Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas,
February 16, 2012
More from the archives:
Again, nothing has changed for the better.
We still have government that spends too much.
RIP America
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER
05/02/04
I read an article in your March 17 paper speaking about what Orange County thinks should be done about open space. I also went to the open meeting about this project. I have some serious reservations about spending more and more on open space.
At present, we have 4,000 acres of open space in the Town of Goshen. How many more acres do we need? If the total for the county is 20,000 acres, it seems Goshen has already done its part. Instead of raising our taxes to implement this proposal, do as was done many years ago. Take pen to paper and sign into law the land is "too valuable to be built on."
This is what was done to the Black Dirt. We had no say in this and no compensation for our land. Seems fair to me. Actually, this is not fair. Wasn't fair to us and wouldn't be fair for others. Didn't stop the state of New York from doing it.
As a resident of Goshen for over 33 years (hubby's family has been here since 1939) I have seen how the political changes have been devastating to our farming community. Every time a new rule or regulation is put into effect, it hurts us the most. We have little control over our income, so every cent is extremely important to us. It's bad enough we need to fight Mother Nature.
Other locals who work in this community are also very dependent on a few cents to make or break them.
Perhaps our leaders should start cutting things instead of always wanting to raise our taxes on the whims of those who seem to lose the least.
My other concern is who these prospective landowners would be. We have 55 acres of Black Dirt. Would I be eligible for this deal?
Probably not, my hands are already tied by the state of New York. Would this be other working farms that were offered this deal? They would benefit the most. Keep them farming and bring this county fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products.
How about if the county builds a place farmers can bring their cows, chickens, pigs, etc. to have them butchered? From what I understand, Orange County has a perfect spot now. With Sorrento Cheese escaping the high taxes and leaving Goshen, what a perfect spot to create a distribution center for dairy and locally grown products. This then could be sold to local residents. Plus you keep the open space as used land. A win-win situation.
If a non-farm has its development rights purchased, do you think it will remain as beautiful? Will the owner still ask a farmer to harvest the land? Residents purchase large tracts of land and, to keep it on an agricultural exemption (lower tax rate), get farmers to harvest the hay. The farmer manicures this land for all to see. Unused tillable land turns into millions of weeds, which produce billions of seeds. These seeds get spread on the wind and end up as a problem for all of us.
Home gardeners will spend many more hours of their weekend trying to keep up and farmers will need to find alternative ways to stop the weed/crop competition in their fields. Farm costs will rise again with no guarantee of an increase in our pay.
Our state, county and even our towns have got to cut back on spending. Those who built this county and have hung on for these many years are being forced out.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas,
February 8, 2012
I have been cleaning out my computer. It takes me forever because I have to read everything before I delete it or make a file and keep it. I drift back to the events that were the reasons for most of the emails, some are happy times and some are painful or heart breaking. They are all important because that is what makes us who we are today.
I found an email I sent to Rep. Hall in 2007 and I forwarded it to Rep Hayworth, mentioning that it is still relevant today because nothing has gotten any better, in fact it has gotten worse. Each day goes by and we lose more and more of our freedoms. Some one always has to control your behavior, what you do with your property and worse of all take the money you worked for and share it with others.
YOUR accomplishments are belittled by government when they take from the hard workers and give to the ones that don't or won't work. We lose our incentive to "build" and fall into the trap of dependency.
This year we need CHANGE, real change, back to our ancestors world. The one where everyone helped one another and we all prospered, working side by side to BUILD our country.
A country that celebrates it's returning soldiers with a parade and not football players. (memories of Vietnam, with a tear)
Back to my cleaning:
I decided to print this "letter to the editor" from 2006, not written by me. It is still very accurate in 2012.
It seems funny to me that the responses to (name removed) and ( name removed) letters regarding conventional vs. organic produce come from non-farmers. Although Mr. (name removed) (July 5 response) admittedly has some farmer friends, I assume he has another means of support for his family. People who don’t farm don’t realize what it takes in terms of time, money, determination, resourcefulness, ingenuity and love for the land to be a farmer. Many think that we should all grow organically and the world would be a happy place. Considering the fact that currently only 2% of this country’s food supply is produced organically, it would also be a very hungry place.
People are so quick to judge conventional farmers’ use of pesticides and many don’t realize that organic farmers are allowed to use many pesticides themselves. Rotenone (has been associated with Parkinson’s Disease), neem, pyrethrum (has been considered carcinogenic) , quassia, equisetum and ryania are "botanicals" that are common ingredients in commercial organic pesticides. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most well-known biopesticides and it has been shown to cause fatal lung infections in mice. Biopesticides, according to ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, is one of the fastest growing areas of pesticide development! Although the frequency of pesticide use varies according to both the crop and its location, ATTRA’s website says that "organic fruit trees in the Midsouth routinely receive heavy applications of several fungicides and insecticides allowable in organic production." While proponents of organic farming point to the conventional pesticides that have been taken off the market after more extensive research, many organic "chemicals" are under investigation as well, such as rotenone and pyrethrum.
I’m not going to argue the nutritional merits of organic versus conventional produce either. ATTRA itself has said that a "definitive study has not been done" and for every website or study that you can find stating organic is more nutritious I can find one that says it’s not. Statistics is all about how you word the questions and answers - you can get any results you want, or at least that’s what my college statistics teacher said. In fact, most of the sites I saw claimed that conventional was every bit as nutritious and safe as organic. The USDA says that it’s National Organic Program is a marketing program and makes no claims that organic farming is "better" in any respect than conventional farming. The major difference was in price - more people can AFFORD to eat a balanced diet if they choose conventionally grown produce over the overpriced organic alternative.
I don’t know any conventional farmer who will dispute their use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers to control pests, eliminate fungus and weeds and replenish some of the nutrients their crops have taken from the ground. Amazingly enough, we also employ many of the same techniques used by organic farms. In order to keep weeds from growing around the plants we mulch. If weeds pop up we hand-pick them and remove them from the field. This helps to ensure that no other weed seeds will be left from the plant. When possible we till the land in between rows of crops. This can effectively kill the weeds that would eventually smother the vegetables and keep them from getting the nutrients they need. We also use cover crops on fallow fields and in the winter. Those cover crops are carefully chosen - we use things that will decompose and eliminate fungus in the ground and nourish the soil at the same time. Those cover crops also help to stop erosion. Anyone who has driven through the Black Dirt area in April knows how the wind blows the dirt around. It also takes any seeds, both weed and vegetable, with it to neighboring farms. Composting is essential to our business as well. Once we’ve harvested a particular crop, any remaining vegetation is broken up and tilled into the ground. Under the hot summer sun those bits of veg decompose quickly and add their nutrients to the soil. If the plants had a fungal disease we’ll remove them completely from the field so as to not infect subsequent plantings.
These techniques are now considered "organic" or "sustainable". Almost seventy years ago, when my grandfather farmed the land my family farms now - that was farming. It didn’t have a label. It was what you did because it worked - it put food on your table and with any luck money in the bank. You kept the land in good shape, making sure it will be productive for your children when they take over the farm. Contrary to what some organic advocates think, conventional farmers aren’t trying to destroy the land. We’re the ones who have been farming - and feeding our nation- for generations.
If you can afford to eat organically or you want to give it a shot and grow your own, by all means do so! But for the millions of Americans who rely on conventional farmers to put the other 98% of our food supply on their tables, please don’t scare them into thinking that what they’re doing for their families is hurting them! Eating the recommended 5 servings a day of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, is better for you than eating a lesser amount of organic produce, if that’s what you can afford. Whatever you decide to do, don’t talk about it with your mouth full. Chances are what’s in there isn’t as "organic" as you think it is.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
January 23, 2012
If I hear one more millionaire say he should be paying more in taxes I will scream. DO IT. You have the choice, just like the rest of us, of taking or NOT taking legal deductions. Tell your accountant how much you want to pay and he/she will prepare your returns without certain deductions. Must you treat us as though we are idiots?
Stop with the garbage that you should be paying more, if you pay more by raising taxes, then we ALL will pay more. I, for one, don't want to pay more. I already pay more than "my fair share" and I don't like how it is spent. When this government becomes fiscally responsible and people WORK for my money, I will be happy to contribute, until then.....
GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY POCKET.
It is getting to the time when we will have to decipher what is being said and what the truth is. There are many places you can find the truth, Google, for one. There are others, take your pick. Remember, the search engines work on clicks. The more people that click on an article the closer to the top they get. This doesn't make it the truth, just the most read. This will take some time so get started early.
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER. GET OUT AND VOTE.
I have run across a man on the internet that I find has the right answers. Although his language is a bit rough, he has it straight. I am not opposed to using four letter words but he does go overboard for my taste. His name is Adam Carolla. I went to Utube and put in his name and came up with several videos. If you have the time and don't mind the language check him out.
One thing he spoke about was the jealousy we have created in our country. People are never happy for someone else when they do good, they just want what that person has without doing what the other guy did to EARN it. They have been told they are each special and everyone gets a trophy for just showing up. Don't you see what this does to the ones that work hard to win that trophy? It lessens their hard work and in some cases will coerce the achievers to become the non achievers. "Why should I work so hard, when we all get the same thing?" Take away the inspiration they had to do better and work harder. This is what our grandchildren are inheriting from us. Do nothing society that wants YOU to pay for everything they WANT. FOOD, SHELTER, CLOTHING. This is what you need, you want more, WORK for it. GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY POCKET.
On Friday, I expected to see many birds at my feeders and they would normally be frantic to eat. This year hardly any came to feed before an expected storm. Saturday, during the storm, we did get several but they were "few and far between".
We changed a few things in my feeding area, the Christmas tree has not been changed.(side note: ALL ornaments and tinsel are off the tree. The tinsel can entangle around a birds leg and the bird could lose a leg or his life) It is still on display so the birds will have a high perch to escape any predators.
We did put up a new perch for them. Several years ago we went to a yard sale and the gentleman had the cross member for a telephone pole. It still has the threaded dowels to screw on the insulators and grabbed my attention. The owner told me it was free to whom ever could get it down and take it away. You can't believe how heavy this is, well, we did get it down and had been under my Jeep since then. When the garage got flooded this was one item we took out and let it dry in the sunlight.
Sonny was on a clean up binge and decided to use this beam as another perch. It is used as a road for the squirrels and a high perch for the birds. I don't know how old this beam is but it is excellent condition. I wonder why we left the era that used a product that was renewable, created jobs in our country and could be used for decades. When did we become the disposable society that we are today? Did I hear you say County Building, seniors, marriage?................ "what a country"
Sonny and I went to the town board meeting last week. We went to vent, knowing whatever we said wasn't going to change their minds, but it feels good to get your story out in the hope others will understand your position. One thing Sonny said really "hit the nail on the head". We were trying to explain that people south of the landfill are as much Goshen residents as those north of it, along the Wallkill. The difference is most of the southerners are farms. Sonny asked the board, "When was the last time you called the police or called the fire department? Now, when was the last time you ate a meal?"
