The Dirt on the Black Dirt Region

Scenes from Pawelski Farm after Hurricane Irene

2011-10-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

Scenes from Pawelski Farm after Hurricane Irene

2011-10-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

Scenes from Pawelski Farm after Hurricane Irene

2011-10-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

Scenes from Pawelski Farm after Hurricane Irene

2011-10-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Scenes from Pawelski Farm after Hurricane Irene

2011-10-01T05:54:00.001-07:00

Scenes from Pawelski Farm after Hurricane Irene

2011-09-30T19:55:00.001-07:00

For Sale 50lb bag of yellow cooking onions & the future of a family farm!

2011-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

For Sale 50lb bag of yellow cooking onions & the future of a family farm!

Mid-Hudson businesses cope with soggy month

2011-05-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

By Stephen Sacco

Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM - 05/28/11

Rainy days and Mondays, like the song says, can get people down – but farmers and business owners in the area are taking comfort that the May rains could have been worse.
In fact, in upstate New York it was much worse.

The growing season

2011-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Goshen Farmers’ Market is open for business
By Edie Johnson

Vogue.com

2010-11-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

In Hillary’s Footsteps: Kirsten Gillibrand
By Jonathan Van Meter

The Warwick Advertiser

2010-11-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Cover crops offer way to cope with wind and floods
By Edie Johnson

New York Farm Report, New York Farm Day and Conservation of Muck Soils

2010-09-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Broadcast of the New York Farm Report, New York Farm Day and Conservation of Muck Soils

Butternut Squash Harvest, Pawelski Farm, September 2010

2010-09-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Gillibrand talks immigration reform, dairy products during listening tour

2010-09-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Gillibrand talks immigration reform, dairy products during listening tour

GOSHEN, NY (WAMC) - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited a Hudson Valley farm Thursday, as part of a listening tour involving agriculture experts from around New York. As WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Greg Fry reports, the Senator and her staff are collecting comments aimed at helping New York farmers... © Copyright 2010, WAMC

Ag industry speaks on Farm Bill

2010-09-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ag industry speaks on Farm Bill
By: Elaina Athans

GOSHEN, N.Y. -- Some farmers say they are struggling to stay afloat and on Thursday, they tried to plant some ideas into one Senator's mind as to what needs to change.

Gillibrand hears farmers' issues

2010-09-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Gillibrand hears farmers' issues

By Alyssa Sunkin
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM - 08/27/10

GOSHEN — Mid-Hudson farmers hope that federal agriculture policy won't leave them in the lurch now that a New Yorker is on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Federal program hurting farms

2010-08-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Unintended results in Black Dirt include weeds and high land rents

By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM - 08/15/10

GOSHEN — Perhaps the most dramatic evidence of the weed problem afflicting the fertile farmland of Orange County's Black Dirt Region came last month, when countless, feathery white seeds from the hated Canadian thistle took flight in the summer breeze.

Farm Bill Oversight Hearing, rebroadcast of proceedings with testimony by Chris Pawelski

2010-07-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Farm Bill Oversight Hearing, rebroadcast of proceedings

Chris Pawelski to testify before the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry

2010-06-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Senate Agriculture Committee website has a live webcast of the hearing and the link can be found on the lower middle portion of the homepage:

http://ag.senate.gov/site/index.html

The chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Blanche Lincoln, is starting the hearing process for the next Farm Bill and the first hearing is scheduled for Wednesday June 30th at 9:30am. It's a full Senate Ag Committee hearing.

Farm Bill Oversight Hearing

Lincoln: Farm Bill Reauthorization Hearings to Begin this Month

The hearing will be focusing in part on the agricultural safety net, including crop insurance. It is my understanding that the Secretary of Agriculture, the Presidents of American Farm Bureau and National Farmers Union, 3 row crop farmers will be testifying and I've been asked to testify on crop insurance. My invitation to testify is a direct result of Agricultural Committee member and NYS Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. It is obviously and honor and a privilege to be considered and invited to present testimony before such a committee on such a topic. Senator Gillibrand has proven to be an outstanding friend and supporter of NY agriculture and I greatly appreciate this opportunity she has afforded me to bring to the attention of the Senate Agriculture Committee the deep systemic problems with the federal crop insurance program.

I'll be traveling down to Washington DC tomorrow morning and my wife Eve who has been directly involved in the fight to fix the crop insurance policy will be traveling with me.

Farmers fight a fair labor practices act

2010-06-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

By: Elaina Athans
Farmers already hit hard by this year's turbulent weather could receive another blow. Senate legislators are now introducing bills to govern labor practices. As our Elaina Athans tells us, some fear they could wipe out Orange County's Agriculture industry.

Questions swirl around proposal to protect farm workers

2010-06-23T04:57:00.001-07:00

GOSHEN, NY (WAMC) - Supporters say it will protect farm workers, and those in opposition say it will damage New York's agriculture industry. WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Greg Fry has more on a proposal with implications for farmers throughout the region and statewide... © Copyright 2010, WAMC

Pawelski Farm April 5, 2010

2010-04-07T07:25:00.001-07:00

Rep. Hall and his staff visited our farm April 5th and did a personal inspection of the Wallkill River! Tom Pahucki and local farmer Ron Myruski joined us. We then had lunch afterward at Quaker Creek.
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Rep. Hall has been an outstanding supporter of agriculture in his district and especially in the black dirt. He has also consistently hired outstanding staff, which is key to getting much accomplished when it comes to public policy. The farmers in the black dirt are very fortunate! Hopefully Rep. Hall can get some further action on the river and a number of other issues he is working on!
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In the photo is Rep. Hall's staffer Evan Barocas, Eve, myself, Tom Pahucki and Rep. John Hall.

Westfair Online

2010-04-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Report From the Onion Field
by Kathy Kahn
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Pawelski Farm April 1, 2010

2010-04-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Due to a couple of significant rain events, one being the Nor'easter of the weekend of March 13th-14th as well as a heavy snow pack melt, led to significant flooding, once again, in the black dirt growing region of Orange County. In fact, this is the 4 major flood to strike this area since 2005. In response to this event Rep. John Hall requested two meetings and tours with officials from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The first meeting was with Jason Shea and he met with concerned stakeholders on March 19th. And on Thursday March 25th COL John R. Boule II, P.E., Commander and District Engineer for the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers met with various officials and stakeholders and toured flooded areas and viewed parts of the Wallkill River.
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In attendance was Rep. John Hall's district office manager Frank Giancamilli, Marie E. Steets, chief of staff for Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, Orange County Legislator Tom Pahucki, Town of Warwick Supervisor and greenhouse grower Michael Sweeton, Warwick Town Councilman and sod grower Leonard DeBuck, as well as numerous other officials from the DEC and the Army Corps of Engineers. Orange County Farm Bureau Board members and black dirt onion and vegetable growers Paul Ruszkiewicz (who is also Chairman of the local Wallkill Valley Drainage Improvement Association) and Chris Pawelski were also in attendance, representing the views and concerns of the farming community. The tour started at Pawelski Farms, stopped at DeBuck's sod farm in Pine Island and concluded at two spots along the Wallkill River in the Town of Goshen. All officials agreed on the seriousness of the issue and the need to actively address the situation. Orange County Farm Bureau greatly appreciates Rep. Hall's leadership in facilitating the meeting as well as COL Boule's attendance and the very sincere concern he expressed as well as his expressed commitment to work on the situation. We also appreciate all of the various officials participation and efforts, especially Orange County Legislator Pahucki who has worked tirelessly on this issue.

HV Biz

2010-02-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

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Don't Apply Factory Work Rules to Farmworkers
by Chris Pawelski
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2009 Crop Worst in 13 Years

2009-12-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

2009 Crop Worst in 13 Years
By Chris Pawelski
From the Florida Onion
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The 2008 growing season turned out to be one of the best since1996. Not only did the farmers in the black dirt see decent cropsbut we also saw prices, especially for onions, that were the best
we have seen in decades. Unfortunately, as good as 2008 was 2009 has proven to be probably the worst we have seen since 1996. That's saying a lot,considering the farmers in the black dirt have faced three "50 year" floods, an incredible drought, and extensive hailstorms over the past I4 growing seasons.
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What happened? We started with a terrific spring and by late May the onion crop, as well as the various greens, looked fantastic. Then came June and the 12 plus inches of rain. What compounded the damage caused by the volume of rain was the fact that there were virtually no decent drying days between rain events. It rained almost the entire month. The onion and greens crops suffered significant damage. July and August also had significant rains that essentially sealed the deal for the season. Onion stands were decimated. As mentioned, other
crops, including the various greens and lettuces grown for the various farmer's and green markets were also severely affected as well. The cold and excessively rainy weather was a body blow to this growing season.
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At the end of August the local staff for Senator Gillibrand and Rep. Hall toured the damage. Normally at that point in the season the majority of onions are still standing tall and vibrant green. What they saw was a valley where virtually the entire crop was down and brown. At the request of local growers Rep. Hall sent a letter to the Risk Management Agency, which oversees the federal crop insurance program, asking them to direct the insurance companies to adjust the
damaged crops per the grower's discretion.
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In early October I traveled to Washington, DC, and had a number of meetings with officials at the USDA as well as a number of offices on Capitol Hill, including Rep. Hall and staff as well as the staff of Sen. Gillibrand (who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee), Sen. Schumer as well as Rep. Massa and Rep. Murphy (NY Congress persons that both sit on the House Agriculture
Committee). I took the message of how significant our damage was as well as the need to seriously reform the crop insurance program. Farmers in the black dirt can no longer continue to suffer these sorts of losses, with minimal or token assistance from the federal crop insurance program, and we can't survive selling our crop for prices we were paid in 1983. Hopefully we can hang on and survive this season.

