App NEWS
Gillibrand, Stefanik weigh in on baby formula shortage “national emergency”
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“This is a national emergency. Babies have become sick and have died. We need access to high-quality formula and we need to do it immediately,” Gillibrand said.
App NEWS
SNAP recipients who lost power during storm can get aid
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Households must report the loss to their county Department of Social Services within 10 days of losing power.
App NEWS
Bird flu found at Lancaster County poultry farm
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Area quarantined — 1.4 million chickens killed to prevent spread
Food and Farms
Ship loaded with grain leaves New York for Europe ahead of schedule due to war in Ukraine
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“That was all because of product demand, and I don’t think product demand is going to subside this year.”
Antonio Delgado
Elected officials push support for NY dairy farms, hit hard by inflation
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“Making sure that our milk can go to our schools, milk can go to our hospitals, milk can go to our community centers. Wherever there’s more localized opportunities to grow and build from, that should be the focus.”
App NEWS
Rep. Reed supports more funding for restaurants in next COVID relief package
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The next COVID-19 relief package may replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which helped restaurants that were suffering due to the pandemic.
UPDATED: 2 arrested in connection to Binghamton restaurant assault allegations
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The arrests come as a result of an ongoing police investigation into allegations of sexual assault.
Food and Farms
PA farmers dealing with stress, mental health issues have a new resource for help
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A federal grant funds the ‘AgriSafe Helpline’ effort.
Economy
Governor undecided on lower overtime threshold for New York’s farm workers
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“We (should) take care of our workers, give them what they need, but give the farmers, perhaps tax relief, to ameliorate the impacts.”
App NEWS
Farm Bureau asks Hochul for reversal of 40-hour workweek decision
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“To drop the threshold to 40 hours over the next decade will be extremely difficult for farmers and farmworkers alike to absorb.”
agriculture
Penn State researchers aim to debunk myths surrounding spotted lanternfly
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While lanternflies can stress trees, it appears they only kill grapevines and tree of heaven, also an invasive species, directly by feeding on them.
App NEWS
The Colonial reopens while police investigation into owners continues
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Two Binghamton restaurants, whose owners are part of an ongoing police investigation, reopened over the weekend.
App NEWS
Food benefits doubled as Greater Good Grocery celebrates one-year anniversary
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“We want this for people especially with the food prices raising,” said General Manager Kinya Middleton. “This will definitely stretch someone’s budget.”
Algal Blooms
2021 environment in review: Another year of harmful algal blooms
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Cayuga Lake has struggled with harmful algal blooms or HABs in recent years, but in 2021 unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy rainfall may have extended their prevalence late into the year.
App NEWS
New York state to ban polystyrene food containers in 2022
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The new law is aimed at cutting down on litter from the non-biodegradable material, better known by its brand name, Styrofoam.
Food and Farms
Farmworkers angered after New York labor department punts on 40-Hour work week
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“We’re going to lose farms, the weaker ones first.”
Ag and Markets
Hemp processor licensing begins again after months of delays
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Hemp processing licenses are once again moving forward with New York state certification, after some were delayed for months following the overhaul of the state’s cannabis law, earlier this year.
App NEWS
UPDATED: Binghamton restaurants close after sexual assault accusations, no arrests made
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Officer Cory Minor with the Binghamton Police Department said no arrests have been made in relation to the allegations as of Friday morning.
allan gandelman
Wet summer leaves cannabis farmers concerned about climate impacts
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“The plants literally drowned and died because the roots couldn’t get any oxygen.”
Food and Farms
Farmers say a 40 hour overtime threshold could end their businesses
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“When the threshold is at 60, many farms can make minor adjustments, pay a little overtime, get a few more workers, it works out.”
App NEWS
Price Chopper/Market 32 & Tops complete merger
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Among the Tops stores being sold to C&S are shops located in Cooperstown, Cortland, Norwich, and Owego.
App NEWS
New York Officials On Watch For Invasive Species That Damage Trees, Crops
|
“It flies as well, but it’s a weak flyer. So the main way it moves from place to place over long distances, is through human movement.”
Food and Farms
As It Ramps Up Party Pot Sales, New York Expands Who Can Prescribe Medical Marijuana
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The new Cannabis Control Board wants to ramp up New York’s recreational marijuana industry, that’s expected to roll out next year.
App NEWS
Vineyard Pest Found In Finger Lakes Region
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Treatments include “trap-trees” with a synthetic insecticide, a full-year applied pesticide, and treating any egg masses with a soybean-based product.
