We have embarked on selling a half of one of our grass-finished steers processed by USDA inspected NY Custom Processing in Bridgewater N.Y. as a trial run for future sales of the finest locally produced hamburger and steak solely from grass and sunshine.  At this time, we have 215 pounds of hamburger,patties, sirloin, NY strip, rib and tenderloin steaks plus London Broil and Sirloin Tip Roasts all for $1259 dollars or $5.85/lb  Give us a call at (315) 841-3336 for more info. 

Upon looking in our local grocery store's meat section, top shelf premium natural angus beef was selling for the same money BUT you don't know the farmer, where the meat came from or how it was raised.  You get the best right here and support a local farm.

Here's a glowing report from one of our customers who buys a half a cow every year: 

Hello Troy, I wanted to send you a short note to let you know how great the beef and pork taste that we receive from you.  It’s now December and as I grilled up some hamburgers, I could taste a piece of sunshine in every bite.  It’s so refreshing to enjoy eating good, healthy beef, the way it was intended to be eaten.  Beef that does not contain extra external hormones or anything to fatten or "beef" them up.  The cows are grown and fed, the way they should be, in a field naturally.  Since we have started purchasing the beef from you, my husbands Cholesterol has decreased and he gets to enjoy all the beef he wants.  Your beef has all those great omega's that are not present in the "beef" a person purchases in the grocery store.  My 11 year old son won't eat beef anywhere because he can taste the fillers in it.  Once someone has the taste of your great beef, they will never go back to the regular grocery store!!

 This was the first time purchasing a pig from you and the meat is amazing.  We have not been big pork eaters in the past but this pork has great flavor and I know the pig has not been fed anything other than vegetables.  It has certainly won us over.

 Thank you and have a Merry Christmas!!

 Rebecca G from Dolgeville, N.Y.

By Troy Bishopp

Canastota, NY—As the lake effect band of snow hovered twenty miles north, thirty hearty graziers braved a frigid west wind while giving up the morning’s deer hunt and Christmas shopping on a quest to see and discuss winter grazing strategies at Dave and Suzie Taylor’s, Thistle Dew Beef Farm.

The cold, surprisingly sunny day devoid of snow cover in an area the locals call “The banana belt of Madison County” was no deterrent for man or beast in being out on the stockpiled pasture.  The day was also made a little warmer with New York Beef Farmer Cooperative Inc., Project Manager, Bee Tolman and Chairman Paul O’Mara announcing the group had secured $250,239.00 as part of Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative funding to the Central New York Regional Council to assist in start-up operations of the cooperative in Madison County and launch a meat CSA.  “We’re going to be looking for more producers to fill the customer’s local need”, said Paul.

Dave welcomed the farmers and gave a brief history of their grazing experience:  “Four years ago we would have scoffed at the idea of grazing this late into the season because we used to start feeding hay in early October due to overgrazing.  That was until we caught the rotational grazing bug, got a grazing plan and were introduced to the benefits of portable fencing via the conservation district’s beginning grazier fence kit.  These tools plus monthly mentoring have revolutionized our land and cattle management”, he concluded. 

The 90 acre grass farm with its 46 head of cows and calves has averaged 50 more days of grazing for the last three years since adopting planned grazing and learning to stockpile fields around August 10^th which has saved them over $2500 per year in hay savings. 

The grazing group discussed the animal number to acres needed ratio, for making this work.  “People say you can graze around one animal unit (1000 lbs.) to one acre for the season, but to make this extended grazing system work for us and make hay for winter we shoot for around 2 acres per animal on our soils,” commented Dave.

As the graziers staged around the pasture, Dave and Suzie made feeding cows look like child’s play by reeling up the polywire between the old grazed off paddock and the luscious 3^rd cutting standing grass in less than 30 seconds.  “Now that’s what I call a labor savings”, said Suzie. 

Questions from the audience of snowbirds ranged from determining the right size paddock, how to plan for stockpiling, what were the contingences for bad weather, pugging the soil concerns, quality of the forage meeting the animal’s needs and health concerns with relation to Johne’s disease from feeding on the ground.  Credit their management style of moving daily with not having as many issues as discussed.  “Since we move them every day we notice the little things and make quick adjustments according to what we see with the animal’s condition and how we want our land left for spring.  It takes some practice and patience, when the neighbors look at you a little funny sometimes”, said Dave.

So what knowledge did farmers gain from the un-orthodox winter grazing?  Jonathon Ling, Farm Manager from J&D Farm commented, “I needed to see this practice in action.  I went home with a formula (250lbs. dry matter/inch/acre) for calculating the feed in my fields, even in the winter!”

“I got some validation that there are no steadfast recipes when farmers bring different scenarios to the table and that you gain wisdom by doing.  I also saw how important water placement and back-fencing is in reducing pasture damage”, said Matt Campbell of Ridgeville Farm.

Karl Palmer from Sugar Daddy Ranch added his own synopsis, “I can appreciate Dave and Suzie’s enthusiasm to share money saving ideas with us.  It motivates me to do a better job on my own farm.  And having coffee and Christmas cookies on hand didn’t hurt either.” 

