The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of grants to assist residents in need of home repairs following the severe storm in December 2022. The Small Business Association (SBA) is also offering federal disaster loans for families, businesses, and farms with uninsured or under-insured losses due to the storm.

To qualify for the USDA grant, homes must be in the presidentially declared disaster areas in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie counties. The Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant Program offers up to $40,675 in assistance to repair storm damaged homes. For more information on the program, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/rural-development-disaster-assistance

The SBA loan is available to families and businesses in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie counties. As of early April, the SBA has approved over $5.8 million in disaster loans for 195 businesses and residents across Western New York. The deadline to apply for this loan is April 28, 2023. For more information on this program, visit https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Consumer Price Index shows grocery store food prices increased 12% from November 2021 to November 2022, and prices are predicted to increase another 3 – 4% in 2023.

The Division of Consumer Protection says there are several ways consumers can save money on groceries including:
– Plan your meals. Planning meals in advance, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, will reduce food waste and cut down on expensive meal delivery or dining-out costs. Make a grocery list to support the plan and reduce impulsive purchases.

– Look for deals. Plan meals around a few bulk ingredients or based on the weekly grocery sales circular to ensure you’re buying items on sale. Take advantage of store savings and enroll in store reward programs. Search for online coupons, use store savings and rewards cards, and watch for manufacturer coupons attached to the items in-store.

– Shop strategically for food. Take inventory of what you have at home before going shopping. Go to the grocery store with a list, having planned out your meals until your next grocery trip.

The DCP also said consumers can reduce food waste by learning about food product dating. According to the FDA, confusion over date labeling accounts for an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste.

Important tips to know include:
Except for infant formula, manufacturers are not required by Federal law or regulation to place quality-based date labels on packaged food.

Manufacturers apply date labels at their own discretion and for a variety of reasons. The most common is to inform consumers and retailers of the date to which they can expect the food to retain its desired quality and flavor.

“Best if Used By” is the standard phrase to indicate the date until which a product will be at its best flavor and quality, not the date an item will spoil. Consumers should examine foods that are past their Best if Used By date for signs of spoilage before they throw them away.

For example, bread past its “Best if Used By” date may be stale, but if it is not moldy or spoiled, it could be used to make French toast, croutons, breadcrumbs and several other items you may otherwise buy at the store.

To learn more tips on how to cut food waste, visit fda.gov.

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media on Twitter and Facebook.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has reintroduced her Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act as part of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill negotiations.

The Farm Bill is re-visited and needs congressional approval every five years.

With nearly 3,500 dairy farmers, Gillibrand noted that the state is the fifth-largest producer of milk in the nation and the largest producer of yogurt and cheese.

The Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act would give dairy farmers the ability to review proposals, which could change the class one milk pricing for things like skim and whole milk. Currently, milk is separated into four classes – milk used for beverages is Class I; milk used for products like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, frozen desserts, sour cream, yogurt and other foods is Class II; milk used for cream cheese, spreadable cheeses and hard cheese or shredded, grated or crumbled cheese is Class III, and Class IV is milk used for butter, evaporated or sweetened condensed milk.

If the bill is passed, it would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to hold public hearings within six months.

Gillibrand is also asking the U.S. trade representative to review what she says is Canada’s failure to uphold its dairy trade obligations.

Jamestown Public Market Director Linnea Haskins and Market Community Coordinator Hanna Bavuso present to Jamestown School Board (October 25, 2022)

The Jamestown Public Market has received a $50,000 from the USDA to bring edible gardens to Washington Middle and Bush Elementary Schools.

Public Market Community Coordinator Hannah Bavuso, speaking to the Jamestown School Board, said bringing edible gardens to the schools is a new initiative, “The idea of these edible school gardens is to really engage students in learning about where their food comes from. So taking it from, ‘This is something good to eat. This is not good for you to eat,’ and really showing individuals about what that means. And then empowering them to learn how to do it on their own.”