App NEWS
Federal Loans Offer Assistance For Some After Flooding, Last Resort For Others
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“It’s like a race against Mother Nature.”
Environment
New York Assembly Considers Limiting A Pesticide Linked To Bee Deaths
|
The compounds, known as Neonicotinoids, or “neonics,” have been widely used during the past 15 years in a pre-treatment for corn, soy and wheat seeds.
App NEWS
Gillibrand Conducts Hearings This Week On Dairy Pricing
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“98% of all farms in New York are family owned. I think in order to keep that number so high…the milk prices definitely need to go up.”
Food and Farms
Report Recommends Ways To Make New York Farming More Diverse
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Agriculture is one of biggest sectors of New York State’s economy. Yet people of color are largely left out of it.
App NEWS
NYS Fair To Return To 13 Days In 2022
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Average daily attendance at this year’s State Fair was down by more than 50% from the 2019 fair, primarily because of the pandemic.
App NEWS
Wegmans Switches Egg Cartons From Foam To Recycled Fiber
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Wegmans said that by making the switch to fiber cartons, it will eliminate 625,000 pounds of foam from its stores every year.
Food and Farms
Poison Control Calls Doubled From People Eating Plants, Mushrooms Found In The Woods
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They can cause a lot of different problems. One of the things we see with that is significant damage to the liver, a lot of times.”
Arts & Culture
As 2021 New York State Fair Closes Expect Discussion On Its Length
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“I think we’re having a good fair, it could be a little busier, but we’re having a good time, and we’re going to be okay.”
Food and Farms
New York Farmers Worry State Will Lower 60-Hour Overtime Threshold
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“Some workers have worked like this for more than 20 years. They deserve time with their family. They deserve to rest. They deserve this extra time for them.”
Food and Farms
For Folks Living With Food Insecurity, A Meal Is The First Step Toward Getting Help
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“Sometimes people are more ready to hear about different services, or they hear about it, it doesn’t work out the first time, but at least they know it’s out there.”
App NEWS
New York Senator Works To Increase SNAP Benefits For College Students
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“Students who are parents prioritize feeding their children over getting their own meal in order to make their tuition payments.”
App NEWS
Cornell Researchers Tackle Global Bee Population Problem
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A pollen-sized microparticle can be fed to bees in pollen patties or a sugar syrup to help their bodies safely manage exposure to harmful pesticides.
App NEWS
Northside Binghamton Grocery Store Serves Thousands In First Six Months
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“It’s great speaking with a customer, someone who lives on the Northside, who reports that they’re no longer dependent on certain medication because of access.”
App NEWS
Schuyler County Farmer Tries Chickpea Farming, A Potentially Lucrative Crop For NY
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“Because of the climate or the soil, there was a number of reasons that a number of people made assumptions it wouldn’t work, but no one had actually tried it.”
Wall Street Bosses Want Their Workers Back. That’s Good For The King Of Falafel
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Wall Street executives are pushing vaccinated workers to return to work, and that’s good news for vendors and other small businesses in New York that depend on workers from finance.
Crime and Justice
Wegmans Says Customers’ Personal Data May Have Been Exposed
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Wegmans recently notified customers that two databases used for the company’s internal business purposes were inadvertently left open to potential outside access.
‘Crazy Worms’ Threaten New York’s Trees — And (Gasp!) Our Maple Syrup
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The invasive worms, which reproduce rapidly, are creating havoc in forests. They thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person’s hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose.
App NEWS
Over A Year Later, Some Folks In Quarantine Still Receive Food Deliveries
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Around the end of March last year, CHOW served 140 households a week. At the end of May this year, 10 to 15 households received deliveries.
Food and Farms
Consumer Groups Claim Alarming Levels Of Lead And Arsenic Found In Some Major Vinegar Brands
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Some consumer groups are calling on the federal government to take a closer look at what they are calling alarming levels of lead and arsenic in some vinegar products.
App NEWS
NY U.S. Senators Urge Further Pandemic Relief For Dairy Farmers
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“Not only do we call for these payments to continue for the first half of the year, we also want them made retroactive to January 1.”
Food and Farms
Should To-Go Alcohol be Made Permanent in New York After COVID-19? Restaurants Say Yes
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78% of New Yorkers want the option, implemented during the pandemic, to be made permanent in New York.
Environment
Spotted Lanternflies Due To Hatch. Learn How To Make A Trap For This Invasive Insect
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There are strict orders in quarantine counties aimed at stopping the invasive pest’s spread westward or even between municipalities within a county.