Racoon

2009-11-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

So, I go to pick the top box to put on the dumper and something reflects back at me. IT'S A RACCOON! Holy crap! I took the box outside, slowly put the forks in and lifted the box up. And out jumped a very large and fat raccoon.
You can't make this stuff up!
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- Chris Pawelski

Onion grading/packing of my Red Defender today

2009-11-27T17:48:00.000-08:00

Snow at Pawelski Farm, October 15, 2009

2009-10-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Boxing Butternut Squash at Pawelski Farm

2009-10-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Pawelski Farm, September 24, 2009

2009-09-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

Chaos

Order

Pawelski Farm September 23, 2009

2009-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Clipping and windrowing butternut squash. Bringing structure and order to chaos.

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from the Pawelski onion harvest finale beer and pizza party

2009-09-23T11:41:00.001-07:00

Pawelski Farm, Spetember 7, 2009

2009-09-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

My butternut squash. Hopefully it does better than my onions!
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- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, September 6, 2009

2009-09-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of two 5 acre fields I am windrowing today. They are crap. Maybe the back acre of each is okay, the rest is a total loss. Very discouraging. Too much rain for far too long!

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from the Summer harvest 2009, Pawelski Farm

2009-08-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

Thank You Legislature 8-09

2009-08-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Thank You Legislature 8-09
Well, things have gone down ill here over the last few weeks. The damage from rain has gotten worse and more evident as time has passed. This week we asked the Orange County Legislature and County Executive to formally request the Governor to request the Secretary of Agriculture to designate Orange County a disaster county. OC Legislator Tom Pahucki spearheaded the effort, in conjunction with OC Legislative Chair Roxanne Donnery and County Executive Ed Diana. The County passed a resolution and Roxanne and Ed reached out to the Governor's office as well as NYS Commissioner of Agriculture Pat Hooker. Below is a copy of my remarks that I made before the Legislature on Thursday night to thank them.

- Chris Pawelski

"On behalf of OCFB I’d like to thank OC Legislature Chairwoman Roxanne Donnery, Republican leader Mike Pillmeier, Independence Party leader Michael Amo, County Executive Ed Diana, members of the Legislature and Legislator Tom Pahucki for taking this action in behalf of farmers in Orange County. Thank you.

2009 has now proven to be one of our most difficult and challenging years. 12+ inches of rain in June and continued heavy rain in July, coupled with the fact there was minimal drying and growing days between rain events has caused significant, widespread damage on a wide variety of crops. In the black dirt, though the ditches are way down and no floodwaters have overflowed the Wallkill and various tributaries and ditches that feed into it this season yet we have incredible damage in the fields. In some cases large patches, in some cases whole fields and tracts of land show the damage. In the case of onions they have shrunk down and have not grown or developed, and many of the plants that have survived there simply isn’t enough growing time to produce a marketable onion.

Yesterday I took the staff for Sen. Gillibrand on an informal tour of the damage and she asked me why much hasn’t been said about the damage until very recently. There are a couple of reasons. First, due to how the damage has occurred we farmers hoped, maybe it was a fool’s hope, that the rainy weather pattern would have broken earlier and the damage would be reversed. It didn’t happen and now realizing the scope of the damage. One local farmer compared it to a death by cancer, slow and methodical, versus suffering a heart attack, which would be comparable to a hailstorm or flooding water event. Second, after finally having a decent growing season in 2008 after successive weather disasters since the mid 90’s we are all in a state of shock. You can call it shell shock.

What will the disaster designation do? Not a great deal. The main action USDA can take is to provide low interest loans to farmers that aren’t maxed out with loans. In the 2008 Farm Bill a new program incorporated in it is a permanent disaster aid program. USDA is still in the process of formulating the rules for the program but the likelihood is that a disaster designation by USDA might be a trigger mechanism allowing producers to qualify for the program. So the disaster designation is quite important.

Again, I would like to thank you all for your concern and work in behalf of agriculture in the county. In that regard we very much appreciate the efforts you have made, in conjunction with your state and federal counterparts, in behalf of flood mitigation with the Wallkill River. We are still very vulnerable to flooding in the black dirt and flood control is vital in regards to our ability to farm and do our jobs and we need your continued efforts and support in that end.

Thank you."

The Smell of Stress

2009-08-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Smell of Stress

A few years ago, during one of our initial disaster seasons (post 1996), my brother and I noticed our dad started sniffing his hat. Just like that. We'd be in our office, thinking about how bad the crop was due to the weather, and my dad would take his hat off and sniff. Just like that. After a few dozen times, when it passed being a tic and was obviously now a codified and repeated habit, my brother and I asked my dada, "why the hell do you keep sniffing your hat?" So he said, "I can smell the stress." "Huh?" "The stress, the trouble, the pressure, I can tell how bad it is by the smell of that smell." "What's it smell like" we asked. "Strong" he replied, it's a bad year and I can smell it in my hat." So, only mildly grossed out we said hey, whatever floats your boat dad, but, that's weird we told him. So a season or two later, in the midst of another disaster I look over and not only is my dad smelling his hat BUT SO IS MY BROTHER! "It's true" Brian said, you can smell the pressure. You can tell how bad it is by the smell of your hat." I still don't smell my hat. I'm the odd man out I suppose but I may start before this year is over. Check out all of the photos in the hat smell moment I captured today and shared with you all.

The Black Dirt Squadron

2009-08-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Black Dirt Squadron

Down Indiana Road, bordering much of our fields, is a model airplane club known as the "Black Dirt Squadron." (http://www.blackdirtsquadron.org/) Every so often one of their very expensive toys crashes in our onion fields and when they do, if they don't find them, we capture the pilot. Meet "Luigi," our favorite POW. We don't use Luigi for propaganda purposes. We merely seek his friendship and protection. We have Luigi on a stick so when we feel lonely we have him face us but when we are scared we can spin him, have him face the road and, like a plastic Jesus, we beseech him for protection and assistance. Luigi doesn't say much but he does have a calming influence that is palpable. My mom only has a big enough appetite for McDonald's Happy Meals, which is for kids, so that's what she orders. Recently the "prizes" have been stuffed animals like this one. My dad likes this one. He likes it a lot. So, he has now hung it from the rear view mirror.

Self Appointed Advocacy Groups Distorting the Truth and Spreading Misinformation

2009-07-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

Self Appointed Advocacy Groups Distorting the Truth and Spreading Misinformation
By Chris Pawelski
Page 10

Pawelski Farm, July 3, 2009, 1:37 PM

2009-07-04T18:31:00.001-07:00

I took these pictures a few minutes ago. Hasn't rained in a day and water is still standing. I hope to spray fungicides/insecticides with my ground rigs by Tuesday but if I can't get in I have to go by airplane again. Sigh.

- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, June3, 2009

2009-07-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the damage caused by 9-10 inches of rain in the month with no drying in between. Will the onions come back? Who knows. I hope they will. I have to keep spraying them like they will, but it doesn't look good.We just couldn't have 2 good years in a row.

- Chris Pawelski

How to Grow an Onion: Act II Begins

2009-06-23T04:31:00.000-07:00

From the Florida Onion, June 2009
by Chris Pawelski
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As of mid-May onion planting in the black dirt is pretty much completed, including on our farm. We finished on April 27. I look at farming as if it’s a 3-act play with planting being the main thrust of Act I and harvest and selling being what Act III is all about. Act II encompasses the main part of the growing season. There is an old saying, “the second act is the best”. It also said the second act can be the darkest, and in many respects, at least in regard to onion farming, this is true. This and my next column will deal with “Act II.”
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Since planting is staggered, usually taking about a month or so, what has been planted is at very different stages. In a few days to little over a week (depending on the air and soil temperature, amount of moisture, etc…) the barley will emerge. Onions may appear a few days later, earlier of the seed is “primed” or pre-germinated before planting. When the barley gets to be a certain size it must be sprayed with a selective herbicide to kill it or it could actually choke out the crop. If killed too early the barley can fail to provide adequate protection against the black dirt from blowing and harming the onions. After the onions emerge we also apply our first pre-emerge herbicide. We apply two different chemicals which control a different spectrum of weeds. We’ll apply the barley killing material once and the two pre-emerge materials three times at 3-week intervals. We also have a number of post emerge herbicides we spray to burn down any weeds that may sprout before we apply the pre-emerge materials or that aren’t controlled by those materials. The total herbicide costs is roughly $180 an acre, depending on the weed pressure.
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As the barley dries down most farmers will apply a side dressing of granular fertilizer and work it into the soils and mechanically kill some weeds by cultivating the fields. Most cultivators attach to a tractors pto but some, like use, use simpler basket weeders. Though they don’t do as good a job we can attach them to our three AC-G tractors and do many more acres than the slower pto driven cultivators.
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By the end of May or early June our four seasonal farmworkers will arrive. We provide free housing, gas and utilities as well as free DirecTv service for our employees. We also will drive them to the grocery store each week. They will start work for us in early June doing hand weeding. There are some weeds, despite the herbicides we use, that survive and need to be removed or they will choke out the onions. Our employees typically work from 7 AM to 5 PM (with an hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks) Monday thru Friday and half a day Saturday during this period of the season, which usually lasts until early August.
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Starting in mid to late June we start to have to worry about and deal with various plant disease threats as well as onion thrips. In my next column I’ll discuss that topic as well what events can make “Act II” the “darkest” act, mainly the threat of severe weather events like hailstorms.