Bavuso said they will be helping Washington Middle School revitalize their garden and using funds to put tower gardens in at Bush Elementary.

She said the public market had worked with the Summer LEAP program at Fletcher and Bush schools this past summer, working with 165 students, “And really talked about where their food comes from and got them engaged with planting seeds, and we created business plans around food. It was really fun to watch them get inspired and learn about this really important aspect of not just how to nourish our bodies but actually how to grow the things that do nourish their bodies.”

Market Director Linnea Haskins said the program is not only a way to help make Jamestown a healthier community, but it’s also a way to inspire kids to get involved in local agriculture and the local economy.

The funding will create new opportunities to purchase locally grown and produced food to support New York farmers, including those who have been traditionally under-served, and to distribute those goods to food insecure communities and to New York schools.

$25.8 million will go to implement the New York Food for New York Families Program. Food purchases will support local and traditionally disadvantaged farmers by building and expanding economic opportunities and creating new marketing channels for them within the state while ensuring local food gets to New York families in need.

Another new program that will be implemented using $12 million will be the Local Food for Schools program. This program will provide schools with additional resources to purchase local and regional foods and beverages to serve children during the school day through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

State buildings participating in Lights Out will keep non-essential outdoor lighting from affecting the ability of birds to migrate successfully throughout New York.

New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “Migrating birds face many dangerous obstacles during their long journeys each year. Reducing excessive outdoor lighting on buildings is an easy and sensible step we can take to minimize those threats. Team OGS encourages everyone to learn what they can do to help ensure safe seasonal bird migration throughout New York State.”

Many species of shorebirds and songbirds rely on constellations to help them navigate to and from their summer breeding grounds through the State. Excessive outdoor lighting, especially in adverse weather conditions, can cause these migrating birds to become disoriented, a phenomenon known as fatal light attraction. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it has led to collisions with windows, walls, floodlights, or the ground and the death of an estimated 500 million to one billion birds annually in the United States.

“Lights Out” directs State-owned and managed buildings to turn off non-essential outdoor lighting from 11 p.m. to dawn during the spring migration through May 31 and also during the peak fall migration, August 15 through November 15. State agencies will also be encouraged to draw blinds, when possible, and turn off non-essential indoor lighting during “Lights Out” times. In addition to benefiting migrating birds, Lights Out promotes sustainability and provides a cost-savings to the State.

CNN reports the President is invoking the act — which allows the government more control over industrial production during emergencies — to direct suppliers of formula ingredients to prioritize delivery to the manufacturers of formula.

Biden also announced the creation of Operation Fly Formula, which directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to utilize the Defense Department‘s commercial planes to import formula from abroad.

The Defense Department will use contracts with commercial cargo airlines, according to the White House, to transport foreign baby formula products that have met US Food and Drug Administration standards to the US.

Wednesday’s announcement follows other steps the administration has taken over the last week to address concerns about a months-long formula shortage, which has worsened as a result of supply chain issues and the extended closure of a major formula plant in Michigan.

The FDA has reached an agreement with Abbott Nutrition to reopen that plant. The agreement lays out steps the manufacturer must take to restart production at its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

Once Abbott has completed the to-do list to the FDA’s satisfaction, the company says it would take two weeks to resume production of baby formula at the facility.

A White House official also told CNN earlier Wednesday that the Biden administration is working directly with infant formula manufacturer Reckitt and retailers, including Target, to provide logistical support as it works to help alleviate a nationwide formula shortage.

The administration also established a website, HHS.gov/formula, to provide resources to families in need.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that certain “neonic” pesticides are being reclassified as “restricted use” to ensure applications are limited to trained pesticide applicators in specific situations.
Restricting the use of these pesticides enables the DEC to collect new data to determine where, when, and how they are used, as well as their potential impacts.

