SHOP LOCAL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

The 2024 Pure Catskills Holiday Gift Guide is here to make your holiday shopping fun and easy! With winter weather blowing in, snuggle up and flip through the pages of local makers, growers and producers that have everything you need to give perfect gifts to those you love this year. View the Gift Guide here.

MYWOODLOT INITIATIVE BLOG: BUYING LOCAL FIREWOOD PROTECTS LOCAL FORESTS

You’re probably familiar with “buy local,” the concept that buying goods and services made in your community helps your local economy. That applies for firewood too, but there’s more to it. Buying local firewood also helps protect your local forests, woodlands, and parks. Learn more.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Don’t just take our word for it! The second round of our Fruit and Vegetable Expansion grants that support farmers in the NYC Watershed seeking to expand the agricultural production of fruits and vegetables are now available. Categories include 1) Greenhouse and/or Raised Bed Expansion Reimbursement, 2) Water Access Reimbursement and 3) Farm Structure Reimbursement.

The total amount that can be applied for is $5,000 and the deadline is November 29, 2024. For application details and to apply, click here.

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS

The Watershed Agricultural Council is proud to offer farmer education events through our educational subcontract with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County. Check them out here.

Check out these stories and more in the November enews here.

VISIT US AT THE UPCOMING FALL EVENTS

Belleayre Fall Festival
October 5 & 6 and 12 & 13 – 10AM-5PM
Belleayre Mountain, 181 Galli Curci Road in Highmount, NY

Maple Shade Hootenanny
October 12 & 13 – 10AM-5PM
Maple Shade Farm, 2066 Co Rd 18 in Delhi, NY

purecatskills.com/whats-new/calendar

FUNDING AVAILABLE

Calling all watershed farmers! The Tenmile Farm Foundation has begun a new initiative to increase the amount of locally grown food available to their food access partners. Using funding from New York Ag and Market’s New York Food for New York Families, Tenmile will purchase locally-grown food directly from NY farmers for distribution to New Yorkers in need. This program will support NYS farmers and producers by expanding economic opportunities and establishing partnerships between producers and the food distribution community to ensure access to fresh, nutritious foods in underserved communities.

In the next twelve months, Tenmile is looking to purchase approximately 100,000 lbs of fresh eggs, meat and produce from New York farmers and ranchers. Prices paid for products will be based on the producers’ established market values and regional market surveys. Purchased products will be transported directly from producers and delivered food access partners by Tenmile. Grower agreements and advance deposits to support small-scale growers’ participation in this program may be provided by Tenmile Farm Foundation.

For more information on the NY Food for New York Families grant program, visit:

agriculture.ny.gov/new-york-food-new-york-families

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact info@tenmilefarmfoundation.org.

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS

The Watershed Agricultural Council is proud to off the following events through our educational subcontract with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County. Check out our upcoming events here.

Check out our available career opportunities here.

Check out the September 2024 News here.

Check out the August 2024 News from the Watershed Agricultural Council.

WE SOILED OUR UNDIES!

Our undies are all chewed up and that’s just the way we like it. The more the underwear is deteriorated, the healthier the soil! See before and after photos and read more here.

RURAL ENTERPRISES ON EASED PROPERTIES

As you drive throughout the NYC Watershed, you’re guaranteed to see several farm stands, sugar shacks, and even small-scale sawmills. Did you know that new “Rural Enterprises” are allowed on properties with a WAC Conservation Easement (CE)?

WAC’s Agricultural CEs limit non-agricultural development on protected properties both to protect water quality and to promote economic vitality. CEs limit the form, location, and density of development so that land remains available for farming. Read more here.

CLEAN SWEEP 2024– Register online today, all Watershed Farms accepted.

GRANTS AVAILABLE!

Apply for one of our micro-grant opportunities in the following categories by 8/30/2024:

1. Marketing
2. Staffing
3. Event and/or Mileage
4. Training

For eligibility, more information, and to apply online click here.

UPCOMING FALL EVENTS

Join WAC, Pure Catskills and MyWoodlot at the following Fall Events:

• Margaretville Cauliflower Festival, September 21st
• Delhi Harvest Festival, September 21st
• Maple Shade Hootenanny Fall Festival, October 12th & 13th

Read theses stories and more in the August 2024 News here.