Pawelski Farm, June 2, 2009

2009-06-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of my dad and I driving our Buddingh Weeder Company basket weeders. My brother first spread about 125 pounds of fertilizer as a side dressing. The fertilizer got worked into the soil and then we finished by working the soil some more with these basket weeders, which are attached to our AC-G tractors . We have three AC-Gs and three basket weeders. We can do roughly 30 to 40 acres if we have to. Today the three of us (Brian was away from the field when these pictures were taken) did 16 acres. When it's dry, like it is now, this is a quite dirty job!

- Chris Pawelski

Are Value-Added Cardiovascular Health Claims Valid for Vegetables?

2009-05-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

PROJECT SUMMARY
Are Value-Added Cardiovascular Health Claims Valid for Vegetables?
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Case Study of Onion-Induced Antiplatelet Activity
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Project Director:
I.L. Goldman, Department of Horticulture, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
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Project Co-Directors:
M.J. Havey, USDA-ARS and Department of Horticulture, Univ. Wisconsin-Madison
K.L. Parkin, Department of Food Science, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
J. Folts, Department of Medicine, Cardiology Section, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
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Growth in the rural agricultural economy can be enhanced by adding value to traditional agricultural commodities. Most strategies for producing value-added products have focused primarily on highly-processed products for consumer convenience. Great potential exists for marketing agricultural products as value-added for health-functionality. Despite this potential, most public efforts are directed toward promoting increased consumption of fruits and vegetables rather than studying specific relationships between phytochemicals and human health. A rich worldwide folklore indicates many fruit and vegetable crops were originally domesticated for medicinal purposes. Thus it is not surprising to find health-promoting compounds in the modern-day versions of these crops; however there exists a significant knowledge gap between in vitro laboratory effects and practical dietary realities. One of the most striking examples of this dichotomy can be found in the vegetable Alliums, including onion and garlic. Over 3,500 years of folkloric evidence and 50 years of clinical, experimental and epidemiological support exists for the antithrombotic nature of these vegetables, suggesting significant cardiovascular benefits for consumers by inhibiting the aggregation of clot-forming blood platelets. But because most of the biomedical research on onion and garlic has made use of purified, singular organosulfur compounds derived from highly processed tissues rather than the complex extracts typically derived from the vegetable, we lack basic information on whether these vegetable plants are in fact value-added for health functionality when consumed as whole foods.
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Because consumption of minimally-processed vegetable products including onion and garlic are increasing in quantity in the American diet, dietary delivery of health-promoting phytochemicals from these vegetables may be feasible. The proposed research involves (a) extraction, identification, characterization and health-functionality evaluation of organosulfur compounds from two different market classes of minimally-processed and cooked onion using the Folts in vivo Canine Coronary Thrombosis Model of Platelet Aggregation and Thrombus Formation and ex vivo whole blood aggregometry; (b) determination of whether correlation between in vitro health-functionality and bulb pungency is due to genetic or purely environmental conditions. The ultimate objective of the proposed research is to determine whether value-added cardiovascular health claims are valid for vegetables such as onion. If, based on clinical research using a canine model, such claims are verified; than it may be possible for onion producers to market this commodity as `value-added' for cardiovascular health.
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This proposed research involves development of value-added vegetables with defined health benefits tailored to present production conditions. We have secured non-federal funding to support portions of this project. We have obtained $80,000.00 from US seed companies to support the genetic analysis of correlated flavor, production, and health-enhancing attributes of a vegetable crop. The willingness of these companies to support this project is a clear indication of the direct relevance of this research to US agricultural production and consumer health.

U.S. Representative John Hall's Black Dirt Visit in the May edition of the Florida Onion

2009-05-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

The May edition of the Florida Onion featured an article by Joyce Willets about the recent visit of U.S. Representative John Hall to the Black Dirt Region. During his visit Representative Hall met with several farmers including the Pawelskis (Chris, father Richard and brother Brian), and Dan Morgiewicz. Representative Hall talked about the need to level the playing field for small and large farmers with respect to government regulations. He also spoke of strengthening support of a locally based food system. "Its not only a matter of nutrition" said Hall, "but also a national security issue".
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Representative Hall has also been working to encourage more New York supermarket chains to carry produce that is grown in New York State. "Its great to go to a farmers market but if you walk into a Hannaford's or a WalMart's, or a Shop-Rite, or a Stop and Shop, you should be able to see local produce there." He spoke the same for schools and food pantries. "I think people would support it as a matter of helping their own community."
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In another May Florida Onion article Representative Hall's recent success in securing a $275,000 grant was highlighted. The grant was included in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriation bill and will be used for equipment and technology upgrades in the Florida Union Free School District. "I am thrilled" said Douglas Burnside, Superintendent of Schools. "This grant money will allow us to provide a better education for our students without putting a greater burden on our taxpayers."

Pawelski Farm, May 21, 2009

2009-05-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

I found this dead animal in our field. Is it a coyote or a fox?

C Span Question from Eve Pawelski

2009-05-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Eve Pawelski at a 2002 ceremony at the Legislative Office Building in Albany where she was named a Woman of Distinction

In 2001 Eve Pawelski addressed the inequity of federal subsidies as they relate to commodity crops and specialty crops

Pawelski Farm, May 2, 2009

2009-05-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today I'm spraying 4 different herbicides; two pre-emerge materials that control different classes of weeds and two different post-emerge materials, one to kill the barley cover crop and one is a general material to burn down the little weeds. And what weeds do I have in there already. Weeds love muck soil. My dad is not allowed in the field to look or he'd have a heart attack if he saw all of the weeds.

At this moment my ipod nano which is connected to my new, awesome and very loud Sony boombox, is playing AC-DC's Highway to Hell.

- Chris Pawelski

Making Tracks, Pawelski Farm, April 25, 2009

2009-04-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

"Making tracks"
For part of today I'm making tracks with one of our AC-G tractors so that in a couple of weeks when I spray and the barley is much bigger I'll be able to see where to drive (and not drive over the onions).

Here is an "after" picture of what the tracks look like.
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- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, April 17th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my dad on the back of the planter filling up with seed as we planted this afternoon.
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- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, April 17th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Pawelski Farm, April 17th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of me power harrowing this morning. After plowing and spreading the fertilizer and barley I power harrow the field to break up the soil, work in the barley and fertilizer, and make a nice seed bed. These are fields that had the sudan sorghum in them last year which I disked back in March. There was still some sorghum debris when we planted later in the day but it looked nothing like it did before I disked the fields in March.

- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Breakdown today! The bolts sheared on the rim for the spreader. One of the region's top repair persons, Kenny Gurda, welded and replaced the broken portion of the rim. We were operational again a few hours later.
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- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

That's a Case 350 cleat tractor (a fun tractor to operate) pulling our John Deere spreader.

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to my Ipod Nano, which has 682 songs on it. The first song randomly picked this morning, Guns N' Roses Paradise City, followed by C S & N 49 Bye-Byes, Dave Mason Only You Know and I Know, The Manhattans Shining Star, and then some Bad Company, I think ......

- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

In the last picture notice how tight it gets between the dumptruck and spreader. Well, like a dummy one time I left the truck running and I had my arm in there and the pto on the lift engaged and I almost got my arm crushed. I then reminded myself why I should shut the truck off before I stick my arm in there again.

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Pawelski Farm, April 16th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T19:09:00.001-07:00

These pictures show how far I fell last year when I tore my meniscus in my knees. All is going well after my very successful surgery this past winter on my left knee.

In the pictures above I am putting fertilizer in the dumptruck to take to the spreader in the field. We put out 1,000 pounds to the acre. Each field is soil tested and each each field has a different fertilizer mix based on the soil test recommendation.

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from Spring planting Pawelski Farm, April, 2009

2009-04-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

Pawelski Farm, April 13th, 2009, Spring Planting

2009-04-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

These are planting pictures taken on Monday (it was cold!). We are a little over half-way done planting. We have 55 acres of onions planted (44 to go, we will plant 10 more acres tomorrow) and we will be planting 8 acres of butternut squash a few weeks from now. We planted our seed onions (they produce seed for next season) on March 18th and we started planting our seeded onions (like you see in the pictures) on March 31st.

It's been a decent spring so far. There's plenty of moisture but we've had a hard time getting any momentum. You have a couple or 3 good days in a row and then it drizzles or rains, which sort of stops us a bit in our tracks.

Outlook for this year should be interesting, especially considering the California drought situation. The latest USDA Vegetable & Melons report came out today so I need to look it over (after I eat) and see what they are forecasting. I'll forward you the link later.