Snarl Of Cannabis Regulations Could Halt New York’s 2021 Growing Season
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“These are growing pains. And the people that can navigate the growing pains, both with patience, intelligence and capital, they could come out in the next 3-5 years being pretty successful.”
App NEWS
Restaurants Say They Need More Help to Survive the Pandemic
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“It shouldn’t take lawsuits and court hearings for our struggling restaurants to be heard.”
App NEWS
No Plan Yet On How Undocumented People Apply For NY COVID Relief
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The relief fund sets aside $2.1 billion for those who lost work during the pandemic, but, due to immigration status, were ineligible for unemployment benefits or federal stimulus checks.
App NEWS
INTERVIEW: Undocumented Farmworkers Push Through Pandemic, Sickness and Job Loss
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“We’ve seen people who haven’t been able to work for an extended period of time.”
Food and Farms
Bar, Restaurant Owners Want Midnight Curfew Lifted
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“Over and over, we’ve heard that we’re supposed to be following the facts and science. But as weeks turn into months, and months have now turned into over a year, we watched this administration change the rules without regard to either.”
Food and Farms
COVID Vaccine Pop-up Sites Come To New York Farms
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Some farm workers are hesitant to get the vaccine because they are wary of interacting with the government.
Food and Farms
New York Restaurants And Bars Seek Extended Alcohol To-Go Rule
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Restaurants, financially devastated by months-long indoor dining bans to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, say the rule helped some of them turn enough profit to keep from closing.
Relief Act Means ‘A Good Night’s Sleep’ For Food Industry, Says New York Restaurateur
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Chef Amanda Cohen, owner of Dirt Candy in New York City, says the coronavirus relief package’s $28.6 billion for independent and small-chain restaurants means many in the industry can stay afloat.
covid
After Months Of Waiting, PA Grocery Worker Celebrates Her Vaccination
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The 1B group, estimated at just under one million people, includes postal workers, manufacturing laborers, and others considered essential workers who risk contracting the virus at their job.
Food and Farms
PA Restaurants Expand Service While Grappling With COVID-19 Case Increase
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Looser restrictions are complicated by a rise in cases fueled in part by more infectious variants.
App NEWS
NYS Legislature Votes To Legalize Marijuana
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An estimated $350 million in annual revenue is expected from the 13 percent sales tax on the drug, with 40 percent of the revenue going to a community reinvestment fund.
App NEWS
Vote To Legalize Cannabis In New York Could Come Tuesday
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By late 2022, adults in the state would be able to buy cannabis in retail stores, and could also sample the drug in tasting rooms.
As Planting Season Nears, Farm Workers Want Vaccines Now
|
Hundreds of migrant workers have already started coming to the region for seasonal farm jobs. As they work in fields, barns and greenhouses, there is a chance of spreading the coronavirus.
Economy
Advocates, Opponents Skeptical Of Governor’s Marijuana Plan
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“What we’ve seen in other states like Colorado — less taxes and lower barrier to entry — means more revenue. More revenue means more money for community reinvestment.”
App NEWS
PA Bars And Restaurants Can Apply For New State Grants Starting This Month
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Restaurant and bar owners have pressured state lawmakers for months to give their struggling businesses more help.
Food Pantry Workers Welcome New York’s Extension Of Their Vaccine Eligibility
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“It will help protect our most vulnerable clients who rely on the staff and volunteers to provide them with nutritious food and critical services.”
Food and Farms
Pandemic Creates ‘Perfect storm’ For Eating Disorders, But Treatment Could Be Hours Away
|
Some adolescents with eating disorders require an extended stay in a residential treatment program where they and their families learn how to manage their daily meals and lives.
anna kelles
Legislature, Cuomo, Still Far Apart On Marijuana Legalization
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Legislative Democrats’ qualms don’t stop at the social equity funding, there are additional concerns as well with the taxation structure, criminal penalties and oversight of the Governor’s proposed Office of Cannabis Management.
As They Merge, Tops And Price Chopper To Retain Their Identities
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“We’re both happy with what we do and none of that will change. And there’ll be no attempt to close any stores.”
App NEWS
Binghamton Pantry Expands Outreach Amid Winter Obstacles
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“Transportation’s a huge problem for them to get here. The winter’s been harder.”
App NEWS
Hemp Farmers Prepare for Lawsuit Against Cuomo Administration
|
Hemp farmers are laying the groundwork for a lawsuit against New York in response to proposed state regulations that would prohibit the sale of hemp flower.
Economy
Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets Merging
|
Officials with the two companies say it will nearly double their collective footprint in the Northeast.
