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WELCOME!
ABOUT SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION
Please Note :The Office Will Be Closed in Observance of These Holidays
Martin Luther King Day MONDAY, JANUARY 17 Presidents' Day MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Memorial Day MONDAY, MAY 30 Juneteenth MONDAY, JUNE 20 4th of July MONDAY, JULY 4 Labor Day MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Columbus Day MONDAY, OCTOBER 10 Veterans Day FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Thanksgiving THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Day after Thanksgiving FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Christmas MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS 2022 Meeting schedule: 4th Wednesday of every month 10:00 a.m. at the District office (unless otherwise noted) January 26 February 23 RESCHEDULED to February 28 March 23 April 27 May 25 June 22 July 27 August 24 September 28 October 26 November 16 (3rd Wednesday) December 21 (3rd Wednesday) |
Onondaga County Soil & Water
6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway
Liverpool, NY 13088 (315) 457-0325 Fax: (315) 457-0410 
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APPLE FARMS AND PICKING SCHEDULE 2022
FARM CURRENTLY PICKING
ABBOTTS FARMS , BALDWINSVILLE, NY SANSA, ZESTAR, PAULA RED, GINGER GOLD, & JONAMAC
ADAMS ACRES, JAMESVILLE, NY SPARTAN, HONEY CRISPS, CRIMSON CRISP
CRITZ'S FARM, CAZENOVIA, NY OPENS 9/10/2022 CHECK THEIR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES
DEER RUN, LAFAYETTE, NY PAULA REDS, JONA MACS, GALA, MCINTOSH, RED CORTLAND
BEAK & SKIFF, MARIETTA, NY HONEYCRISP
NAVARINO ORCHARDS, SYRACUSE, NY VISIT THE FARM OR CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES
FARM CURRENTLY PICKING
ABBOTTS FARMS , BALDWINSVILLE, NY SANSA, ZESTAR, PAULA RED, GINGER GOLD, & JONAMAC
ADAMS ACRES, JAMESVILLE, NY SPARTAN, HONEY CRISPS, CRIMSON CRISP
CRITZ'S FARM, CAZENOVIA, NY OPENS 9/10/2022 CHECK THEIR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES
DEER RUN, LAFAYETTE, NY PAULA REDS, JONA MACS, GALA, MCINTOSH, RED CORTLAND
BEAK & SKIFF, MARIETTA, NY HONEYCRISP
NAVARINO ORCHARDS, SYRACUSE, NY VISIT THE FARM OR CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES
"DANGER LIES IN BEAUTY, AND BEAUTY LIES IN DANGER." BELVA PLAIN The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is asking residents in Western New York to be on the lookout for Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), after a population was found in the Buffalo area this week. SLF is a destructive pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as grapevine, apple trees, and hops. The invasive was first observed in New York State on Staten Island in August 2020, and since then the population has been reported in all New York City boroughs, Long Island, Port Jervis, Sloatsburg, Orangeburg, Ithaca, Binghamton, Middletown, Newburgh, Highland, and now in the Buffalo area. State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We are concerned about the significant number of adult Spotted Lanternfly that have been found in Buffalo, especially with its proximity to the Concord grape growing area in Western New York. SLF can have a devastating impact on vineyards, as we’ve seen in neighboring states, so we need everyone’s help to be on the lookout for this invasive and to report it immediately.” The Department’s Division of Plant Industry inspectors responded to reports of SLF in a residential area of Buffalo adjacent to an active rail line. As of September 9, over 100 adults have been found. Agriculture and Markets staff will continue to survey the surrounding areas in the coming days. Although the population is significant, the area was surveyed in April of 2022 and no egg masses were found, and no old egg masses have been found during the current survey. While surveys in the area are ongoing, the Department is asking for the public’s help in slowing down the spread of SLF in this area by reporting any sightings immediately to agriculture.ny.gov/reportSLF. In addition to reporting, residents are asked to:
Adult SLF are easy to identify, as seen in the photos below. They are approximately one inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Adults are active from July to December and begin laying eggs in September. Signs of an SLF infestation may include:
While these insects can jump and fly short distances, they spread primarily through human activity. SLF can lay their eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and firewood. Adult SLF can hitch rides in vehicles, on any outdoor item, or cling to clothing or hats, and be easily transported into and throughout New York, so residents are being asked to be vigilant. The public is also encouraged to thoroughly inspect vehicles, luggage and gear, and all outdoor items for egg masses and adult SLF. If SLF adults are found, residents should remove them and scrape off all egg masses. SLF Impacts to New York Agriculture SLF feeding can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky "honeydew," which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants, negatively impacting agriculture and forest health. The estimated total economic impact of invasive insects in the United States exceeds $70 billion per year, and if not contained, SLF could have an impact to New York State of at least $300 million annually, mainly to the grape and wine industry, which ranks third in the country in production. SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life and recreational activities due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts. |
It is with great sympathy that I share that Mr. Thomas Trinder passed on August 24, 2022.. Mr. Trinder joined the Board of Directors of the Onondaga County SWCD in October of 1996. He became Chairman of the Board in October of 1999 and served in that capacity until 2009. Mr. Trinder and his family operated an organic dairy farm in Fabius, NY. He was the first farm in our County to install robotic milkers. The farm won the NYS AEM Award in 2009; the first of our County farmers! Please keep Mr. Trinder and his entire family in your thoughts and prayers! Thank you~ Mark Burger, Director , Onondaga County Soil and Water District. 
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
DOUG FISHER I am saddened to share the passing of retired Onondaga County SWCD Program Manager Doug Fisher. Please keep Doug’s family in your thoughts and prayers~ Mark Burger, Director Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District A little About Doug: Doug was a lifetime member of the South Onondaga Fire Department who posted this today on their Facebook page: It is with heavy hearts that we report the passing of Life Member Doug Fisher. Doug served the community & department for over 50 years. Doug held many offices during his time with the department, and was currently the sitting president. This will be a large loss for both our Department and Community as a whole. Please keep Doug's family in your prayers during these difficult times. Doug was nominated in January of 2020 for the CDEA Croney Award. At the time of his nomination, Doug had been with the Soil and Water Conservation District for 31 years. He began his career in 1974 as a field technician. He was responsible for implementing the tree and shrub program which remains the Districts largest community outreach program today. During his tenure, Doug personally handled approximately 11,782,320 seedlings planted over a span of 18,437 acres in Onondaga County. In 1980 Doug returned to farming full time, but returned to the District in 1996 as a Resource Conservation Specialist with the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Program. In 1999 Doug accepted a promotion to Program Manager overseeing the Otisco and Onondaga Lake Agricultural Environmental Management programs. He was an advocate for conservation practices in the agricultural community and convinced many farmers over the years to get involved with AEM. As a result of Doug’s efforts, the AEM program has expanded. During his tenure Doug also developed a hydroseeding program. Now in its 16th year. Doug was also a Life-Member of the South Onondaga Volunteer Fire Department, joining in 1972. He served for 47 consecutive years. He held the following offices: -Chief for two years, -Assistant Chief for 10 years, -Served as a temporary Assistant Chief several times over the past three years when the elected Chief’s have been out of the fire protection district, -14 years on the Executive Committee (at least), -3 years as Vice President of the Department (re-elected in 2020) -Volunteer’s for the County’s Animal Response Team (OnCART), -Took training and taught other volunteer fire departments how to use pet Oxygen and CPR masks, -Has organized various Farm Safety Classes, The experience in the volunteer fire service helped Doug support our farm cooperators in our County during agricultural spills. In 2004, at our Board Chairman’s dairy farm, there was a mass malfunction of a manure storage system. Doug was one of the first District responders to the scene and helped to coordinate the spill response amongst many agencies (County DOT, NYS DEC, volunteer fire departments, police, neighboring farmers, etc.) Since that spill in 2004, Doug and his brother