- Chris Pawelski

How to Grow an Onion: I. Planting

2009-04-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Chris Pawelski wrote the following article about Spring approaching, the Black Dirt Region, the costs associated with commercial agriculture and the planting process on his farm in a recent Florida Onion article.
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How to Grow an Onion: I. Planting
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As spring fast approaches I thought I would write occasional articles throughout the year about what’s involved in growing onions. Hopefully this will give non-farmers a little insight into the process and costs associated with commercial agriculture. (to see pictures of part of the process last year check out: http://blackdirtregion.blogspot.com/)
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If the farmer doesn’t own the ground they must rent, which today is far more expensive due to an unintended consequence of the 1000+ acres in the blackdirt enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Onions, like peas, are a very hardy plant that can tolerate frosts after germination so we begin planting once the frost leaves the ground. If the field had a fall/winter cover crop it must be disked and leveled before we can plow. Plowing turns over the blackdirt and brings up fresh soil while burying any remaining material on the surface. It also aerates the soil, reducing the effects of soil compaction from the previous season while allowing the ground to better retain moisture. After plowing we spread fertilizer, roughly 1,000 lbs to the acre. Each field has its soil tested so each fertilizer mix is based on the soil analysis. Two years ago fertilizer was about $400 a ton. Today it is about $650 a ton, which is down from $1,000 a ton last summer. After the fertilizer we spread barley (1.5 bushels to the acre) as a spring wind brake. The field is then harrowed which works the fertilizer and barley in and makes for a good, soft seedbed. Some farmers have simple spring tooth harrows while others have equipment that attaches to our tractors pto called a power harrow. On our farm we have only one large horsepower tractor so we have to use it for both plowing and power harrowing. We have a smaller Case 350 cleat tractor that we use to pull the fertilizer spreader.
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We have an 8-row Stan-Hay precision planter that is pulled by an OC-6 cleat tractor. To work in the planter the onion seed needs to be pelletized into a round seed coat. We plant 10 seeds per foot, or roughly 308,000 seeds to the acre between ½ to ¾ inch deep. Also at planting we need to apply in a drench over the seed as its planted chemicals to control a fungal disease called onion smut and onion maggots. Without these pesticides virtually all of the onions will be lost.
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On our farm my father Richard and my younger brother Brian and I plant alone. Other farmers employ farmworkers to assist with planting. The entire planting process for our 90 to 100 acres takes roughly 4 to 5 weeks and we usually finish by the end of April. Because of the weather and the possibility of rain we cannot plow or prepare too many acres too far ahead. That’s the primary reason why planting takes so long. The aforementioned planting costs are over $1,200 an acre. This does not factor in such other costs as fuel, equipment repairs (many of the tractors that we use on our farm are 40 to 50 years or older), taxes, and labor (if applicable), amongst others. Onions, like many other vegetables and fruits, are an expensive and time/labor consuming crop to plant.
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Read the Florida Onion in newspaper format

Field Work on Pawelski Farm, March17, 2009

2009-03-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

"Field work starts today! I'm disking the fields where I had the sorghum sudan grass planted as a rotational crop last year.

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The fields were W-E-T. There was still some frost in the ground, obviously affecting the drainage. Plus with all the sorghum debris on the surface the soil isn't getting enough sunlight to really warm up and dry out. That should change after today."

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from Spring Planting, Pawelski Farm 2008

2009-01-31T07:57:00.001-08:00

Pawelski Farm
The onion fields on Indiana Road

Scenes from Spring Planting, Pawelski Farm 2008

2009-01-31T07:54:00.001-08:00

Richard Pawelski

"When we plant, we apply fungicides to control some diseases like smut and insecticides to control the onion maggot. The chemicals in the big tank have to be mixed continuously which is the purpose of the pump. The pump also pumps the chemicals into the tank of the machine. We have "dry brake" couplers which means the chemicals are added in a closed system from the tank truck to the machine. We still wear goggles and gloves for protection though."

- Chris Pawelski

Scenes from Spring Planting, Pawelski Farm 2008

2009-01-31T07:46:00.001-08:00

Chris Pawelski adding seed to the seed boxes on his Stanhay 8 row precision planter
"The onion seed has been pelletized to make the seed round so it works well with the belts in the boxes. Every few rounds (depending on the length of the field) we have to add more seed and chemicals"
- Chris

Scenes from Spring Planting, Pawelski Farm 2008

2009-01-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

Chris (back) and brother Brian planting the onion fields in the Spring of 2008 Yellow OC-6 tractor pulling the Stanhay 8 row precision planter
There are drums on the machine that pack the soil firmly to make a good seed bed

Scenes from Spring Planting, Pawelski Farm 2008

2009-01-31T07:43:00.000-08:00

Scenes from Spring Planting, Pawelski Farm 2008

2009-01-31T07:35:00.000-08:00

The barley cover crop as well as the onions that have emerged.

"We sprayed 2 different pre-emerge chemicals that control totally different classes of weeds as well as a post emerge herbicide to kill the barley cover crop. Another post emerge herbicide was applied to burn down the barley a bit and kill some of the smaller weeds that have emerged before we could apply the pre emerge materials."

- Chris

*To learn more about the scenes above and Pawelski Farm contact Chris at evep@warwick.net

The Daily News Online

2009-01-31T06:19:00.000-08:00

National team battling onion pests
Local vegetable specialist is among leaders
By Tom Rivers trivers@batavianews.com
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 10:24 AM EST

Los Angeles Times

2009-01-29T19:01:00.000-08:00

Slow cooking makes for sweet onions
By RUSS PARSONS, Los Angeles Times
First published in print: Thursday, January 29, 2009

The American Vegetable Grower

2009-01-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

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Read additional outtake remarks by Chris Pawelski from a recent article in the American Vegetable Grower

Tony's Table: Tuscan Pasta

2009-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

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A recent e-mail from Chris Pawelski to Tony Tantillo - The Fresh Grocer
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Hi Tony,
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I'm the onion farmer from Orange County, in the lower Hudson Valley, that contacted you in October of 2007 regarding the benefits of cooking with full flavored storage onions (see e-mail below). I caught your segment today for the Tuscan Pasta where you featured the benefits of cooking with a yellow onion http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=122219@wcbs.dayport.com. Of course any recipe that has a yellow cooking on as its "star" has to be a great recipe, though I don't know if I'd characterize that sort of onion which our area specializes in as being "regular" and we sort of hope it isn't too "inexpensive" or we can't earn a living. ;-) I just wanted to thank you for highlighting the onion, especially the cooking benefits of using our onions. As I mentioned in 2007, full flavor onions grown on muck have a much higher sugar content and when cooked are far sweeter than those other so called "sweet" onions which have virtually no flavor when cooked.
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If you are interested we'd love to host a visit/tour during the growing season. This past summer we hosted a tour for Noah Sheetz, Governor Paterson's Executive Chef and over the years we have hosted a number of tours for various media persons as well as elected officials. As we did with Noah we can show you all of the various different greens that are grown here in our valley and many are sold in the various green markets in NYC. We can also have lunch at the Quaker Creek store, which was recently featured in an episode of Food Nation (Go to the Quaker Creek store website to see that episode of Food nation which featured them: http://www.quakercreekstore.com//) Just give me a call or e-mail me and we can set it up.
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Again, I enjoyed your broadcast today and wanted to thank you for highlighting the onion.
Talk with you soon,
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- Chris Pawelski

See Tony Tantillo's demonstration on Tuscan Pasta

Chris Pawelski on Winter in the Black Dirt Region

2009-01-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

Chris Pawelski gives an update on what he and other black dirt farmers are doing right now in the winter

"Some of the local farmers still have onions and will continue packing them for the rest of the winter. We finished our onions and squash a couple of weeks ago. We were still disking the sorghum until the ground froze. Now we have to wait till the spring.

There is some equipment work that is done in the winter too but sometime in February we start to work on the planter for the new season. We have about 300 or so broken boxes which my dad is fixing. I'd normally help him and bundle all of them, but with my knee operation I'm under strict orders not to do any work for a month. I could ruin the good work he did and run the risk of infection.

Normally I don't have much in the way of farmwork to do from late December through the end of February, so I spend that time working on whatever lobbying issues I happen to be working on."