Dave and Suzie summed up their winter grazing hosting role:  “We wanted to show others what’s possible in saving money, growing healthy cattle and pastures, feeding local markets and reducing erosion”.  

This gathering of winter grazing knowledge and Christmas cookies from Troyer’s Country Store was supported by the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, The Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance, The Upper Susquehanna Coalition and the NYS Agricultural Environmental Management Program.

To learn more about planned grazing initiatives and approaches, call Madison County SWCD @ (315) 824-9849 or visit madcoswcd.com and U-S-C.org

Published in Country Folks, a weekly agricultural paper by Lee Publications

Local Tree Farm Spruces up Christmas

Phoenix, NY--- When Barry and Christine Leifheit bought their 54 acres of woodland and pasture savannahs in the perennial lake effect northern tier of Onondaga County over thirty years ago, little did they know it would become a Christmas destination for generations of families.

 It was decided from day one, there would be limited emphasis on farm animals, although dabbling in egg layers, geese and a pony for the kids occurred in the “early years”.  Rather it was Barry’s interest in forest management, hunting and supplying the house with wood heat that transformed the land into a tree farm.  And so the Leifheit Tree Farm was established.

“I was originally interested in growing a plot of Christmas trees for family use and for a shelter-break against the Lake Ontario winds.  Then it evolved into a seasonal small business when neighbors started asking when I was going to open up a cut-your-own operation; and the rest they say, is history, said Barry.  Through mentoring from other growers, the New York Forest Owners Association and the American Tree Farm system, I’ve gained valuable knowledge in honing my passion over the years.”

“I have enjoyed the relaxed work schedule on building up my 4 acre plantation.  A few hours of planting seedlings in the spring, a few hours pruning, a few hours clipping between the rows and maybe even an hour nap here or there under the boughs,” commented the outdoorsman.

The now retired UPS delivery and Onondaga County weights and measures guy has seen his share of changes.  “Back when I started selling trees, the Scotch Pine was thee tree of choice but now Douglas and Balsam Firs, Colorado Blue and White Spruce trees seem to be the variety of choice.  Many are choosing artificial, over-seas trees to the real ones for convenience sake and just the other day a couple was taking pictures of my trees and I-phoning them back to the family for a tree vote.  I guess you can call this progress”, said the purveyor of the pines.

One thing that has remained constant however is the bond of cutting your own in providing memories to countless families.  “There’s something inherently special about bundling up the kids and sleds to go pick out that perfect tree.  I’m now seeing three generations pull in the driveway and grab the saws.  I take care of the trees more for these smiling faces, the pictures and to hear the stories than for the money.” 

As one customer ardently stated when handing over a Jackson; “The Leifheit’s work in sharing their Christmas trees with us every year creates lasting relationships.  Isn’t that what the holiday season is all about?”   Published in Lancaster Farming, Northern Edition  12/20/2011

12/24/2011
By Marjorie Struckle New York Correspondent, Lancaster Farming

CANASTOTA, N.Y. — Becoming more common to Northeast livestock owners is a practice which decreases expenses, decreases labor and ultimately increases income — winter grazing.

The second annual Winter Grazing Pasture Walk was hosted recently by David and Suzi Taylor of Thistle Dew Farm in Canastota. The event was sponsored by Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance and New York State Agricultural Environmental Management program.

Participants — including those already doing winter grazing and those considering the practice — visited the 46-head cow/calf beef operation on 90 acres of the Taylor home.

Troy Bishopp, regional grazing specialist for the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District and Upper Susquehanna Coalition, led the discussion of the Taylors’ operation.

By stockpiling grazing material, the farm can support the herd through winter grazing. Stockpiling is an extended grazing technique in which some hay and pasture fields are saved for grazing after the forage growth has stopped.

Having determined the amount of dry matter required for the animals by using 3 percent of their body weight and factoring in additional requirements for cold weather, Bishopp determined that the herd requires 1,514 pounds of dry matter each day. The question is whether the farm can provide that amount through the winter. The farm is grazed and hay is harvested throughout the remainder of the year.

David Taylor said he allows the fields to continue to grow for stockpiled feed for a period of 60 days prior to the first frost.

“Although this year we had a light frost on Oct. 8, there was no killing frost till Oct. 18,” he said. “This varies a lot, so I generally begin the stockpiling from the date of Empire Farm Days, which is about Aug. 10.”

This decision also varies from farm to farm, as some participants indicated they allow the stockpiling at second cutting, while others harvested the second cutting.

A mowed field with a few inches growth begins the period for stockpiling from new grass regrowth. The variety of grass or legume can also determine the length of stockpiling.

“The winter heave of frost will level the fields out,” Bishopp said. “High concentration of the manure will encourage the animals to graze around the manure the first time, but the second grazing, the manure is generally worked into the soil, and creates lush green regrowth of grass.”

Allowing the grass to grow for 60 days prior to the first frost creates a grass of about 12 inches in height on this very fertilized land, he said.

“I graze until the grass is all gone,” Taylor said. “This year I supplemented 115 days of small square bales of hay.”