Seggos said protecting pollinators is a top priority and that the state is committed to promoting the health and recovery of pollinator populations as highlighted in the State’s Pollinator Protection Plan.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pollinators provide approximately $344 million worth of pollination services to New York and add $29 billion in value to crop production nationally each year. The state’s ability to produce crops such as apples, grapes, cherries, onions, pumpkins, and cauliflower relies heavily on the presence of pollinators.

The reclassification will take effect on January 1, 2023, allowing time for registrants, distributors, and retailers to prepare for the change in classification.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – After the government shutdown stalled the enactment of critical Federal Farm Bill provisions, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Wednesday called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fast-track Farm Bill implementation and provide much-needed relief to dairy farmers and other producers across New York State as soon as possible.

Gillibrand, who is a a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said dairy farmers work extremely hard but have been suffering from historically low milk prices, a reckless trade war, and a failed dairy insurance program that did nothing to help them when they needed it.

She said that it was good news When Congress passed the Farm Bill last year and included her provision to refund insurance payments into the failed dairy insurance program, but because of the government shutdown, they haven’t seen a penny of the refunds that they’re owed.

Lily Grice, Linnea Carlson (JRC), Elizabeth Lopez (Salvation Army); Molly Howell (Eat Smart WNY); Lieutenant Samantha Lockard (Salvation Army)/Mobile market staff and volunteers

JAMESTOWN – [MEDIA RELEASE] – The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is excited to announce the successful pilot launch of the Jamestown Mobile Market. Starting August 8, the innovative food access project serviced the Jamestown area over an 8 week period.

Defined as a ‘farmers market on wheels’, mobile markets have been established across the country in an effort to increase healthy, whole foods access in low-income neighborhoods. Thanks to the Farmers Market Promotion Program, USDA federal funding, the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation has spent the last year planning and implementing a mobile market program servicing residents of Jamestown.

“Mobile markets serve communities to great success in cities across the US, including Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. Jamestown has incredible access to fresh produce due to our proximity to local farms, and a mobile market was the next logical step as we looked to expand the Jamestown Public Market, and with it food access,” states Public Market Manager Linnea Carlson.

The Jamestown Mobile Market completed an 8 week season, visiting four separate locations within the city: the Salvation Army of Jamestown, the Gateway Center, Tree of Life Lutheran Church, and Crestline Villa. Each week volunteers assisted in picking up produce from area farms, organizing and packing the fruits and vegetables, and distributing food to community members via a partnership with Conduit Ministries. Thanks in part to a sponsorship with United Healthcare, community members could utilize $5 coupons to access five different fruit and vegetable servings per market day, or purchase additional produce with cash.

Eat Smart WNY and the Office of the Aging provided food tastings and easy recipes and produce freezer tips for customers. Community members also donated to customers freezer bags and mason jars for food produce storage. United Healthcare visited each location to distribute information on their benefits as well as reusable shopping bags.

Produce was acquired from three area farms, Hidden Valley Produce of Frewsburg; Abers Acres of Kennedy; and Steady Plow Farms of Sherman. Produce available varied from sweet corn, green beans and potatoes, to more unique options such as ghost peppers, black cherry tomatoes, and purple sweet peppers.

Mobile markets benefit an entire community, providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables to those who may work or live in areas lacking fresh produce, while increasing profits for local, family farms.

Jamestown resident Virginia Storres, is just one of the many individuals impacted by the project, sharing “The mobile market helped me eat more fruits and vegetables; I used to eat bags of chips and now I want tomatoes! I have really experienced a lifestyle change because of the program.”

A total of 714 customers visited the mobile market. Produce not distributed was donated to the Salvation Army food pantry or St. Susan’s Soup Kitchen.

The Jamestown Mobile Market will launch its second season in June of 2019. The aim, according to Carlson, is a longer season, more market locations, and an increase in individuals served. The market plans to accept SNAP benefits in the future and continue partnerships with local organizations, churches and non-profits.