App NEWS
Analysis Finds Southern Tier Food Insecurity Grew Nearly 5% In 2020
|
According to Feeding America, 50 million people nationally may experience food insecurity because of COVID-19.
App NEWS
Senate Republicans Propose COVID-19 Relief Package for New York Restaurants
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“The state needs to step up and help us ensure that this industry is able to continue on and prosper. It is the lifeblood of New York state.”
Democrats, Unions Seek Workplace Protections Against Infectious Diseases through NY HERO Act
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“We saw in the first big wave here in New York that the people who bore the brunt, the sacrifice and health problems, were the people who had to go to work.”
App NEWS
Grocery Store Opens In Longtime Binghamton Food Desert
|
“The opening of Greater Good Grocery ends a 25-year void that left thousands of North Side residents struggling to access healthy, affordable food for their families.”
App NEWS
Food Pantries Worry About Getting Food To Clients After Winter Storm
|
“Over 85 families are depending on this food for their Christmas dinners, so we are very concerned about being able to get the plowing done.”
Food and Farms
Indoor Dining Banned In NYC, But Cuomo Adds Home Gatherings Are The Biggest Virus Spreaders
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Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled details of what he calls the “winter plan” for limiting the spread of COVID-19 in New York State.
Food and Farms
Amid COVID-19 Resurgence, PA Governor Halts Indoor Dining And Limits Gatherings
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The new public health measures come as COVID-19 cases near all-time highs and hospital intensive care units are nearing capacity.
Environment
New York State Moves To Halt The Migration Of Lanternflies
|
Possessing a voracious appetite, the biggest concerns with the spotted lanternfly are their impacts on fruit trees, maples, and especially on vineyards.
Food and Farms
New York Restaurants Say Governor’s New Rules Will Permanently Close More Doors
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Restaurant owners are finding Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new criteria difficult to decipher, and worry it will mean more eateries will soon be out of business.
App NEWS
Gillibrand Floats $6 Billion Increase For Federal Food Assistance Program
|
“Increasing access to food has not been a bipartisan goal. And it’s really troubling, because the need is so great. And obviously it’s not about whether you’re a Democrat or Republican when you’re hungry.”
Food and Farms
New York’s Democrats Gain Supermajority In State Senate
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“New Yorkers have not only chosen to return to a Democratic Majority, but they’ve chosen to return a super majority.”
COVID-19
Business Owner Worries About Impact Of Another Shutdown
|
“So yeah, we hope by the time this ends we’ll still have some money in the bank and we‘ll still be viable.”
App NEWS
Broome Executive Doubts State’s New Gathering Rules Are Enforceable
|
“I think that’s something that we should all work to follow because that just makes good public health sense, but I think that’s one that would be very, very hard to enforce.”
App NEWS
PA Governor Begins Enforcement Of New Restaurant Dine-In Rules
|
“Restaurant self-certification is just one tool in the toolbox we can use to increase customer competence, protect ourselves, and grow our businesses.”
Food and Farms
Hemp Growers Call On Governor To Release State Regulations Before Harvest
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“We cannot continue operating our businesses in New York without a clear regulatory framework, while competing with out of state products being shipped in the state.”
Food and Farms
‘Truly Outrageous’: Trump Administration Rejects PA Plea For Extra Food Benefits
|
The Pa. Department Human Services had been planning to distribute $42 million to the parents of about 330,000 kids later this month, but learned recently that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had rejected their plan.
Food and Farms
Indoor Dining Can Resume in New York City on Sept. 30, Cuomo Says
|
Thousands of restaurants in the five boroughs have three weeks to prepare their establishments to comply with the state’s guidance for reopening.
Economy
New York Farms Prepare For Fall Activities With New Precautions
|
“We’ve been planning this all for a while, so the regulations were about what we thought they were gonna be.”
Food and Farms
Wegmans Responds To Concerns From Animal Activists Over Coconut Harvest
|
Thai officials have disputed the claims about how prevalent the situation is with monkeys being used to harvest coconuts.
State Senate Republicans, Farm Owners Urge Farm Labor Board Not To Lower Overtime Threshold
|
“Our most urgent responsibility right now is to prevent further damage by delaying any decision on the 60-hour threshold until 2024.”
ag department
Officials: USDA Hemp Regulations Are Onerous
|
“We really are asking our farmers to be patient as we try to work this out with the federal government.”
To Stay In Business, New York City Restaurants Spill Out Onto The Asphalt
|
Many of New York’s streets have come alive with fenced-in dining areas with tables and umbrellas and decorated with flower boxes and hanging plants.