Bishopp said one cow per acre is suitable during the growing season on this farm, but a 1,000-pound animal may need 1 ½ acres during winter grazing. In winter grazing, Bishopp said, one inch of really thick grass will provide 250 pounds of dry matter per acre.

The fields visited contained about 12 inches of stockpiled grass which would yield 2,500 pounds of dry matter per acre. Using a requirement of 1,164 pounds dry mattter per day for the herd, it was calculated that the animals need to graze 0.47 acres per day or 0.6 acres per day (1,514 pounds total) during cold weather.

Both men said experience is the best instructor for winter grazing.

Taylor said the fences need to be moved to allow continuous fresh grazing for the animals, but he needs to calculate the amount of grass that will be eaten and not wasted by trampling for each move. He and Suzi move the fences daily.

Although Taylor said the animals will graze through a foot of snow, the type of snow is critical. A soft snow is good for grazing. But if it ices or freezes over, the animals will continue to graze but will cut their noses, so he feeds hay during these times.

“I try to never layer hay over a spot which the hay was already fed; the only time that happens is if it snows and I don’t see the previous layer of hay,” Taylor said.

Most winter graziers in attendance agreed that there are huge land and cattle improvements with the use of spaced bales. The waste hay and dropped seeds also help to build up lusher grasses the following year.

“If a storm is due, we move the animals into a sheltered ravine prior to the storm arriving,” Taylor said.

Once the ground is frozen and there is snow, there is little problem with mud. Participants brought up the issue of Johne’s disease and feeding on the ground with manure cover, but there has not been a concern with that so far.

Mineral salt blocks are available for free-choice use by the cattle, but Taylor said he chooses not to supplement all fields.

Taylor said he has saved $2,500 in hay costs. He sells much of his dry hay. “With the extra money we saved, we have purchased a new round baler, more land, worked on the house and expanded the herd,” he said.

He added that they needed $700 in start-up costs for polywire and posts.

“The Taylors began here with 20 cows, no feed and just dirt fields,” Bishopp said. “They have managed their resources.”

The Taylors also raise and use Australian shepherds.

“They are very intelligent, and although they are a working dog, they are part of our family,” Suzi Taylor said.

Some of the dogs mingled among the people and cattle waiting for a working command.

“Beef is at an all-time high, but you still want to lower costs and take advantage of the winter grazing,” Bishopp said.

by Troy Bishopp

To Pigs or not Two Pigs?

This is a very valid question in the shadow of exorbitant grain prices.  I ponder the question of raising pigs ourselves versus buying our pig (already wrapped) from my good friend, Karl, and also being stung financially and emotionally in the past from selling pork at the farm.  With the adage, “insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result” etched in my skull, it’s time to answer the question.

I’m only taking up this charge because Karl took a pig hiatus and we have the land resources to raise pigs.  But like everything else I do around here, I vault into a project and find out later it was less than a spectacular decision.  I’m hoping with a better plan and documentation, a measure of success will be achieved.

Experience tells us to ask, what will be the end goal?  And we plan backward from that point.  If you don’t have an end goal:  STOP, and think some more.  Being that I’m the risk-taker of the family, I usually say something like, “Oh, we’ll have no trouble getting rid of them”.  Duh, there is never a problem getting rid of them.  Ask anyone that sells into the sale barn roulette. 

The correct response to our question was; one pig for our family’s needs and one to sell to neighbors who asked for local pork.  Beyond this, since my wife was managing the piggery, would be stress.  In days gone by, I would’ve said, “If we’re gonna raise two we might as well raise four”.  This hardly ever worked out even with my optimistic view.  I’ve learned, production men----listen to your wife.  Sleeping with the pigs is not a good alternative.

The demand for spring piglets led us to pay 70 dollars a piece from a local farmer.  We had the infrastructure, (ie: troughs, shade cloth, hog panels, t-posts etc.) already.  For convenience sake, we put them in a large area of last year’s pumpkin and weedy squash patch adjacent to our regular garden.  Our thinking was they would be close at hand to harvest any leftover veggies or pulled weeds and provide tillage for next year’s plants.

When pigs are smaller and playing in the soil and sun, it’s obvious they don’t eat as much feed which only delays the sticker shock of paying twenty dollars a hundred for grain every other week.  Now mind you, I know the alternative sources of feeding more pasture, scavenging for leftover milk or bread with smelly pickup boxes and keeping them in the woods but these require more labor that we didn’t want.  I guess you can say we committed to this simple system, akin to many folks I’m sure.

As the pigs or hogs at this point, grew, they ate more grain, giant zucchinis, summer squash, grass clippings and their favorite, tomatoes.  Nothing went to waste.  They dug in the earth, chewed on rocks and roots, made a wallow and generally did whatever made them happy while their antics provided countless hours of entertainment.  I believe even their flatulence wafting over the garden micro-climate helped the other crops grow. 

 By the end of the growing season, we opened up the rest of the garden for them to glean and started feeding them wild apples (I’ve read that apples and acorns flavor the meat) thereby saving on grain.   When two pigs can consume a hundred pounds of feed a week you know the bacon and hams are not far off. 

