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Here's a news release from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's office.

As Congress begins debate over the 2012 Farm Bill, Gillibrand -- the first New Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years -- began her statewide listening sessions on Wednesday to discuss new efforts to help New York farmers and farming communities.

Senator Gillibrand plans to focus on key areas of the Farm Bill that will have major influence on New York, including access to financing, new market opportunities, assistance for specialty crops, and investments in renewable energy.

From dairy farms to black-dirt farms, and apple orchards to vineyards, artisanal cheeses, and other specialty crops, New York farmers and communities will have a lot to gain in the next Farm Bill.

“New York is home to the hardest-working farm families and the finest locally grown produce in the world, but outdated regulations and a bad economy are hurting our farmers and farming communities across the state,” the senator said. “We need to make sure the next Farm Bill is a good deal for New York.

"I plan to take the next several months to listen to farmers and businesses in every corner of the state and discuss my ideas on how to help farmers survive and prosper in the new economy.”

More than 35,000 farms stretch across 7.1 million acres – making up one-fourth of New York State. New York’s agriculture industry generates more than $4 billion for the state’s economy.

The Rochester/Finger Lakes Region alone is home to more than 6,000 farms stretching nearly 1.5 million acres and generating more than $1 billion for the state’s economy.

The following key issues were addressed in the first listening session, which took place Wednesday in the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region.

Providing Access to Capital
Like all small businesses, family farms are struggling to secure access to the financing they need to grow or, in many cases, survive in this difficult economy. Gillibrand plans to strengthen the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to help New York farmers develop value-added products.

She also plans to bolster the Farm Services Agency (FSA) loan program to give farmers the resources they need to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed and other supplies. Gillibrand recently helped secure an additional $39 million for FSA operating loans to help give New York farms the capital they need.

Additionally, the senator will fight to exempt New York State from the USDA’s 10,000 population criteria – the maximum population to qualify for USDA water and wastewater funding.

Many parts of New York would be ineligible for funding under the new USDA guidelines since many New York towns include villages and other municipalities, putting a town’s population over the 10,000 threshold.

Addressing the Dairy Crisis
Due to outdated dairy-pricing regulations, dairy farmers pay more to produce their products than they make from selling them.

Senator Gillibrand has introduced legislation that would double the amount of money farmers get from the MILC program, retroactive to the low point of the crisis in March of 2009. While raising the MILC payment rate to 90 percent will not completely make up the gap between cost of production and market rates, it will certainly help prevent more New York farms from going under. 

She also introduced legislation to index the MILC rate to inflation. The MILC program payments were originally designed to help dairy farmers in their time of need, but funding levels have remained stagnant.

In the next Farm Bill, Gillibrand intends to work with New York farmers to make these improvements and overhaul the milk-pricing system and secure a fair price for producers.

Additionally, she will work to make the opaque pricing system of the dairy market more transparent. Senator Gillibrand is cosponsoring the Mandatory Price Reporting Act to reauthorize the electronic price reporting of dairy prices, helping to increase transparency and change-price reporting from monthly to weekly.

Gillibrand has also introduced legislation to make Cold Storage Inventory Reporting to the National Agriculture Statistics Service mandatory, and give the USDA the authority to audit the survey. Experts agree that reducing the influence of the thinly traded Chicago Mercantile Exchange is the best way to increase market transparency.

Expanding New Markets
Senator Gillibrand intends to expand the Market Access Program (MAP) to enable our farmers to sell more New York products worldwide. The MAP program provides funding for the creation, expansion and maintenance of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.

She is also planning to introduce an infrastructure provision in the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to help farmers reach new markets.

Additionally, Gillibrand will work to secure more federal funding to promote the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program to give New York farms more opportunities to supply schools with fresh, locally grown products.

Targeted Assistance to Specialty-crop Farmers
Specialty-crop farmers stand to gain tremendous benefit from the conservation programs in the Farm Bill. Senator Gillibrand intends to bolster the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), as well as introduce a new program, called the Conservation on Muck Soils (COMS), to provide additional assistance to New York’s specialty crop farmers.
 
Investing in New Sources of Clean, Renewable, New York Energy
New York’s agriculture industry is rich with opportunity to help lead America to a clean energy economy that can create good-paying jobs and rebuild our economy, strengthen our national security, and cut pollution.

Gillibrand plans to work for more investments in the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that provides loans and grants for farmers and small rural businesses that build renewable energy systems, such as anaerobic digesters.

She also intends to push for greater investments in the Rural Energy Self Sufficiency Initiative, which assists with installation of integrated renewable energy systems in rural communities that make use of wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass sources.

Additionally, she plans to work to secure more investments in the Biomass Research and Development Program and the Biomass Crop Assistant Program to harness more of our state’s potential to convert biomass and agricultural waste into renewable energy.

After learning to sew only a year ago, and despite being derailed by a car accident, an Alexander girl won third place and $5,000 cash in a national sewing competition.

The sponsor, Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, announced the winners earlier this month.

Grace Raines, the daughter of Eric and Heidi Raines, was one of more than 112,000 applicants in the prom-outfit contest. Her prize was $5,000 cash and a $250 Jo-Ann store gift card.

"Well, to be honest, I was a little disappointed because I spent a lot of time on it," Grace said. "I thought I would get first place. But I'm proud."

She's also bright, ambitious and more than a little talented. The newly minted grad of Alexander High School is attending Genesee Community College this fall with plans on earning a degree in business.

"I've always known I wanted to be in business for myself," she said.

Her motivation and competitiveness can serve her well. They certainly did in this case.

