Radio Catskill - Farm and Country

Woodchucks, or groundhogs, can become a year-round headache for farmers, gardeners, and homeowners. Despite their relatively small build, groundhogs can quickly destroy a large amount of farmland.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar sat down with Brenda González and Chris Nickell, co-owners of Finca Seremos Farm in Callicoon Center, who shared how farmers may navigate these furry critters.

The Grahamsville Little World’s Fair is the longest-running independent fair in New York State. Hosted by the Neversink Agriculture Society, the fair offered live music, shows, and fun from August 15-17 in Grahamsville.

From dairy show hosts to lumberjack champs, Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with the people who make this tiny fair feel larger than life.

On a 20-acre farm in Jeffersonville, lisianthus blooms in lavender purples and fuchsia pinks line an open field. Momoglobal Flowers farmer and founder Kaya Abe Magee said her fields are full of blooms at different stages: some nearly widely open, some just starting to reveal their petals.

Magee specializes in Ikebana, a Japanese style of floral arrangements that is over 500 years old and incorporates select blooms to express a feeling or emotion. Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar visited Momoglobal Flowers to learn more about Magee's journey to bring Ikebana arrangements to the Catskills.

Did you know that Pike County is home to 18 major watersheds? These watersheds are crucial in providing the Catskills and Delaware River Valley with clean drinking water.

Farm & Country visits the breathtaking Shohola Falls in Shohola, Pennsylvania, to see these waterways up close in action. We chat with Rachael Marques, Watershed Specialist of the Pike County Conservation District, about all things watersheds – from how climate change is impacting them to how to keep a watershed-friendly home.

Sullivan County is considering joining the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act (HVCPA), which would designate funds to land preservation efforts locally through a real estate transfer fee. Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County is working with the County Legislature and the Orange County Land Trust to explore how this new policy could help balance growth and conservation in the county.

Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar spoke with Michael Sweeton, Community Liaison of the Orange County Land Trust, to learn more about the act and what it means for Sullivan County farmers.

The Catskills Reservoirs provide more than a billion gallons of fresh drinking water every day to New York City and other parts of the state. But behind this water supply are the stories of families who were displaced when the reservoirs were built.
 
Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar visits the Time and the Valleys Museum's newest exhibit expansion, the Lost Catskill Farm, about rural life before the reservoirs.

More than 100 people are dead after devastating flash floods in central Texas, with more than 160 still missing according to officials. Flash floods can become deadly and devastate entire aquatic ecosystems. 

In New York, heavy rainfall is becoming increasingly common.
 
Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Sarah Coney, Aquatic Invasive Species Manager, of the Catskill Center about detecting – and preventing – aquatic invasive species. They can often spread during flash floods and ravage our ecosystems. The two talk all about these sneaky critters and plants that can wreak havoc on our waterways and how you can help to stop the spread.

The New York State legislative session wrapped up in late June. On the table were big issues for farmers in the region – like sewage sludge, school bid contracts, and SNAP benefits.

The bills that did pass now head to Governor Kathy Hochul to sign, but some notable environmental bills failed to pass in the Assembly. Some lawmakers have suggested that the state assembly may come back to session in the fall in response to federal funding cuts.

So what does this all mean for New York’s young farmers?

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Brenda Gonzalez and Chris Nickell, co-owners of Finca Seremos Farm in Callicoon Center and members of the local young farmers coalitions chapters, about how state and federal policies could shape the future of farming.

Farm & Country joins the National Canoe Safety Patrol, whose mission is to promote water safety and responsible padding on the Upper Delaware River, to learn how they’re making sure folks stay safe – and have fun – this summer.

Farmers market season is officially here in the Catskills, but many farmers are still navigating the combined loss of federal funding freezes, new tariffs on agricultural products, and a broader loss of important community spaces.

Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar spoke with Brenda Miller of Bobolink Farm and Kate Anstreicher of the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming about what the Trump administration’s policies mean for older farmers.