Looking at the hanging weights of 169 and 180 pounds, they excelled in this natural environment without any help from a bottle.  However, did getting back into the pig thing meet our goals?  The purchased price of the piglets and feed totaled $431 while the processing and smoking was another $313 for a grand total of $ 744.00.  After having sold one pig to our neighbor for $450 that left us with a cost of 294 dollars or $1.63 a pound hanging weight.

Like many of you, we didn’t figure in our labor and we didn’t receive any of the innards, feet, head or lard, so our volume of product was less and some would say “wasteful”.  We could have charged our customer more since the retail price hovers around $ 4.29/lb. but they are buying a whole pig and they are our neighbor after all.  We could have done the USDA inspected meat route and sold everything by the piece which we tried before and wound up eating many pork steaks.   Admittedly, we don’t set the marketing world on fire which is most of the work in paying for such a project.

Rather, this was a humble experiment to see how much we’re really paying to raise pigs.

Actual pounds of pork in the freezer puts our price at around two bucks a pound which is still half price compared to the store’s ‘other white meat’ or the new ‘inspired pork’.   Our pink, plump, sun & soil infused pork in no way resembles the grocery’s anemic slatted floor meat.   And the taste compares to any gourmet item with the added bonus of knowing how and where it was raised.

Was our question of raising two pigs validated even with high grain prices?  For us, the answer is absolutely.  Some would argue spending money on meat production versus producing more vegetables could be viewed as unwise use of resources; however I’m in the mindset of Fran Lebowitz who said, “Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat”.  Without discounting the argument for more veggies, a new trial is on the horizon. 

This question could inevitably be next year’s experiment, loosely titled ‘To pea or not to pea’.

published in Lancaster farming 12/10/2011

I’m Sorry I Made You Cry

by Troy "the grass whimperer" Bishopp

(in memory of Terry Gompert)

French writer, Antoine Rivarol said, “Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.”  I have seen plenty of this human rain in the most telling and unexpected places.  I’m also not ashamed to have contributed to the water table.  Frankly, I don’t know how you can suppress this pressure of emotion.  My wife says it best, “Sometimes you just need a good cry.”  A good cry?  Well, the tear ducts must be pretty well cleaned out after a year like this one.

I’m not too particular or cognizant about what sets me off into the land of weepiness.  I cried in a dairy crisis meeting, I shed tears when my daughter graduated from Elmira College, I wept at a Memorial Day service, I caved from emotion after helping a cow with a difficult calving and sobbed during a speech at Toastmasters.  I can even snivel when I’m spitting mad.  I don’t remember being in this watershed capacity when I was younger, so what has happened to me?  Is it my age, gene makeup, daughter’s influence, experience or is it my own agricultural Green Mile and the helplessness I feel from time to time?  There’s probably a government study on this somewhere.

My speech coach, Fred, encouraged me to find a way to show emotion and passion.  “No better way to impact a story or inspire a group than to make people cry by crying yourself,” says Mr. Orator.  Boy did that statement bring back a stark memory.  There I was on stage, a total greenhorn, at the Great Lakes Grazing Network Conference in Shipshewana, Indiana sharing the spotlight with Dr. David Zartman, Janet McNally, Ben Bartlett and sitting next to me was the famous Bob Evans.  What a moment for an unknown grazier from New York until I happened to look out over the crowd of some 600 people packed into the auction facility.  About that time, Mr. Bartlett took me aside and said, “Give the audience something to think about instead of the normal nuts and bolts grazing message.”  Ok, I have just the quote for making farmers reflect on a different future.

I stepped up to the mike and read from a 3x5 card with this quote scribbled on it:  “My father walked an empty, desolate barnyard, listening for the long – ago songs of life. He heard only a loose sheet of tin roofing curled over, scratching itself distractedly in the wind. He cried. He cried because he no longer had the energy to keep the barn full of life himself. He cried because none of his children were willing to fill it full of life again. He cried because he could not die here on the farm amidst life, as his forbearers had been able to do,” by Gene Logsdon.

 As soon as I uttered the words, “my father” I felt sick.  I stuttered, choked and my eyes went blurry as I tried to press on knowing I was citing my own worst agricultural nightmare.  I stood there at that podium weeping for what seemed like hours.  Some kind soul handed me a tissue and in that moment of grief I glanced at the front row to see all the ladies crying and even saw Mr. Evans with his handkerchief.  I don’t remember much of my speech after that but when an Amish pastor came up to me and said, “Your exhibition of emotion was a powerful force, you should be proud.”  Wow, all that blubbering and I made a difference.  I don’t want to go through that again!

Well, the eyes welled up unexpectedly again last week in front of a small group of conservation folks, educators and farmers.  We were summing up our experiences of a week long holistic grazing training together.  That rainy morning before the meeting I was slogging around my pasture setting up temporary paddocks when it happened, I had a big picture moment and boy did it hit me hard.  As I opened the gate at the very top of the farm and let the steers happily charge into the lush grass, I had an epiphany of conscience about my role as a farmer and conservation professional.  I grabbed my scratch pad out of the truck and began writing profusely about things I wanted to share with my new found friends.  Little did I know the effect of such thoughts.