He was not trying to be nasty but, seriously folks, why is it that laws are made that never take in to consideration the effects it will have on your farms? We have to constantly battle back for anything and everything. No we are not special people, we do what we love to do, grow food. Without eaters we are out of business.
Labor department has decided farm kids can't work on their parents farms until they are 18. Most farm kids learn to drive around the age of 10. Not alone, but still learning how to control a motor vehicle or tractor. Many on the roads today should not be licensed drivers with the way they drive.
Ask your neighbor if he or she worked on a farm when they were growing up? You'll be surprised how many got their start on a farm. They learned how to work, how to be responsible, how to finish what they started. Horrible, how can we expect people to become dependent on government if we teach them how to do things for themselves. (sarcasm)
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
January 10, 2012
Shortly after the floods in September my cat decided to move into the log pile next to our farm. She was so afraid to come home, although I did keep putting food IN the house, we weren't there so she didn't hang around long.
We finally moved in just before Thanksgiving and I continued to put food out for her and the food was being eaten by something. We have several "dropped off" cats that find my home to be easily accessible and there is always food behind the "curtain". I tried several things to capture whatever was eating the food. I borrowed a cage from my vet and my first victim was my sisters cat. She had eaten the entire can of tuna and I was NOT pleased, the cat was.
I decided to try to make things "normal" for my cat. I started feeding the birds. My cat would sit in the feeder, hoping the birds were dumb enough to get close, she seldom ate birds. The birds are much smarter than she thought so she would leave the feeder and go after the numerous mice that frequent our landscape. A much easier target, I guess.
Since she has been on her own for 3 months it was good she learned to hunt and be able to feed herself. I would prefer she come home but she has chosen to stay away and "visit" when we are sleeping.
Back to the birds: When I first put the food out I figured it would take a few days for the resident birds to notice a new food source. I was very surprised that no birds came here for a month. Now we only have 2 nuthatches and starlings and English sparrows. In the past week we have been getting a downy woodpecker, that is it. Where are all the birds? I mentioned this to Sonny and he said, "they don't know the food is here, yet". Okay, I dismissed it, until I read an article about others finding the same thing in their backyards, no birds!
What has happened to the birds? Did they die or just move on? The birds help us by eating weed seeds and insects that attack our crops. With our crops gone and the weeds dead, after the floods, there would be no food for them until next spring. I expect they moved on. Afterall, they don't lay down roots, they have wings and can go where the food is.
"To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven"
Words-adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger sung by The Byrds
Something to think about folks. Can YOU make it on your own if something was to happen to the ones you depend on? Would you be able to grow your own food if the farmers disappeared? Would you be able to fix the roof on your home if a leak developed? How about making your own clothes? What if we no longer had electricity would you be able to survive doing everything " by hand"?
We have become accustomed to certain things in our lives. Would you trade electricity for a bird sanctuary? How about an animal pathway for your food source? Are your neighbors rights more important than yours?
I was taught, there is only one person you can ALWAYS depend on and that is YOU.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
January 2, 2012
Welcome 2012!!! This year WILL be better for everyone. Many years ago Sonny said to his mom , after a very tough year, "it can't get any worse". She just smiled and said " they were the same words we used in 1939." I understand that to mean, no matter how bad we think we have it, it can always be worse.
We have been able to complete things around the farm that have needed work for several years, but we didn't have the time. This year we had extra time away from farming due to very few crops to pick, so we had that "repair time" available.
One pole barn, built in 1965, with metal sides and roof, needed to be renailed so the winds wouldn't keep lifting the metal from the wood. Eventually the metal would blow away and all the tractors would be at the mercy of the weather. Instead of using nails, like they originally did, we now use screws. Screws take more abuse from the wind before they can lift out. This was a very good improvement to our building industry. Things SHOULD stay together longer. Like the County Building. How many screw did they use?
The floods did give us added work, repair of culverts was a big one. Since we don't own an excavator we were at the mercy of those that did. A wonderful young man worked on Sunday's, his day off, to help us out. He can make an excavator work like an extension of his arm. Amazing to watch what he can do, place a rock like you were doing it by hand.
This young man has 2 different buckets for the excavator. He was able to put the wide one on and clean out our ditches. Unfortunately he had to do them 3 times. There was so much water in them he couldn't get all the mud out with 2 times. Seldom do we need them cleaned that much. When was the Wallkill last cleaned, farmers do it every year. If you don't keep your ditches clean, water can't leave. HINT, HINT, HINT.
According to a search of the Wallkill River this info came up:
The Wallkill has 69 tributaries in New York alone. to name just a few:
•Wildcat Brook Papakating Creek, Beaver Run,Pochuck Creek,Wawayanda Creek, Rutgers Creek, Monhagen Brook, Quaker Creek, Masonic Creek, Mannayunk Kill, Muddy Kill, Tin Brook, Dwaar Kill, Shawangunk Kill, Plattekill Creek, Kleine Kill
You can click on them and see where they are.
With all the flooding we had, just in the town of Goshen, has it dawned on "the powers that be" that EVERY waterway ends up in the Wallkill. It is the MAIN waterway that removes unwanted water from our landscape. If you don't maintain this vital exit nothing will ever improve near your home.
Many years ago, Sonny went to a meeting with a federal Senator on the river. Sonny explained that as the water goes up and down, it takes land from behind our home and has come within 25 feet of our walkway. Sonny asked this man WHO is responsible to maintain the river and stop it from eroding the land near our homes? The Senator told Sonny, WE, as the home owner, have the right and responsibility to PROTECT our homes from any and all assaults. It was at that time we took it upon ourselves to protect our home. It took 15 years before the DEC came here and said we can't do what we had been doing. By that time we had saved our home. Yes, it did cost us a great deal of money, but my home was worth it.
" It is easier to beg forgiveness than get permission."
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
December 20, 2011
With Thanksgiving behind us and the turkey finally gone, we are preparing for Christmas. Which will mean another turkey and leftovers for a week or more, perhaps even soup with these bones.
Christmas, to me, means a beautiful snow, drifting down quietly and making the world look clean. Everyone safe in their homes. Our military resting, after securing our safety.
I had taken all my photos off my walls and kept them in the barn until we could move back in. They were in crates and the crates were brought back and stacked all over my home. I finally put them back on the walls, since the nails were gone I had to replace them all. Being old, I couldn't quite remember where I had them before, of course, Thomas noticed they were in different places. NTD take a picture of things before you remove them.
We are almost "bundled up" for winter. Our markets are over for the year and all of the trucks, tractors and implements have been winterized and in a building. They have been put to rest up for the coming season. Now it's our turn to rejuvenate the old bones. We have one mini market this coming Wednesday, December 21, then we can rest a bit.
By the second week of January we will need to have our seeds inventoried and our plants ordered for next season.
The Wallkill River is taking it's good sweet time to get back to normal level. Why is that? What has happened down stream that is holding things up? Perhaps no maintenance? The county takes no care of the ONLY water way that removes the water from our entire county, sound like the county building?
Do YOU maintain things or just let them fall to ruin? Do YOU wait until things can not be repaired and MUST be replaced? Our disposable society must learn to repair not replace. Our landfills are full of "things" that may have just needed a tweak. Tweak it, don't toss it.
I am very concerned about the county closing/selling Valley View. I am not worried about the workers, they really have the ability to find other jobs or retire early. I am worried about the residents. When a person gets older, change can put their lives is jeopardy. They go into a panic and end up in the hospital. I hope this doesn't happen to our local people. Very sad how we treat our elderly.
I want to wish all a very Merry Christmas and If you don't celebrate Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah to you.
Please be safe and happy and I will be back after Jan. 1.
Happy Birthday, Kasha.
Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
November 27, 2011
We are finally in our home. Our poor little dog has acclimated well, although I think she likes camping. It seems weird to reach for something and it's not there. Many crates to unpack and put in their place. Right now, that place may have been destroyed, so a new place must be found. This should be fun for the old mind to remember where I put things when I change them. I am a scheduled and consistent person. "A place for everything and everything in it's place".
It took years of twisting and turning around to figure out the best place for all the junk I have. I'm serious, I have yard sale things that I use as "eye candy". Most of the chairs around my home are ones I got for a buck, fixed and refinished them. I even learned how to cane so they would look original. I would collect things that make me smile when I look at them. I do try to use whatever I bought, but some is just junk, but I love junk better known as "pre-loved".
I try to find tools or odd farm items that will fit in my home and I may be able to use them one day. I collect nothing specific, just the stuff that catches my eye. I haven't been to a yard sale in years, with a market on Saturday, Sunday is too late for the "good" junk.
Locally, I can't believe how our legislators feel it's okay to RE vote on something. Give me a break, he didn't know HOW he voted?? I want a revote on a few things too, what do you think are my chances of that happening?
Our markets are almost over, 3 more Saturdays and I will be open on a day before Christmas. This has been a tough year for so many of your farmers. They will have no extra money to spend and may be late on payments, be patient please.
We need to set up a credit line to get through the winter, we are lucky to have a small onion crop to sell. Things need to be done on a farm, each year, so the following year will start out right. We will be ordering our seeds and plants very soon. Most of the seed companies we do business with extend us credit until the end of August, with no interest. That really helps out when you live and work on borrowed money until your crops come in. But, like most farmers, we will get by, tighten the belt another notch and move on.
Unlike farmers, government only know how to spend. Since it's not all their money and they don't write their own check to cover it, seems to be Monopoly money to many. They are not alone, how many people EXPECT someone else to pay their way?
We MUST get rid of the pension system for public employees. We keep hearing about being fair, well this system is NOT fair to the general public. NO ONE should be paid for 20 years of work then 40 years of retirement. That is just outrageous, expecting the rest of us to keep working so they don't have to. I don't care what your union negotiated, it is wrong. A system can not survive if more take out than put it.
DOL has moved the workers from our farm labor department and has hired 13 NEW people. They have not been required to take any tests and have jumped to the head of the line for the jobs. Please tell me why a state in the last throes of life would hire more people? Governor Cuomo's good friend from HUD was the instigator of this assault. "Politics makes for strange bedfellows"
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
November 14, 2011
My life here hasn't changed much in the past 2 weeks, still living in the barn and carrying water. How did our ancestors do it without drugs? Imagine how strong they were to do the every day things, called living, and still have time for a smile. What would they have thought was a "better life" for their kids, running water IN the house? Did they foresee the future with electricity or was their time consumed with living? Did they feel they were poor or that someone owed them something? I don't think so, they knew what had happened in the past and learned from it. If you want to get ahead, you have to work for it and work harder than anyone else.
