Agricultural NewsServing Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries

V o l u m e 9 8 • N u m b e r 1 1 • N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

2 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Agricultural NewsISSN 1089-4411The Agricultural News (USPS No. 524-840) is published monthly by Cornell Cooperative Extension - Suffolk County, 423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY 11901-3071. Second-class postage paid at Riverhead, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Agricultural News, 423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY 11901-3071.

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Telephone: (631) 727-7850 • Fax: (631) 852-3205suffolk@cornell.edu • www.ccesuffolk.org

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Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.

President of the Board of DirectorsMaureen Fiorello

Agricultural Program Advisory CommitteeMichael McInerny, Chair MelvilleJoe Campanelli Dix HillsDeborah Green Hampton BaysDawn Haight SouthamptonMary Howe CoramJeff Keil HuntingtonRobert Nolan BrookhavenMatt Pendleton JamesportJean Schmitt Anson YaphankChristine Tobin Southold

Agricultural Program StaffDale D. Moyer Agriculture Program DirectorMarie Boulier Structural Pest & Public Health EducatorIrene Tsontakis-Bradley Research AssistantMarie Camenares IPM Pest Management TechnicianNora J. Catlin, PhD Floriculture SpecialistDan Gilrein Entomology SpecialistThomas Kowalsick Horticulture ConsultantSandra Menasha Vegetable/Potato SpecialistLaurie McBride Agricultural Stewardship TechnicianKevin Sanwald Agricultural Stewardship TechnicianAndrew Senesac, PhD Weed Science SpecialistRobin Simmen Community Horticulture SpecialistLucille Siracusano Research AssistantElizabeth Tarleton Research AssistantMina Vescera Nursery / Landscape SpecialistSandra Vultaggio Horticulture ConsultantAlice Williams Horticulture ConsultantAlice Wise Viticulture SpecialistRebecca J. Wiseman Agricultural Stewardship CoordinatorTamson Yeh, PhD Pest Management /Turf SpecialistFaruque Zaman, PhD Entomology Program Associate

Support StaffLinda Holm Sr. Agriculture Administrative AssistantSarah Osborn Ag Stewardship Administrative Assistant

“Every effort has been made to provide correct, complete, and up-to-date pesticide recommendations. Nevertheless, changes in pesticide regulations occur constantly, and human errors are still possible. These recommendations are not a substitute for pesticide labeling. Please read the label before applying any pesticide.”

November 2014An Overview of the Long Island Tree Fruit IPM – 2014 Report . . . 4Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Can Electric Equipment Revolutionize Landscape Maintenance? . 12Common Blue Violet: A Garden Thug That Escapes Its Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Cornell University’s Annual Economic Outlook Conference to be Held on December 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20From The Director’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3FSMA Proposed Rule For Produce Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14How Are State and Municipal Regulations Affecting You? . . . . . 18Margery Daughtrey to be Honored for Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension and Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Online Courses Offered for Aspiring, New, and Experienced Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Ornamental Producers – Please Complete the IR4 Survey . . . . . . 20Save The Dates for the Upcoming Winter Meetings! . . . . . . . . . . 21Slugs and Snails in Agricultural and Commercial Landscape Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Soil Health Campaign Turns Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Suffolk County’s Soil & Water Conservation District celebrated its 50th Anniversary on September 18, 2014 . . . . . . . . 21The Cornell Gardeners Celebrate 10 Years Of Volunteering At Cornell’s LIHREC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The Trading Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Use Of Volunteer Labor At For-Profit Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Weed Scientists Uproot Common “Superweed” Myths . . . . . . . . 9Xerces Pollinator Conservation Short Course for Long Island’s Agricultural Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

On The CoverCabbage field at Wells Farm, Sound Avene, Riverhead. Photo by Dale Moyer .

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Cornell Cooperative Extension is funded in part by Suffolk County through the office of the County Executive and the County Legislature.

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 3

From The Director’s DeskDale D. Moyer, Agriculture Program Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Highlighting A Staff Member- Nora CatlinNora Catlin, our Floriculture and Greenhouse Specialist, started working for Cornell Cooperative Extension in the summer of 2005 . Prior to coming to Suffolk County, Nora received her PhD in Plant Pathology from the Uni-versity of Massachusetts .

With the merger of Suffolk County Ag-ricultural News and Long Island Horti-culture News in 2012, she became a co-editor of Agricultural News . Actually, Nora is the working editor of the publi-cation while I’m the supervising editor, which means she does most of the work . In addition to doing a great job of editing Agricultural News, she manages the dis-tribution of the e-newsletters Northeast Greenhouse Notes, and is a major con-tributor to e-Gro Alert, an e-newsletter created by Floriculture Specialists from several universities . Internet content of these publications is also posted on the Floriculture Program web page <http://ccesuffolk.org/floriculture-program/>, and Facebook page <https://www .facebook .com/LIGreenhouse>. In 2013, she co-authored a fact sheet on downy mildew in garden impatiens .

Nora organizes several extension activities each year including an annual Long Island Greenhouse and Flo-riculture Conference and Trade Show, the Floriculture Session of the annual Long Island Agricultural Forum, and open houses that highlight the annual plant and poinsettia cultivar trials . She has also been instrumen-tal in organizing and conducting Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Mock Inspection trainings . In addition to organized educational programs and materials, she provides information and recommendations on an indi-vidual basis on topics such as crop production, pest and disease management, business management, environ-mental issues, and regulatory issues .

Nora conducts applied research and demonstrations at the Long Island Horticultural Research and Exten-sion Center (LIHREC) and on commercial sites to assist growers and industry personnel with various aspects of greenhouse and floriculture production. Her main areas of focus include demonstration trials of annual plant,

annual shade-plant, and poinsettia varieties and ap-plied research that investigates various aspects of crop production . Some recent projects include researching practices to reduce nutrient leaching from container-grown plants, assisting growers in the adoption of bio-control and studying cultural strategies for disease management .

Nora’s office is at our main building on Griffing Ave., Riverhead . However, during the spring and summer months you’ll often find her at the Long Island Horticul-tural Research and Extension Center on Sound Ave ., Riverhead or in a commercial greenhouse . If you have a question on floriculture or greenhouse production, she can be reached at 631-727-7850, ext 214 or emailed at <njc23@cornell.edu>.