I started out by saying how much I appreciated the group for pushing me to become a better manager by thinking outside the box and not working in vain for advocating on behalf of grass-based agriculture.  It seemed painless enough, until I painted the scene of moving those cows.  I absolutely crumbled thinking about my grandfather toiling over this land three generations ago, as I asked, “Does the public realize and appreciate what we farmers go through to feed this nation?”  I wiped the tears and fired again, “Standing on my hill overlooking the Hudson Mohawk Watershed, I wonder if you folks realize the sheer responsibility and power you have in protecting our natural resources for the next generation?” 

This simple question brought Stacy, Jess, Jim and others to tears.  Maybe it was the validation and gratitude for a life long passion that hardly gets noticed in conservation program bean counting or simply a deep appreciation of nature and life.  I said I was sorry for making them cry but in that moment of awkwardness from blowing noses and wiping eyes, I realized what my wife was saying about the good cry analogy and relieving the burden penned up inside all of us.  I’m reminded of Charles Dicken’s quote, “Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.”  Can you pass the Kleenex please? Originally Published in Lancaster Farming on November 7, 2009

                                                                           "In memory of Jimmy Steele"

                                                                                                  by

Grandson Troy Bishopp  12/15/2007

This Christmas season has blessed me with a gift that a farmer can truly appreciate.

Some 60 years ago a shiny little (by today’s standards) red Farmall A came off the assembly line and ended up in Sangerfield, N.Y. on my Grandfather Jim Steele’s farm.

In combination with horses, it worked hard in the local farming community running the ensilage cutter, thresher and buzz saw.  Because my grandfather’s farm was a small grass-based dairy, little Red had an easier time of it as far as tractor lives go.  She got exceptional

care and was an integral part of a small family.

When my grandparents sold their farm to a young couple and moved to town, the tractor came with them.  The now legendary tractor became a leaf mover, wood hauler and parade goer, until one mysterious day when it disappeared and was replaced by, of all things, a new cub cadet lawn mower.

I was the only disagreement I ever had with my grandfather, about him selling this family heirloom.  The dye was cast, though, and Red moved to another family.  I told the new owners that when they decided to sell her, to call me first!  Over the next 20 odd years, I would catch glimpses of her hauling wood or to my dismay, parked outside in the weather.

When my grandfather passed in 2002, I vowed to bring his spirit back through little Red and bring her home where she belonged, with family.  Through some miracle or blessing, my

parents took a back way home from their Sunday breakfast and saw the tractor by the road, for sale. 

Upon learning the news, I was shocked and saddened that the seller hadn’t called me.  My dad asked me

if I wanted to buy her?  “Hell Yes!”  How much?  “Price is no object,” I said.  Lucky for me, I guess the

 seller didn’t know how badly I wanted her.  The sale was quick at $1500—the same price my

grandfather sold her for 20 years earlier.

Sunshine graced us for the monumental journey home the next Saturday.  My dad assembled the tools, a new battery, fresh gas and a tow rope just in case.  As we pulled along side her, I noticed the familiar dent near the hand crank, the hitch set up for a sickle bar mower and grandpa’s hand-painted letters over the original.

My dad put the new 6-volt in while I cleaned the sediment bowl and gave her a fresh drink of fuel.

 I jumped up on her metal seat and pushed the starter with my foot triggering our old friend to try to come to life.  Alas, no pop or sputter.

“Probably need to look closer at the distributor and points,” I surmised.  In a McGyver-like moment, I whipped out my Leatherman and found the file and began working.  No one was going to do any towing today.  Upon hitting the starter again, there was a pop and a…...... “Come on you can do it!” holler from yours truly, and away she went!

 My five-mile journey home was wet with tears as the little engine purred just as I remembered from my childhood.  I could only think of one thing --- of Grandpa Jimmy’s spirit riding along for the final ride.

Little Red has come home to live among the other originals from my paternal Grandpa Bishopp’s farm.  The importance of having animals harvesting their own feed has allowed

these retirees to live well and long by only having to work on a part-time basis, mowing pastures, raking some hay, hauling some wood or plowing a little snow.  The exercise keeps their oil circulating.  They have a purpose and it keeps them young.  Sound familiar?

So thanks to the Lord for once again making a miracle happen and rewarding this ole farmboy with a precious gift.  And thanks to the land that made it possible.  By remaining grassland pasture, it provides food for all of nature’s creatures.  And has given new life to this old tractor. 

published in Lancaster Farming, The Waterville Times, The Madison County Courier

By Troy Bishopp aka "The Grass Whisperer" orginally  Published In Lancaster Farming 1/1/2011

Several years ago I had the very good fortune of being a grazing mentor for the Regional Farm and Food Project.  In that capacity, I worked with an incredibly passionate grass farmer from East Meredith, N.Y. named Catharina Kessler. This descendant ofSwedish royalty carefully nurtured her Black Angus cattle, multi-colored sheep and pastured poultry as we discussed grazing strategies, water systems, marketing and her life-long dream to become a farmer.  By the time the mentorship ended we had become good friends.  Upon graduation, I framed a poem I wrote especially for her farm and in return she presented me with handmade mittens.