"I love contests, I've always loved contests," Grace said.

The whole thing started when Grace went to the fabric store with her mother about a year ago to get some cloth for a crazy quilt. The clerk put a brochure about the prom-outfit sewing contest in the bag.

Watching her mom sew inspired her to try it and soon she was making crazy-quilt pillows and working on a design for the contest. She hit upon an "oceanic/mermaid theme," using colors she loves like aqua, orange, pink and deep blue.

While driving to her grandparents' house in January to show them her design, she got into a car accident. Although not seriously injured, the incident spooked her and sidelined her from sewing temporarily.

"I associated the accident with the project," she says in hindsight.

But with a July deadline fixed ahead, she gained new momentum and spent countless hours perfecting the dress and a neckless to go with it.

The design features a ruched top, shaped like two seashells, made of orange silk. The midriff is a sparkling, intricately beaded triangle. The lower part of the dress is crazy-quilt style, made up of 24 different expensive types of brocades, jacquards, satins, etc. The top of the back is "all bright and glittery," made of sheer, mesh-like fabric, decorated with Swarovski Crystals.

Predictably, putting in the zipper was the toughest part.

She also designed the necklace she wore to the prom with the gown. It's made of hand-crocheted gold wire, with orange, aqua and pink beads, and a fish-shaped pendant dangling in the middle.

Total cost of the outfit was about $400, though she admits she bought more materials than she ended up needing.

Grace says she's set for college, so she plans to use her winnings to one day establish a business of her own. But she's already an entrepreneur, cleaning house for a regular clientele of 10 and counting.

Business Facilities Magazine has named Genesee County the nation’s second-best location for food production and processing.

Along with Livingston County, Genesee was highlighted for having a number of assets important to the food-production and processing industry. Both counties' agricultural strengths make them a prime place for food-processing companies to locate and operate.

This is the second-consecutive year that Genesee County has been widely recognized for its food-processing capabilities. Half of the county’s land is used for food production and it is its #1 industry.

Agri-business has been one of the main markets targeted by the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC). This award underscores those efforts.

GCEDC operates the Agri-Business Park, located near OATKA Milk Products, which boasts more than 200 acres of prime land for the development of food production, processing, packaging and distribution.

The area's exceptional natural resources are also key to its success. Reliable freshwater sources are very important to food processers and the Agri-Business Park has an advantage over other regions in this regard. It is not only located by the Great Lakes, but above a large natural aquifer.

Another important local advantage is the availability of transportation. The Agri-Business Park offers railroad lines and is within a day’s drive from one-third of the United States' and Canada's population.

Pavilion Fire Department has been called to a construction site wherein a worker accidently struck and broke a natural gas pipeline.

The location is 11043 River Road, between Ellicott Street and Starr roads.

Authorities have been notified that there's an injured skunk, "still alive," in the roadway on Vernon Avenue in the City of Batavia.

The driver of a vehicle accidently backed into a natural gas meter at 7964 Lewiston Road, causing the pipe to leak and no means to shut it off.

The meter is completely removed from the gas line. The valve is visible but seems stuck, according to Town of Batavia volunteer firefighters on scene.

Wind is south, southwest at nine mph. National Fuel has been notified.

The location is south of Galloway Road, on the west side of Lewiston.

A car vs. pole accident, without injuries, is reported at North and Vine streets. Also, Bank Street into the City of Batavia is shut down due to the same accident.

Utility poles are down, blocking the roadway. Law enforcement is requested at Law and Bank Street.

Barracades to control traffic are requested.

Photo submitted by Jeremiah Pedro.

A vehicle vs. pedestrian accident is reported at 17 Rochester St. in Bergen.

Bergen Fire Department is dispatched.

Here's a news release sent today from Assemblyman Steve Hawley's office.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley toured local businesses and met with local business leaders earlier this week to discuss ways to improve economic development in Western New York.

During the 2010 Legislative Session, economic development programs statewide were charged new fees and saw development funding significantly decreased, which Assemblyman Hawley voted against.

“As a local business owner in Western New York, I know firsthand how difficult and unfriendly New York State is for businesses, especially small businesses,” Hawley said. “Over the years, Albany has increased taxes, fees, and regulations to the point that starting or maintaining a business here is almost impossible.

"It is my hope that by working with local business leaders we can create a grassroots movement to tell Albany that it needs to stop its tax-and-overspend policies. We need to start investing in job creation and economic development programs.”

Hawley’s local business tours started earlier this month with a visit to Willow Specialties in Batavia on Aug. 6 to meet with CEO Bernie Skalny. Willow Specialties produces baskets and packing supplies for hotels, restaurants and supermarkets across the country.

On Aug. 17, Hawley met with Jim Lines, president and CEO, and Jeffrey Glajch, CFO, of the Graham Corp. in Batavia, a leading designer and manufacturer of vacuum and heat transfer equipment for energy markets and process industries.

On Aug. 24, Hawley met with Peter Milicia, president of BMP America, Inc., in Medina. BMP America specializes in manufacturing and converting technical non-woven textiles and engineered polyurethane elastomers.

Hawley’s local business tour will continue with planned visits to TREK, Inc., in Medina, Precision Packaging Products in Holley, and Allen’s Canning – Birdseye in Oakfield.

Earlier this month, the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) released its 2009-2010 Voting Record, which outlines the voting record of legislators regarding critical economic development and job creating legislation in New York.

While 79 of 150 Assembly members voted against business interests 80 percent of the time during 2009 and 2010, Hawley was rated among the most business-friendly legislators in the state with a pro-business voting record of 91 percent.