Suffolk County Agricultural Stewardship ProgramTen years ago a task force, appointed by the Suffolk County Legislature, released a report titled “A Strategy to Develop and Implement the Suffolk County Agricul-tural Stewardship Program” . The task force member-ship included representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Soil and Water Conservation District, Long Island Farm Bureau, farmers, and other agencies and

(continued on page 8)

4 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

An Overview of the Long Island Tree Fruit IPM – 2014 ReportFaruque Zaman, Laurie McBride, and Dan Gilrein, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Long Island has approximately 324 acres of tree fruit or-chards owned by 14 growers . Tree fruits are important crops of Long Island agriculture . Knowing the pest sta-tus is key for a successful pest management operation in any agriculture production . Production of good qual-ity fruits and economic sustainability of orchards largely depends on timely control of the pests . In 2014, twelve apple and five peach orchards were selected under a tree fruit integrated pest management project run by the Entomology and Agricultural Stewardship Program of Cornell Coopera-tive Extension, Suffolk County (CCE-SC) . Growers were pro-vided season-long weekly pest monitoring and pest manage-ment recommendations by staff from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, NYSAES at Geneva, and Cor-nell University’s Hudson Valley Lab . In 2014, a total of 17,500 apples and 10,500 peaches were inspected for insect re-lated fruit damage throughout the growing season (500 fruits/sample checked from 10 interi-or and 10 border trees) . Codling moth, plum curculio, tarnished plant bug, European apple saw-fly, oriental fruit moth and stink bug were the most significant insect pests in pome and stone fruits on Long Island . These insects were responsible for about 4 .82% apple and 1 .97% peach damage .

In 2014, codling moth was the most damaging pest in Long Island apples causing 2 .28% fruit damage . How-ever as high as 15% codling moth (CM) damage was found in one orchard . Overall plum curculio (PC) infesta-tion was 1 .5% in 2014, much lower than 2013 (3 .86%), 2012 (2.89%) and 2011 (>15%). Long Island fruit grow-ers made significant progress in plum curculio control primarily by early detection services provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension staff and timely use of effective

insecticides Avaunt and Assail . Our relatively small or-chard size surrounded by long forest borders and mul-tiple cultivars within blocks presents challenges for PC control on LI farms . Similar to 2013, tarnished plant bug damage (TPB) was low in apples (0 .56%) and peaches (0 .68%) in 2014, down from 1 .28% and 2 .04% for ap-ples and peaches, respectively, in 2012 . Timely weed

management was recommended for reducing TPB damage in fruits . No insecticide application was needed . European apple sawfly was not a noticeable problem in 2011 (only 0 .11% damage), but in 2012 some orchards had up to 2% damage (average 0 .32%) . In 2014, about 0 .32% fruit damage was found in apples, down from 0 .41% in 2013 . Stink bug damage was very low, less than 0 .15% apples and 0 .10% peaches were found showing some kind of injury (including brown marmo-rated stink bug, green stink bug, and brown stink bug) . Most damage was in exterior rows near forest borders . Similar levels of damage were observed in 2012 and 2013 . Damage was not attributed to any particular stink

Tree fruit growers on Long Island are using insect pheromone mating disruption tech-niques for controlling fruit damage (photo: Faruque Zaman).

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 5

bug species . Despite severe cold weather in the past winter, we have seen an increased brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) population in traps as well as reports from local homeowners . This shows the insect is now well established and overwintering in eastern Long Island and we suspect it responsible for some of the stink bug damage seen in tree fruits . Three BMSB and four green stink bug (Chinavia halaris) adults were found in apples during the fruit scouting period . Oriental fruit moth (OFM) damage was low, just 0 .21% in apples and 0 .15% in peaches . In 2014, many growers (67% tree fruit acreage) on Long Island used pheromone mating disruption techniques for con-trolling OFM, CM, and peach tree borers in tree fruits . Since 2013, we have seen an upswing of OFM and CM damage in the region . Although codling moth has not recently been a threat for pome fruit on LI, there was noticeable damage in two locations during late sum-mer and early fall in 2013 and damage has increased in these locations in 2014 . Growers are encouraged to use mating disruption techniques for controlling lepidoptera pests in tree fruit. Cost sharing benefit from CCE-SC

for purchase of mating disrup-tion materials will be available for the 2015 season . Although not seen in high numbers, fruit growers should be watchful for some emerging pests in the coming years . We have seen a few incidences of dogwood borer, pear psylla, apple midge, and ambrosia beetle damage in some orchards .

Overall, insect damage in tree fruits was less than 4% in Long Island orchards . Slightly higher damage was observed in rows near the forest borders . In the past two years, fruit damage from insect infestations was significantly reduced, largely because of frequent pest moni-toring and timely management . CCE-SC Entomologists and Ag-ricultural Stewardship staff will continue working with the Long

Island tree fruit growers . For more information on tree fruit pest management please contact the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center at 3059 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901 or call Faruque Zaman at 631-727-3595 . We would like to thank partici-pating orchard owners and NYS Agriculture and Mar-kets for supporting the tree fruit IPM project funded by USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant program . ●

Cornell faculty, extension educators, and students have visited L.I. fruit farms as part of 2014 PWT meeting (photo: Faruque Zaman).

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6 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Common Blue Violet: A Garden Thug That Escapes Its BoundariesAndy Senesac, Weed Science Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Common blue violet, (Viola sororia) is a low growing pe-rennial native to the eastern half of the United States . Violets have been planted as landscape bedding plants for many years . There is no doubt that violets are attrac-tive with their dark green heart shaped leaves and the blue-white irregular shaped flowers. If only they stayed where we put them! Violets are one of a handful of ornamentals that regularly escape the artificial boundar-ies in which we try to confine them. Other plants in this category include Pennisetum (fountain grass), goose-neck loosestrife and the biggest thug of all: run-ning bamboo . In order for a popu-lar ornamental to become a garden thug, it needs to have some spe-cial adaptations that allow it to thrive in a variety of growing condi-tions . Common blue violet fits the bill in three ways: special seed production, tolerance of poor soil conditions and inherent tol-erance to many postemergence herbicides .

Violets produce seed in two ways . Some seed is pro-duced conventionally: after the flower has opened and been pollinated the seed develops within three pods on leafless stalks. The other method of seed develop-ment is through cleistogamy, which is the production of flowers that do not open, and are self-fertilized in the bud . In other words, the seeds begin to develop in the flower buds even before they emerge from the soil . This adaptation allows the plant to be mowed of-ten with little impact on seed reproduction . Many of the seedlings produced from cleistogamous flowers begin germination directly under the ‘mother’ plant .

This adaption allows for the seedlings to be protected from sprays and mowing as forms of control . The next time you encounter established violets in a lawn, take a peek under the leaves . Most likely you will see many small violet seedlings .

Secondly, violets can grow in soil conditions that are unfavorable for healthy turfgrass growth . Compacted, low fertility and shady areas favor violets over most turf . To combat violets, correct the conditions as much as possible to allow for greater turf ground cover .

Thirdly, most of the currently reg-istered turf her-bicides are only partially effec-tive in controlling common violet . We conducted a study in which an array of herbi-cides registered in New York were applied to established vio-let plants . The treatments were applied in late summer and evaluated for the rest of the fall season and the following spring . (see table) . There were some treat-

ments which appeared to be effective in the fall . How-ever, when we evaluated them the following spring, many of the plants that were injured were able to re-cover and re-emerge .

