The facility is expressly designed to process premium meats, and has been upgraded and modernized recently to ensure humane handling of animals and production of artisanal meats through dry aging for tenderness and flavor.

There is no fee to join NELA, and the nominal cost of membership in NYNBC is $1 per producer, which entitles the member to five shares in the cooperative. Farmers working with NELA and NYNBC will not be obligated to sell their animals through NELA, although there will be attractive incentives to do so. They enroll by agreeing to follow certain protocols. In return, the organization provides technical assistance on herd improvement and forage management, training, improved breeding through the use of meticulous genetic records and the benefits outlined above.

NELA and NYNBC currently seek animals that will meet the protocols for harvest in coming months. If you are interested in becoming a part of NELA or NYNBC, call David Rich or the NELA team at (413) 443-8356. For more info on New England Natural Beef: http://store.nenbeef.com/

Fessenden Named Executive Director of Cornell Ag & Food Tech Park in Geneva

By Linda McCandless llm3@cornell.edu, 315-787-2417

An economic development leader and former New York State assemblyman has been named the executive director of the Cornell Agriculture & Food Technology Park (CAFTP), in Geneva, NY. Daniel J. Fessenden will assume the position in early September.

"I see the park as a catalyst for coupling private-sector investment with the world-class research being conducted at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station," said Fessenden, a 1987 graduate of Cornell University who has a keen understanding of economic development in upstate New York. "The park provides a tremendous opportunity to leverage this research for the benefit of Cornell, the region, New York State, and the food and agricultural industry."

Fessenden believes the park has unbridled potential to be an economic engine for Geneva, Ontario County and the entire Finger Lakes Region. "I look forward to helping the park transition to the next phase of development - commercializing new technologies, growing businesses and creating jobs," he says.

The CAFTP enables start-up and established companies to carry out cutting edge research in food, agriculture and bio-based technologies, and will complement existing research and extension programs of the Experiment Station and Cornell University. Construction for Phase I of the 72-acre park, which is located on Pre-Emption Road in Geneva, adjacent to the Experiment Station, is underway. Phase I includes supporting infrastructure, and a 20,000 sq. ft. multi-tenant, flexible technology building.

"Dan brings his experience as a senior executive with a major Fortune 100 company to CAFTP, along with a great background in economic development in upstate New York," says Michael Manikowski, executive director of the Ontario County Industrial Development Agency, executive director of the Ontario County Office of Economic Development, and one of the members of the board of directors of CAFTP.

"Dan has a strong desire to make the agriculture and food industries in NYS stronger and more viable," says Robert C. Seem, the interim director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. "He will do this as director of CAFTP by creating stronger ties between Cornell and the agricultural and food industries in the state. The faculty at the Station are also enthusiastic about Dan. They recognize his great ability to communicate and build rapport."

Fessenden has varied experience in agriculture as a farmer, and in government as a state leader. He currently serves as manager of government and community relations for the Carrier Corporation, in Syracuse, NY, a $9 billion global manufacturer. From 1993-99 he served as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 126th district. From 1987-88 he was associate director of government relations for the New York Farm Bureau. Fessenden received his B.S. in applied economics and management in 1987, from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University, and pursued graduate studies at the NYS College of Environmental Science & Forestry in Syracuse. In 1995, he received the CALS Alumni Association's Young Alumni Achievement Award.

CAFTP is affiliated with Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. The Flex Technology building currently under construction will provide space for a series of firms and is expected to create up to 80 new jobs. At full build-out, the Park is expected to generate 1000 new jobs in 10 to 15 years. A 85,000 sq. ft. USDA Grape Genetics facility is also slated to be constructed on site, available for occupancy in 2006, housing 30 to 40 scientists.

More than $7.3 million has been raised for the CAFTP from federal, state, county and city contributions, and NYSEG. At full build-out, there will be about 375,000 sq. ft. available for research development and light production by enterprises engaged in food, agriculture or bio-based technologies. Park officials are partnering with the Infotonics Center of Excellence in Canandaigua and other universities in central New York to build collaborative relationships.

NUTRITION and FOOD FACTS

Winemaking's Waste: A Good Thing

By HENRY FOUNTAIN August 24, 2004 - NY Times

By now it's well known that a little bit of wine can be good for you. But even the waste from winemaking can have benefits, researchers say. Scientists from two Turkish universities have found that extract of grape pomace - the seeds, skin and stems left after the fruit is crushed to make juice - inhibits the growth of 14 types of bacteria, including those that can spoil food or cause salmonella and other food-borne illnesses.

"Grape pomace extract is a natural weapon against bacteria," Dr. Osman Sagdic, a professor in the food engineering department at Erciyes University and an author of a paper describing the findings in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, said in an e-mail message. Dr. Osman and his colleagues used pomace from the most common red and white grapes used for winemaking in Turkey. The pomace was dried and ground, and extracts were prepared. Analyses showed that they had relatively high concentrations of phenolic compounds, the substances in wine that have antioxidant qualities.

The researchers then tested the extracts, mixed with methanol in concentrations ranging from .5 to 20 percent, against a who's who of nasty bacteria, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter aerogenes. E. coli O157:H7, for instance, has been responsible for several food-poisoning deaths in recent years. The researchers found that growth of 13 of the bacterial types was inhibited at concentrations of 2.5 percent or higher; while growth of the 14th, Yersinia enterocolitica, was inhibited at 5 percent. In a different kind of test involving the growth of bacterial colonies in nutrient broth, the extracts were found to work effectively against E. coli and S. aureus at concentrations as low as .5 percent.

There's no shortage of pomace in the world, both from winemaking and the production of foods like vinegar. Much of it is used as animal feed, but Dr. Sagdic said the research suggested an alternative use, one that is both low-cost and all-natural. "These extracts may be used in food formulations as preservatives," he wrote. "And people prefer natural preservatives in the place of synthetic counterparts in foods."