Economy
How A Black-Owned Farm In Windsor Is Building Generational Wealth
|
“We’re promoting the message of black is beautiful and black excellence and being able to pass this down to generations to come.”
Food and Farms
New York Farm Bureau: ‘No Farm Untouched By Pandemic’
|
65% of farmers in New York state say their business has been negatively or very negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Food and Farms
New York Wineries Adjust to Cuomo’s New Alcohol Rules
|
“This isn’t a small or large winery thing. It’s adding an expense, and expenses are high.”
App NEWS
To Curb COVID- 19, Cuomo Imposes New Restrictions, Penalties On Bars And Restaurants
|
“New Yorkers are outraged at these establishments, we’re getting thousands of complaints, pictures, videos. This is a question of public health.”
Inside Seating? A Harlem Bar Owner Navigates COVID-19’s Changing Rules
|
67 Orange Street makes do with take-out and outdoor service while waiting for a decision on inside dining in NYC.
App NEWS
With COVID Compliance Slipping, Cuomo Postpones Indoor Dining In New York City
|
Cuomo blames local governments, who are supposed to enforce rules at restaurants, bars, stores and other public places.
Economy
New York State Disburses Additional Food Aid For 4th Straight Month
|
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers will be getting more money than usual to help with groceries this month.
App NEWS
Advocates For Binghamton Northside Grocery Store Hope New Funds Ensure Long-Term Viability
|
“Not being a chain gives us the opportunity to really listen to the community, put in the grocery store what they want in the grocery store.”
Food and Farms
Caravans Gather Across New York To Support Undocumented, Essential Workers
|
“We’re asking for access to child care for food chain workers, financial relief for undocumented workers and health and safety regulations for all workers on the job, especially farmworkers.”
In New York City, 2 Million Residents Face Food Insecurity, Officials Say
|
“Before the coronavirus, we thought somewhere around a million people were food insecure and needed food,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Now, 1 in 4 New Yorkers may be going hungry.
Food and Farms
Food Bank Of CNY Hosts Large Food Giveaway At State Fairgrounds
|
“A typical month for us pre-COVID would be 1.4-1.5 million pounds per month range. And now in April we are in the two million pound range.”
App NEWS
What Does The Future Of Restaurants Look Like As PA Eases Guidelines?
|
The repercussions have been devastating. Nearly 1,000 out of 26,000 restaurants operating in the state have permanently closed due to coronavirus.
Food and Farms
In The Age Of COVID-19, Farmers Markets Are All Business
|
“A good farmers market is like a weekly fair or festival. People are wanting that back, but it won’t be the same.”
App NEWS
139 Coronavirus Cases At Upstate Farm; Health Officials Say More Cases Likely
|
State health officials started testing nearly 200 seasonal workers at the giant hydroponic greenhouse last weekend because of concerns it might be a COVID hotspot.
App NEWS
Pandemic’s Economic Shutdown Continues To Plague New York Farmers
|
Farmers argue that if we keep breaking the food chain, there will be a lot of farms that aren’t going to survive this.
Antonio Delgado
Federal, State Programs Available For Farmers In Need
|
“Folks who deal in dairy and specialty crops will be provided meaningful support when it comes to price losses.”
Food and Farms
Farmers Can Now Apply For COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Through SBA
|
“Our farmers, who are now eligible for the economic injury disaster loan, had been told that while they’re eligible in name only, they’re not eligible in practice.”
App NEWS
Supermarkets Temporarily Limit Some Meat Purchases
|
The coronavirus pandemic has also closed some meatpacking plants, although PresidentTrump last week ordered large meat processors remain open.
Cortland Groups Plan Drive-Thru Dairy Giveaway
|
“The plan is for us to continue to get dairy into the county through the food pantries and other food programs as long as the donations keep flowing.”
App NEWS
PA Governor Talks Food Supply, Meat Processing With AG Secretary
|
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is sending a message about the food supply: there’s plenty of food and the state is adjusting to get it to people.
Finger Lakes Cheesemaker Buys Excess Milk, Donates Dairy Products To Food Banks
|
“That’s awful, awful, heart breaking when you watch your milk go down the drain when it’s a perfectly good, sellable product,”
Food and Farms
New York State Will Coordinate New Markets For Dairy Farmers
|
“It’s very frustrating. We have excess milk but we can’t get it to people who are in need at this time.”
Featured in Category
Farmers Have Too Much Food to Sell. New York Might Buy It
|
The New York Farm Bureau has asked the state, in recent days, to ramp up testing for COVID-19 in rural areas of the state, particularly at farms.