Managing common violets in turf efficiently involves scouting for them early each spring . If a few have es-caped from nearby landscape beds, then that is the time to dig them out and repair the bare turf patch . Hav-ing this weed in a large section of turf indicates that the soil conditions probably need amending and that the lawn needs attention on a regular basis . ●

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 7

Common Blue Violet Control with Herbicides.Location: Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension CenterA . Senesac

Percent Control Common Blue Violet Viola sororia

Trade Name Chemical Name1 week after treatment

(WAT) 3 WAT 5 WAT 31 WAT

Untreated Untreated 0 0 0 0

Banvel Dicamba 45 60 70 33

Garlon Triclopyr 53 68 73 37

Basagran Bentazon 35 33 43 18

Tenacity Mesotrione 20 43 82 0

Pylex Topramezone 15 37 38 0

Squareone Quinclorac+carfentrazone 33 40 48 27

Powerzone MCPA, mecopropp-P,dicamba,carfentrazone 42 53 30 0

Speedzone 2,4-D, mecopropp-P,dicamba,carfentrazone 18 50 23 0

Manor (Mansion) Metsulfuron 27 30 30 55Credit glyphosate original 22 62 42 50

Sedgehammer Halosulfuron 22 10 30 18

Fisher’s LSD 0.05 13 18 25 34All weeds were well established in quart containers and growing outdoors at treatment . Treatments applied on 9-11-13 . Last evaluation, April 17, 2014 . All treatments were applied at standard labeled use rates .

Right: Mature violet seed about to be dispersed.

Left: Common blue violet has become a turf weed from nearby landscape beds.

8 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

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organizations . The primary goal of the task force report was to develop a strategy to lower nutrients and pesti-cide loading to the groundwater and surface waters of Suffolk County while maintaining a strong, viable ag-ricultural industry . Although progress has been made with the establishment of the Agricultural Steward-ship Program, due to lack of funding and the develop-ment of best management practices not all goals have been reached . Once again a similar group is reviewing the strategy developed 10 years ago and revising and updating the report. A final report is expected in nine months . It is hoped that the working group will come up with ways to properly fund the Suffolk County Agri-cultural Stewardship Program over the next five to ten years .

Water Reporting RequirementIt was a dry year, so irrigation was in order this year . Don’t forget to record the estimated amount of water you used this year . Most of you are required to sub-mit an annual report to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation by March 31st of the

following year . For more information about the regula-tion visit the DEC website at <http://www .dec .ny .gov/lands/86747 .html> or contact Richard Kruzansky in the Bureau of Water Resources Management, DEC at 518-402-8182 . To obtain the water reporting form visit the DEC website at <http://www .dec .ny .gov/docs/water_pdf/wwrag .pdf> or contact Linda at the Cornell Exten-sion office at 727-7850, ext 341.

Mark your Calendar for the Winter MeetingsThe Managing Landscapes Sustainably Conference will be held November 13th in Ronkonkoma . This confer-ence will be followed by the 34th Annual Long Island Agricultural Forum to be held January 8 and 9, 2015; the Long Island Greenhouse & Floriculture Conference, January 20, 2015; and the Long Island Horticulture Con-ference, January 22, 2015 . Brochures for each meeting will be mailed to you sometime in the late fall and early winter . For more information check out our website at <http://ccesuffolk.org/> or contact Linda Holm at 631-727-7850, Ext 341 or <linda.holm@cornell.edu>. ●

From The Director’s Desk (continued from page 3)

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 9

Weed Scientists Uproot Common “Superweed” Myths

On October 8, 2014 the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) issued a new fact sheet to uproot common misconceptions about “superweeds” – a catchall term used by many to describe weeds resis-tant to herbicides . The paper explores the truth behind two widespread fallacies .

Fallacy 1: Superweeds are a product of rampant gene transfer from genetically modified field crops. The truth:WSSA scientists say gene transfer from some crops to certain weed species can happen, but it has not been a factor in the development of herbicide resistance across large acreages . The true culprit, they say, is overreliance on a single class of herbicides, resulting in selection for weeds that can survive the products in that class .

“Resistance to pesticides is not new or unique to weeds,” says Brad Hanson, Ph .D ., a member of WSSA and Cooperative Extension Weed Specialist at the Uni-versity of California at Davis . “Overuse of any com-pound class, whether antibiotic, antimicrobial, insecti-cide, fungicide or herbicide, has the potential to lead to reduced effectiveness . Although weeds resistant to herbicides were first reported more than a half century ago, integrated weed management strategies that in-cluded more tillage, more hand weeding and multiple herbicides kept them in check to a large degree . To-day, however, it has become common in some crop-ping systems for farmers to repeatedly use a single class of herbicides to the exclusion of other weed con-trol methods, and this has led to the growing problem with herbicide-resistant weeds .”

Fallacy 2: Superweeds have supercharged abilities to muscle out competing plants in new and more aggressive ways. The truth:Many believe today’s herbicide-resistant superweeds exhibit properties unlike anything we’ve ever seen be-fore . But WSSA scientists say bully-like weed behav-ior isn’t new . In the absence of herbicides, resistant weeds are no more competitive or ecologically damag-ing than their non-resistant relatives .

All weeds – herbicide resistant or not – can outcom-pete other more desirable plants for water, nutrients, sunlight and space . They grow by leaps and bounds and can be prolific seed producers. A single Palmer amaranth plant, for example, can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds .

Scientists say the key to keeping weeds from causing dramatic changes in crop production is to adopt effec-tive management strategies .

According to Andrew Kniss, Ph .D ., WSSA board mem-ber and University of Wyoming faculty member, “Near-ly any weed species can be economically devastating if left uncontrolled . It is important to incorporate a vari-ety of weed management practices and not rely exclu-sively on herbicides for weed control . Monitoring weed populations is also important . Early recognition of resis-tant populations and rapid intervention can help reduce the impact these weeds have .”

The full WSSA paper on superweeds is posted on-line at <http://wssa.net/weed/wssa-fact-sheets>. The same website contains a variety of best management practices recommended by WSSA to combat herbicide resistance – from proactive steps to reduce the num-ber of weed seeds in the soil to the use of well-es-tablished cultural practices to suppress weeds through crop competition .