If you notice 100 year old homes or buildings, these are the things the "uneducated" built, the ones that learned by doing and remembering the mistakes. They took good care of their possessions, it was very hard to replace them. They didn't take tomorrow for granted, they worked hard to get there. Many of these homes are still standing today. People are proud to be in living in them, and they should be.
So many of our new buildings can't get by for 40 years without giving in to nature, what are we doing wrong? Why didn't we learn from our history? Government Center ring a bell?
November is flying past us and soon we will see a new year with the hopes of a better one for many people. On the farm things have to progress no matter what kind of year you have.
We had been planning to re-cover our smallest greenhouse, so we were prepared for "when the time was right". Plastic had finally been delivered, after a month wait, and the days were warm. Now all we needed was a warm day AND no wind. Last thing you want to do is hoist a piece of plastic 100' long and have a gust of wind pull it out of your hands. Tuesday was the perfect day. At the drop of the hat, Sonny pulled everyone off their original jobs and set the process in motion. We started around 9AM removing the old plastic and cleaning under the plant beds. Sonny got the lathes ready while the rest covered the ends of the green house. Ed found an old screen door to replace the "beaten to a pulp" door we had.
Everything needs to be in place before you start, once you get going it has to be quick and correct, no going back. The first plastic sheet went over with ease, we are able to stand on the beds for height and quickly fastened down with staples, the second sheet was a bit more difficult. With only 2 people on ladders at the ends of the greenhouse, they must be able to pull the plastic up one side and get it across the top to helping hands on the other side. Have to be careful not to pull too much, just enough to staple with plenty on the other side.
The one end is stapled first, then the other end is pulled tight to remove any wrinkles, winkles block sunlight and don't allow for an even air barrier. After the ends are finished the sides are then stapled to ensure the wind won't pick it up while we put the lathes all around it.
Once the lathes are secured and the plastic is sealed, Sonny takes a small fan and secures it on the inside of the greenhouse. The tube from the fan is then put between the two layers of plastic. When he starts the fan, it blows the plastic apart and we now have an insulated greenhouse. Wonderful system, and we only need to do this once every 5 years, as opposed to every year with the old plastics we had available.
Although many people ran unopposed this year in the elections, it was sad to see so few people voting. I understand if it's the "new" machines. They are horrible to use and a waste of paper. Why aren't the "tree huggers" up in arms about this?
NEW IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER.
I wish all a Happy Thanksgiving. Be thankful for what you have and thank those who have fought to secure your choice to have them.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
November 2, 2011
The month of October started out with more rain and more rain. The wall in my home was repaired and the electrician put in new service. Then the waiting game, when will Orange and Rockland return service to us? It took a week for them to reconnect the wires they cut.
In order for the others on our road to get electricity our line had to be cut. When an electrical box has been in water, the possibility of a fire goes up, hence forth, cut the line. We were happy to see lights on our road and to have our cooler back up and running. Since I was tired of sleeping on a couch and we had electricity in our barn, Sonny and I moved in there. It's not home, but it is good to have our own bed to sleep in. That was 2 months ago and we are still here.
Things I have discovered: It's good we know how to do with less. Think about camping, that is how we are living. No running water in our room, no bathroom. We carry water to cook and wash dishes. We need to heat the water, so I brought a very large coffee pot and heat the water that way. Laundry I get to do at my daughters house or the Laundromat, not too bad.
There is a bathroom in the barn, 100 yards can be a long way when you need to hurry. But we have made it every time.
Our dog, Michaela, has grown accustomed to the surroundings, but still needs our lawn to do her duty so "letting her out", has become getting dressed and walking her across the road. It's the least we can do for her since she has been a great companion for 16 years. She has aged a bit and has slept on my bed for years, but she no longer can jump up, so, we made her a set of stairs so she can still have the "comforts of home".
We haven't replaced any appliances yet, washer, dryer, water heater, wood stove, but we will get there. First things we needed to do was CLEAN the dirt out and check for mold and mildew. We did repaint everything with mildew resistant paint and remove any carpets that may have spores, don't need that a few months down the road. Right now we are waiting for the carpet to be installed. Tentative, a week away.
Think about this, we use about 12 gallons of water every day JUST for cooking and doing dishes. I never realized when I turned the tap on how much water we do use. This has been eye opening for us, especially since we need to refill bottles and carry them in. Luckily we have water in the barn, otherwise I would need to get it from the river, like our ancestors did.
We (all of us) are very lucky with the way we live. The extra time it takes to do all the "little" things we take for granted is amazing. Ten minutes to wash dishes before, now 10 minutes just to heat the water. Look around you and be grateful. You may think you have it bad, someone has it worse.
Now, the icing on the cake. The snow storm has slowed things down for returning to my home. We lost power on Saturday, October 28 and as of today, November 2, still don't have power. Luckily we do have the generators and use them sparingly, $4.00/ gal for gas is hard to swallow. Back to camping, I HATE camping!!!!
Most people are looking forward to 2011 to end we are no different. This has been a trying year and we hope everyone can "see the light at the end of the tunnel".
Just as a reminder. GET OUT AND VOTE NOVEMBER 8. Have your say by "pulling the lever" which is now a "fill in the circle".
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
October 2, 2011
It's amazing how quickly your life can change and there is nothing you can do about it. One day I could live in my home, the next it was flooded with water and the basement wall was gone. The house did NOT collapse and it is being repaired as I write this. There will be inside things to fix/replace but no one got hurt, we are blessed.
Living next to the river you know when it will flood and make preparations ASAP. Saturday was a market day so when I got home I did as many loads of laundry as I could. With the washer in my basement, the water level outside can force water into the house through the drain for the washer. When that starts we plug it. The same thing happens to the pipe that was put in, just in case we wanted a bathroom in the basement. Sonny rigged a "ball/balloon" that sits in the pipe and he pumps it full of air to seal off the pipe. It has been working for 40 years.
Back to the laundry, Sonny had done the last load of the day and put it in the dryer so it could be brought up stairs, or thrown on the pool table for folding. Three days later the basement was full of water and THAT'S when Sonny remembered he hadn't taken the clothes out of the dryer. Dang, a rewash and redry. Hate it when you have to do something over again. " the feet must do what the head doesn't" Nana Strong
We have bought generators over the years, all different sizes, depending what job they were intended to be used for. In order to have running water, the water tanks had to be kept full. We all conserved water and had many bottles of water for drinking so this only needed to be done a few times during the first week of flooding. Sonny would move the smaller generators from place to place, we do have one huge one that needs the forklift to move, so that one was fairly stationary, keeping many things going with extension cords.
Sonny also kept sump pumps going in several places at once and moved the generators every few hours to re-cool the freezers and refrigerators. Kasha kept us eating hot meals and has since been doing my laundry. ( I hate laundry) Our neighbors left their home because they couldn't keep up with the water in their basement but brought us all the cans of gas they had been using for their pumps. Thank you Frank and Tricia. We owe you a BIG one!
With Celery Ave. closed and the water across the road, we are fortunate to have farm roads to use if we need to get out. The first storm wasn't too bad for our road, but you should never drive through water covered roads, so we used the farm roads if we wanted to get out to see what the real world looked like, it wasn't any better than here. "there's no place like home". Dorothy
We have many good friends who went out of their way to feed us for at least 2 weeks. Alice would show up with fresh coffee when we least expected it. Wonderful to have her visit, with or with out the coffee.
Kay and Ed loaned me an RV for as long as I need it, I am hoping not for much longer.
Margaret, Susan,Theresa, Liz, Kit and, many others I am forgetting, that brought us meals to fill our bellies. We can't express our gratitude enough for all your thoughtful contributions that made our "camping" days much happier. From one neighbor to another neighbor, THANK YOU.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
August 31, 2011
U.S. Fish and Wildlife couldn't be any happier with Irene. They must be thrilled to see our farm land covered with water and creating the "wetlands" they have been hoping for AND they don't have to pay a cent for any of it.
The environmentalists must be having parties on all the upland watching as farming dies in our black dirt area. Please explain to me why a wild animal is more important than people?
Wild animals have an instinct to move on if things are not good for them, They don't put down roots in any particular place. The birds have wings so they can go any place and yet the ones making the rules think and try to control their behavior at the expense of the rest of us.
When NJ opens the flood gates from Lake Mohawk to save the animals, the OC farmers LOSE!!! This is not the first time they have done this to us. This has to stop, we can't take any more of their garbage.
On to the DEC and orange County, YOU both created the "bottleneck" at the landfill. OC for dumping all the stuff so close to the river bank and the county for not cleaning out the trees that block the channel. The DEC continues their assault on your farmers by not ALLOWING the locals to remove the trees because of the Indiana Bat. Excuse me, you are idiots, BATS HAVE WINGS, they will move to a different tree if their favorite is not there when they return. (they may not use the same one each year anyway)
Our country has become so complacent it has been easy for the "kooks" to lay down the law and "we the sheep" follow. Congratulations, the "kooks" have taken everything that we all worked so hard for and stomped on our faces.
Rant over.
On to our farm: Sunday we lost power, we expect it in any big storm so we always try to be prepared for the worst. Over the years we have invested in generators to help us. The pull cord is very hard to pull so Sonny was doing all the hard work. We did sand bag the windows around our home, however, we believe the earthquake weakened the walls and the water was too much so one partial wall collapsed. We know we are very fortunate to have our home repairable and are grateful for all the help we have gotten from friends. Kay and Ed have loaned us an RV for sleeping, Thank you.
We surveyed the farm on Saturday. Many things for the fall markets are long gone. Sonny divides our fields in 4 sections so plantings are all over the place when it comes to weekly plantings. When we use transplants (tomatoes, peppers, etc) we pick a dry spot and plant them in the spring, everything else is planted on ground that is good at the time we need it.
As we harvest a section, Sonny plants it with something else for later picking. These are the areas that got flooded and are no longer sustaining any crops. The good news, when the ground floods it packs the dirt very hard so it is usually the first place you can get back into.
Sonny will be planting today and will continue with anything he feels has a chance of maturing.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
August 23, 2011
I didn't realize I had been writing for so long. I took the time to look back and see if anything has changed. Has it? I hope my writing has improved, I know my opinion hasn't changed. 8-23-2011
8-20-2007
When Bob stopped by the market on Friday and asked me if I could get to the chamber breakfast I had my doubts I would be able to make it. It was on a Wednesday and that is a work day for me. My daughter heard him ask and said she could arrange to work in my place. I am so glad she did.
