2023 Farmer-Neighbor Dinner Photos

View some of the photos taken at the photo booth and by photographers at the 2023 Farmer-Neighbor Dinner on April 12, 2023 will be near the bottom of this page.

This event is coordinated by the Cattaraugus County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board.

Music at the event by Homemade Jam

2023 Farmer-Neighbor Sponsors

Premier

Platinum

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County
Evans Insurance
Car-Bu Farms
West Valley Environmental Services
NOCO

Gold

Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Conservation District
Dairy Farmers of America
Erie & Niagara Insurance
Gabel's IBA
Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance (LEWPA)
New Eagle Silo
Perry Veterinary Clinic
Seneca Trail RC&D Council
Southern Tier West / NYSAWG
Wild Acres Family Farm
WNY Crop Management Association

Silver

Bronze

Thank you!

From the Cattaraugus County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board

Dinner Menu

Appetizers

Bison Meatballs donated by Maple Ridge Bison Ranch
Veggie Platter
Cheese, Cracker & Pepperoni Platter
Relish Platter

Dinner

Salad partially donated by Ellicottville Greens
Beef donated by Ford Brothers Wholesale Meats
Turkey donated by Ford Brothers Wholesale Meats
Vegetarian Manicotti
Mashed Potatoes
Buttered Carrot Medallions donated by Native Offerings
Harvard Beets donated by Native Offerings
Dinner Roll

Dessert

3 C's Catering
Mad Crazy Batter

Awards

Video from the Award Ceremonies

Conservation Farm of the Year - Durow Farms

The Cattaraugus County Soil & Water Conservation District has selected Durow Farms for the 2023 Conservation Farm of the Year Award. Durow Farms is a fifth-generation family owned and operated dairy farm located in the Town of Randolph. Mike and Dawn, along with their family, utilize every available acre in a productive and responsible manner. The farm includes the 200-cow dairy and heifer operation, as well as a maple syrup enterprise. Since the early 1990’s when Mike and Dawn took over management of the farm, it has implemented such practices as conservation field strips, reduced tillage, and rotational grazing.

The farm is particularly good with its forage production system of corn for silage and high-quality grass haylage. The high quality, high yielding forages results in high milk production and healthy cows while minimizing off-farm feed purchases. They follow a very tight rotation of corn followed by a seeding of clover/grass with a nurse crop of oats. This practice, along with the field strips, and conservation tillage, helps to minimize the erosion on highly erodible fields.

The nutrient value of manure is utilized to its maximum potential. With the help of funding procured by Cattaraugus County SWCD and NRCS they constructed a short-term waste storage and transfer system in 2019 that allows them to avoid spreading when there is inclement weather. They also installed a buffer and roof runoff structures to prevent runoff to nearby waterways. The farm was one of the founding members of the Western NY Crop Management, which helps the farm implement its nutrient management and integrated pest management plans (NMP and IPM).

The farm uses sound timber management practices to get the most out of their woods in lumber as well as sap for the maple operation.

Not only does the farm take good care of its resources, but it is also a Dairy of Distinction and has hosted Randolph FFA tours of the farm for elementary students.

Learn more about Durow Farms.

Friend of Agriculture

Pat Walker moved to New York in 1978 and was Dairy/ Livestock Extension agent for 6 years. She did consulting work for FMHA for 10 years and worked on her husband’s family dairy farm until it was sold.

She was an Agriculture teacher/FFA advisor at Pine Valley for 4 years and an Agriculture teacher/FFA advisor at Randolph for 23 1/2 years.

Pat had 10 FFA teams win state contests and compete at National FFA convention in Livestock, Milk Quality, Agronomy, Meats Evaluation, and Poultry and Creed Speaking contest. She also had FFA teams place second at State FFA convention and compete at the Big E in Springfield, MA, in national regional FFA contests in Milk Quality, Agronomy, Poultry, Environmental Science and Natural Resources and had second place teams in Nursery/ Landscape and Meats that weren’t able to compete at the Big E. She had third place teams compete at Harrisburg regional contest in livestock and dairy evaluation.

Pat had FFA students win State Star FFA Farmer and has had past students serve on the NYS FFA Officer Team. She, along with other Cattaraugus County FFA Advisors and 4-H have conducted various judging contests at the county fair each summer and the All Around Farmer Contest.

She served as the NY Association of Agricultural Educators treasurer as well as being on the Cornell Cooperative Extension board and on the Agriculture committee and a Farm Bureau member.
Pat was NY Ag Educator of the year Golden Owl finalist for 2 years.

Every year she had the FFA students conduct Food For America with the 4th graders. This program teaches the younger students about where their food comes from and takes them on a tour of a local dairy farm.

She started the Randolph youth trap team at Randolph in 2008 and coached until she retired. She is now active in St Patrick’s Altar and Rosary, and volunteers for trap and is a substitute bus driver for Randolph Central School.

Pat is married to Mike Walker and they have 3 married children and 4 grandchildren.

Pioneer Award - Ellicottville Distillery

Ellicottville Distillery opened in 2016 offering a homegrown approach to the age-old practice of distilling. Charlie Bares, owner of Mallard’s Dairy in Lyndon, and Bryan Scharf, of Ellicottville, started this enterprise in 2014.

The distillery uses locally sourced ingredients to create high quality spirits and flavored liqueurs. 75% come directly from Cattaraugus County, using everything from grain, honey, cider, and maple syrup to bottle or glass in the production of their spirits. The spent grain from the Distillery is sent back to be used on Charlie’s farm for complete recycle of the grain.

When they first opened they offered a clear whiskey and vodka. Since then they have grown to ten different products including Appleshine, Blueberry Vodka, Gin and a Maple Bourbon Crème. Bryan Scharf attended the Great American International Spirits Competition where their Straight Bourbon received a gold medal and the Maple Bourbon Crème and Appleshine both received bronze.

They intend to grow the tasting room at the Distillery and supplement with events and rentable spaces. They plan to continue with Bourbon and Whiskeys with the addition of a rickhouse as they currently have over 100 barrels aging.

Learn more at EllicottvilleDistillery.com

Farm of the Year - Burdick Blueberries

Blueberry truck surrey driving around Burdick Blueberries

Burdick Blueberries is a 70-acre blueberry and flower farm in the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County, 9 miles from Ellicottville, New York. The farm has 40-acres of pick-your-own blueberries. Milton Burdick established the farm in 1952 and started selling blueberries at a road-side market in 1958. When it became difficult to hire berry pickers in 1961, he decided to open the farm as a pick-your-own. Burdick’s is still family-owned and operated by granddaughter, Amy Edwards.

The farm produces ten varieties of highbush blueberries and 60 varieties of cut flowers. Customers are guided through the pick-your-own experience while enjoying the peace and beauty of the farm’s hillside views, catching a ride on a vintage open farm truck to and from the field. They can walk the finish-mown aisles and lawns, wander the flower garden, and shop at the Retail Shed.

Amy Edwards inherited Burdick Blueberries in 2015. Leaving behind a 30+ year career she returned to the farm, her childhood roots and favorite place on earth. She made a life changing U-turn, committed to keeping the farm in the family. In the last eight years Amy has explored the path for herself and the farm, managing the complexities of tradition and renovation, finding solutions to current challenges in blueberry production, and expanding the family’s quality brand of agri-tourism. She further developed marketing for the farm with social media and her website www.BurdickBlueberries.net.

In 2019 Amy started hosting The Guest House at Burdick Blueberries Farm, a year-round rental. The farm also hosts events including outdoor weddings and parties. Learn more at www.BurdickBlueberries.net