WELCOME

Onondaga County Soil & Water
Conservation District

6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway
Liverpool, NY 13088

(315) 457-0325
Fax:  (315) 457-0410

CELEBRATING 75 YEARS

March 6, 1944 - 2019
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March 6, 1944 marks the official date for the formation of the Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District.  The organization meeting was held on March 24th of that year at 11:00 a.m. Five officers were elected, each signing the oath of office and witnessed by Miss Betty Neuman, Notary.  At the time 1,000 such districts were established in the United States, Onondaga was the fifteenth in New York State.  Now, there are about 3,300 districts

State of New York, Laws on April 23, 1940: The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, enact Chapter 9-B of the consolidated Laws, the Soil Conservation Districts Law.  The first Soil Conservation District in New York State was established July 31, 1940 in Schoharie County.

YOUTH TRACTOR SAFETY WORKSHOP

​The Hazardous Occupation in Agriculture Law requires that youth ages 14-15 must have at least 24 hours of tractor safety and maintenance instruction in order to become certified to drive a tractor on a farm other than that owned by their parents. 
 
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County will be conducting a Tractor Safety Certification Course for Youth in May 2019 to fulfill these requirements. This course will cover many components of agriculture safety. Classes will be held as follows: Thursday evenings 5 – 9 pm on May 9, May 16, May 23, May 30 and Saturday mornings 8:30 am – 12:30 pm on May 11 and May 18. The certification exams will be given at class on Thursday May 30th. The classes will be held at Venture Farms LLC in Tully, NY and Cazenovia Equipment Company in Cazenovia, NY.  Class members seeking certification are required to attend all of the classes, actively participate, and pass written and tractor operation tests.
 
Class fee is $30, which includes the training manual.
 
Class size is limited. Pre-registration is required.  Registration deadline is Monday May 6.
 
Youth can register at  https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/YouthTractorSafety2019_231
 
The first session will be Thursday May 9th  from 5 – 9 pm at Venture Farms LLC, 6978 Route 80, Tully, NY 13159. Participants will be provided a complete course schedule at this session.
 
Youth starting at age 12 may take the course, but anyone younger than 14 years old may not participate in driving activities or become certified. Youth older than 15 years may take the course but certification is not required.      
 
For more information, or to register, please contact Melanie Palmer at 315-424-9485 ext. 228 or mjp232@cornell.edu      

​NYS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS ADVISES HORSE OWNERS TO MONITOR HORSES FOR SIGNS OF EQUINE HERPES VIRUS TYPE 1
 
Cases Confirmed, Quarantine in Effect at Two Horse Stables

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is advising owners, boarders and riders to watch their horses closely for signs of Equine Herpes Virus Type 1 (EHV-1) after several cases of the virus were confirmed in horses boarded in Canton, St. Lawrence County and Geneseo, Livingston County. The virus is not a threat to humans, but people can also spread the virus from infected horses to other horses.
 
The Department is investigating the cases at St. Lawrence University’s horse boarding facility and Leg Up Stables, which is home to SUNY Geneseo’s Equestrian Team. The stables are working closely with the Department and have voluntarily quarantined their animals and proactively instituted biosafety measures.
 
Horses and people who visited the facilities, competed at the venues, or who had contact with these animals from February 23 through March 10 may have been exposed to EHV-1. This virus may cause neurological signs, or Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), in horses. Symptoms can include fever, loss of balance and unsteady gait.
 
In addition, people who visited the affected facilities during that time, and those who had contact with these horses, should pay close attention to biosecurity and carefully observe their own horses daily for neurological signs, which can indicate exposure to EHV-1. They also are advised to contact their veterinarian and the Division of Animal Industry at the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets at 518-457-3502. 
 
If possible, exposed horses should be isolated from other horses for at least three weeks after a known exposure. If an exposed horse has not shown any signs of EHV-1 infection for three weeks after the last known exposure, it is likely safe to resume normal activities. 
 
Vaccinations, while helpful, do not guarantee disease prevention.
 
Information on the disease, standards for biosecurity, control and other guidelines can be found online. Precautions like hand-washing, using disinfectant and sanitizers, changing clothes and not sharing equipment can help reduce the risk of transmission.

In Case of Emergency

In 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.
2018 DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE
Here

HOT TOPICS & GOOD INFORMATION

ONONDAGA COUNTY
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FARM BUREAU SCHOLARSHIP

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  • Two $500 scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing a college degree in an agriculture-related major.  Applicants must:
  • Reside in Onondaga county
  • Be an Onondaga County Farm Bureau member (or have a parent/guardian that is a member)
  • Major must be agriculture-related (including but not limited to: dairy, equine, horticulture, natural resources & conservation, aquaculture)
  • Provide a Letter of Reference with the application
  • ​Deadline is May 15, 2019.

​Go to www.nyfb.org under the Onondaga County link.
  • Sharing the Road with Slow Moving Vehicles - What you need to know.
         Click here    http://www.safeny.ny.gov/media/SMV-broc4-09.pdf
  • ​​Water Deflectors - Managing Surface Water & Reducing Erosion on Unpaved Roads.
water_diversion.pdf
File Size: 1961 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
  • Blue Green Algae - What you need to know.
         Click here    http://www.ongov.net/health/bluegreenalgae.html
  • What's the Poop on Manure Lagoons?  To watch the interview, click below.​           
http://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2017/06/whats_the_poop_on_manure_lagoons_see_how_they_work_why_farmers_need_them_video.html
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
2019
Meeting schedule: 4th Wednesday of every month
10:00 a.m. at the District office (unless otherwise noted)
    January 23                      July 24
     February 27                   August 28
     March 27                        September 25
     April 24                          October 23
     May 22                            November 20 (3rd week)
     June 26                           December 18 (3rd week)

Holiday Schedule 2019
The office will be closed in observance of these days.

January 1                                New Year's Day
Monday January 21               Martin Luther King Day
Monday February 18              Presidents' Day
Monday May 27                      Memorial Day
Thursday July 4                     Independence Day
Monday September 2             Labor Day
Monday October 14                 Columbus Day
Monday November 11             Veterans Day
Thursday November 28         Thanksgiving Day
Friday November 29               Day after Thanksgiving
Wednesday December 25       Christmas Day

NOTICE OF COMPLIANCE

The Onondaga County SWCD (District) has set up a toll-free, dedicated telephone number for confidential calls for reporting suspected misconduct or for handling questions related to business ethics, business conduct, or regulatory compliance.  Employees are encouraged to utilize this compliance line and are protected from retaliation pursuant to District Non-Retaliation Policy and applicable law.

The 24-hour a day, 7 day a week, toll-free number to leave a recording is: 
833-238-4989
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.