Mayor Weinberger, I was so pleased by the speech you gave at the breakfast. I don't think I was the only one that felt your sincerity as you spoke of how Goshen used to be and that we need to return to that place in time. You spoke with the voice of honesty and told us what has been happening and what we need to do to make life better for all. You are not against improving the village, but it shouldn't force people to move.
I hope I can implore you to make the same speech on a Friday at the farmer's market. More people need to hear what is happening in their village. Many didn't know they could go to a chamber breakfast if they were not members. Many were very interested in what is going on but felt they couldn't afford to pay to listen.
The monument looks beautiful, good job. Is the road there ever going to be opened? Having only the one road could be hazardous if a trailer has to make a right turn.
I have read several letters in the papers asking the town board to do something with the Salesian property. The fact is, the village and town must decide together what is to be done. If I understand the town board correctly, they are willing to sell part of it to pay down the debt on the property. I'm not sure what is the position of the village board. What should we ALL do, ask your leaders on the boards. I would like to see the debt reduced, let's sell some of it.
Out of the mouth of our kids: Several months ago, Adina, my daughter-in-law, entered a contest. You were to write why you should win the Ice Cream Block Party. Adina won. Maya is excited and adorable at 4 years old. She can't wait for the ice cream and the blocks. English can be so confusing.
8-21-2006
sta·tis·tic n.
1.A numerical value, such as standard deviation or mean, that characterizes the sample or population from which it was derived.
At the board meeting about the PDR, many statistics were tossed around. I don't recall anyone on the board saying " the main reason behind its decision was to keep taxes down"or "the purchases will save the town an estimated $1M per year". I do believe that was a person in attendance. She had many statistics, of course, statistics only reflect what you want them to say. Gather information from many years, divide by the number of years and you get the average. This doesn't forecast the future.
Many years ago, in my winter months, I was a collector of farm information for a statistic service. I was sent many forms, the names of the farms were on them. My job was to contact these people and ask them to fill out the info. I was required to try 3 times, if after 3 times I couldn't get the info from them, I was told to fill it out myself. "They don't like blank forms" I was told. From that moment, I found statistics to be suspect. I wonder if all statistics are done that way?
This was a Town Board Meeting, with an agenda to follow. Three people felt they were above the rules. They are too important to wait until the business was conducted to have their say? There is a time for Privilege of the Floor, perhaps the board should not allow the interruption again. It was rude and uncalled for by the persons who did this. ALL should be required to abide by the rules. If some were not taught how to be polite, let me help. When someone is speaking, you don't interrupt them. You wait your turn.
Some food for thought: I have heard from several people the "winners" of the PDR are nice people. I don't know them, I will concede to those who do. My problem is not with these people,it is with ANYONE who takes for themselves, when they don't need it, from those that do. I was taught, if you don't need it, don't take it. Leave it for someone who does. No matter how needy one is, there is always someone with even less. I find nothing to cheer about with this selection for PDR. If people are civic minded and can afford it, they should be GIVING Conservation Easements.
I was wondering how this PDR "value" will be used by our assessor. Will the land be added to the new value as an improvement? I look forward to see how the "development rights" are assessed. Black Dirt farms had these rights TAKEN from us years ago. Yet our assessment has never reflected this encumbrance or asset, I assume the same will be done for the "upland"?
I have heard having "open space" next to a development is a selling point for them. Perhaps the purchaser should be paying extra for that view, to the TOWN residence and not the developer? Afterall, WE are the ones being billed, seems fair to get some back to pay down the debt, NOT to purchase more.
I hope everyone enjoyed their corn last week. My daughter told me I have to stop "force feeding" people our corn. I am sorry, I think it is the best and want to share with everyone. The look on some faces
after the first bite was well worth it. It is rewarding to see others enjoying our products as we do. Makes it all worth while. Thank you for tasting our raw corn.
Music this week and a cooking demo. Hope to see many there.
Don't forget, you can call your Town Board or Town Clerk to give your opinion.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
August 15, 2011
Each week we get many farm magazines, Sonny reads them cover to cover. When he finds something he thinks YOU would be interested in, he brings it to me and I do online research or contact the magazine for permission to reprint. This is one such article.
Thank You Matt for permission. This is found in August 2011 edition, Volume 45, Number 8. "Vegetable Growers News"
‘Dirty dozen’ debate
By Matt Milkovich
Let’s pretend we’re at a debate, where the opponents argue their positions in a civilized, reasonable manner.
Nah, that’s boring. Let’s pretend we’re watching one of those obnoxious news shows where people sit around a table and talk at each other.
I’ll be the moderator. The subject is the recent publication of the USDA Pesticide Data Program’s annual summary for 2009 (www.ams.usda.gov/pdp). The debaters are the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF), United Fresh Produce Association (UFPA) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The points they make below are actual statements from their websites and press releases, with a little paraphrasing here and there to smooth things out.
Moderator: Please give us your opening statements.
EWG: Our Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce will help consumers determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (also known as the “Dirty Dozen”) and eating the least contaminated produce (the “Clean Fifteen”).
AFF: EWG’s list is misleading to consumers in that it is based only upon exposure data, while remaining silent about available information on the toxicity of pesticides present in the diet. As a result, the list does not provide a basis to assess risk. Merely detecting a residue does not provide an adequate scientific basis for judging whether or not there are potential health effects.
UFPA: At a time when medical experts strongly urge Americans to realize the health benefits from eating more fruits and vegetables, it is irresponsible to mislead consumers with a sensational publicity stunt disguised as science. The Dirty Dozen list will almost certainly discourage many people from eating the recommended amounts of fresh produce.
Moderator: Thank you. EWG, why are you so concerned about pesticides?
EWG: Pesticides, while designed specifically to kill certain organisms, are also associated with a host of very serious health problems in people, including neurological deficits, ADHD, endocrine system disruption and cancer.
Moderator: I see. Responses?
UFPA: In its latest report, USDA states the overall residues found on tested foods were ‘at levels below the tolerances established by EPA,’ which are measured in parts-per-million and typically established with a 100-fold or greater safety margin.
If anything, the USDA report, from which the Dirty Dozen is purportedly created, underscores the safety of fruits and vegetables.
AFF: EPA’s current process for evaluating the potential risks of pesticides on food is rigorous and health-protective. EPA’s testing requirements for pesticides used on food are more extensive than for chemicals used in any other category.
Moderator: Is organic produce better for consumers?
AFF: The currently available scientific data do not provide a convincing argument to conclude that there is a significant difference between the nutritional quality of organically grown food and food grown with conventional agricultural methods.
EWG: We recommend buying organic whenever possible. Not only is it smart to reduce your exposure to pesticides, but buying organic sends a message that you support environmentally friendly farming practices that minimize soil erosion, safeguard workers and protect water quality and wildlife.
Moderator: Final thoughts, anyone?
AFF: Not only are conventionally and organically grown fruits and vegetables safe and nutritious, Americans should be consuming more of these, not less, if they hope to reduce their risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
UFPA: The more productive focus would be to help millions of Americans achieve the health benefits from better nutrition, including a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
EWG: The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure.
Moderator: At least we can all agree on that.
****************
Matt Milkovich
Managing Editor
Fruit Growers News
Vegetable Growers News
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
August 1, 2011
Things are moving along on the farm. Potatoes are now being harvested along with the other weekly goodies. Tomatoes might be ready before a frost, so there is always hope.
I can't believe it's already August, where did the summer go? This year has been like life......blink and you're old!!!!
For any new readers............I always feed the birds all winter. We like to keep them healthy so they can do their job the following year, eat weed seeds. When spring has sprung I don't feed them as often, there are other things they can eat and I don't want them depending on me for their sustenance, they must be able to make it on their own or they will die. (just like people)
I am a bit selfish with the females, I do feed them once a week or whenever one stops by and makes me aware they are looking. I have always hoped to see a mom and her baby come to my feeders. WELL............it happened this spring. A frequent visitor during the winter, a red-bellied woodpecker brought her baby and FED it while I was watching. They were very nice to me and stayed around long enough for me to get pictures. It was very exciting, I'm sure all of you take the time to see what nature brings us for free!!!!
"Take time to smell the roses".
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- A federal wildlife biologist whose observation in 2004 of presumably drowned polar bears in the Arctic helped to galvanize the global warming movement has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated for scientific misconduct, possibly over the veracity of that article. AP, full story below
People would lie?????
speaking of liars we have our federal government, you know, the ones we elected to what is best for OUR country.
Every year each department presents their budget to the congress, each year it is increased by 2% whether they need it or not. If you ever went to a local board meeting you would see all government works the same, ask for more, accept less, but still get more than last year. This is one of the reasons we will never be solvent.
The debt limit deal between Congress and the White House: the spending caps would look like this:
2012 - $1.043 trillion 2013 - $1.047 trillion 2014 - $1.066 trillion 2015 - $1.086 trillion 2016 - $1.107 trillion 2017 - $1.131 trillion 2018 - $1.156 trillion 2019 - $1.182 trillion 2020 - $1.208 trillion 2021 - $1.234 trillion
The current funding levels for the federal government in the current fiscal year (in terms of discretionary spending) are at $1.049 trillion. Jamie Dupree
http://www.wsbradio.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2011/aug/01/debt-deal-fine-print-ii/ full article
I want you to think about this. We are over spending now, our grand children will be paying for our excessive behavior and these people think the NEXT congress will go along with this deal? How stupid are we that we would accept this as a solution to the over spending that government has been doing?
Makes me think about when I sell my home. I want certain things in the deal, they have to leave the room colors the same, they can't remodel the kitchen or the bathroom. Unreasonable demands that would be ignored when no one is looking. That's our government, behind closed doors and change it later when no one is looking. What a country we have turned into, when a "man's word" means nothing. Even scientists lie!!!!
REDUCE SPENDING NOW.
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!!!!!
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
July 25, 2011
This week has been extremely hot but until today, bearable. At 6AM it was so humid I thought we had moved to Florida over night. Florida is okay but I can't stand the heat of their summer. Sand, sand and more sand. I am not a fan of ocean water, I like salt in my food, not in my eyes. Good I am living in the north, eh?
My electric bill should be much higher this month. With the stagnant air and humidity we have kept the doors closed. Our little dog was very uncomfortable so we would put the air on for her, we would go to work and come back an hour later, shut it off but put the fan on her. As the day warmed up, we put it back on so the dog would be comfortable. Why is it we consider a "dog's life" to be bad?
'Climate Change Minister Greg Combet will today promise at least two million households will be over-compensated for the hit to their cost of living.' ...
There is now well over 7,144,096 homes reported by the ABS in 2006, therefore the compensation of 2,000,000 households still mean over 5,000,000 households receive NO compensation, although they will pay the most for their right to breath under this Government.