About the Weed Science Society of America - The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scien-tific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concern-ing weeds and their impact on the environment . The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on man-aged and natural ecosystems, and promotes coopera-tion among weed science organizations across the na-tion and around the world . For more information, visit <www.wssa.net>. ●

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10 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Slugs and Snails in Agricultural and Commercial Landscape SettingsDan Gilrein, Extension Entomologist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

For such slow creatures, it seems remarkable that slugs and snails could possibly get around as well as they do, much less be serious pests . “Illegal giant snails threatening America” was an alarming New York Post headline news article in late August this year1, re-porting a dealer cited for selling destructive giant Afri-can land snails to buyers on Long Island and in several other states . This particular species (which grows to over 6 .5”) will consume stucco and plaster (it has a high requirement for lime), to say nothing of hundreds of kinds of plants . ‘Killer slug’ (Arion vulgaris) is the ominous sobriquet applied to another damaging spe-cies spreading through Europe and possibly here in the US . These dramatic examples illustrate how the cur-rent trade situation facilitates spread of pests like slugs and snails with remarkably limited capacity to travel on their own, and how they can become unexpectedly bad problems in their new homes .

Most growers and landscape professionals are famil-iar with slugs in general, but we actually have several common species here . Some were introduced from Europe, including the gray garden slug, spotted garden slug, and the banded slug . The marsh slug is a native species . These can all be pests in gardens and farms with a wide host range that can include both live and dead plant material, dead (and sometimes live) insects, animal droppings, and fungi . I have even seen fungus gnats trapped on sticky cards consumed by slugs (the

slugs are not trapped by the sticky material) . Gray gar-den slug varies in color from cream with gray spots to dark brown with dark spots and produces a milky slime, unlike many other slugs . It can reach about 2” long when mature . Banded slugs are pale gray with a black or dark brown stripe running along the side of the man-tle (a skin flap which partially covers the back) and the body, below which runs a yellow or orange stripe . This species can also reach about 2” . Spotted garden slugs are the largest, up to 7”, with a brown background col-or and numerous dark spots . The marsh slug is smaller than the others (to 1”) and varies from brown-black to brown or gray . Its mantle is more centered on the back . Depending upon the species, they may live from one to several years and can reproduce without mating .

Snails are rarely pests on Long Island, though one inva-sive species, the grove or brown-lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis) is established in some areas where it be-comes a pest climbing onto nursery plants to be sold . Although it will feed on some plants, so far no injury to ornamentals has been observed in areas where it is established on Long Island .

Slugs and snails possess rasping-type mouthparts used to file or chew away tissue. This can result in a kind of skeletonization leaving tougher fibers behind, or in holes or excavated areas in tender leaves, flowers, berries or stems . Very soft growth may be entirely con-

1New York Post, August 29, 2014. Accessed 10/13/2014 at <http://nypost.com/2014/08/29/illegal-giant-snails-threatening-america/>.

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 11

sumed. Damage can be difficult to distinguish from that caused by insects, so check for tell-tale slime residue or trails, which often remain behind . During the growing season inspect plants with a flashlight at night or during overcast, wet weather when these creatures are typi-cally active . Check refuges under clods, stones or foil-covered shingles placed over holes . I found many slugs in the hollow, clay base of a birdbath stand; a shaded, overturned clay pot may provide a similar cool refuge . Watch for their egg masses, which look like clusters of clear or whitish, small, round pearls . In agricultural situations, slugs tend to be more troublesome in pe-rennial plantings like alfalfa, mulched beds (like straw-berries), no-till situations, or following clover-based fal-low periods . They can be pests in established garden beds, high tunnels, greenhouses, and in outdoor annual crops along hedgerows near forest areas . Populations may build in very wet years and eggs are usually resis-tant to desiccation . Slugs and snails have many natu-ral enemies (birds and other vertebrates, some ground beetles, and others), but they’re not always effective in keeping populations down .

We have very few choices for snail and slug control . Currently our main options include two sprayable prod-ucts: Mesurol 75-W for ornamental plants and non-bearing fruit and nut trees and vines growing in nurser-ies and greenhouses and mature ornamental plantings and Lannate LV under a 2ee label in New York State to control slugs in commercial field corn and soybeans.

Several commercial and home-garden baits contain metaldehyde, iron phosphate, or sodium ferric EDTA . Some bait formulations include spinosad, the active ingredient found in Conserve, Entrust, and Blackhawk that extends uses for pests like earwigs, cutworms, sowbugs and pillbugs . Metaldehyde bait labels have recently dropped many use sites, including some field and vegetable crops, ornamental plantings, turf, ground covers, and around building foundations . Avoid use of metaldehyde products around pets . Iron (ferric) phos-phate materials are cleared for use in organic produc-tion . At least two home garden bait products registered in NY contain orthoboric acid or sulfur as the active in-gredient . Baits generally work best applied in evening or after a light rain .

More information on slugs can be found in the NYS IPM Factsheets at <http://www .nysipm .cornell .edu/factsheets/berries/> ●

Tom

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12 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Can Electric Equipment Revolutionize Landscape Maintenance?

Jamie Banks, Ph.D., MS, Executive Director, Quiet Communities

I first met Dan Mabe in April 2013 on the UCLA cam-pus . Mabe is founder of the American Green Zone Alli-ance (AGZA), a training and certification group for elec-tric landscape maintenance equipment and gas-free “Green Zones.” I direct a nonprofit organization, Quiet Communities (Lincoln, Massachusetts), which aims to bring communities and industry together to achieve cleaner, quieter and healthier environments .

I had traveled from Boston to meet Dan at an electric equipment demonstration for the facilities mainte-nance crew at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles . I was impressed with the electric equipment’s performance and battery life, and clearly so was the crew . I thought then we could be on the verge of an electric revolu-tion in landscape maintenance . After talking, Dan and I realized our organizations shared a common goal . We decided to collaborate .

In June, Quiet Communities, with the participation of AGZA and Mean Green Mowers (Hamilton, Ohio), held its first series of educational and electric equipment demonstration events . Mean Green Mowers is cur-rently the leading manufacturer of commercial-grade, cordless equipment in the US . The events were co-sponsored with the sustainability departments at Tufts

University and Wellesley College, the town of Lincoln and the Ecological Landscaping Alliance (Massachu-setts), Suffolk County and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in New York, and other public agencies . Continuing education credits for this were offered by the Massa-chusetts Landscape and Nursery Association, North-east Organic Farmers Association and Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals .

The events focused on educating people about the health and environmental impacts of gas-powered maintenance and demonstrating a selection of innova-tive, high-performance, cordless electric equipment, existing as well as emerging prototypes . Thanks to advances in battery technology, brushless motors and controllers, cleaner, quieter and healthier alternatives to gas-based engines are available today, and only get-ting better .

We had two objectives: to show that we no longer need to rely solely on gas and to ex-plain the important health and environmental benefits of integrating electric into outdoor maintenance . The demonstrations included a full line of mowers, blowers, trimmers, hedge trimmers, edgers and saws from sev-eral manufacturers, including Mean Green Mowers and The Greenstation . “This equip-ment can really start to make a difference in the quality of the environments around our schools, neighborhoods, commercial areas and parks,” says Mabe .

