More than 30 attendees took part in the annual Agriculture Tour on September 29th. This years tour highlighted the diverse beverage industry in the county and included stops at Pumpkinville, Ellicottville Distillery, Steelbound Brewery & Distillery and ended at Ellicottville Brewing Company's bottling facility.
Census of Agriculture, Coming in November
The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Taken every five years, the census provides valuable information used at the local, state, and national levels to plan for the future. The census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every state, county, and county equivalent in the nation. By participating in the census, you show the value and importance of U.S. agriculture.
Agricultural producers and handlers who are certified organic, along with producers and handlers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for the U.S.
NYSERDA will assign Flexible Technical Assistance Program Consultants to perform energy audits for eligible farms
Brian & Jean Davis have resided in Great Valley, NY for over 30 years. They were married in 1989 and have 2 children and 2 grandchildren. Together they enjoy the outdoors, including gardening, camping, and riding ATV’s & snowmobiles. They also enjoy travelling around the country. Jean Davis is a lifelong resident of Cattaraugus County from Great Valley. She worked for USDA Farm Service Agency for over 30 years, serving as Executive Director since 2002, and retired in 2015. After retirement, she worked as a Development Specialist for the Cattar
Wilfred (Bill) and Jean Jones bought their current farm known as Wilean Farms, LLC, in September of 1959. They started with 4 old cows from their parents and raised calves from those cows. In 1999, they expanded their farm and added a milking parlor. Currently they have 200 cows and 200 heifers.
For D-J Farm, Farm of the Year
Jeff Goodyear founded Maple Ridge Bison Ranch, Inc. in 2001, starting with just 10 Bison. They are a family owned and operated business, the first four generations of their family operated a dairy farm on the same lands that bison now roam. The following year they purchased 60 animals from the Black Hills of South Dakota. They now maintain a herd size of around 80 animals.
Most of their 300 acres is fenced with 6 strands of high tensile electric fence where the bison roam freely.
John May Farm Safety Fund
Description: The John may Farm Safety Fund provides financial assistance for New York farmers to improve safety on their farms. Past projects have covered: repairing broken fences, mitigating drainage problems, replacing outdated machinery, purchasing and installing power take-off (PTO) shields, fixing unprotected drop-offs, and repairing unsafe electrical systems.
Get the freshest farm news, events and updates from in and around Cattaraugus County, NY at least once a month! Go signup!
Other ways to stay connected:
Resources for Starting a Farm in Cattaraugus County
Profile of Cattaraugus County soils
Agriculture Career Exploration
Questions about farming? Find out Who to Call