He says the most pressing point in the debate is the price impact on families.'... I repeat there are over 5,000,000 households receive NO compensation, although they will pay the most for their right to breath
Does this Government believe if they talk in the terms of 2,000,000 households, A****** would believe this would be the majority of households?
IN 2006 there was 7,144,096 households reported by the A****** Bureau of Statistics 5 years later this number would have risen substantially, which means a minimum of 5,144,090 households will receive NO COMPENSATION from the Government.
In case you thought this was America, it isn't, YET. Australia is also being assaulted by their government.
Congress continues to think we love the "last minute deals" that seem to ruin any progress our country has made in the past year. I don't care who we are told is at fault, ALL of them think we are fools and we allow this to happen to us. "Fool me once, Shame on you, Fool me twice, Shame on me".We are being taken down a path of destruction and we are going, willingly. Unaware of the true meaning of our votes until it's too late. Our ancestors are rolling over in their graves. When will this assault on our intelligence stop.
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!!!!!!
An email I received today:
"I received notice this morning that the Farmer’s Market is being relocated to a new location, effective August 5,2011. I am very disappointed to hear this as I feel very attached to this setting for the following reasons.
I am a disabled person, in a wheelchair. The current location allows me to independently maneuver to shop the outer perimeter where there is a concrete sidewalk to the various vendors, and also the brick sidewalk near the benches and the trees which afford a shaded area for me to sit and read. I usually spend 3-hrs. each Friday at the market enjoying the friendly ambience of all the people shopping, the children playing and having lunch with their little playmates. Plus I have the opportunity of meeting some of my friends I have had the pleasure of meeting over the years.
I need to know the “lay of the land” so to speak, to know that I will be safe, that I will have the continued luxury of purchasing some of the finest, fresh local vegetables, and to know that I can continue to enjoy this weekly adventure and feel safe and independent.....I need to know if this area is handicapped accessible, and shaded."
Signed: a local resident.
According to the chamber this move was voted on by the vendors. Sadly, very few of them are also town/village residents and don't find the "shop local" to mean anything to them. Afterall, it's not their town or local business that will suffer. RIP Village of Goshen!
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
July 11, 2011
Oh my goodness. You have got to taste this man's perogies. I am hoping he will be able to make our Thanksgiving Open House. so that you can taste perfection.
Last week was a good one for drying out our fields. Yes we did get some rain, but most of the rain was able to soak in instead of run-off. We don't like run-off, it takes valuable land with it. By "opening up" the ground we allow water to go down instead of collect or erode the land.
On Thursday I was doing more "hooking". This is a series of hooks that are dragged behind the tractor. I can adjust them for depth, depending on what I am trying to do. Drying out calls for a shallow depth, turns the dirt over so the sun and wind can evaporate the water. This also heats up the ground, which helps to dry the dirt below.
Fridays we have a market in Goshen and I like to get my truck prepared for my morning loading. I try to get off regular work a bit early so I can still finish my day before 6PM. As I came off the field on Thursday I got the hand signal from Sonny, (closed hand with one finger in the air) this usually means, I'm not done yet! He did have a bit more for me to do and the time was before 5 so I had no choice...........really.
I was to continue hooking in an area that has our neighbors woods next to it. I went up and was almost done when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I carefully turned and saw a coyote walking along the tree line. This is the first time I saw one in person. We see their tracks plus those of fox, deer, rabbits, etc. but seldom the animals that are so secretive appear for us to see.
Although I didn't want to be out there, I was so pleased I was blessed with this experience. Handed lemons, make lemonade!
Prime Minister Julia Gillard sought to reassure wary Australians that the deeply unpopular carbon tax will only cause a minority of households to pay more and insisted it is critical to helping the country lower its massive carbon emissions. Australia is one of the world's worst greenhouse gas polluters, due to its heavy reliance on coal for electricity. AP
This is the real reason we have global warming. Another way for government to tax you and they can make you feel guilty if you are against it!!! LIES, lies all lies.
The government hopes businesses affected by the tax will seek out clean energy alternatives to reduce their bills. The affected companies will have to pay AU$23 per metric ton of carbon, with the price rising 2.5 percent a year until 2015, when the plan will move to a market-based emissions trading scheme. AP
Who do you think will pay the extra money the companies are required to pay????? YOU. Lies, lies all lies!!!
Under the plan, the average household will see its costs increase by AU$9.90 a week, which includes an additional AU$3.30 per week for electricity and another AU$1.50 a week for gas. But the government says on average, households will receive AU$10.10 a week in assistance. AP
Where will this money come from to reimburse the public? The businesses that are charging you more for your usage or your neighbor who makes less money than you? Perhaps they have the money tree that the USA uses. LIES, lies all lies!!!
"It's socialism masquerading as environmentalism," Abbott told reporters. "It's a package which is all economic pain for no environmental gain."
This guy has a clue!! Government is all about Lies, lies all lies!!!
full story: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_CARBON_TAX?SITE=NYMID&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Our country has turned the corner and is heading down a terrible path to destruction. We have sat back and watched as government has turned our lives up side down and we do nothing. We don't deserve a free country if we are not willing to work for it. Get busy, this was once the greatest country in the world.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
July 4, 2011
If you didn't know, we had a farm tour and mini market last Friday. Since the market in Goshen has been closed for the last several years, we started giving people a place to go. We ask for nothing from any vendors who wanted to come out and set up. This year we had 8 vendors plus ourselves. We try to give new vendors an opportunity to display their wares and perhaps some new customers. Thank you to all who came out here, vendors as well as visitors. We will plan on a farm tour every year, it was such a hit.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was shining, a few light clouds in the sky, a mild breeze and food.
Our tour started by showing the river, that is our back drop, as well as our albatross at times. We use that source for irrigation, when we need it, not the case this year.
I was driving the tractor while pulling the wagon full of people and stopping where I thought they would like the crop. Kasha was on the wagon and able to speak to people if they ahd any questions during the ride. Our first stop was for carrots and the kids and parents loved picking their own, wiping off most of the dirt then eating it 2 minutes out of the ground. A few more for the ride and we were set.
Second stop was by the peas. The group spread out looking for the big fat ones then eating their bounty while their eyes searched for more. I believe we could have stayed there all day and no one would have complained. We did need a handful of peas for the rest of the ride.
We did a few more stop to show people crops and giving some information on each one. The lettuce was perfect for picking and eating right from the field. We were able to show people how things grow either on plants like tomatoes or below the ground, like carrots.
My last group got the "dime tour", we did the extras.... potatoes. Those little girls looked like woodchucks digging under the plants trying to find the potatoes. We are pleased to say, after the little "inspectors" finished, we should be getting new potatoes very soon.
I have been listening to all the garbage out of Washington. It seems that when our president says we have to negotiate, he means YOU have to, not him.
A negotiation goes both ways, you give and get a little and the same for the other side. HOWEVER, we are talking about the future of our country and the prospect of us becoming the USSR of the 1960's is not acceptable to me.
Our elected officials have two different views of our nation. One wants the people to be in power, the other wants government to be in power. One wants you to tell the government what they can and can't do, the other wants to control everything you do.
On this 235th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, let's take back the control. They have messed it up so badly, even our youngest child could do a better job. Let's send all of them back to their home states and leave us alone. Because they were elected, doesn't mean they are intelligent, just that they can raise money and the idiots we are believed them and voted for them.
If you have never run a business (most of them haven't) you have no idea what is needed to compete in this world. If you have never farmed you haven't a clue............they shouldn't tell us how to farm. The programs they come up with will only hurt you and limit your access to local food. They have to be stopped!!!!
DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE stand up on your own two feet and do something. No one can do it alone, but together we can climb any mountain.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
June 26, 2011
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."
Alexander Tyler, 1887
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys. From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes.
"Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," says Jenny Johnsson, a 31-year-old teacher. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be." AP
Seriously, isn't this the parents job? Show your kids that there is no boy or girl "jobs". Shouldn't there be some restrictions though? Our abilities should count for something. Not everyone can DO everything. We can and should try, but things can be physically impossible. Find your path and follow it, unless you want your kids to become the Zombie you are. Depending on government to tell you what is good for you.
To all those who died for our freedoms, I'm sorry we have become so dependent on someone else to do our thinking. We have and are still being duped by those who say "it's for our own good". They lead us around by the hand (or nose) and tell us what to do and how to act. Do we really need a baby sitter?
Orange County wants to start charging newly elected officials for health insurance. Excuse me? ALL should be paying a portion of their insurance. AND they should NEVER be allowed insurance AFTER they leave the job. AND if they decline the insurance because they already have it, WHY would we pay them $2000? You know if they have 2 policies only ONE will pay any claims. We should NOT be paying extra to those who have insurance.
Let's move on to Obama care. More waivers for Unions, how nice. Dig deeper folks, don't worry about eating or sleeping with a roof over your head, I'm sure that construction worker will take you in. We/You have allowed this to happen by not paying attention to how powerful this government has gotten.
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests”.
- Patrick Henry -
You cheered when they took away the personal rights of someone else, what will you do or say when it's your rights? Oh wait, we don't have many left, you'll never notice until we have bread lines like they did in Russia during the 1970's. People spent their days waiting in line for bread (literally), only to find out there was no more. This is one of the reasons Russia went downhill, and we are headed there. "We the people" either accept it or we better do something about it NOW.
Let's keep on the "front burner" that the US Fish and Wildlife is still trying to remove farming from our country. I have recently discovered this is because of the environmentalist groups that want our landscapes to be animal friendly and "damn" the people. Most of those people "have theirs" it's YOURS that they want.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
June 20, 2011
This has been beautiful week. We have gotten caught up with all the seed plantings that should have been in the ground 3 weeks ago, but had to wait for the ground to dry enough. Can't plant in wet ground, your seeds may rot.
My 15 year old (dog) companion decided to show me she was still worth her weight. She doesn't like that I lock her in the house when I go out to work. I need to keep her safe and she will try to find me, which means she will cross the road without looking for cars. I know she misses me during work hours but I don't want her getting hurt. We try to protect our loved ones as best as we can.
She decided that one evening, while I was making dinner, that outside is where she wanted to be. She can go in and out by herself, unless I close off the door. Out she went on her nightly "sniffing around to see who entered her area while she was inside" routine. I had finished making and eating dinner and realized she had yet to come in. The first thing I do is check from the windows to see if I can see her. There she was in my back yard shaking a young woodchuck that she had just caught. I don't mind her killing varmints, it is her instincts to do so, but I don't want her eating them. I don't know why, chucks are vegetarians and are clean animals , it's just the thought!!!