Reasons to reduce reliance on gasThe landscape maintenance industry has grown dramatically over the past 20 to 30 years . Urban areas and suburbs have ex-panded . With a steady rise in two-income households, fewer people have the time to do their own maintenance work on a rou-tine basis . Tasks once done manually are

now done with power equipment . Finally, there has been a shift in aesthetics that has little tolerance for any level of debris . These trends are feeding a dense concentration of gas-powered maintenance companies in many communities . Hundreds of cities, towns and citizen groups across the country are concerned and moving to enact restrictions .

Mean Green Mowers Commercial Stand On Mower Model.

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 13

The benefits of electricThe commercial electric equipment on the market today includes a full range of mow-ers, from push, self-propelled, stand up and ride on mowers to blowers, trimmers, hedge trimmers, edgers and chain saws . Lithium battery technology has improved to the point where it is now possible to get eight hours of operation on one charge for some mowers and close to an hour for homeowner models . The performance is comparable to gas . Less maintenance is required and it is all component-based . “When people have the chance to try out the equipment, they realize that what we are saying is true . It is exciting to watch skepticism change to enthusiasm,” says Mabe .

Landscape maintenance companies have three good reasons to go electric: economics, environment and health . AGZA estimates for a single commercial-grade electric leaf blower, a busy contractor can expect a re-turn on investment as early as 12 months . After that, the savings that come from eliminating gas and oil alone range from $800 to $1,600 per year . If you include main-tenance costs, the savings become even greater . “We are seeing these savings validated by our clients, not only for the blowers and mowers, but other hand-held electric equipment as well,” says Mabe . “The immedi-ate fuel savings can help finance the higher upfront cost of the equipment,” he adds . At the same time, going electric reduces fuel consumption and emissions, solid and toxic waste and reduces risks to worker health . By working with electric equipment, companies have an opportunity to differentiate themselves in an intensely competitive market that is trending more towards eco-friendly products and services .

How will electric grow?The era of electric landscape maintenance is in its in-fancy . It has a long way to go before it becomes main-stream . Moving from gas- to electric-powered equip-ment will require industry to change the way it operates and this is where the challenge lies . As for other in-dustries, technology adoption always starts slow with the early adopters . These will be properties and com-munities that place a premium on clean, quiet environ-

ments, like schools, hospitals, luxury properties, parks and municipalities . With increasing visibility and user experience, adoption of electric-powered equipment is expected to accelerate .

Education, training and certification will be essential to the adoption of electric technology . This is where Quiet Communities and AGZA can both play important roles . “For maintenance companies, operating and maintain-ing electric equipment is much simpler, but it is not the same as for gas equipment,” says Mabe . “It requires training and practice for workers to understand where electric works best and how to properly operate and maintain the equipment . This is AGZA’s mission .”

As for future events, Quiet Communities hopes to host many more around the country .

Reprinted with permission from Turf magazine’s web-site, www.turfmagazine.com. For more information, please visit the website or< www.LawnSite.com>.

Jamie Banks, Ph.D., MS is executive director of Qui-et Communities. She has an extensive background in health outcomes and economics, environmental be-havior and policy. Banks earned her Ph.D. in social poli-cy/health economics (University of Kent, U.K.), and her masters’ degrees in clinical evaluative sciences (Dart-mouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire) and Interdisciplinary Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts). ●

Demonstration of Stand On Electric Mower

14 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

At a Glance - Summary of Key Revisions1. Water quality standard and testing more flexible

• The FDA is proposing various revisions to the microbial standard for water that is directly applied during the growing of produce (other than sprouts) . The agency is updating the microbial quality standard to reflect data that supports the 2012 Environmental Protection Agency recreational water quality criteria .

• Farmers with agricultural water that does not initially meet the proposed microbial standard would have additional means by which they could meet the standard and then be able to use the water . These options include establishing a sufficient interval of days between last irrigation and harvest to allow time for potentially dangerous microbes to die off . They could also apply an interval of days between harvest and the end of storage using appropriate microbial die-off or removal rates, provided there is adequate supporting data . And there is an option to calculate and apply appropriate pathogen removal rates for activities such as commercial washing .

- A number of commenters felt that the FDA should allow for microbial die-off that occurs naturally in the field before the crop is harvested . This provision provides that flexibility. However, any of these options would have to provide the same level of public health protection and not increase the likelihood that the covered produce will be adulterated .

• Recognizing that water sources have different levels of contamination risk, the FDA is proposing a tiered and more targeted approach to testing each source of untreated water that will be less burdensome on farmers while still protective of public health . The revisions reduce how often the water is tested, with the frequency depending on the water source (i .e . surface or ground water) and on the results of prior tests .

2. Manure strategy to be further studied

• The FDA is removing the nine-month proposed minimum-time interval between the application of untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin (including raw manure) and crop harvesting . The agency is deferring its decision on an appropriate time interval until it pursues certain actions . These include conducting a risk assessment and extensive research to strengthen scientific support for any future proposal, working with the U .S . Department of Agriculture and other stakeholders .

• At this time, the FDA does not intend to take exception to farmers complying with the USDA’s National Organic Program standards, which call for a 120-day interval between the application of raw manure for crops in contact with the soil and 90 days for crops not in contact with the soil .

• The FDA is proposing to eliminate the previously proposed 45-day minimum application interval for compost (also known as humus), including composted manures . Properly treated and handled

FSMA Proposed Rule For Produce Safety

Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human ConsumptionBased on FDA’s outreach efforts and public comments, the FDA is proposing revisions to its proposed rule on produce safety that are more flexible and less burdensome in key areas.

CommentingThe FDA is accepting comments for 75 days after the publication date . The FDA published the original proposed rule on January 16, 2013, and the comment period closed on November 22, 2013; no additional comments are being accepted on the original proposed rule . The FDA will accept comments on the revised provisions while continuing to review comments already received on the original proposed rule . The comment period opens Sep-tember 29, 2014 until December 15, 2014 . Electronic comments can be submitted at:

<http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FDA-2011-N-0921-0973>. Handwritten comments can be mailed to: Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm . 1061, Rockville, MD 20852

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 15

compost is safer than raw manure from a public health standpoint and this change to the proposal would help facilitate its use while still providing an appropriate level of public health protection .

3. Covered farms better defined

• The FDA is proposing that farms or farm mixed-type facilities with an average annual monetary value of produce sales of $25,000 or less will not be covered. The original proposed rule defined that monetary threshold in terms of all food sales . The FDA is also proposing corresponding changes to the definitions of “very small business” and “small business” to base those monetary thresholds on produce sales rather than food sales. The monetary threshold for the qualified exemption with modified requirements, however, would not change because that exemption is defined by statute.

