Helping protect farmers during the pandemic

May 12, 2020

Some New York state farmers can pick up face masks and hand sanitizer free of charge

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

New York state farmers in search of personal protective equipment can pick some up for free thanks to a partnership.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties and the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets are holding multiple distribution events to provide farmers with free face masks and hand sanitizer.

Producers can pick up their supplies at the Schoharie County Fairgrounds in Cobleskill or at Northern Eagle Beverages in Oneonta. Pickups are scheduled for May 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Farmers must register in advance to ensure a smooth distribution process.

Producers in other parts of the state can receive free supplies too.

Cornell and the state ag department will host other distribution events in Delaware County in the coming days and weeks.

Free hand sanitizer and face masks will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Watershed Agricultural Council on May 15, at McDowell & Walker in Delhi on May 21 and at the Stamford Farmers Cooperative on May 23.

Producers are also required to register for these events.

County Farm Bureaus will be assisting with some of the distribution.

Keeping farmers safe will help ensure they can produce food safely and keep New Yorkers fed.

“It is important for our farmers and employees to have access to (personal protective equipment) to help mitigate the spread,” Steve Ammerman, public affairs manager with the New York Farm Bureau, told Farms.com in an emailed statement. “It has been a challenge in some parts of the state to access enough equipment and this effort will make a difference to help protect everyone on the farm.”

Farms.com has reached out to Cornell University and the state agriculture department for comments.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.