I called her in and she left the chuck in the back yard, figured I would get Sonny to take it out in the field for the birds that are always hunting here. I paid no more attention to the animal and my dog was by my side in the house. She is a sneaky dog and at some point left from sleeping under my feet. When I realized she wasn't there, I KNEW where she had gone. I got up and looked out side expecting to see her with the chuck, she wasn't. Instead, I had a turkey buzzard out there eating (cleaning up) the animal. Seldom can you get close to these birds, so I went for my camera to get a "prove it" shot. Couldn't find it, then remembered it was in the building across from my home. I snuck out to get it, trying not to make any extra noise that might scare the bird and found my dog on the front lawn with part of the animal. I guess she didn't mind sharing, or she realized this bird was bigger than her. I did make her come in and I did get my pictures of the buzzard in my very own backyard.
I was telling a few people about this and they commented how lucky I was to see all these things around my home. I told them, "this happens outside your homes too, you just have to look".
Speaking of dogs:
"So what's wrong with Anthony Weiner? The New York congressman says he is seeking professional treatment "to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person" following a sexting scandal that threatens to drive him from office." AP
What's wrong with him?? He's a 6 year old in a man's body. Similar to all the other politicians who feel they can do anything and pay no price for their behavior. Weiner has Rangel backing him? You have got to be kidding, he is as unethical as you can get.
Our society has turned into "do anything and no consequences".
Back in the 60's we had a saying, "if it feels good, do it". The difference, the people "doing it" were consenting adults. What they did, hurt no one else, like children or wives. Our parents may have been disappointed in our choices but they knew we would pay the price if it was the wrong choice. We were free to mess up and pay for it.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
June 13, 2011
Spring is moving quickly into summer and "in the blink of an eye" it will be Labor Day. Before that happens, we have much to do on the farm. Last week we finally had sugar snap peas. They are so good, no work, eat the whole thing raw so no cooking. What could be easier and tastier.
Our field work is continuing and almost caught up to where we should be in June. Our crops will still be 3 weeks behind, but that's what happens when we get adverse weather.
I have heard that a few corn growers have lost their first plantings of corn, rotted in the ground, and several seed companys don't have the seeds the farmers need. It should be an interesting season.
Here is a letter I sent to our Governor and a few more in Albany. Ethics, do they know the meaning?
Dear Governor Cuomo,
I received an email from your office speaking about your newest bill, Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011. I hope you can implement ethics in NYS, it has been a very long time since voters could trust their elected officials.
Here, in Goshen, we have the perfect example of a taxing entity not listening to the voters. And showing the unethical behavior of which you speak in your email.
Two years ago this fire district brought to the public a vote on a building addition and remolding of the existing building. Several things occurred that summer:
One, we found out the vote would be in the summer when many would be on vacation.
Two, the district did not allow absentee votes for those that wouldn't be here.
Three, if you don't want people to vote, have short hours in the heat of the day.
Four, it doesn't matter what the voters say.
After defeating this proposal 10-1 this district has again advertised for bids to do the same job that was voted down 2 years ago. How can they do this you ask??? Each year they stash extra tax dollars away in their "funds" so they can get what they want and the voters be damned. Will have enough stashed away so that a new vote will not be needed? I was told by them, this is legal, but it is immoral to do this when the voters already said NO. I find it to be very unethical and part of the problem in our state and country.
Please don't say I should get involved in their meetings, I have and so have many from my group. We have gone to budget meetings and requested they NOT add to the "slush funds" to a tune of 1/2M dollars a year. They "yes" us to death and then vote they way they were planning. We have become insignificant as far as they are concerned, we don't even "hold the purse strings". The districts hand the tax liability bill to the towns and we get to pay it. THIS HAS TO STOP.
Email from Comptrollers office:
"Thank you for taking the time to share with me your on-going concern regarding the Goshen Fire District. The District did file unaudited financial information with us in March 2010 for the 2009 fiscal year. However, like last year we have not received a copy of the audit which would have been due around July 1st." osc.state.ny.us I am sure Goshen Fire District is not the only town that does this, but this is where I live.
My Assemblywoman has been working on this with my group, here are the bills and so far nothing concrete has been enacted.
STATUS:
A1694 TITLE....Allows the town or village board to make changes to the
proposed annual fire district budget; requires public vote before
appropriations to capital reserve fund.
Currently on Assembly Committee Agenda
Local Governments (MAGNARELLI)
9:00 AM, Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Room 838 LOB
STATUS:
A2889 Rabbitt TITLE....Changes the date fire district votes take place and raises the
compensation for poll workers
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
June 6, 2011
Spring is the time of year that we start our flannel shirt collection. Some years it grows very large, this will be one of them.
When I go out to work in the mornings, it can be cold or chilly. I put on a flannel to keep me warm, on cold days it may be 2 or 3 (yes mom, layers). As the temperatures rise, I start to shed the shirts and they get hung up or tucked away behind a tractor seat...........and forgotten. The next morning I am looking for one or all of them and end up getting a different one, knowing I will run across yesterday's shirts in the building.
This is how the collection starts and continues as long as mornings are cool. Some days start out warm and turn chilly so I can just grab one that I have already hung up in the building and it ends up back home that evening.
There is one shirt that has been in our greenhouse for many years. I did try to bring it home but found a bee's nest in it and I left it there. The visible side is almost white from the sun and I think I'll wait another 2-3 yrs before I open it to see the art work the sun has done. Like Christmas!!!
I mentioned before about the axle on the tractor breaking.The same day a gear on the plows broke so neither was available. The tractor is repaired but the plow is very old and no one has the part so we may need to have one made, if we can find a machine shop that can do the work. In the mean time, Sonny needs to finish plowing. One of our neighbors bought a new plow and has wanted Sonny to try it out. It was brought here last week and Sonny used it Sunday. He REALLY liked it and will start hinting to me "this will save time" if we can get one. I of course will say, "rent it from the man, he can use the money and we don't need the deduction of a purchase". I'll let you know who wins.
It came to my attention last week that our fire district has put out bids for remodeling and an addition for the Minisink Firehouse, AGAIN. Now, this is the same firehouse that we voted down 2 years ago. Remember? The heat of the day, no absentee ballots, the long line out side the fire house and the vote being 10-1 against it?
Why is it that those in charge refuse to listen to "we the people"? Has the district stockpiled enough of our tax dollars so we won't vote on this? Remember I told you of the 2 "savings accounts" they have. Each year they tax us extra so they can keep putting money into these accounts. When will this garbage stop?
Our economy is WORSE today than it was 2 years ago and these volunteers feel it's okay to put a bigger burden on us? It may be legal, but it's immoral!!
Has the new firetruck been ordered? Will we vote on that or is there enough money in the "slush fund". Call the fire district and ask these questions: When is the vote on the fire truck, the vote on the building addition and your budget. Ooops, we don't get to vote on that budget, could explain why I feel so violated. The law must be changed to give the control back to the people who pay for all the whims of the "we need it too" crowd. Call Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt and tell her we are tired of the way things are being done and want our voices to be the final say in all matters that we pay for. Tell her to do what it takes to return to the people the power our ancestors fought and died for.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
May 30, 2011
Memorial Day is not about BBQ's, it's about those who lost their lives protecting our country. THANK YOU.
Now can the living please stop making their deaths insignificant and show the same courage needed to "do what has to be done" today.
Things are progressing slowly on the farm. After 4 inches of rain it takes a bit of extra care to dry the fields out enough to get crops planted.
The potatoes that were planted a few weeks back are out of the ground and the rows can now be seen. There is plenty of ground moisture and if the rain holds off I should be able to clean up the weeds on Monday, with a lot of help from the tractor and hooks.
A week and a half ago, the plow tractor broke it's axle. There are very few machinery parts dealer locally so we have to "shop" in the mid-west. They found 1 and sent it last week. Sonny and Ed, his brother in law, put it in on Sunday and we are back in business. He can now finish the plowing so he can continue planting crops.
We really didn't need the heavy rain we got Monday morning. Guess we'll see what problems that has created. This is going to be an interesting season!
In 1984, when Sonny bought the farm from his mom, we spoke with our accountant and asked what kind of business we should have. Should it be a partnership, LLC, sole proprietor, corporation or something else. His first question to us........."are you planning on living off of social security when and if you retire"? PLEASE remember the year.....1984...... we said no. He said good, no one will be able to and he didn't want us sitting in the same boat as it sinks.
As we move on to 2012 we find more and more people trying to keep their heads above water on the pittance they get from social security. This is not your fault or the fault of your ex employer. We/you/they did exactly as the government said to do. The promise of pay in get it out when you retire was mellowing to us. Then the government found they had a "cash cow". They could move money ( due to be given to you ) from SS to other programs and we would never notice UNTIL we needed it.
Government is like a kid in a candy store....they want everything and it doesn't matter what it costs or who is going to pay for it, they only know it's not going to be them. You see government has no money unless WE send it to them. To insure this never ending supply of "candy money", they make rules. Rules that need permits and cost money. They require licenses, which again requires money being sent to them. They make laws so you can pay more when you are caught not wearing a seat belt, "shame on you, now pay up". I always wear my seat belt because it is safer, NOT because it's the law.
Don't get me wrong, there are many things we should or shouldn't do for our safety and that of others. I realize many people feel they are number one and should always be in the lead, but to "punish" the ones that drive 32mph in a 30mph zone while the guy that swerves in and out of traffic never gets caught, just doesn't seem right. It seems more like a payment system than a safety issue.
How about the parking officer that waits by a 15 min parking spot so if you are 1 min late you get a ticket. Is there nothing better for that officer to do? Perhaps we really don't need that officer, what a cost savings and much nicer to live in the town.
I happened to have one of those driving idiots almost cause an accident on my way home from the market on Saturday. Since this was happening in front of me, I don't know if hand signals were exchanged I only know 3 cars took it upon themselves to cross 2 lanes of traffic so they could stop on the shoulder of the road. When they got out of their cars we had to hit our brakes to avoid hitting the people. As we slowly went passed, I though I should call 911 but my passenger said, "they all acted like jerks, they get what they deserve". I don't know what took place, I kept going. IF this was an accident I would have stopped and called for help, but that was not the case. Too many jerks have a license to do something and it can end up badly.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
May 23, 2011
If you asked almost any farmer in the "valley" they would tell you the fields are very muddy and will take a week of sunshine to dry us out. BUT, they will also tell you, "we are lucky. we are not the farmers along the Mississippi".
We are not them, YET!!!!! Our Black Dirt farm land is continuing to be assaulted by the US Fish & Wildlife. I don't know how to stop them from flooding our valley and removing your farmers from this land, perhaps you could call your representatives. Town, State and Federal ones should be TOLD what you think. The feds have to defund the people who think that animals will STAY in the area they have made for them. This is dumber than dumb.