Southern Tier Food Bank Doubles Delivery Due To COVID-19
|
As need has increased, donations have decreased.
agriculture
Warmer, Wetter Weather Will Bring More Chicken Farms To Pennsylvania, Report Says
|
DEP’s Climate Change Impact Assessment report focuses on livestock and watershed
Food and Farms
Small Farms And Markets Rethink How To Get Local Food To Customers
|
“One of the questions about markets is, will we be able to provide enough…safety measures for people to feel comfortable in those spaces?”
App NEWS
Essential Yet Marginalized, Migrant Farmworkers Face Healthcare Insecurities
|
As essential workers, migrant farm laborers are continuing operations. However, they are also one of the most vulnerable populations if exposed to the virus.
COVID-19 Adds Another Uncertainty To New York’s Spring Growing Season
|
Farmer Dennis Brawdy said this year is stranger than most because major customers are closed.
Food and Farms
New York Farm Bureau Hopeful USDA Emergency Aid Will Provide Relief For Farmers
|
“It’s an important support to make sure we have a viable food system and that farmers can still farm.”
Coronavirus Fears Prompt Suspensions Of Bans On Single-Use Plastic Bags
|
Manufacturers, lawmakers and grocery store workers say the reusable bags could transmit the virus, but according to scientists there aren’t enough studies to know whether that’s true.
App NEWS
Dairy Industry Upended By COVID-19
|
“Right now, we are dumping on average one trailer load a day.”
Food and Farms
How Safe Is Take-Out In A COVID-19 World?
|
“So where everything would be wiped down, now it’s probably just ten times as much”
Food and Farms
Wegmans Provides Face Masks To Employees
|
Wegmans will be supplying face masks to its employees in line with federal guidelines designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Food and Farms
With More Families In Need, Orders Increase At Food Bank
|
“These past few weeks have been pretty heavy with orders and agencies trying to get their pantries restocked as they’re seeing more people come to them for help.”
Economy
Local Distilleries Use Facilities To Make Hand Sanitizer
|
“Our goal here is to not become, you know, wealthy off of a tragedy.”
App NEWS
CHOW Deliveries Provided To People In Quarantine
|
There’s also home-delivery where food pantries have closed.
Amid COVID-19, Ithaca City School District Delivers Meals By School Bus
|
“They may not be getting a meal at home, that’s heartbreaking.”
Food and Farms
PA Officials To Farmers: “We Need Local Agriculture Now More Than Ever.”
|
“Agriculture’s role is unquestionable: access to food is a right; we need local agriculture now more than ever.”
App NEWS
Tompkins County Declares State of Emergency, Closes Schools Over COVID-19
|
As of Friday night, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tompkins, but several are in isolation.
Featured in Category
Food CO-OP Calls New York’s Upcoming Plastic Bag Ban No Big Deal
|
“We’re lucky that over half of our shoppers are already using reusable bags. We sell dozens of different kinds. It’s kind of a normal thing here.”
‘Gives Me Hope’: How New York Workers Rose Up Against Stagnant Wages
|
When some fast-food workers in New York went on strike one morning in 2012, they had no idea it was the beginning of an unusual movement that would propel an economic revolution.
Economy
Study Shows New York Wineries Have A Major Economic Impact
|
The study found the wine and grape industry in New York directly creates 71,950 jobs, generating $2.79 billion in wages and $6.65 billion in direct economic impact.
binghamton
Wegmans’ Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Begins
|
The grocery chain is getting an early start on the state-wide ban, which begins in March.
App NEWS
New York State Fair Expands To 18 Days This Summer
|
There will be new features. Organizers envision sensory friendly days. They may program a health care worker or school employee day.
App NEWS
New Food Stamp Rule Could Increase Demand On Local Food Pantries
|
“Many of them are already accessing the emergency food network, so they’re turning to their local food pantry or soup kitchen just to make ends meet.”
Food and Farms
Some PA Farmers Have Trouble Budgeting Money From New State Grant
|
Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Secretary says several grant recipients were taken by surprise that they had to pay contracted workers prevailing wages.
Food and Farms
Butter Gritty (And Friends) Take The PA Farm Show
|
“There were skeptics who didn’t think that Butter Gritty would ever come. But today is triumphant.”