- Chris Pawelski

The onion market's multilayered rivalry

2009-01-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

From On the Side Rick Nichols
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The onion market's multilayered rivalry
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Of the assembled onion hawkers - and there were far, far more than you would imagine - dark-eyed Rodrigo Bermudez possessed perhaps the most earthily romantic and optimistic vision.
These organic Mambo Sweets that his compañeros had entrusted him to represent were grown, he said, in the rich volcanic soil of a Nicaraguan valley - "hand-planted, hand-weeded, hand-harvested" - and then dried by the sun, not some industrial blow dryer, resulting in a "better-sealed," and thus juicier, onion.
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This was not mere onion production. It was the epitome of Third World family farming - 30 small holders with plots often only a fraction of an acre (Bermudez's was, at four acres, the largest), chipping away at the good earth, trying to make a decent living.
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It helped immensely to have a story line on the sprawling floor of the Produce Marketing Association's annual exhibition at the Convention Center last week - especially in the suddenly crowded onion field.
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There were countless potato promoters, state ag booths, broccoli-sprout sellers (the sprouts tasted like, well, broccoli), Jersey berry people, Holland tomato people, and tropical-fruit touters.
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But glossy onions were all over the place, spilling from crates, stacked in perfect pyramids, proffered on trays, sometimes in the company of an individually wrapped peppermint LifeSaver.
U.S. fresh-onion consumption - who knew? - has been on an inexorable tear, close to doubling in the last three decades, standing at 20 pounds per annum per capita. If you compare onions with onions, Americans managed to eat 74 percent more of them over the last three years than they did between 1968 and 1970.
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Gary Lucien, Biing-Hwan Lin and Jane Allshouse suggest in Vegetable Production and Marketing News (August 2001) that undulations in the culture may be responsible: the rise of the fast-food hamburger (and sides of onion rings) in the '70s, the reactive boom in salad bars during the '80s, and the ethnic influence of the '90s, particularly that of the onion-loving Hispanic market.
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Of course, the onion itself has been changing its profile as well. The sweetness has been dialing up. The hotness - measured on what is called a pyruvic scale - has been cooled down. Even the contours have changed: You can see it in the produce bin, the so-called "flattened globes," the "thick flats," the "flattened tops."
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At the Vidalia booth, the man sighed. As late as the mid-1970s, there were still a mere 600 acres in sweet Vidalia production. Now it's up to 14,000 acres, a $60 million industry in Georgia - and a big, fat target.
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What was seasonal is now a staple. "There's not that mystique," the Vidalia man confided.
Nearby Hawaiians were hustling Hula Sweets, challenging the primacy of the Maui. The Washington state folks offered pill cups of Walla Walla sweet onion and watermelon salsa. (Pennsylvania's fledgling Simply Sweets weren't in evidence, so far as I could tell.)
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>From Peru came Mayan Sweets. From New York state, Empire Sweets. From Chile, Oso Sweets. All scuffling for price advantage and, among below-the-equator growers, a slice of the rich counter-seasonal market.
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It is a jockeying that, at a lesser pace, has been going on since the 1920s, when Texas stole a bit of sweet thunder, emerging as the usurper and chief supplier of the Bermuda onion, eventually breeding - from a Spanish import called Grano - the variety that Texans swear is the unsung ancestor of the Vidalia.
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So it was a long-globalized marketplace that little Nicaragua was trying to squeeze into in Philadelphia last week. The country Ronald Reagan once portrayed as an anticapitalist menace was now here simply to do a little business - at least between January and March, when U.S. onion production is low.
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It was an optimistic vision, indeed, America's ascendant Latin palate supplanting - or perhaps reinforcing? - the hamburger and salad bar as a natural ally of the Mambo Sweet.
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Rick Nichols' e-mail address is <mailto:rnichols@phillynews.com>rnichols@

Are Value-Added Cardiovascular Health Claims Valid for Vegetables?

2008-12-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Case Study of Onion-Induced Antiplatelet Activity
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Read an interseting project summary
http://www.hort.wisc.edu/goldman/lab/prsumm.htm
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Shere Khan by Chris Pawelski

2008-12-04T06:24:00.001-08:00

Chris wrote this for the Florida Onion in memory of their cat Shere Khan

When Eve and I married in September 1990 we decided to live in her hometown, Kenosha, WI. After three years we mutually agreed (after quite a few mutual arguments) that we would move to my hometown, Florida, NY, and I would return to working on the family farm. Eve had one non-negotiable demandbefore she agreed to move, we had to get akitten. Eve was a “cat person.” I was a “dogperson.” I found cats to be a bit creepy: the way they furiously lick themselves and then stop and stare at you as if they just had an important thought, or worse, they could read your mind.

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But, for domestic bliss I agreed not only to get one kitten but two. “I mean, how can a farm not have cats?” I rationalized at the time. So within a week of our arrival back in NY we adopted two young kittens from the shelter: Shere Khan and his sister Mishka. Mishka had a number of serious health issues and was put to sleep. We soon adopted another kitten, Ninotchka, to replace her. I quickly discovered what wonderful pets cats are.

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Shere Khan and Ninotchka were our first babies. For four years, before our eldest son Caleb was born, our maternal and paternal instincts were channeled into their care. We have photo albums devoted to them. We fed them special treats. We had entire conversations with them. And everyday they waited for us to come home from work. They’d bring us “treats” they caught each day (yuck) and would sit on our laps as we watched TV. And when Caleb and Jonah were born they knew how important our children were. Though our boys would beat on the cats, Shere Khan and Ninotchka never scratched or bit them. And as Caleb grew older he and Shere Khan developed a close bond. Shere Khan was Caleb’s cat. He sat next to Caleb to be petted. And each morning as he made his lunch, Caleb gave Shere Khan some of his ham. I don’t know who enjoyed “ham time” more.

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Over the years, as we suffered weather-related disaster after weather-related disaster and dealt with perpetual financial turmoil, Shere Khan and Ninotchka didn’t care. They always displayed their love and affection, without conditions, and always appreciated the attention we gave them. As he got older, Shere Khan had to deal with not being the biggest and baddest male cat in the neighborhood. He had a hard time coming to accept this. His response (though he was fixed as a kitten) was peeing on just about everything to mark his territory, both inside and outside the house. We just accepted the fact that he now had “emotional issues.” We still loved him.

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Last month, after a short illness, Shere Khan passed away. It was very hard. I couldn’t help but think of the episode of Taxi entitled “Alex’s Old Buddy,” when Alex was reunited with his family dog of 19 years. Though a vet encouraged Alex to put to sleep the aged and sick dog, Alex refused. And for a time Alex treated him like a king. As the book “Hailing Taxi” describes this episode: “Later, however, Alex comes back to the garage without the dog. Buddy just looked too sick, he’d decided, so he took him to the vet for the last time. Louie understands, and he orders everyone out of the garage so Alex can be alone in his grief. Seeing he can’t help, Louie leaves as well.” Episode writer Ken Estin adds, “You can’t feel as bad about it (a pet’s death) as you would about a human being. And yet, you loved it, it was part of you. And we thought it’d be interesting that the pragmatic Alex—who would say it’s just an animal, and while there’s some affection, it’s not like a person—would cry in spite of himself.”

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We miss you Shere Khan.

Chris Pawelski - For The Record

2008-11-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

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In response to the recent Daily News article: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/11/24/2008-11-24_new_york_should_give_equal_rights_to_the.html
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Below is my response to your piece on farmworkers today. I seriously doubt you have the character, honesty or integrity to run it, but, I wanted to send it anyway.
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The New York Daily News has once again produced an editorial on the farmworker issue that is rife with half-truths, distortions and misinformation (“New York should give equal rights to the farmworkers RFK championed” 11/24/08). As a fourth generation family farmer from the lower Hudson Valley who has dealt extensively with this issue I’d like to address some of the claims made by the Daily News.
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The editorial states, “Here in New York, farmworkers are denied legal workplace protections that are taken for granted by virtually everyone else who earns a paycheck.” The obvious implication is that farmworkers in New York are ignored by government/society. The fact is roughly a dozen or more federal, state and local governmental agencies aggressively oversee a plethora of laws that exist to regulate the working and living conditions of farmworkers. There are laws covering housing, pay, transportation, and other working condition issues. Agricultural employees are probably the most regulated and protected employees in New York.
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Further, farmworkers in New York benefit from a number of governmentally funded social service programs that, in many cases, only exist for their benefit, including their own FREE government funded health clinics, day care centers for their children (now 14 throughout the state), federally funded migrant education programs, as well as their own government funded law firm which works only in their behalf. Keep in mind the average hourly wage for farmworkers in New York is $10.00 and the overwhelming majority of farmworkers in New York receive free housing and all that entails, including free utilities and in many cases free cable or satellite tv service. How many NYC residents working at the same wage tier receive free housing and free day care for their children?
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The editorial further states, “They are not guaranteed overtime after a 40-hour week, nor are they guaranteed a day off per week, nor do they have the right to organize and bargain collectively.” The vast majority of genuine farmworkers in New York are not clamoring for these changes to the labor laws. It is being driven by religious and quasi-religious organizations that have taken it upon themselves to act as self-appointed farmworker advocates. What the Daily News fails to mention is that the overtime exemption applies to other industries, including non-profit organizations. In other words, as those in the “amen” industry demand that the overtime exemption for farmworkers should end their own employees are denied overtime pay. The hypocrisy is astounding. If, according to the Daily News and these self-appointed advocate organizations, there is no legitimate reason to maintain the overtime exemption for agricultural workers then let’s end it for EVERY INDUSTRY, INCLUDING THEIRS.
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The issue of the small number of exemptions in connection with farmworkers should be considered in the context of agriculture’s historical as well as current production and marketing realities. Our society has had over the past 70 years a “cheap food policy” where the average family spends less than 10% of their disposable income on food and the farmer, who is a price taker, not price maker, receives typically 20% of the retail dollar. Increased costs cannot be passed on to the consumer. The farmer absorbs them, or goes out of business. Farming is subject to the seasons and the weather, something a farmer can’t control. And let’s keep in mind that the upstate economy has been in terrible shape the past few years. We are now in the midst of our most serious economic crisis we have faced in some 70 years. Bad, no, suicidal public policy would be passing laws that could potentially destroy New York agriculture, the one industry still functioning upstate.
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And what are the motives of the Daily News in regards to their crusade? Is it concern for the downtrodden? Hardly. During a speech at Encuentro 2000, Richard Witt, the ego-driven Executive Director of the self-appointed farmworker advocate organization, Rural and Migrant Ministry stated: “And then the New York Daily News, which is New York's largest circulation newspaper, uh took this on. As the editor said to me, uh, he said, this is really important to us. And I said why? And he said well, I think we can get a Pulitzer out of this.” They didn’t win a Pulitzer for their misleading “Harvest of Shame” series, or win any other award that I was able to contact, and share the facts regarding the misinformation found in their series, before the award was given. And though they received a Polk award when I later contacted the manager of that award and shared with him information how factually incorrect and misleading their series was he was mortified.
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Good public policy is crafted within the framework of the contextual realities we dwell in, not in a vacuum. I urge people to learn the facts regarding farming and farm employees. Please don’t take as gospel the claims of hypocritical self-appointed advocates and newspapers more interested in awards than the needs of people they claim to speak in behalf of but don’t.
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- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, November 7, 2008

2008-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

These are Pawelski onions. The label is local repacker Andy Gurda's who we have been selling our reds. I can tell the variety is Red Fortress which we grow.

- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, November 5, 2008

2008-11-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

Above: Barley cover crop and the ditchbank grassAbove: another picture of the Barley. The Barley will protect against wind ersosion.

Owl Convention at Pawelski Farm November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

There is a friggen owl convention going on out here. I've counted a dozen or so owls as I've been disking. Too weird. Something is up with the owls, that's for sure.

- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

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Above: Here is what a field that has been rotated with sorghum sudan grass this year looks like after being disk plowed and now disked.
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Quite bumpy. Better for your insides (riding in the tractor) than 3 bowls of a high fiber cereal for breakfast!

Above: From a distance you can see the fall barley cover crop coming on

Above: Another shot of the barley.

- Chris Pawelski

The Warwick Valley Dispatch on The Pawelskis

2008-11-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Recently the October 29th edition of the Warwick Valley Dispatch featured an article called "Pine Island Chamber Recognizes Stellar Citizens" (Lon Tytell). Chris and Eve Pawelski received the Community Service Award for many achievements including advocating for fellow farmers and working on issues such as farm insurance, farm workers rights, labor laws, crop damage compensation, and immigration issues.
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The article also told about how Chris and Eve Pawelski successfully lobbied for a ten million dollar grant for Orange County onion farmers. Chris and Eve have also helped as advisors to politicians like Congressman John Hall and Senator Clinton; have been guests on CNN and local TV stations; and were featured in a New York Times article about the Pine Island black dirt region.
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In another October 29th Warwick Valley Dispatch article titled "Pawelski Gives Hall 'Friend of Farm Bureau' Award", Chris Pawelski was mentioned in his role as a presenter at the Orange County Farm Bureau Annual "Friend of the Farmer" Dinner that took place on October 16th. Pawelski presented Congressman John Hall with the "Friends Of The Farm" award.
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Pawelski said "Congressman Hall's commitment to agriculture and rural issues has been outstanding. Not only was he at our farms touring the damage in the wake of the flooding, but afterward Representative Hall and his staff began working, and have continued to work on solutions to address perpetual flooding of the Wallkill River. Further, Representative Hall's work on his Conservation of Muck Soils (COMS) program is a hallmark achievement. John saw a need and a problem in current USDA conservation programs and for working farms on muck soils and he created an innovative program which he successfully was able to attach to the House version of the latest Farm Bill, an incredible achievement for a freshman Congressperson."

In Memory of Shere Khan

2008-10-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

One of our cats, Shere Khan, died yesterday (10/25/08). We had him for over 15 years. Our family is pretty broken up over it. Caleb loved him (and he loved Caleb).
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- Pawelski Family

Chris Pawelski on rising fertilizer prices

2008-10-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

The following article appeared in today's AgLine News: http://www.aglinenews.com/news-4.html

The price increase is exactly the same here. We went from $250 a ton for fertilizer a couple of years ago and the local dealer told me the other day it is at $1,000 a ton today.

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I sincerely hope it goes down before next spring!

- Chris Pawelski

Pawelski Farm, October 23, 2008

2008-10-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

We are grading-packing a load (900 - 50lb bags) of my onions this morning. The variety is a long term storage onion named Verrazano from Seminis Seeds. They are diamonds. There are virtually no bad onions. I think Lydia and my brother (seen in the picture) are bored! It's a good boredom.
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- Chris Pawelski

Disk Plowing in progress at Pawelski Farm, October 22

2008-10-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Below: Richard Pawelski makes an adjustment to the disk plow in the field earlier this morning

Below: Progress - disk plowing the field continues

Pawelski Farm, October 21, 2008

2008-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

While my family and employees grade some red onions I'm doing field work. I'm disk-plowing the fields that had the rotational crop of sudan sorghum grass. The roots really break up the soil and improve drainage and yields of onions greatly improve thanks to the rotation and green matter returned to the soil. This picture above is what the field looks like before I start working on it. I'm going to have to regular disk it multiple times this fall so that it will be ready to be planted this spring.
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- Chris Pawelski
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After regular disking

Chris Pawelski in response to Jordan Wells of Rural and Migrant Mininstry

2008-10-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

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The letter recently written by Jordan Wells of Rural and Migrant Ministry (RMM) [http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opltr115878902oct11,0,1342871.story] is long on distortions and misinformation and short on the facts regarding farmworkers. Their propaganda must be addressed.
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Wells claims, "Since conditions of work on farms are so inevitably terrible that United States workers won't take these jobs...." Neither New York Farm Bureau nor farmers in general make this claim. Agricultural work is entry-level "bend and stoop" labor that is for the most part temporary and seasonal in nature. It's not easy work, but it certainly isn't something akin to torture. It's the temporary and seasonal part that makes it hard to find domestic persons to fill the jobs. RMM and related organizations constantly claim that farmworker conditions are "terrible" and are ignored by society but the fact is that roughly a dozen or more federal, state and local governmental agencies aggressively oversee a plethora of laws that regulate the working and living conditions of farmworkers. The New York State Department of Labor produces a little green book (in English and in Spanish) titled Protection for Farm Workers. The book states, "Farmworkers: You should know that there are federal and state laws related to employment that provide important protection for you.'' The book details laws covering housing, pay, transportation, working conditions and how to make complaints about employers to the state Labor Department.
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RMM's primary purpose and activities center around their legislative lobbying agenda to change NYS labor laws in connection with farmworkers, which Wells highlights. Yes, there are some exemptions regarding some labor laws. But exemptions to a law are not unusual. Numerous exemptions exist in our criminal and civil codes. There are specific and legitimate reasons for those exemptions in agricultural labor laws and farmers like myself have no problem defending each one of those exemptions within the context of our historical and current production and marketing realities. But to paint a picture of virtually no laws or protections for farmworkers is incredibly misleading. How many other industries can claim a dozen or so governmental regulatory oversight agencies for its employees?
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Further, those in the "amen industry" that primarily fund and direct RMM benefit from many of the same exemptions that Wells lists. For example, religious based institutions, including their private schools and hospitals, have a long, rich tradition of being anti-union. Or should I say, they are pro-union, unless it is people that happen to work for them. From the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (NICWJ) website:
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"Engages Religious Employers: Religiously-affiliated non-profit institutions: such as hospitals and nursing homes, should model the highest standard of employer-employee relations. Unfortunately some religious institutions hire union-busting 'consultants' and engage in unethical, and sometimes illegal behavior toward workers when they attempt to form a union. IWJ has developed resources to educate people of faith about this issue." (http://www.nicwj.org/pages/aboutus.html)
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This blatant hypocrisy also involves overtime pay. Under NYS labor law non-profit organizations, at the time of their formation/incorporation, can elect to apply for an exemption (or "exclusion," as the self-appointed advocates put it) to pay overtime. So, odds are, the large religious institutions as well as the individual churches that are prompting/backing RMM and calling on farmers to pay overtime to farmworkers are probably exempt and not paying overtime to their own employees.
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Farmworkers in New York State, according to relevant federal statistics, earn roughly $10.50 per hour. Most also receive free housing and all that free housing entails, which includes generally free gas & electric, free tvs and free DirecTV or cable service. Farmworkers in NYS also benefit from a number of governmentally funded social service programs that, in many cases, only exist for their benefit, including their own free government-funded health clinics, free day-care centers for their children, free child and adult migrant education programs, as well as their own free government-funded law firm which works only in their behalf. And this is for in most cases, to emphasize, TEMPORARY SEASONAL JOBS. They are in fact earning enough to provide for themselves here and their families back home.
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Farmers like myself would love to pay our workers even more. We'd love to provide healthcare coverage. Farmers (until quite recently) are getting paid, dollar for dollar and not adjusted for inflation, the same price for their commodity they were paid over 25 years ago. And we in this country spend less than 11% of our disposable income on food and farmers typically receive less than 20% of that retail dollar. This is the contextual reality that the self-appointed advocates like Wells never deal with. This issue must be addressed within that reality, not from a void. We are price takers, not price makers. Where do Wells and RMM expect the money to come from for the things they are demanding for farmworkers and in many cases not providing their own employees?
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Finally, these organizations act as "self-appointed advocates" on behalf of farmworkers. Real farmworkers have neither elected nor chosen the organizations or their designated leaders to represent them. Only a token one or two farmworkers actually serves on their various Boards of Directors. For the most part real farmworkers do not attend these organizations' meetings nor help plan their events. Rev. Richard Witt, Executive Director of RMM, admitted this fact in sworn testimony before the NYS Lobby Commission in October 2001. Witt admitted that though any farmworker who wants to be on RMM's planning committee could be on it, on average only two or three actually serve on the committee. The investigator for the Lobby Commission remarked, "does that sound strange to you? ... In the advocacy advocating for these people, any one of them, as you testified, can serve on the committee, and the most you got is three?" When actual farmworkers do participate, they're usually paid to be there. In his testimony Rev. Witt admitted that the few farmworkers that were bussed into Albany were paid $40 at the end of their lobbying event.
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For years RMM lobbied extensively without bothering to register as lobbyists or familiarize themselves with NYS lobby laws. It wasn't until after they were investigated and fined by the Lobby Commission that they registered. Their disregard for the law also extends to their federal tax filings. RMM files as tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. According to the IRS, "to be tax-exempt as an organization described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, an organization may not engage in carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities.” Even the most casual review of the copious materials generated by this organization reveals that engaging in propaganda and lobbying is neither a small part nor even a "substantial" part but in fact constitutes the bulk of their activities. RMM makes numerous statements regarding lobbying, both in their own literature as well as in the press and has claimed substantial legislative lobbying victories. Yet despite all of this lobbying up until their 2001 yearly 990 tax returns, in clear violation of the tax code, claimed they did not lobby AT ALL.
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Please, before anyone accepts as gospel the rants of such persons as Wells and organizations as RMM, I urge you to talk to actual farmworkers, farmers and regulators and find out what the facts really are regarding the living and working conditions of farmworkers in NYS.