Think about this: put up a sign near your garden saying NO DEER ALLOWED, you think they will read it and abide by it? The worst part of this program, they are using YOUR tax dollars to put YOUR farmers out of business and limit YOUR access to a local food supply. This is the intelligence of the people running this federal program. Let me know how that sign works out for you.
I told you before about the waivers from the health care system for "certain" people. The assault continues:
"The extra waivers bring the total to 1,372 one-year waivers, giving over three million workers at regular businesses, health care companies, unions and others an exemption from the annual benefit rules." Jamie Dupree
You have to read the list at this link. You won't believe your eyes when you see Pelosi and Reed have corralled so many for their states.
http://www.wsbradio.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2011/may/15/san-francisco-health-waivers/
What is wrong with this government?
" Cindy Ransonet stood tiptoed atop the small boat's cabin and pulled an osprey chick from the nest of a bald cypress tree.....the licensed Louisiana wildlife volunteer lifted the chick gently from the messy, four-foot-wide nest of sticks and handed it to the boat's operator. Rehabilitator Donna Gee then banded it and placed the bird in a plastic portable kennel.
The rising waters unleashed in parts of Louisiana by the opening of the Morganza spillway, to protect New Orleans and Baton Rouge from Mississippi River flooding, has sent people and wildlife searching for higher ground while leaving birds such as the osprey chicks at risk." AP
Don't get me wrong, I love animals. Most of the time they are more human than humans. However, how many dollars are being spent on another "byproduct" of the EPA decisions? Flood the farmland, deny any compensation to the farmers and then spend money saving a bird? Unlike humans, animals know what to do in emergencies. They have NEVER become dependent on humans, although they will take a hand out ( like humans) which is their survival technique. "Any port in a storm".
Our ancestors are rolling over in their graves. This is not what they died for.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
May 15, 2011
Sonny and I were talking about the pension and healthcare system we have for public sector jobs. He pointed out to me that we never lose a job in the public sector. When someone retires they get paid their pension (sometimes close to their working salary)and many get lifetime health care, for little, if any money. We then go and replace that person and are now paying TWO people to do the same job. One is working, the other the retired, but we the tax payers double our contribution. With some jobs, we pay pensions for a longer time than the person worked. Work 25 years, retired for 35? Not hard to do. Start work at 20 , retire at 45, die at 80. I don't think this is how America was built. But we are seeing how it can be destroyed.
Hot off the press: Demonize those gas companies. Gas companies are making an average profit of 8% for something you need. Less than what the federal government makes from a gallon of gas. The companies that make your toys (computers, video games, cell phones, etc.)are making an average of 35% profit. Things we need as opposed to the things we want. And we are upset with who? Amazing.
"flush it twice"? The funniest thing I have heard lately, since we now are required to use low flow toilets the "solids" are finding it difficult to get to our septic systems and end up blocking our pipes. Another fine mess the feds have gotten us into.
"More than a dozen states have approved the medical use of marijuana, which is not legal under federal law. About half of those states regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.
The latest memos carry a more direct warning: "We maintain the authority to enforce (federal law) vigorously against individuals and organizations that participate in unlawful manufacturing and distribution activity involving marijuana, even if such activities are permitted under state law." AP
States are more powerful than the federal government according to OUR Constitution. We have allowed the feds to become so powerful, we are losing our individual states rights. Don't worry, we have also allowed our states to become too powerful and WE the people have lost our individual rights.
" Army engineers prepared Saturday to slowly open the gates of an emergency spillway along the rising Mississippi River, diverting floodwaters from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, yet inundating homes and farms in parts of Louisiana's populated Cajun country." AP
Explain to me why our Corp will sacrifice your food and the livelihood of hundreds of farmers to "save" a city? Try to understand this. A city dweller can pack up their belongings and move it ALL to higher ground, they may lose their home, but their future wouldn't be lost.
A farm crop is growing on the land, the farmer can't pick it up and move it to higher ground to save it. He must wait a year to replant a crop that he needs to sustain his income. The feds have already stated they will NOT pay him for his losses, yet they flood his land, intentionally. This is outrageous. Again the farmer gets "flushed".
A similar thing is happening here in the "valley". The US Fish and Wildlife have not given up on flooding our farm land. They continue to buy up land that is along the river. They refuse to clean the ditches so our land can drain after a rain and told me they "don't know any farmer that cleans their ditches every year". Perhaps, instead of listening to the fish and deer, they could start listening to the ones who pay their salaries, "WE THE PEOPLE".
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
May 8, 2011
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
"When people abuse the meeting and will not stop ... we can shut them off," Ward said. "It's a privilege the Town Board gives to people to speak at the meetings." TH-R
And this is the problem. WE the PEOPLE have been shut out by those we have elected to what is best for our towns, counties, states and country. THEY are to listen to us, not the other way around.
While listening to the radio the other day, the man was talking about our freedoms and how simple and complex they can be. One person's rights exceeds another persons, which is not the way it was written. The constitution says we are ALL created equal and that no one will have power OVER another. Didn't we fight a Civil War and a Revolutionary War over this same exact thing? Have we become so passive and mesmerized by the glitter of the things around us that we didn't notice we are being enslaved by government?
We can't use the toilet or shower heads that we used to have. We now need to shower longer in order to get our hair rinsed clean, how is that better? We have been forced to stop using a light bulb that had little, if any, environmental impact when it was discarded, to a bulb that we need to protect ourselves from if it is broken in our homes. Of course it uses less electricity, it is fewer watts. It also costs a great deal more than the old bulbs. "Calm down Thomas Edison"!
We use paint on the walls of our homes, but if we have a part can left over it is considered hazardous waste. Take it to the landfill and pay extra to discard it, or just put another coat on your walls. "The inmates have taken over the asylum".
Want to build something on your OWN land???? No, no, no, not without asking your town, EPA, DEC and ALL of your neighbors. What portion of your taxes do any of these departments or people pay?? Why do they have ANY right to question or restrict what you do on your own land??? You don't like the color of my house, tough, I don't like the color of yours. Stand off?
I love the one that tells us we are too stupid to realize that "fast food" may not be the best for us to eat, but why must government step in and FORCE companies to restrict our intake??? can't put sugar in this, can't put carbohydrates in that, and if you want to buy the products WITH sugar, YOU will pay an extra tax. So now we have discrimination against fat people, smokers, constitutionalists, free thinkers, and the list goes on and on. We have become a country of "DON'T do that", and a government of , "we have to study it for a few more years". The secret is, they don't care about your health or welfare they want to control every breath you take from cradle to grave and TAX you (fines) if you stray. Hear that rumble, it's our ancestors, who died for your freedom that are "rolling over in their graves". If you choose to be led then stand in line for your nose ring, if you choose to lead, make yourself heard.
Our federal government has said it is speculators and oil companies that are forcing our gas price higher. I have been told who these speculators are and what percentage they hold in oil stocks. The owners hold 1 1/2% of all out standing stocks. The list of the rest: 29% is held by Mutual Funds, you own any, you are part of the problem. 27% is held by Pension Funds for the public sector, you work for government, you are part of the problem. 23% is held by individuals and 14% held by IRAs. We are the problem. Many of us have at least one of these items.
In reality, when we invest our money in something we expect a profit. We don't always get one, but we do expect it. So, for each gallon of gas you use, you perhaps will see your portfolio go up.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
May 2, 2011
FYI the US Fish and Wildlife is continuing it's assault on our farm land. They must be stopped. The EPA is sending out more restrictions to your farmers, THEY must be stopped. Write or call your legislators.
"Jet fuel is taxed at 21.9¢/gal for the 2007 tax year unless it is used for commercial aviation and small commercial jets commonly chartered by entertainers, politicians, and business VIPs. Such commercial operations qualify them for a special tax loophole that allows them to pay only 4.4¢/gal." Wikipedia,
(I know it's not always a factual site, but it is probably close enough)
So the politicians get a break along with their entertainer buddies?
State Gasoline Tax (includes federal tax of 18.4¢/gal) Diesel Tax (includes federal tax of 24.4¢/gal)
taxes on gasoline
New York gas.... 63.4 diesel...... 67.7 then we get the sales tax added by "everyone and his brother" The higher the price the higher we pay in sales tax. Get it yet????
Gasoline Motor Fuel Taxes (cents per gallon)
Northeast state....23.1 other state...6.5 total state...29.6....total state and federal 48.0 http://www.api.org/statistics/fueltaxes/
New York gas... 31.9, diesel... 28.9. Includes 8 cents per gallon excise tax, Petroleum Business Tax of 15.2 cents per gallon for gasoline and 13.45 cents per gallon for diesel (rate increased .6 cpg 1/1/05). Statewide volume weighted average sales tax increased 6/1/04 to 8.3 for per gallon for gasoline and 7.1 cents per gallon for diesel. Also a spill tax of 0.3 cent per gallon is collected on gasoline and diesel and a petroleum testing fee of 0.05 cent per gallon is levied on gasoline. Does not include an estimated 7.9 cents per gallon for gasoline and 6.7 cents per gallon for diesel from weighted county average sales taxes that range from 3.25% to 4.75%. http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp
Our governments make a ton of money on our usage of petroleum fuels. The problem our government has..................we have reduced our usage and they will need to increase their "take" in order to break even. NOW DO YOU GET IT?
Back on the farm:
The miracle of farming is Nitrogen. Yes, nitrogen is in the air, however the plants can't take it from the air to use it, they need to get it from their roots. Some legumes (e.g.-beans) produce ("tie it up)"nitrogen in the soil, but it takes one year to produce it and the next year to use it. Crop rotation is used by many farmers as a way to collect this nitrogen for the following years crops. OR we can use commercial nitrogen that is separated from natural gas and made into a granular form.
The other positive for farming is replacing the nutrients each crop takes out of the soil. We must put it back if we are to continue farming. Most nutrients are the same ones you need and can find on your vitamin bottles. Each crop uses different things from the soil, so we use a standard fertilizer which will help all plants. Common sense tells you, if YOU can get a certain vitamin/mineral out of eating a vegetable, the vegetable must need it too. The vegetable is collecting it for YOU, perfect natural storage.
Robins and Killdeer and SWALLOWS, OH MY!!!!!!
The swallows have appeared, April 27. a new record for them. Yes, they have already started remodeling their old nests and screaming at us when we come into the building. Very possessive creatures but we deal with it, afterall, we are bigger than them.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
April 27, 2011
This is a Spring to remember. Not unusual in some ways, we always get rain in April, ( "April Showers bring May flowers" ) it is usually warmer. Plants need sunlight and rain, more sun than rain. Even on the days that it doesn't rain, it is cloudy which slows any growth of your plants. We feel we are 3 weeks behind in planting our crops, which will push harvesting back at least 3 weeks. The ground isn't warm yet, even the Killdeer haven't made any nests out there. We will see the Barn Swallows soon and they will find the doors closed to their normal nesting spots, have to keep it warm for us.