• The definition of “farm” would be revised; a farm would no longer be required to register as a food facility merely because it packs or holds raw agricultural commodities grown on another farm under a different ownership . The FDA is proposing that such activities would be subject to the produce safety rule rather than the preventive controls rule for human food .

4. Withdrawal of qualified exemptions process fur-ther clarified

• The proposed revisions would establish procedures to guide the FDA in withdrawing an exemption for a farm for food safety reasons as specified in the proposed regulation:

- The FDA may consider one or more other actions to protect public health prior to withdrawal, such as a warning letter, recall, administrative detention, or seizure and injunction .

- The FDA must notify the farm of the circumstances that jeopardize the exemption, provide an opportunity for the farm to respond, and consider actions taken by the farm to address the issues raised by the agency .

• The revisions also provide procedures for reinstating a withdrawn exemption .

5. Clarifying provisions on wild animals

• The FDA states in the proposed revisions that the proposed produce regulation does not authorize or require farms to take actions that would constitute the “taking” of a threatened or

endangered species in violation of the Endangered Species Act . There were concerns expressed that growers would interpret the original proposed rule in ways that would harm wildlife, including taking measures to exclude animals from outdoor growing areas or destroying animal habitats . This clarification is intended to relieve those concerns.

Compliance Dates

• Very small businesses, those with more than $25,000 but no more than $250,000 in annual produce sales, would have four years after the rule’s effective date to comply with most provisions .

• Small businesses, those with more than $250,000 but no more than $500,000 in produce sales, would have three years after the rule’s effective date to comply with most provisions .

• All other farms would have two years after the effective date to comply with most provisions .

• The compliance dates for water quality standards, and related testing and recordkeeping provisions would be an additional two years beyond the compliance dates for the rest of the final rule. ●

16 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

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Use Of Volunteer Labor At For-Profit BusinessesHere is a statement from Nicole Willis, Senior Associ-ate Director, Public Policy Department, New York Farm Bureau. She writes about the issue of using volunteer labor. Ms. Willis wants to emphasize that she is not a lawyer and therefore is not providing legal advice. Businesses should consult their own lawyer with any questions.

Recently, a California winery incurred a substantial fine for using volunteer labor in their tasting room . Unfortu-nately, this practice is not permitted as for-profit/busi-nesses cannot have volunteers doing their work . As defined in New York Labor Law – “(f) as a volunteer, learner or apprentice by a corporation, unincorporated association, community chest, fund or foundation orga-nized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable or educational purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual .”

Essentially any work that is done in coordination with a business must consider that person an employee and as such, follow minimum wage laws for them .

Under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) it is also outlined clearly that volunteers are important for the sectors to religious, charitable, civic, humanitarian, or similar nonprofit organizations, but outside of that, an employer must pay minimum wage .

The basis behind this is that a business/for-profit orga-nization, could easily take advantage of a “volunteer” and have them doing work that others are being paid for . It is also a complication to have a volunteer doing work that is going to make your business a profit (using their work for free and then being able to charge for what they produce) . As I said above, religious, chari-table, civic, humanitarian and similar nonprofit organi-zations CAN use volunteers (with the basis being that they do not monetarily profit from the work done by a volunteer) .

There are NOT any allowances or exemptions for the agricultural industry .

That being said, NYFB has tried in past years to estab-lish a “training/volunteer/intern” type of program with the Department of Labor & legislature . The closest thus far being an internship program . However, with the structure of the labor laws it proves to be a bit more complicated than initially anticipated . We will continue to push this issue though and attempt to gain some traction with a workable internship program . ●

Xerces Pollinator Conservation Short Course for Long Island’s

Agricultural CommunityNovember 18, 2014 • 9:00am – 4:30pm

Cornell Cooperative Extension Building 423 Griffing Ave., Riverhead NY 11901

2nd Floor Meeting Room

NYSDEC Pesticide Credits (5), ISA, LACES, CCA, CNLP Credits offered

Registration $25/personRefreshments, Lunch and Attracting Native

Pollinators Reference Book Provided

Limited Seating – Register Early

For more information, please contact:

Polly Weigand, Senior Soil District Technician Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District

631-852-3289 or <Polly.Weigand@SuffolkCountyny.gov>

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 17

18 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Margery Daughtrey to be Honored for Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension and Outreach

Margery Daughtrey, Plant Pathologist at Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center is the 2014 re-cipient of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/Out-reach Award .

This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leader-ship in developing a highly innovative and responsive extension/outreach program that addresses stakeholder needs . The awards committee cited Margery’s tireless dedication to ornamental plant growers, especially the greenhouse industry . They also recog-nized Margery’s relevant and productive applied research program and her outstanding record of responsiveness to the growers .

This award signifies Cornell University’s appreciation of Margery’s commitment to sustaining CALS’s land-grant mission, and recog-nizes her accomplishments contributing to the realization of CALS vision: “Leading science and education toward a resilient future .”

Margery will receive this award on November 10, at Cornell’s main campus in Ithaca . ●

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SPECIALISTHow Are State and Municipal Regulations Affecting You? The University of Connecticut (UConn) Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy is interested in finding out your views on state and municipal regulations that affect farming activities and profitability. This survey should take approximately 15 minutes of your time, and your participation is very important . Your respons-es will be anonymous, and your name or contact infor-mation is not requested . The results of this survey will be developed into a report which will be shared with Northeast agricultural leaders and policy makers at the state and local levels . Your participation in this impor-tant survey is appreciated .

To participate, click the following link to be taken to the survey site administered by UConn: <http://www .zwickcenter .uconn .edu/survey .php>.

If you have any questions about this study, you may contact Dr . Benjamin Campbell at <ben .campbell@uconn.edu> or Dr. Adam Rabinowitz at <adam.rabi-nowitz@uconn.edu>.

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 19

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Ken Kraus 631-680-1600 or Gary Baumann 631-902-4242

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The Cornell Gardeners Celebrate 10 Years Of Volunteering At Cornell’s LIHREC

This fall the Cornell Gardeners celebrated 10 years of volunteering at Cornell University’s Long Island Horti-cultural Research & Extension Center (LIHREC) . Ap-proximately 60 members, alumni and guests met for garden tours and a pot-luck lunch . The Cornell Garden-ers invited the staff members of the LIHREC to lunch as a small way to thank them for their hospitality and kindness over the years .

The Cornell Gardeners officially began on Saturday, Au-gust 21, 2004. This is the date that the first ornamental display gardens were planted at the LIHREC in River-head . The year before, in 2003, the president of the Pe-rennial Plant Association (PPA), Joe Kunkel, asked the LIHREC if they would like to participate in a new pro-gram offered by the PPA . They wanted to install a new perennial garden in a public location to support their mission of education for herbaceous perennial plants . At the time, the LIHREC had no display gardens of any kind .