On Woodchucks

2008-10-07T04:50:00.000-07:00

"If anyone ever wondered why farmers like myself give woodchucks high powered lead poisoning, this picture (along with busted axles and undermined buildings resulting from holes all over the place) says it all."
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- Chris Pawelski

Axle busting woodchuck hole

A Model to Grow BY

2008-10-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

A Model to Grow By
By Maire Ulrich, MBA
Cooperative Extension Educator, Vegetable Crops
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This past season, Ray and Gary Glowaczewski of R & G Produce and Chris and Rich Pawelski found a cooperative solution to growing problems in the Black Dirt Region. The problem on the side of R & G is that they wholesale a few crops and retail a full spectrum of vegetables. Their markets are growing but they have limited resources. Currently, land is the foremost limiting factor, especially since CREP has come on the scene. The other hurdles to meeting these ever demanding markets are labor and management. They personally don’t have the time to grow any more acres and their workers are already stretched with current acreage demands.
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On the Pawelski side, like many others, mono-cropping onions wholesale has become less profitable over the past few years. But, diversification isn’t for everyone. Not all of the onion growers are poised, nor should they be, to jump into retailing A-Z vegetables.
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Well, R & G and the Pawelskis met in the middle this past season to solve both of their dilemmas. They cooperated on growing eight acres of butternut squash.
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R & G did great business in butternut in the off season and felt there was a market for more. So they approached the Pawelskis about growing more to meet market needs.
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Ray planted his fields of squash at the same time he planted Chris’. The Pawelskis were responsible for weeding, spraying and harvesting. After harvest R & G would market the squash – providing the Pawelskis a pre-determined portion of the sale.
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Of course, the Glowaczewskis guided the Pawelskis through pest management decisions and provided tips on harvest techniques that would ensure the highest quality squash. But, production and quality were good.
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The market before Thanksgiving was slow due to warm temperatures and consumers not thinking about squash dishes. But, since then (and I’m writing this shortly before Christmas) things have picked up considerably and the squash is moving well.
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Final accounting hasn’t been done because sales are not complete but both sides appear to be content with the outcome so far.
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This “set-up” might be a viable option for many growers in the valley to meet growing market needs without everyone trying to retail themselves. This situation requires trust, and some extra time for communications. In this particular case, it was extremely beneficial that the Glowaczewskis were growing their own acres of squash adjacent to the Pawelskis. This allowed for team-work when it came to crop management decision-making.
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These farm families did not have a written agreement but you probably should just to eliminate any questions that might arise before the season begins.
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The Pawelskis had to trust the Glowaczewskis and that their squash growing and marketing expertise would pay off for them while R & G had to invest more time to communicate and guide the Pawelskis.
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Maire Ulrich, MBA
Cooperative Extension Educator, Vegetable Crops
Cornell Cooperative Extension, Orange County
18 Seward Ave.
Middletown, NY 10940
(845) 344-1234
Fax (845) 343-7471

Pawelski Farm, October 4, 2008

2008-10-04T19:45:00.001-07:00

Well, yesterday and today we finally started harvesting our 7 acres of butternut squash. They were clipped and wind rowed a couple of weeks ago. They have conditioned well and were finally decent enough to harvest. We covered about 3 acres yesterday and hope to finish today or tomorrow. The yield is excellent - roughly 41 bulk boxes to the acre.

Last night we had an unpleasant surprise, a light frost. It does't appear that the squash were damaged. Once we finish boxing the squash we'll haul it to our neighbors who we partner with, and they'll store, market and pack the squash.

- Chris Pawelski

From the AgLineNews

2008-10-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

Country-of-origin food labeling begins next week
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(cfbf.com) � Starting next week, grocery shoppers will be able to distinguish more easily between U.S.-grown foods and imported products. Foods such as meat, fruits and vegetables will carry country-of-origin labeling beginning Sept. 30, under federal legislation that requires retailers to inform consumers where certain agricultural products come from.
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The new rule is a victory for California farmers and ranchers, who have long fought for country-of-origin labeling, or COOL, because they feel consumers would seek out and buy more U.S. agricultural products if given the information and choice, said Kenny Watkins, second vice president of the California Farm Bureau Federation.
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"This is a success story. California Farm Bureau has been in support of country-of-origin labeling for years and we're glad to see it finally implemented," he said. "We hope it'll be implemented logically and sensibly so it provides a benefit to our producers and consumers."
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Supporters say the new labels will help consumers be more discriminating about the foods they buy.
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" California farmers and ranchers produce the safest and highest-quality food in the world. We believe consumers also recognize this and they should be given the opportunity to purchase domestically produced food," said Elisa Noble, CFBF director of livestock, public lands and natural resources.
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COOL applies to fresh beef, lamb, chicken, goat and pork, as well as fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, macadamia nuts, pecans, ginseng and peanuts. Wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish have had to disclose country of origin since 2005.
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Retailers may use a wide range of methods to show country of origin, including labels, placards, stamps, bands, twist-ties and pin tags. Some product labels, such as those on meat, may list multiple countries if the animals were born, raised and finished in different countries.
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The new rule also allows state, local or regional labeling of produce, such as "California Grown," " Washington apples" or " Idaho potatoes," to be used to identify origin.
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The new rule does not cover processed foods such as sausage, corned beef, chicken tenders, certain salad mixes or fruit cups with melons, bananas and strawberries. Food sold through food-service establishments, including restaurants, delicatessens, schools, hospitals and other institutions, also are exempt.
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COOL first became law under the 2002 Farm Bill, but implementation was delayed due to resistance from sectors that raised concerns about the practicality and logistics of some of the provisions, as well as increased costs that producers, retailers and consumers could have to bear. Others worried there would be extra administrative and record-keeping burdens placed on businesses.
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Barry Bedwell, president of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, said COOL requirements have since been much simplified and streamlined in the 2008 Farm Bill. The new version of the legislation also reduced some of the liability and penalty exposure that had been an issue in the 2002 version, he added.
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"We think that once people get a true understanding of this, it's going to work well," he said.
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The United Fresh Produce Association reported that more than 50 percent of fresh produce sold in retail grocery stores today already carries country-of-origin labeling on packaging or Price Look-Up stickers, while many retailers provide COOL information on in-store signs.
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The effect of the new rule is expected to be relatively small on individual producers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retailers and suppliers, including processors, wholesalers, handlers and importers, will likely feel the most impact.
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USDA estimates U.S. companies will spend $2.5 billion complying with the new rules during the first year and an annual $499 million thereafter for maintenance. USDA estimates the average implementation cost per firm is $376 for producers, $53,948 for suppliers and $235,551 for retailers.
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Producer affidavits are sufficient to substantiate origin of meat or produce. For livestock producers, other acceptable methods include animal health papers, import or customs documents and National Animal Identification System records. The legislation allows standard records "maintained in the course of normal business" to serve as verification of origin. All parties of the supply chain are required to maintain their records for one year.
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Richard Quandt, president of the Grower-Shipper Vegetable Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties , said his organization has been supportive of the concept of country-of-origin labeling, noting that most other products that consumers buy already identify where they are made.
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"We think overall it's beneficial for California agriculture," said Quandt. "Most of the farmers in our region do not have operations in other countries, so they feel like they're competing with a lot of the foreign-grown stuff in somewhat uneven terms. They feel that all things being equal, consumers would probably select stuff that our local farmers are producing over things that are grown in some other country."
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Matt Byrne, executive vice president of the California Cattlemen's Association, said that while it remains to be seen how much revenue or additional markets can be developed through COOL, "the goal from our side is that we be able to pass a portion of that back to the producer."
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"I think we are in a time where there are a lot of questions that are being raised by consumers about where their food comes from," he said. "If there's value that can be identified in one type of labeling or an indication of a specific origin that a consumer wants to purchase, that value that is generated needs to be shared back through the chain."
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The publishers of Consumer Reports magazine said a poll it conducted last year found that 92 percent of Americans agree that imported foods should be labeled by their country of origin. Consumers Union called implementation of COOL "a long-awaited change."
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"We think it will be a great benefit for consumers," Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumers Union, said. "The new labels will give consumers important new information."