This is farming and each year brings new challenges, it "keeps us on our toes".
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual census counted more than 193,000 farms in New York in 1920 and 36,352 in 2007." TH-R
When you look at the figures of how many farms we used to have in New York it should help to put things in perspective for you. I couldn't find the statistics that were in the article, but it doesn't really matter if it's a year before or after. This is one of the pages I used as a reference.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/agriculture.html
In 1910 our total NY population was 9,113,614 (U.S.Census). We had 215,597 farms for a total of 22M acres, each acre produced enough food for 43 people.
In 2009 we had 19.5M ( http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36000.html ) people in NYS yet our farms have been depleted to 37,000. Remember this total figure also includes horses, which is not food for us, (at this time). I say that here, because in 1910 many horses were used on the farms but not a "horse farm".
In 2009 there were 7M acres of farmland, down from 22M 100 years ago, yet our population keeps increasing, so each acre now needs to produce enough to feed 189 people. Please remember these figures are only for New York. Our food doesn't stay in New York, it goes around the world now.
a readers input: "some proponents of organic farming suggest that we can feed our growing population this way - but to me it doesn't make much sense.:"
I have had this discussion with family members who still think that we can produce enough food for the masses by using 1920's technology. Where would your work be if we had no phones or computers? Get on your horse and ride to your next contact? More next week on how we can get increased production using fewer acres.
Please stop blaming the oil companies for the high price. Many speculators are equally as guilty as our federal government. Our Federal Reserve policies have caused the dollar to go down, (and gold sky rocket)which means it takes more dollars to buy everything. Our federal deficit is what is killing our country and this spending is not by accident. For every dollar our government spends they BORROW $.40 of it. No one could be THAT stupid.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
April 18, 2011
There are times I get emails from people after reading this column and following up on what I say. This is one sweet lady who says it better than I could.
"I looked up the site you mentioned on your 04-04-11 entry and again I could not believe what I was reading. All of this has to STOP. “We the people” where are they? Why is everything being not printed in plain English in full view so everyone can SEE. Maybe everyone is so stupid/controlled they just do not think anymore. Just give them a new car, some baubles, regular manicures and their life is complete. Just kill the elderly, work the middleclass to death, tax them to oblivion and all is right with the world." Ann-Marie
To the person who keeps emailing my website and uses a fake address, I know who you are, please grow up.
Sonny has been planting between rain drops this past week. The year is starting out to be an interesting one. We have always said, we prefer no rain than too much rain. But it's times like this that brings out the best in your farmers. They have seen it all and have their own ways of dealing with different situations. We do have some that work harder and others that cry to the government. This is no different than any other business.
When you sign your name to the bottom of the mortgage you should know there is risk involved and you can't make money every year. You have to take the good with the bad. In farming, to me, the good far out weighs the bad. Being able to work at what you love and see the looks on peoples faces when they taste your food, is worth the bad times. When some one tells us, " when I ate that it took me back to my childhood", it brings a smile to our faces and a warmth in our hearts.
We don't like discarding edible food but we don't always have the extra time to distribute it to those in need. I know many people from our markets and I know the ones that will go the extra mile in order to help others. (Amy, Joy) That's what I did, I hit them up for assistance and as I knew they would, they came through.
This past Saturday I needed some help bagging potatoes. My friend Joy, put me in touch with a Goshen Boy Scout leader, Tom Henkler. He and his son came out and helped bag many potatoes and then delivered them to a food pantry. Thank you Tom. If you know him, tell him, Good Job!!!
Along with this, we had 10 people from Ringwood, NJ (along with their kids) that drove an hour to work like dogs for several hours bagging potatoes. Just like Tom, they rolled up their sleeves and put their all into helping some one else. This warms our hearts and gives us hope for our countries future.
If all the people who receive these potatoes knew your names, I know they would feel as I do and tell you Thank you.
For the next week we can feel safe, our Congress is not in town!!
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Neighbor to Neighbor
by Doris Bialas
April 10, 2011
People have asked me why I am so interested in our politics. I was born an American, I have developed into a farmer. Both I am very proud of. When politics stops forcing me, as a farmer and individual, to bow down to their whims, I will stop worrying about politics. When we get real Americans as our representatives that find the US Constitution to be the most important document to our continued safety and freedom, then I will stop. You can't separate what I do from who I am any more than I could do that to you. You are not JUST a lawyer, or doctor or mechanic, you are more than that, so am I.
Shut down the Federal Government, but....no politician should get any pay, even retroactive. They have not been doing the job they were sent to do. We expect an employee to work for their pay and these people are NOT doing what is best for our country.
Amazingly, a last minute deal was struck... want to know why? The shut down would have been NON-essential employees. They couldn't let us know how many are non-essential, which we all know is in the thousands. This would have given us more information to add to the amount of money they waste. "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive" Sir Walter Scott @ 1800
The federal government should go home and do nothing, we are better off. We have states that make laws and outsiders that try to change those laws with lawsuits. We have unions that think only of themselves (not the workers). Unions are BIG business and don't want to lose their profits. They are non-profit institutions that makes TONS of money and pay no taxes. Talk about "buying an election"!!!! When you need a law to force people to do something (union dues) perhaps it's not the best route to take.
I have been watching the series "The Civil War", I'm sure you all know about this. One of the things that stuck in my head, when Congress passed the Emancipation Proclamation it was not yet law. It needed to go to THE STATES for ratification. The states were the final say in federal law. We have allowed the feds to take control over our lives and it must stop. The constitution says the individual has the final say in all matters of country. At this point in time, the individual is the bottom of the list. We must get back to individual rights, guaranteed by the constitution that our fore fathers died for and our soldiers are still fighting for. If you are not willing to lay down your life for the freedom of your children, you tell them.
I am sick and tired of hearing Obama say, "that is not acceptable", we know it. YOUR job is not to force YOUR agenda on the people, but to do what the people want. YOU have to compromise, not always saying the other guy has to. YOUR PRESIDENCY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
The farm is moving forward even if the warm weather has not caught up with us. Since our markets don't start until May, Sonny has to plant the seeds so they mature when we need them. Although the package says "30 days to maturity" that doesn't take into account the ground temperature, air temperature or hours of sunlight. All those things you must be able to calculate so you don't plant too soon.
The birds are still coming to my feeders. I did find a new way to feed them. You know I put my Christmas tree out for them to sit in. I now take the "aluminum loaf pans", poke 2 holes and tie them to the tree. The little birds love to be away from the big birds, there are less fights.
If you have been wondering about the "disabled" chickadee from last year, no, I have not seen him. I have visions of him finding a cute female bird with a loving family that has taken him in and is helping him to survive the tough times.
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Neighbor to Neighbor
Doris Bialas
April 4, 2011
This year Spring is taking it's time. It's not really that unusual, it just seems that way because of the cold and snowy winter that we had. Most years the farmers in this area don't put anything in the fields before April .1 On the years when "spring is early" many of us take the risk and plant seeds hoping they make it to harvest. Fear not, Spring is right on time.
Sonny planted the greenhouse with many of the seeds we will need for transplanting in the fields. Those have at least 3 months of growing, under controlled conditions, before we even think about planting outside. The seeds are just peeking out of the ground and will need to be transplanted into cells so they have more room to grow. The cells also gives us a compact seed ball so they aren't "set back" when we do get them in the field. So much more to do before we even think about field planting.
On to the sad things in life: GE made record profits last year, $14B, and paid no taxes. To help them out the Obama administration GAVE them $36M to offset the health premiums for their early retirees. Fear not, they are not alone, AT&T also received money for the same thing, $140M. Isn't it nice of us to help them out? How can our government do this to it's citizens? PAY PAY PAY that is our job. Funny thing is, the public blames corporations for making a profit yet they don't see how our government is helping the corporations? I don't understand people! To see a complete list of your donations go to http://www.wsbradio.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2011/apr/01/health-law-payments/ It will open your eyes.
Then we have the news media that constantly tries to keep us off-balance. Instead of ignoring things that don't effect us, they blow them out of proportion so as to keep you sitting on that fence. Balancing yourself, trying not to fall off either side.
What should we do? My dad always told us, "never believe anything you hear and only half of what you see". For those who didn't know my dad, he meant always question when someone tells you something as fact (even me) and search for the answers from other sources. With the internet it makes it much easier today, in the "old days" we had to "walk uphill 5 miles to the library EACH way in the snow" to find any answers!
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Neighbor to Neighbor
Doris Bialas
March 22, 2011
Sonny and I have a vegetable farm. Our son and daughter have helped us go from certain foreclosure to a sustainable farm. Sonny and his family were growing only onions and the market for them was terrible for 5 years in a row. Jeff and I said we wanted to try something different, farm markets. He and I marketed at the Middletown market every Saturday for many years. We then grew to 5 markets a week but that put a strain on our product quality, so we cut back to 4 and only 2 days a week. It forced us to spread ourselves thin, but we felt it was necessary to have a family member at each market. How else could you ask us questions?
In 2002, it hit me that I was getting grandchildren and they would not know the world I grew up in. I started going to the town board meetings to see what was going on and why our town had changed so much. I found that the board had no problem taxing us for "wants" instead of "needs". This was not how I was brought up nor what I tried to teach my kids.
A recent quote from my Aunt:
"Every day I thank God for my parents who taught us to work hard for what we need (not wanted) and to have respect and love for others. I am so thankful for what I have and pray for those who don't have the things they need. I don't have respect for the ones who have their hands out for help when they don't want to work and just want to get things for free.
That's my sermon for today.
Love,
Aunt Sally " (80+years)
We are on that hill, speeding downward because very few know how to stop spending and even fewer will make concessions for the good of our country and our neighbors.
This past week a huge earthquake devastated Japan. Did they sit back and wait for someone else to help them? NO, they picked themselves up and helped their neighbors. They had death all around them and they went on trying to help those who were worse off than themselves. We should all strive to be like them. Americans have become soft and spoiled. Many are lost if their cell phone battery is dead, or the cable TV is out. What would you have done if you were in Japan?
We have a new congress that said they will reduce spending and get us back on track to overcome this depression, but what are they doing? It's like the same old group. When you are a trillion dollars in debt, 60 million will do nothing. They know it and we know it. We are not fooled by the wasted time debating nothing and trying to make appear to be something. Roll back to 2007. That's where you should start. REMOVE any department that was created after 2006 and cut the spending of all other departments.
WE WILL REMEMBER EVERY NOVEMBER.
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