When the project was approved by the staff members at the LIHREC in 2003, the director, Dr . Mark Bridgen, worked with renowned landscape designer from the United Kingdom, Adrian Bloom . Together they planned the locations, the sizes, and the shapes of the gardens . The gardens were prepared in the spring of 2003 by the members of the field staff of the LIHREC; the ground was cultivated, fertilizer was applied, and organic mat-ter was incorporated . Ellen Talmage was the local Long Island contact person who acted as a liaison between the LIHREC and the PPA . Ellen, along with Suffolk County Extension Specialist, Caroline Kiang, organized donations of perennial plants from numerous whole-sale growers and also organized more than 50 volun-teers from the Suffolk County Master Gardeners .

On the day of the planting event, more than 1,400 plants were available for the project . All of these plants were donated by local businesses and individuals . Once Mr . Bloom positioned the plants in their final locations, the volunteers did the work of planting them . The gardens expanded after 2004 into a large L-shaped display gar-den along the northwest corner of the property . Mem-bers of the Long Island Dahlia Society joined the volun-teers and planted 4 large beds of dahlias . As an identity began to develop, the volunteers identified themselves as the “Cornell Gardeners” and they outlined by-laws .

In 2011, thanks to a grant from the Friends of Long Island Horticulture, a vegetable demonstration garden was planted and called the Victory Garden . The organi-zation has more than 40 active members and there are still 4 members who have continuously participated for the past 10 years: Diane Henry-Vanisko, Ken Mohring, Eleanor Polashock, and Bill Wolkoff .

The Cornell Gardeners meet at the LIHREC every Tuesday morning from 9:00 am until noon all year long . Anyone who is interested in volunteering their time to weeding, planting, designing, and garden work is wel-come to come . ●

20 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Online Courses Offered for Aspiring, New, and Experienced FarmersThese interactive 5-7-week courses are led by experi-enced educators and farmers and connect you to the information and people you need to start a successful farm business or diversify your farm . You can take a single course or start at the beginning and work your way through the courses in order .

Registration for the 2014-2015 season is now open . See the list of courses below that will be offered this fall and winter . Visit <http://nebeginningfarmers .org/online-courses/> to learn more or to register.

NovemberBF 122: Berry Production – Getting Started with Grow-ing and Marketing

JanuaryBF 102: Markets and Profits – Exploring the Feasibility of Your Farming Ideas

BF 104: Financial Records – Keeping and Analyzing Re-cords to Track Your Profitability

BF 120: Veggie Farming – From Planning to Planting

BF 140: Small-scale Organic Grain Production – Is it Right for Your Farm?

BF 203: Holistic Financial Planning – Building Profit into the Picture

FebruaryBF 121: Veggie Farming – From Season-Long Care to Market

MarchBF 103: Taking Care of Business – Understanding the Business, Regulatory, and Tax Implications of Your Farm

Cornell University’s Annual Economic Outlook Conference to be Held on December 9The annual Agribusiness Economic Outlook Con-ference will be held on December 9 on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca NY . At this conference, New York agricultural leaders will learn about the short-and long-term outlook for agriculture and ag-ricultural products . Breakout sessions concentrate on dairy, grains and feed, and horticultural products (fruits, vegetables, wine, and ornamentals) .

For more information, visit: <http://dyson .cor-nel l .edu/outreach/ag_out look_conference .php#conference>. At this site you can also view presentations and videos from the 2013 confer-ence, as well as the New York Economic Handbook .

Ornamental Producers – Please Complete the IR4 SurveyIR4 Ornamental Horticulture Program needs your input to help to prioritize pest, disease, weed, and plant growth regulator (PGR) research . Please com-plete the survey found at the link below . By provid-ing information, you can help ensure that your big-gest challenges are addressed by research and you can shape the IR4 program’s two-year plan that will ultimately benefit our industry.

The survey can be completed online and should take no more than five to seven minutes to com-plete: <http://ir4 .rutgers .edu/Ornamental/Survey/index.cfm>.

The IR4 Ornamental Program focuses on green-house, nursery, landscape, Christmas tree and for-estry producers . The primary objectives of the pro-gram are to facilitate new product registrations and to place new diseases, insects and weeds, as well as new crops, on already registered ornamental horticulture product labels . For more information, visit: <http://ir4.rutgers.edu/ornamentals.html>.

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 21

Suffolk County’s Soil & Water Conservation District celebrated its 50th Anniversary on September 18, 2014.

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Celeste Richards - PresidentPO Box 327, Huntington Station, NY 11746

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Save The Dates for the Upcoming Winter Meetings!January 8-9 – Long Island Ag Forum

January 20 – Long Island Greenhouse & Floriculture Conference

January 22 – Long Island Horticulture Conference

For more information, watch future issues of this publication and your mail . Or, contact Linda Holm at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 631-727-7850 x341 or <linda.holm@cornell.edu>.

22 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

50 Years Ago

(Reprinted from the October 1964 Suffolk County Farm News)

Cauliflower Auction In 51st YearEditors Note – Cauliflower growers and others who sell produce through either the Riverhead or Southold auc-tions are familiar with the colorful activity and the fast and effective marketing that goes on as described in this story.

Long Island’s first cauliflower auction was held under a tree outside the office of the L.I. Cauliflower Associa-tion, on Hallet Street, Riverhead, on a fall day in 1913 . The auctioneer stood on a box, in the center of a ring of buyers, who bought the day’s cutting, packed in barrels which had been carted to town in farm wagons .

Surviving two world wars, the great depression, and the conversion of great areas of Suffolk County farm-land into housing and plant sites, the auction opened September 14 for the 51st consecutive season . Lo-cated for some years in a modern auction plant locally known simply as “the block” on Rte . 58 two miles northeast of Riverhead village and the original site, it has a companion site in Southold . This opened Sep-tember 28th .

At both plants, farm truckloads of freshly cut cauliflower, leaves trimmed to expose the snow-white heads, field packed 12 heads to a crate, enter the block in two parallel lines. Similar to a traffic “island” be-tween these lanes is the buyers’ platform . At one end of the platform is the elevated “pulpit” where the auc-tioneer holds forth and the auction manager tabulates sales and keeps an eye on proceedings .

Bids, always based on so much per crate (but which apply to an entire load), are never spoken, but are sig-naled, by a gesture, a nod of the head, a wink, even by the removal of a pipe from a buyer’s mouth . The auctioneer’s rapid-fire, sing-song chant is made up of a call for bids: “Who’ll start at $2”; and a verbal record of the progress of the bidding: “I have $2 .25 - $2 .25, who’ll give me $2.30?” and a final announcement of the sale: “Sold, for $2 .75 to John Doe”, all spoken with such speed that it is intelligible only to the buyers and seasoned observers .