Pawleski Farm, September 29, 2008

2008-10-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, after getting out of the hospital last Monday, and missing the end of our onion harvest, this Monday and Tuesday I'm finally able to work. Work definitely beats sitting in the house and watching daytime television (unless it's X-File repeats). I'd much rather drive a forklift while listening to Dave Mason's "Only You Know And I Know" and Kiss's "Detroit Rock City" (amongst many other rock classics) on my Ipod.

Demand for onions is quite strong, though the price hasn't gone up in response. I wonder if the increased demand isn't due to these 2 factors:

1. The crisis with the economy. People are not eating out as much and the grocery chains may be anticipating a surge in people buying more produce so as to cook at home. I wonder if grocery purchases have increased the last few days.

2. COOL. Oct. 1st Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is finally due to be implemented. Long overdue this legislation requires food outlets to tell the consumer what country the food product is from. Packers, brokers, grocery chains (who fought COOL tooth and nail the past 7 years) and other food sources-outlets may be scrambling to obtain as much domestic product as possible.

I think the public is going to be SHOCKED to find out how much of our food is imported. And why is so much imported? One reason, it's cheaper. But is it wise public policy to rely so heavily on foreign sources for our food at the detriment of the American farmer? In my opinion, in terms of national security it is bad and woefully short-sighted public policy. Hopefully COOL will be vigorously enforced. Enough of the speeches on the soapbox.

Today we are grading onions over to separate some decay that was present in this particular field. Tomorrow we will bag the onions to fill some orders. Hopefully by Saturday things will be dry enough we can finish harvesting our 7 acres of butternut squash. They are clipped and windrowed. Now they just need to be placed in boxes. But, it has to be dry to harvest or they get stained and though perfectly edible no one buys stained squash.

- Chris Pawleski

Read a question and answer information sheet on Country of Origin Labling:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5071922

Pawelski Farm, September 16, 2008

2008-09-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday and today we got back to field work. I have been windrowing (picking up and dropping the onions to dry them out prior to harvest) while everyone else is harvesting. We also have another crew starting to clip and line up our butternut squash. After this step they are put into boxes and removed from the field.
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More talk from our buyers about "cheaper onions" from Canada and from the western US being dumped into our markets. When will we get paid a decent price for our crop? Hopefully the public will continue to demand local. I can handle bad weathern tough govt. regulations, problems regarding labor, increased production costs, etc .... But I hate the fact I have to beg and grovel to sell my crop and have gotten paid (before this season) virtually the same price the past 25 years.
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It's discouraging. And it doesn't have to be this way
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- Chris Pawelski

Kermit on The Hill

2008-09-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

An e-mail from Chris Pawleski to collegues Thursday, Apr 20, 2000

Okay,
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I'm in an elevator in the Rayburn Building in Washington DC, on March 29th, with four or five other Farm Bureau people, and in walk these four or five people, including this guy with this really really big Kermit the Frog. So what do I do? I spaz out. I'm thinking, maybe this is Henson's kid or something. Spittle is coming out of my mouth. Like a typical tourist rube I pull out my camera and get a picture. When we get to our floor I realize he isn't related to Hensen but I ask, whyis he there? His reply, they are lobbying something about exotic animals and he made reference to that kid who recently got his arm chomped off by that tiger. I think he sensed my disappointment.
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He then quickly added, as his entourage steped off the elevator ...
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"I'm just here goofing off, to help out a bit. I'm really just here to help out Tippi."
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At that point one of the members of our group gasped (for she was standing right next to her the entire elevator ride) "that's Tippi Hedren."
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Then, I truly spazzed. Me, the film man. Hedren, the Hollywood starlet. The star of "the Birds" and "Marnie." The only actress to be sexually assaulted by the great fat director, "Hitchcock." She smooched Sean Connery for cripes sake. And do I notice her? Heck no. I must have been 2 to 3 feet away. I probably could smell her I was so close. But notice her? No way. I'm fixated on a stupid muppet. And of course, I get no picture of her. Again, only ... the muppet.
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That's right, that's me in a nutshell. Back in school I wasn't thinking about girls. I was thinking about "Star Wars", and Ewoks and the real meaning of the old "Land of the Lost" tv series.
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What a geek.
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- Chris
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I found out the next day, from Rep. Gilman's aide that Bo Derek was there too. If I had known that I would have probably dumped the farming lobby and "helped out Tipi too" for the rest of the day. But, if Eve found out I probably would have been "endangered" also (see article from Court TV below).
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http://www.courttv.com/people/2000/0329/exotic_ap.html
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Updated March 29, 2000, 6:30 p.m. ET
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Muppet, celebs lobby Congress for exotic pet law
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Owners of large cats, bears, apes and other exotic large mammals would have be licensed by the federal government under a bill being promoted by three actresses and a puppet frog.
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''Not everyone of us up here today is a celebrity or just another one of those talking frogs on Capitol Hill,'' Kermit the Frog said at a news conference Wednesday to promote the bill by Rep. Tom Lantos. ''I'm a representative of the animal kingdom and we all need your help,'' the Sesame Street character said with the help of puppeteer Steve Whitmire.
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After exchanging flirtations with actresses Bo Derek, Melanie Griffith and Griffith's mother, Tippi Hedren, Kermit quipped, ''I, too, am endangered. When I go home to Miss Piggy, I'm going to be in serious trouble.''
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Hedren, a long-time animal protection activist, went to Lantos, D-Calif., with the idea for the legislation because too many people are being mauled by ocelots, wolves and tigers that are adopted as pets when cubs but then outgrow the ability of owners to feed and control them.
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Griffith said as many as 7,000 tigers alone are living in people's back yards as pets or, in the case of drug dealers, guard animals to ward off police.
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Many are abandoned or euthanized once they become too much of a burden to their owners, Hedren said.
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Lantos' bill would require the owners of exotic mammals to get a license from the Agriculture Department and show that they have the facilities and capability to keep the animals safely and humanely.

Crying for Onions

2008-09-12T05:06:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered why onions make you cry?
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There are several myths about how to reduce the sulphenic reaction that causes eye watering. Freezing onions, cutting them underwater, burning candles, keeping a toothpick in the mouth, wearing bandanas. Some of these bizarre practices are actually effective.
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When onions are sliced the cells are broken, allowing enzymes to break down sulphoxides which in turn forms sulphenic acids. The unstable molecular sulphenic acids reform into syn-propanethial-S-oxide gas which, when it reaches the eyes, reacts with the moisture in the eye to form a weak version of sulphuric acid. Eye nerve irritation from the gas causes a stinging sensastion and the tearful waterworks that are so commonly associated with the onion.
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Stopping Tears

Cutting onions under running water or in a large bowl of water will stop sulphenic acid from reaching the eyes.
Rinsing the onion and keeping them wet while cutting can also be a slightly effective method.
Keeping the onion root in tact while chopping will cut down on eye watering as the root has a higher enzyme content.
Using a sharp knife to chop onions will reduce the cell damage and the enzyme release that causes eye irritation.
Chilling or freezing onions can stall or stop enzyme activation, decreasing the amount of gas that is formed.
The heat of a burning a candle can be an effective way to burn some or all of the onion gas. If enough heat is generated the chemical nature of the gas will be altered and eye irritation will be unlikely.
Toothpicks in the mouth and wearing bandanas are completely ineffective ways to stop onion tears.

On January 31, 2008, the New Zealand Crop and Food Institute created a strain of 'no tears' onions with gene-silencing biotechnology. Read more: www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23144566-23109,00.html

*Information taken from Wikipedia. Learn more about onions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion

Grading and Packing Onions at Pawelski Farm

2008-09-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's still too wet to harvest so we are grading-packing onions today. That's my mom Grace, my brother Brian and our employee Marko.These are probably the best quality onions we have graded-sold this season (varieties: Santana and Festival). This is from my field. There are virtually no bad-rotten ones. The current price to the grower is holding though some are trying to knock it down. . .
- Chris Pawelski

Assured of a Good Season

2008-09-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Many of Chris Pawelski's onion fields are on Indiana Road

Sept 6, 2008
Taken from an e-mail from Chris Pawelski to two collegues:
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Earlier this year the Town of Goshen tried to illegally close Indiana Road (I sent you a pdf article I wrote in the Florida Onion newspaper about it). I organized 2 press conferences which led to a great deal of pressure being placed on the Town to reverse its actions. Well, one of the farmers down Indiana Road is a friend of ours, Pastor Hugh Farrish. Hugh is a pastor for a baptist church in Westchester. We are longtime friends of his nephew. We helped him find the blackdirt, with farm equipment and other farm related stuff. His church members volunteer and work on the farm and all food grown is donated to poor people in Westchester.
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Well, when I organized my first press conference regarding the Indiana Road situation I had Hugh bring about 30 members of his church. Most were African Americans. Well, during my presentation during the press conference I got a whole bunch of "AMENS" from his church members. I've given a number of press conferences and presentations over the years but that was a first, and very cool (Hugh got more Amens during his presentation though). When Hugh spoke he said that our side would prevail because "God is on our side." He was right.
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Today, I received a few "May God bless you." Well, between the "Amens: and the "May God bless you" I figure I will finally have a good season!