These were no ordinary mitts, they were handcrafted from her own wool and made in the traditional Lovikka style of northern Sweden’s indigenous people.  On the radius of the cuff, in order, were the colors yellow, blue and green.  She said, “In the spirit of my homeland these represent the sun, the water and the grass.”  Being that these were the first mittens she created since being on the farm, I was truly honored by this warm gift with so much history.

Today, for some strange reason I looked at those mittens closer, a little tattered and torn, with my hands still warm, wrapped around the steering wheel of my tractor and thought about Catharina’s yarn.  It’s a tale of quality and love that is timeless.  You just don’t find that with a pair of gloves from Walmart.  Because they are so special, I keep’em no matter what, even with holes created by farming’s wear and tear.  Luckily I have a secret weapon to make them last---mom’s mittens. 

I am a mitten throwback.  When all the kids in the neighborhood were donning the latest in linings coupled with psychedelic color tones, I was wearing custom-made hand-ware with an extra long cuff from my Mommy.  She would ask what color you wanted (in general) and then match it up with shades of whatever spoke to her that day at the local sewing shop.  No two pair were ever alike.  Sometimes you would get black striped, rainbow tipped and the occasional zigzag pattern. Every once in while, my brother and I would fight over a pair when she really hit the color sweet spot.  Dallas Cowboy’s motif comes to mind.

I don’t remember anyone brave enough to mess with two rugged farm boys wearing mom’s mittens.  You just didn’t go there.  Winter football in the front yard reminds me how valuable they were.  Hiking the cold pigskin into a teenage boy’s hardened gloves was a recipe for fumbles and the ever famous, “dogpile”, while the mitts clung to the ball like summertime.  Us mitten-welding teenagers never complained because our fingers were together and warm, except for the lonely thumb, but we could have him join the digit family to stay warm between downs.  If we were really serious we would double up a pair and watch the competition whine.

Believe it or not, I tried to “knit one pearl two” but ended my career just making a funny looking headband.  I’m not treading on my mom’s mojo.  Her prowess as a “ninja with needles” has clothed my daughter’s tootsies, made dish cloths and hot-pads for my wife and like my friend from Houghtaling Hollow is creating warmth with a story.

The tenderness of handmade items doesn’t end at the farm.  My mom is part of a local volunteer group of twenty ladies ranging in age from 50 to 90 that meets once a month to make hats for cancer patients.  The Caps for Cancer gals have produced and donated thousands of caps, shawls and lap blankets from donated yarn, free of charge to the Regional Cancer Center at Faxton Hospital in Utica, N.Y. for patients needing the same comfort as a farmer’s hands.  In an ironic family twist, my mother-in-law is one of these patients who has benefitted recently from a very sturdy and pretty yellow hat.  The caring group have even compiled a pattern booklet and have a sister organization starting in California, all at the hands of some passionate women.

Upon examining Catharina’s “holy” mittens from the tractor seat, I stopped and thought of mom’s work with the caps.  Covering the tears in the sacred mittens was an easy and spiritual fix ----just put my mom’s mittens underneath as a sheath and move on.  Never did two pairs of anything go together so well and with so much heart.  Might seem odd but I actually took a picture of the two new old friends.  My fingers really enjoyed the marriage between the cultures and styles of Sweden and New York.

I saw a pair of Catharina’s famous wool mittens at a raffle auction and put several bids in amounting to eighty dollars, but alas I was denied at the end by someone who needed the love a little bit more.  I can hear your question, “Eighty dollars for a pair of real wool mittens?”  Are you crazy? 

I did the math and no, not in the least. For me, it was only 8 bucks a year for heirloom quality hand-wear, made from local ingredients, stimulating business on a farm and creating a lasting memory with a fellow farmer.  Heck, I should have paid a hundred dollars for them. It’s hard to depreciate a good story.  

Comments:  

Hey Troy,
You did it again.  I love what you create.  I'm kinda jealous actually.  Nah - just glad you're my friend and think enough to send them my way.  Very Cool.  A regular Wendall Berry in the making......................
You should consider putting all these writings in a book.---Laurel

Troy:

Lovely yarn.

I, too, prefer mittens, especially those made for or given to me. 

$80 may seem a bit much, but I once saw cashmere wool socks being

sold for $60 OFF the regular retail price.---Lawrence

Troy,

Enjoyed your mitten story, nothing greater than gifts from the heart and child hood memories. Hope all is well with you and yours. Have a great year.

Blessings, Gearld Fry

Thank you for that!!!!!!!  
I, too, grew up with ;'special mittens" that either my mother or grandmother made for me --- and they always made THREE to each pair ---  a spare in case one got lost!  And always of real WOOL -- none of this acrylic "stuff!"  They made caps, too --- in fact, my mother was knitting the now-fashionable 'cloche"- style caps for me and my husband and my daughter and miscellaneous friends here in Waterville up 'til not terribly long ago --- and at least a couple of us still have them.  Thanks for yur "yarn"--psb

Troy!  HNYear! Excellent!  You are a clever writer!!  I have my 1st wool spun 

from our romney lamb last year. Maureen will knit a sweater. Natural color of 

course. My kids wear the tie down red knit hat and scarf that my Gmother knit me in the early 70s!  Fits well, snug for the ears, hoods slide right over, and the pedigree of it is immeasurable a la Troy Bishopp.—Scott

I too love Mittens Troy! I knitted a pair of wool ones for Kim "back in the day" when we were first married.

