LET’S BE CREATIVE: August 31, 2023

By LORNA CHEROT LITTLEWAY

HUDSON–The NY Greater Capital Region chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby sponsored “How Do Local Farmers Regard Climate Change?” at the Hudson Area Library on Wednesday, December 18.

Eight participants, farmers and climate advocacy activists discussed regenerative farming (low till practices to capture carbon); sustainable farming (a Native American concept of thinking and acting for the next seven generations and beyond); carbon sequestration (taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and storing it in the soil); and agro-ecology (a shift from big-Ag inputs to small-scale, no-chemical, intensive, community-driven agriculture).

The meeting began with a look at how warming trends are making Hudson Valley weather more like New Jersey’s climate. The prolonged warm season allows local farmers to grow more melons but a downside is more tomato blight.

In an email exchange Creek Iversen, farmer/executive director of Seed Song, a 215 acre community farm bordered by the Esopus Creek in Kingston, listed other undesirable consequences: new insect pests, i.e. spotted lantern fly and jumping worms, which consume carbon in the soil; new pressures from existing insect pests, i.e. locusts, deer ticks, and gypsy moths caterpillars; periods of excessive droughts (even in spring or fall) and extensive rain (even in summer); excessively warm winters that do not kill off insect pests or winter-kill cover crops; excessively cold winters that kill off perennial plants or trees that usually survive; and tree decline, e.g. sugar maples. The farm taps 70 trees for syrup.

The value of cover crops as a soil-cooling agent was extolled by Mr. Iversen and John Bradley, Climate Smart Coordinator for Claverack. Mr. Bradley offered an analogy likening not planting cover crops to a bank not paying interest to account holders. Said Mr. Bradley, “You would object if your bank did not pay interest for 5 months.” Mr. Iversen noted that 23 acres at Seed Song Farm grows cover crops of rye, oats, wheat and buckwheat.

Seed Song Farm also practices the “3 Sisters” technique for planting corn, soybeans and squash seeds in mounds. According to Mr. Iversen corn provides pole structures for the beans and squash maximizing use of vertical space and sunlight. Corn stalks also provide longer lasting slow-release of organic material back into the soil, and provide partial cover of the soil over the winter. Beans add nitrogen to the soil and squash leaves reduce weeds.

Half of Seed Song’s acreage is farmland, including a 2 ½ acre orchard of apples and peaches. (Mr. Iversen admits that growing apples without any chemical assistance is very difficult.) Woodlands, wetlands and forest make up the other half. Mr. Iversen touted reforestation as another land cooling strategy though its implementation needs to be balanced with the trees need for water.

“Planting a variety of tree and perennial plants, especially native or naturalizing varieties, is a helpful resilient practice. Our orchards and food forest reforestation includes: pawpaws, persimmons, juneberry, hazelnuts, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, hardy kiwi, black locust, black walnut, chestnut, American cranberry, mulberry, oak, maple varieties and evergreens.”
He added, “Weather extremes are even more challenging. Unusually timed deep freezes, droughts, heat waves and storms with heavy rain, all make even harder the outdoor work and plant protection required.”

The 2019 study, NY’s Climate Plan: An Overview and Update for Local Government Officials found that buildings and transportation accounted for greenhouse gas emissions at 32% and 28% respectively compared to agriculture at 6%.

Mr. Bradley, a NYC transplant to Claverack and long interested in community development, persuaded the town supervisor to form an advisory Climate Smart Committee in 2020. “Before then there was no conservation group even. [They] had no idea what they were getting into.”

The committee and council focused on three areas to reduce municipal costs and emissions. An energy audit of the town garage found air leaks costing an energy loss of $10k annually. With $25k in grants from NYSERDA and Climate Action and $15k from the town, the garage was sealed. Also streetlights were switched to LED.

Mr. Bradley’s goal for Claverack is to accumulate the 120 points needed for Bronze level certification, which would enhance the town’s competitiveness in applying for Climate Smart grants. Claverack has accrued 150 points. But Bradley cautioned that “disagreements” occur over how points are evaluated. He noted that 17 out of 23 Columbia County communities have formed Climate Smart committees, which have earned $2.7 million for green energy projects in the county.

He added that 50% of Columbia County’s land is forest and a “large chunk is agriculture.” Mr. Bradley said that he attended the meeting to learn “how farmers are experiencing climate change” and that he was “very pleasantly surprised” by the agro-ecology solutions discussed.

Mr. Bradley also expressed a preference for “natural solutions” and scoffed at “techno arrogance” to fix climate warming like injecting sulphur into the atmosphere to reflect the sun’s energy away from Earth.

The event’s sponsoring chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is led by Karen and Bruce Frishkoff of Harlemville and has 1,500 members. The chapter covers all of the 20th and 21st congressional districts and half of the 19th. The organization is bipartisan and focuses on national policies to address climate change.

The Frishkoffs touted recently sponsored legislation, the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, by two Republican senators, William Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. To read more go to https://citizensclimatelobby.org/blog/policy/republican-senators-introduce-foreign-pollution-fee-bill. The legislation calls for a tax adjustment on products based on its carbon content. Said Mr. Frishkoff, “American products are cleaner than foreign products.” He called it a “no brainer to put a price on the carbon content.” Ms. Frishkoff likened the bill to “taxes on cigarettes.”

In a post-event Zoom interview, Ms. Frishkoff called the bill a “teeny, tiny step” to get Republicans to put “pollution” into environmental legislation. Mr. Frishkoff added, “Language is important. [They] won’t say climate change. Instead [they] say energy production.”

But Mr. Frishkoff is encouraged; taking the bill as a sign of an “assumption there is a problem somewhere.” He added, “There are energy issues that there isn’t a lot of division. The majority of Americans think (climate change) is a major or serious problem.” He added that there is a bipartisan Climate Solutions caucus in the House.

Mr. Frishkoff was asked for his opinion about the dynamics of Hecate’s plan for a solar farm in Copake. “No question we need every type of green energy.” He faulted Hecate for “not doing a good job talking to people. ‘Here’s how [it is] beneficial’ to you. [Hecate] really divided the community.” He noted that Assemblymember Didi Barret (D-106th) and State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D-41st) opposed the solar farm.

Ms. Barrett and Ms. Hinchey supported Smart Integrated Tools for Development (SITED) Act. Ms. Frishkoff noted that Scenic Hudson has mapping tools to help project planners identify desirable land and to avoid problematic areas like schools and homes. (To read more go to https://www.scenichudson.org/viewfinder/solarnow-why-new-york-needs-the-new-sited-act/)

CCL also strongly supports the one-stop mission of the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) to consolidate and expedite the review process for energy projects. According to Mr. Frishkoff the process takes an average of seven years due to several agencies involved in the process.

At the event Mr. Frishkoff asked about the kinds of effective lobbying CCL could do on behalf of farmers. Mr. Iversen immediately responded “technical support.” He noted that Ulster County appointed an Ag Ambassador Deborah DeWan. Through that program Seed Song Farm leases a no-till seed drill and in the future hopes to have access to a larger one. Also on his equipment wish list is a mulch spreader, crimper-roller and a lime spreader.

Other non-equipment technical support includes: finding and applying for funding of sustainable practices like seed reimbursement for cover-cropping; as well as support for farmers who stock food pantries and other distributions for people without access to healthy chemical-free food.

For more information about Seed Song Farm visit seedsongfarm.org. It includes an extensive calendar of educational and cultural events for 2025.