Dave (who is a Supervisor at the County 911 center) worked with other team members to create a County-wide Agricultural Spill Response and Preparedness Team. This team now responds to an average of two spills per year (and sometimes as many as six) in Onondaga County and the Skaneateles Lake Watershed. To our knowledge, this is the only coordinated agricultural spill team in New York State. Doug has always maintained a professional and dedicated commitment to the clients with whom he works. His advice and counsel were trusted by colleagues and adhered to by farmers and landowners. Additionally, he remained alert to the mental and emotional, as well as physical well-being of those he educated and advised on their land management practices. This is an important aspect of our work at Soil and Water Conservation District as protecting the environment while making a living off the land can sometimes be stressful and seems to be more challenging than ever before. It is the combination of his personal qualities, programs, projects and actions and the respect shown to all his peers (at work, in the volunteer fire department, the surrounding communities, and the farmers), as well as his true dedication to the agricultural constituents of Onondaga County, that we will truly miss. |
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*****DRONES IN CNY***** Drones play a significant role in precision agriculture, which uses constant crop monitoring to determine how inputs must be used to maximize efficiency and yield. The drone’s aerial view helps farmers spot issues like pests and disease far faster than at ground level. Meanwhile, software developers like Intellias and drone manufacturers like senseFly are helping drones determine the effectiveness of ongoing crop treatments.
According to a November 2020 study, existing prototypes across the industry use advanced sensors to map fields, providing details like field elevation, drainage patterns, and even nitrogen levels in the soil. This data can help farmers use fertilizer more cost-efficiently, eliminate dry spots, and ultimately decide which treatments work best on each crop — before yield loss occurs. According to one senseFly customer, this can reap an ROI of about $9 per acre in terms of fertilizer use alone. With the ongoing rollout of 5G networks, Innovation Origins expects drones to increasingly transmit data in real-time, rather than storing data before users upload it to the cloud manually. On August 25, 2022 Onondaga County Soil and Water seeded approximately 165 acres utilizing ground breaking drone technology!! 
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LOOK WHO IS PULLING CHESTNUTS WITH OCSWCD!!!
8/8/2022: News from the field today has Senator John Mannion getting hands on with our water chestnut crew, removing water chestnuts from our waterways and protecting New York State's environment from this invasive species! 
SELF CARE FOR FARMERS
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In Case of EmergencyIn case assistance is needed at an agricultural spill, and it's after office hours (4:30 p.m.) you can call Mark Burger directly at 315-415-5057.
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TO ACCESS OUR ONLINE PARTNERS CLICK ON LINKS BELOW Snow and Ice Control Best Management Practicessnow_and_ice_control_best_management_practices.pdf Boat Decontamination boat_decontamination.pdf Skaneateles Lake Watershed SKANLAKEINFO.ORG ONONDAGA ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE www.oei2.org/ Kettle Lakes Watershed News: www.uppersusquehanna.org/usc/kettle-lakes/ Sharing the Road with Slow Moving Vehicles - What you need to know. http://www.safeny.ny.gov/media/SMV-broc4-09.pdf Water Deflectors - Managing Surface Water & Reducing Erosion on Unpaved Roads water_diversion.pdf What's the Poop on Manure Lagoons? To watch the interview, click belowhttp://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2017/06/whats_the_poop_on_manure_lagoons_see_how_they_work_why_farmers_need_them_video.html Information on Hemlock Wooly Adelgid https://blogs.cornell.edu/nyshemlockinitiative/ https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7250.html https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/hwafactsheet.pdf http://nyis.info/invasive_species/hemlock-woolly-adelgid/ PROTECT YOUR OAKS!!!!
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Our mission is to promote excellence in the wise use of our rural/urban natural resources.
Our vision is to live in a society in which future generations will have natural resources necessary to sustain and enrich their quality of life.
The Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.