Your story was darling...you are so funny!---Ann

Hi Troy - I have a pair of Catharina's mittens too!  The first year I had them, I lost one in the snow somewhere in my yard and was heart sick - but sure enough, in March when the snow banks melted It reappeared so I still have two.  Mine have red stripes around the cuff.  They are "holy" too, but still work, especially over a thin pair of fingered gloves.  She is still knitting them, from her lovely Finn sheep!—Jennifer

Thanks, Troy, for mitten story.  My husband is Swedish and I am a big knitter.  I will keep this story in mind and be inspired to do more mittens.  I have a pattern that is so warm and sturdy, that I haven’t had to knit mittens for awhile, and I tend to mend them, I love them so much.  Yes, the cost of local, handmade just can’t begin to be compared with factory made items.—Diana

Hi Troy:

That was great!  I forwarded it on to my 85  year old mom who has been making mittens and hats for everyone and his brother this year.  She had a stroke in 1998 which left her left side very weak.  She had to give up most activities (she was a very active lady before the stroke who helped everyone), but never lost her sunny attitude.  She was unable to knit for 10 years, but was determined to start again - you know....great grandchildren!  Well, she has been knitting up a storm in every color imaginable.  It gives her something meaningful to do and everyone LOVES the hats and mittens.

So, thanks for such a hand and heart-warming yarn.  I enjoyed it immensely, and I'm sure many others will, too.  Happy New Year!!   Lisa

What a lovely story -- makes me want to take up the needles myself! And the handmade theme is a classic -- gifts of the heart, for sure. Thanks for passing it along.

Hi Troy - thanks for a fine story about the value of quality and community (as well as a few plays on words)

January 12 2012  Catskill Regional Dairy Livestock and Grazing Conference at SUNY Delhi   "Dairy Heifer custom grazing and extended grazing strategies"

January 20th 2012  NOFA-NY Conference  "Demystifying a grazing season’s worth of management tools"

January 21st 2012 16th Annual Vermont Grazing & Livestock Conference "presenting on biological monitoring"

March 16th, 2012   Water Quality Symposium  Auburn, NY   "Teaching horse owners about land stewardship while building better relationships"

March 22 2012   "The Nature of Grazing" Northwest PA Grazing Conference  Clarion, PA  "Purposeful Grazing – Managing with Intensions  &  Gauging the Results – Are You Meeting Your Goals? 

  _______________________________________________________________________________________

                                      Troy Bishopp, aka "The Grass Whisperer"

                                                 (315)  841-3336 

This “Jack of all trades” guy is an accomplished professional grazier, grasslands advocate and fencebuilder of 25 years who owns and manages Bishopp Family Farm in Deansboro, New York with his very understanding wife of 25 years, daughters and parents.  The 5^th generation, 132 year old farmstead is home to a custom grazing operation that finishes beef and backgrounds feeder cattle and dairy heifers on 180 acres of owned and leased organic native pastures. It's also home to an emerging cow-calf operation and sells grass-finished, sun-infused hamburger and sides of beef. The “Sunshine in every Bite” beef that was grazed on these divine pastures have been served at President Obama’s inaugural dinners, white table cloth restaurants, in Japan, at grazing conferences and to the local community. 

Because these 150 head of grazing employees don’t need a lot of supervision, he is also employed full-time by the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, as their regional grazing specialist, media dude, fence installer, farmer mentor, intern parent, grant writer and event planner.

He is the project leader for the Central NY RC&D Council and NESARE on a professional development project entitled: Utilizing Holistic Planned Grazing as a Regenerative Engine for Sustainable Agriculture which trains northeast conservation professionals to plan and implement grazing systems on farms.

 Passionate about Silvopasture

By Troy Bishopp

Watkins Glen, N.Y--- When I think of visiting Seneca Lake on a beautiful, warm fall day; my mind fancies sipping on a good semi-dry Riesling, taking a stroll through the waterfalls of the Watkins Glen State Park and sneaking a peek at the famous race track where my boyhood dreams always took the checkered flag.

I can now add another attraction to that list-----The Northeast Silvopasture Conference.  From the wide variety of license plates, I would surmise that the over 100 agroforestry enthusiasts attending their inaugural event of “Bringing the woods into the pasture or bringing the pasture into the woods” have found a new destination also.  This pastoral brainchild of an idea for adding value to farms and woodlot owners have been on the minds of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s organizing trio of Brett Chedzoy, Jim Ochterski and Nancy Glazier for some time. 

Ontario County’s Cornell Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Issues Leader, Jim Ochterski summed up the mission that brought together farmers, foresters, students, conservation professionals, educators and community development advocates:  “We are seeking to catalyze the development of Silvopasture in the northeast by looking at the science, considerations in planning, research and practical implementation on the land.  When it comes to putting livestock in the woods were learning to go from destructive to productive.”