Farm Groups Sue To Clarify Language In New York’s Revised Labor Law
|
Farm workers would be entitled to overtime pay, a guaranteed rest day each week, disability and Paid Family Leave coverage, unemployment benefits and the right to collective bargaining.
agriculture
Seneca Nation Enters The Hemp Industry
|
It’s going to be open for our people to apply and try their hand at it. Whether that means they’re putting it in the ground or they’re growing it indoors, we’ll definitely help facilitate that and we’ll see where it goes,”
Anthony Brindisi
Upstate Representatives Praise USMCA
|
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, clearing a major hurdle towards approving a new North American trade deal. The bill now heads to the Senate where it’s likely to be taken up in the new year.
App NEWS
Broome County To Decide On Canopy Growth Tax Exemption
|
The industrial hemp company would save $1.7 million over the next 15 years.
Andrew Cuomo
NY Governor Signs Lupardo-Backed Hemp Bill
|
The measure creates regulatory standards for hemp products.
App NEWS
Thousands Could Lose Food Stamp Benefits In New York
|
Benefits would be cut to roughly 688,000 recipients nationwide, and food advocates say benefits for thousands of New Yorkers would also be in jeopardy.
App NEWS
PA Officials Concerned Over Trump Administration’s Planned Cuts To Food Stamps
|
The proposed changes would slash federal food assistance to low-income families by $4.5 billion over five years.
App NEWS
Public Comment Period Closing On Proposed Changes To Food Stamps
|
According to Feeding America, the proposal stands to save the government $4.5 billion and would impact 7-million Americans.
Congress To Consider Bill That May Help New York Dairy Workers
|
The new bill will allow visas for year-round workers and it provides a path to legal status for current farm workers already in the U.S.
Food and Farms
‘It’s Just Baffling: Apple Growers Face An Unknown Threat That’s Killing Trees
|
“You have a beautiful crop on, especially August-September. And then, all of a sudden, you’d come back a week later, and it would be dead.”
PA Vineyards Facing An Insect Invasion May Turn To Aliens For Help
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A stowaway from China, the spotted lanternfly, is eating its way across Pennsylvania, killing trees and grapevines. Scientists are considering importing the bug’s natural enemies from back home.
App NEWS
Cornell’s Dairy Barn Offers A Look At The Modern Dairy Farm
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These cows don’t go out on pastures. That’s becoming more common, unless the farm is certified organic.
App NEWS
Mitrano Re-Launches Congressional Campaign In Corning
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Mitrano first announced her intent to again challenge Reed shortly after her defeat in the 2018 mid-term elections.
App NEWS
What Happens to All That Butter?
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This year’s 800-ound butter sculpture depicts a grandfather and child dunking cookies, and a young couple sharing a milkshake.
Antonio Delgado
President Signs Delgado-Sponsored Farm Relief Bill
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Farmers gain breathing room during tough financial times.
agricultural equipment
After Incinerator Project Failed, Romulus Looks At New Options On Seneca Army Depot
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The town has to wait for the completion of state environmental review before it can move forward.
Arts & Culture
2019 New York State Fair Open For Business
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The New York State Fair opens its gates for a 13-day run today, with more than a million visitors expected to descend on the Syracuse fairgrounds.
Economy
Hemp Farmers Struggle With Rejection From Banks, Social Media Ads
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“It was really difficult because when you’re trying to run a business and you can’t have a bank account, it doesn’t really work.”
Finger Lakes Hosts Nation’s First Hemp Seed Bank
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U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently announced that the project will get $500,000 of federal funding. The new seed bank will be located at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.
Finger Lakes Farms Offer A Variety Of Public Tours This Weekend
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Residents and visitors to the Finger Lakes have the opportunity this weekend to visit working farms.
Environment
Senator Says USDA Wrongly Halted Research Into Honeybees
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“At this time, when our bees are dying off, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has done a very quiet but very dumb thing. They’ve stopped collecting critical scientific data on honeybees.”
App NEWS
Cortland County Dairy Farm Receives Environmental Award
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Whey Street Dairy received the 2019 State Agricultural Environmental Management Award.
App NEWS
Basil Recall Prompted By Food Borne Parasite
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The New York state health department said 69 cases of cyclosporiasis have been identified in people who ate at restaurants or attended events in the capital region, but local authorities warned people across the state to be careful.
App NEWS
Governor Says SNAP Restriction Could Impact 200,000 Pennsylvanians
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Democratic state lawmakers are criticizing the Trump Administration over its proposed plan to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for certain people.
PA Drinkers Try Out A Hard Coffee Brewed By Pabst
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Americans are buying less beer from big breweries, so companies are getting creative to attract customers. Pabst is testing what one customer describes as a “Frappuccino” — with an alcoholic kick.