Sales are made at an average of one every 30 seconds, with the action alternating from one line to another . Af-ter his load has been sold, the farmer drives his truck to the adjoining yard, there, the crates are moved into waiting trailer trucks which carry them, often under re-frigeration, not only to New York and other nearby cen-

ters, but on long hauls to Chicago, Kansas City, New Orleans, Miami, and on rare occasions, to Denver, Houston, and Canadian cities .

Most of the buyers represent ei-ther chain store organizations or produce houses that serve chains, independent groceries, hotels and restaurants .

The cauliflower shipping (and har-vesting) season begins in early September, and continues normal-ly until the middle of December . In some years, it has been cut short by a severe freeze in November or early December . However, cauli-flower can take considerable frost, and the flavor actually improves as the weather becomes cooler .

The auction, which normally receives between 500,000 and 1 million crates of cauliflower, depending upon the acreage and growing conditions, is the oldest auction in the Northeast and probably the largest . It also handles cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other fall produce, but in much smaller volume; in June, it receives and sells strawberries and peas . Competitive selling and buying tends to keep quality standards and financial returns up; it also relieves the farmers of credit risk, since the sponsoring Long Island Cauliflower Association guar-antees payment to the growers . The Association itself is a farmer owned organization, which dates back to 1901, and is the senior farm product marketing agency on Long Island . ●

Serving Suffolk County Agricultural and Horticultural Industries November 2014 23

FOR SALENew Holland 282 wire baler, al-ways inside, $1,250. Webster 6 ton fertilizer body, motor, auger, cover, $150. 631-566-4107. (b14-11)1968 Ford F600 8yd Dump Truck, 330 Medium Duty V8 Engine, 40,000 mi, $2,800. Great running, road-worthy condition. Less than 400 miles/yr., on-farm/supplies pick-up. Engine, chassis, brakes, brake-lines, clutch, transmission, PTO, piston, heater, exhaust, elec-trical, dependable, working order. 631-271-2045, info@FoxHollow-Farm.com (b14-10)3 pt – 6 ft disc, excellent blades and bearings - $400. Call 631-472-0530. (b14-10)850 Ford tractor, rebuilt motor; Ford cultivator, 3 pt bed maker 72”; PTO generator; 6’ box blade; ce-ment blocks for benches; 21 x 64 greenhouse; parting out Farmall C. Contact: 631-805-5559. (b14-10)

Position AvailableFarm Manager position on a new 34 acre organic farm on the North Fork of Long Island. Forward your resume to <10milefarm@gmail.com> or contact Peter at 516-403-3434. (b14-10)

WANTEDPreserve Your Heritage. I have a museum dedicated to local agricul-ture. I wish to purchase tools of the past. All items labeled with owner, make of item, year, name of farm, and town. Ronald Bush. 631-472-0530 (X10-10)

SERVICESCustom Plowing & Discing. Pas-tures seeded and farm consultant, Tom Romanski. 631-727-7668. (X97-10)Winemaking Consultant: Vine-yard or winery of interest to you? My services are informative and cost effective. Tom Payette, 540-672-0387, <www.winemakingcon-sultant.com> (b14-11)Bushhog Services - Overgrown fields and lots mowed. Heavy brush in woodland selectively mowed. Tom Romanski. 631- 727-7668. (X97-10)

The Trading Post

TRADING POST - Classified AdsAgricultural News subscribers may use up to 40 words free in the Trading Post. Trading Post ads will be run for two months and then canceled unless the office is otherwise notified. Contact Linda Holm, 631-727-7850 x 341.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension - Suffolk County423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY 11901-3071

Attn. Agricultural News Trading Post

Calendar of EventsNovember 4-5 . Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo. Springfield, MA. Visit <http://www.negreen-house.org>.

November 13 . Managing Landscapes Sustainably Con-ference. Clarion Hotel, Ronkonkoma, NY . Contact Linda Holm at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 631-727-7850 x341 or <linda.holm@cornell.edu>.

November 18 . Xerces Pollinator Conservation Short Course for Long Island’s Agricultural Community. Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center, 423 Griffing Ave., Riverhead, NY. Contact Polly Weigand, Suffolk County Soil & Water Conservation District, 631-852-3289 or <Polly.Weigand@SuffolkCountyny.gov>.

January 8-9 . Long Island Ag Forum . Suffolk County Community College, Riverhead, NY . Contact Linda Holm at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 631-727-7850 x341 or <linda.holm@cornell.edu>.

January 20 . Long Island Greenhouse & Floriculture Conference . Hyatt Place, Riverhead, NY . Contact Linda Holm at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 631-727-7850 x341 or <linda.holm@cornell.edu>.

January 22 . Long Island Horticulture Conference . Clar-ion Hotel and Conference Center . Ronkonkoma, NY . Contact Linda Holm at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 631-727-7850 x341 or <linda.holm@cornell.edu>.

50 Years Ago…(Reprinted from the July 1964 issue of Suffolk County Farm News)

Copter Potato Spraying Given TrialSpraying of potatoes by helicopter was given a trial on Long Island this year . Through arrangements made by G .L .F ., the helicopter spray service provided by New Jersey Helicopter Airways, Inc ., was used on about 1000 acres scattered on a number of farms through-out Suffolk County . A combination of insecticides and fungicides as selected by the farmer to be used on his fields are diluted in water and applied at 3 to 5 gallons of spray per acre .

Several fields were watched closely by the staff of the Suffolk County Extension Service and the Long Island Vegetable Research Farm to determine effectiveness of helicopter spraying as compared to conventional ground application . ●

24 November 2014 AGRICULTURAL NEWS

The mainstay of Farm Family has always been the personal service we provide to our clients. Our knowledge and experience have given us a unique perspective in the agriculture and business communities. We have always been committed to bringing quality products and service to you, your business and your family — and that commitment won’t change.

FF-258 (308)

QSA VINCENT C. DALEY, CLU, ChFCGENERAL AGENT

ISLIP TERRACE

QSA Vincent C. Daley, CLU, ChFCCamille BunicciMichael McCord(631) 277-7770

EAST QUOGUE

James N. AgalsMichael McCrain(631) 288-4454

Scott Kelly, CFP®, ChFC, CASL(631) 228-4501

CALVERTON

Eric Kirk(631) 727-7767

AQUEBOGUE

George K. FormesJames P. Kowalsick(631) 722-4100

SHOREHAM

Timothy S. Purdy, LUTCF(631) 821-2200

HOLBROOK

George R. Grossmann, LUTCF(631) 439-4650

MILLER PLACE

Kevin J. Cantwell, CFP®, LUTCF(631) 744-3350

Taking A Personal Interest