Schuyler County’s own grass-farmer/forester and CCE educator, Brett Chedzoy inspired the group to consider, “combining woodland and pasture management together utilizing animals and timber to add value to an existing land base”.  This long term agroforestry practice was aptly covered throughout the two day event by a cadre of Silvopasture experts ranging from scientists, researchers, foresters, grazing specialists, economists and farmers.

The agenda started with a look at the opportunities; emergence of woody biomass markets to feasibly harvest low-grade timber, creation of diversified income sources, cost-effective vegetation control and increased demand for local food and timber production and niche livestock products.  To harvest any financial or environmental reward, it was emphasized to have a comprehensive forest and farm plan rooted in a long term thought process.

John Hopkins from Forks Farm in Bloomsburg, PA and Dr. Tatiana Stanton from Cornell’s “Goats in the woods” study showed the group how animals have enhanced their woodlands and scrub pastures using a variety of timed disturbances like rotating pigs and goats with electric fencing through the understory to control invasive plants like multi-flora rose and buckthorn.  These controlled eco-brush trimmers open up the canopy for further enhancements like planting different grass and tree species. 

Creating this savannah-like landscape has its benefits.  According to John “the Silvoculturist” Hopkins, their woodlot pork tastes better than factory farmed pork because the pigs root and eat a nutrient-rich diet from the forest floor in addition to eating local grains.  Because of this, their local customers want more and he figured the pigerators where adding 4000 dollars/acre after expenses while helping him reclaim underutilized land.

Michael Jacobson from Penn State Cooperative Extension explained the opportunities and challenges to the adoption of silvopasturing in the Northeast and the need for more on the ground knowledge.  This segued nicely into a dynamic presentation on the development, design, implementation and impact of tree-forage-livestock systems by the team of Dusty Walker, Gene Garrett and Larry Godsey from the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (www.centerforagroforestry.org).  They chronicled the five tenets of agroforestry; forest farming, alley cropping, riparian buffers, windbreaks and silvopasture into an over-arching goal of incorporating trees with other plant/livestock species that are economically and environmentally beneficial.

When attendees bombarded the panel with questions about how to apply these practices on their own land, the response of “it depends” resonated many times.  They talked extensively about the benefits of natural shade since animals prefer it; tree species, spacing and thinning to allow adequate sunlight to hit the ground and the economics of establishing a system and the financial rewards to the landowner.

As an after dinner treat, Agri-dynamics founder, Jerry Brunetti, gave his fascinating interpretation into Silvopasture as the “pantry and pharmacy for man and beast”.  Based on his research, farm work and books like the 1928 classic Tree Crops by J Russell Smith and Wild Health by Cindy Engel, he has concluded that hedgerows with their diverse plant species and tree crops integrated into pastures have high quality cost effective medicinal qualities for all.

In the segment, “A vision to expand Silvopasturing in the Northeast”, New York’s NRCS Grazing Specialist, Dave Roberts and Eastern Region National NRCS Forester, Tom Ward teamed up with Nancy Glazier, Small Farms Educator from the Northwest NY CCE and Cornell’s NYS Extension Forester, Dr. Peter Smallidge to explain the possibilities.  They discussed what every grazier needs to know about forestry and what every woodland manager needs to know about grazing in addition to exploring suitable land evaluations and learning about current resources and technical assistance for burgeoning Silvopastoralists.  It was reiterated that Silvopasture is not grazing livestock in unmanaged woodlots or pastures. 

The large group then traveled to Brett and Maria Jose’ Chedzoy’s Angus Glen Farms, LLC bordering the Watkins Glen State Park to see first-hand, 20 years of Silvopasture on the ground and overhead.  Brett brought a wealth of practical knowledge on tree species, placement, thinning strategies using a variety of tools, understanding canopy percentages and integrating cattle and goats into the woodlots or woods into pastures on their 250 acres of owned and leased land.  He humorously said it will take decades to fully implement the dynamic “vision”.  These grazing entrepreneurs used their locust groves to supply all the fence posts for the farm, have adopted tall and winter grazing strategies throughout the farm and manage timber sales in a holistic approach to long term sustainability.

Accolades overflowed for the two day event.  Susan Truax, South Central Grazing Specialist from Pennsylvania NRCS commented, “I learned about more tools and environmental/financial considerations to help landowners manage and improve their forests and forages.”  Mari Omland of Green Mountain Girls Farm in Vermont said, “I now see the importance of shade and the symbiotic relationship of trees and pastures.  I like the conversations around sustainable organic Silvopasture practices.  It was definitely worth the six hour drive.”  Grazing Advocate for the Seneca Trail RC&D Council, Helen Terry, liked “feathering the edges of the pasture into the woods and seeing all the diverse economic opportunities. 

If the exceptional attendance and passion for Northeastern Silvopasture systems were any indication, it seems next year’s conference may go from “silvo” to gold… 

The conference was made possible by the USDA National Agroforestry Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Forest Service, Penn State University Cooperative Extension, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Finger Lakes Sustainable Farming Center, The Cornell Small Farms Program, NYS Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition.  For more information contact Brett Chedzoy, Schuyler County CCE at (607) 535-7161 or go to www.forestconnect.info     

Published in Country Folks weekly paper