Our undies are all chewed up and that’s just the way we like it. The more the underwear is deteriorated, the healthier the soil!

Microbial Action
Undies won’t break down in just any soil. Healthy soils are full of life, diversity, and billions of microbes that consume organic matter, like cotton underwear! In addition to chowing down on organic matter, soil microbes play an important role in crop and soil health. Soil microbes have three main roles:
1. Decomposition of organic matter
2. Nutrient cycling and stimulating plant growth
3. Promoting and stabilizing soil aggregates and structure

Nourish your Microbes
The hungry microbes in your soil need food, shelter, and variety to thrive, just like us! You can take care of your microbial friends by following these three steps:
1. Avoid soil disturbance wherever and whenever possible.
2. Maximize soil cover with living plants and residue.
3. Maximize biodiversity by growing a variety of plants and
managing integration of livestock or manure.

Management Tools for Healthier Soil

Farmers can follow these principles by adopting management practices like crop rotation, cover cropping, conservation tillage like no-tillage or reduced tillage, integrated crop livestock systems, and optimized nutrient applications.

For example, maximizing soil cover with living (cover crop) or decomposing (compost) plant residues can stabilize soil particles thereby reducing erosion and soil crusting while also promoting crop germination and emergence.

Implementing year-round rotations with cash and cover crops keeps living roots in the soil which can increase soil carbon. Roots release carbon-rich exudates that serve as food for beneficial microbes, increasing their abundance and diversity. Heightened microbial activity, coupled with minimized soil disturbance, favors stable aggregate formation and improved soil structure.

Well-structured soil with adequate pore space can enhance water infiltration while reducing compaction and erosion. Importantly, it is essential to understand these principles within the context of your land and agricultural production system. This contextual understanding is critical for practical and relevant land stewardship. (These tips are from USDA NRCS.)

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CONSERVATION EASEMENTS

On June 18^th, WAC closed on two new easements in more than three years. Both are agricultural conservation easements that help conserve   soil and farmland for the future, as well as protect water quality. Between the two new easement projects, nearly 200 acres of important farmland have been protected, and the landowners are able to re-invest nearly $500k into their farms and communities, without having to sell off parts of their farms or significantly change their way of life. Both landowners share a desire to keep their property’s rural character alive, preserving the work of the generations that came before them, while safeguarding a working lands legacy that will transcend generations to come. WAC is proud to partner with landowners to preserve a legacy of good land and water. For more information on WAC’s conservation easements, please visit our website.

GRANTS AVAILABLE!

Apply for one of our micro-grant opportunities in the following categories by 8/30/2024:
1) Marketing
2) Staffing
3) Event and/or Mileage
4) Training

For eligibility, more information, and to apply online click here.

CLEAN SWEEP 2024– Register online today, all Watershed Farms accepted.

SCENES FROM THE FIELD Peek-a-boo! Can you spot all of the cows amongst the grass and flowers in this robust pasture? Riverdale Farm NY LLC in Delhi, NY rotationally graze their cattle by periodically moving them to different pastures often in order to optimize both cow and plant health. Rotating the cows to different pastures gives the grass time to grow back faster and healthier! It also increases biodiversity, reduces soil erosion, and minimizes risk of cows catching parasites.

Photo and caption by: Tristin Tait, Conservation Planner

Check out our July E-news to read these stories and much more here!

JUNE IS DAIRY MONTH

June is National Dairy Month and we are so fortunate to have the best value-added dairy products made right here in the Catskills! Find all of your dairy favorites here! Check out other items that are Fresh From the Catskills here.

HEAT ADVISORY ALERT!
Attention, Watershed farming community! With the heat advisory in effect this week, it’s crucial to keep our large animals cool and safe. Read this article for some essential tips to help your horses, cattle, and other large animals beat the heat.

PURE CATSKILLS GUIDE: Celebrating 20 Years, the 2024-2025 Guide to Pure Catskills Products is here!