PA School District Reverses Course And Will Accept Donations To Cover Lunch Debt
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The financially struggling school district in northeast Pennsylvania that threatened foster care over unpaid lunch debt is now apologizing for dozens of letters officials sent this month to parents.
Don’t Have Your Lunch Money? This Northeast PA School District Threatens Foster Care
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Wyoming Valley West School District in Northeastern Pennsylvania sent families a letter stating that their children would be removed from their homes if unpaid cafeteria meal debt was not settled.
Food and Farms
New York Governor Signs Farmworkers Rights Bill
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Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a farmworkers’ rights bill into law Wednesday that will for the first time give the workers benefits other employees get, including time off and overtime pay.
Food and Farms
Death Of 3-Year-Old Reveals No One Inspects New York’s Grease Traps
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Police said the boy fell through a lid on a grease trap while his mother was working at the restaurant. Grease traps collect oil and other wastes to prevent them from leaking into sewers.
App NEWS
Tompkins/Cortland Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton On 2019 Legislative Session
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ITHACA, NY (WSKG) – The 2019 New York legislative session saw the passage of a raft of legislation that has been blocked in previous years. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton spoke with WSKG’s Celia Clarke in the Ithaca studio. She represents Tompkins County and part of Cortland County in the state Assembly. Lifton spoke about the new farm labor rights, legalization of electrically-assisted bicycles and scooters, and why she thinks marijuana legalization is inevitable. The conversation begins with Lifton talking what she considers the most important accomplishment of the session.
Economy
Researchers Rush To Answer Questions About Newly-Legal Hemp Crops
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HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – Alyssa Collins said she has been fielding around five phone calls every day from people with questions about hemp–and that’s not even counting the emails. Collins directs Penn State’s Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Lancaster County, where researchers are part of a multi-state, USDA-supported study into different varieties of hemp that can be used for food and fiber. Pennsylvania approved more than 300 permits to farm industrial hemp this growing season, after Congress loosened restrictions on the crop last year. Hemp was long banned because of its relationship to marijuana, but it does not have enough of the psychoactive compound THC to produce a high. So now, researchers like Collins are trying to clear up uncertainties about the crop.
Using Food Stamps For Online Grocery Shopping Gets Easier In New York
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Walmart is expanding a program for food stamp recipients to buy groceries online and pick them up in stores. It’s the latest move to give them more options in the era of online shopping.
App NEWS
Schuyler County Warns Of Hepatitis A At Local Restaurant
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Schuyler County health officials say people who dined at the Seneca Harbor Station restaurant in Watkins Glen this month may have been exposed to Hepatitis A.
agriculture
New York Legislature And Governor Agree To New Protections For Farm Workers
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Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, a Republican from Western New York, comes from a long line of farmers. He predicts the new requirements will be too onerous and that farms will close.
Food and Farms
PA Congressmen Bring Their Milk Crusade To State Capitol
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“If you look at the decline in milk consumption in our schools over the past nine years as a result of that misguided legislation, it actually tracks with the financial decline within the dairy industry.”
App NEWS
SUNY Conference Addresses College Student Hunger
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“They’re used to access to food from school. And then, of course, when you get to college — especially when you live on a campus — you’re expected to pay for those meals.”
Food and Farms
Farmers Open To Compromise On Farm Worker Rights
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Some New York farmers say they’re open to compromise on legislation designed to help farm workers.
antibiotic free beef
Tompkins County Schools Sign Contracts With Farmers Who Use Fewer Antibiotics
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“Our improvements in management which includes feeding and housing and veterinary care, disease control…we’ve been able to control infectious diseases to a greater extent than ever before.”
Cannabis
World’s Weed Industry Converges On New York
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Thousands of visitors converged on the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this week for the sixth annual Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo.
Food and Farms
Workers Center Of Central New York Wins Lawsuit Allowing Farm Workers To Organize
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“To all the workers – this is a tool for you that you can use this to have a voice, to improve your working conditions, to fight against wage theft, bad housing, discrimination in the workplace. This is something you can use to change that.”
Anthony Brindisi
Brindisi Weighs In On Farm Workers Rights
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Democratic Congressman Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) was back in his district this week, in part to discuss farm issues.
agriculture
Upstate Hosts Ag Secretary; Pushed For Immigration, North American Trade Deals
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“China (has) used the American consumer and producer for many years by creating barriers to letting our products in their country, while they want to overwhelm us with their products.”
Anthony Brindisi
Ag Secretary Visit Allows Congressman To Highlight Damage Done By Farm Tariffs
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U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is touring upstate New York on Wednesday.