FUNDING: Watershed Forestry Field Trip Program
Applications due Friday, August 9, 5pm
Apply now for up to $4,844.86 for field trips to the NYC Watershed for the 2024-25 school year. Discover the world-famous NYC Watershed and forest-filtered water supply system first-hand! Check out the four Watershed Forestry Field Trip options that explore the source of NYC’s water and how forests protect water quality. You can plant trees, release trout, and learn at environmental education centers. All trips include a guided tour of a drinking water reservoir. Check out the website to download the new application today.

Read these stories and more in the June 2024 News here.

JOIN US FOR MEREDITH DAIRY FEST | JUNE 8 & 9, 2024 | MERIDALE, NY

Join the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) and Pure Catskills (PC) at the Meredith Dairy Fest June 8 & 9 under our sponsored tent! PC members and WAC farms can attend as a vendor for free, but you must commit to both days of the event. What better way to celebrate National Dairy Month?!

To attend: Download and print the application: Vendor Application

Check out our other upcoming events here.

Learn more about these topics, our Watershed Forestry Institute for Teachers, and more by  checking out the April News from the Watershed Agricultural Council here.

Check out the March 2024 News from the Watershed Agricultural Council. See our upcoming educational events listed here. Looking for a summer internship? Check out our available careers at nycwatershed.org/careers.

FREE NATIVE PLANTS FOR NYC WATERSHED RESIDENTS

The Watershed Agricultural Council is excited to announce a remodeled Tree Planting practice in the Management Assistance Program (MAP).

MAP is the Watershed Agricultural Council’s primary way of supporting forest landowners in stewarding their woods. MAP provides cost-share opportunities for projects that protect water quality, improve wildlife habitat, and overall drive the growth of healthy forests.

At the bottom of page 2 on the MAP application you’ll find a new Tree Planting practice. This practice supplies free native tree and shrub saplings (about 2-5 feet tall) to landowners within the NYC Watershed. To qualify, at least 5 plants must be requested, and at least half of those must be trees. More details can be found in the application.

To read more about selecting, planting, and maintaining trees check out these resources on MyWoodlot.com.

Read this article and more here. Sign up for our Newsletter here.

Check out the February 2024 News from the Watershed Agricultural Council. Topics include: applying for a Micro Grant, joining Pure Catskills, attending a workshop and career opportunities.

MAPLE SEASON IS HERE!

With the unusually warm temperatures, maple season in New York has come early. MyWoodlot.com has a fountain of information if you want to try your hand at making it yourself.

In order to tap a maple tree, one of the first things you’ll need to know is how to identify different kinds of maple trees. Only certain ones are well-suited for tapping. This blog covers three common maples you might find in your yard or woods and explain tricks you can use to differentiate these seemingly-similar trees.

Check out the MYWOODLOT BLOG:

Three Tricky Maples: Red, Norway, Sugar

Read the February News here! 

IT’S TIME TO RENEW YOUR PURE CATSKILLS MEMBERSHIP!

MEMBERSHIP DEADLINE IS MARCH 11, 2024

Join Pure Catskills for our 20th Anniversary Issue to be listed among 360+ farm and forest businesses in the 2024-2025 Guide to Pure Catskills Products.

Annual Membership $45:

• Pure Catskills membership is available to farm and forest-based businesses, restaurants, local producers and artisans, and farmers’ markets throughout Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster Counties in New York State.

Partner $50:

• A “Partner of Pure Catskills” is available to other nonprofit organizations supporting our mission to improve the economic viability of the local community, sustain the working landscapes of the Catskills and preserve water quality in the NYC Watershed region.

Supporter $50:

• A “Supporter of Pure Catskills” is available to businesses that don’t produce a product or sell local products, accommodations, and organizations supporting our mission to improve the economic viability of the local community, sustain the working landscapes of the Catskills and preserve water quality in the NYC Watershed region.

Memberships and ads are due MONDAY, MARCH 11TH!

• Click here to view last year’s guide.
• Click here for the Membership Kit 2024-2025

Email our team if you have any changes or if you would like to be listed under a different category.

RENEW NOW

Pure Catskills is an initiative of the Watershed Agricultural Council.