Farmers’ Voices Make A Difference

I opened up the Sunday Syracuse Post Standard Newspaper to find the usual fare on politics, traffic accidents, want ads and sale flyers, until I landed on a page that shook me to the core.  It was the good news that the federally funded Graze-NY Initiative, under Congressman James Walsh’s and other NY representative’s support had been brought back to Central New York Agriculture. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, this announcement came after a year-long campaign by a grassroots bunch of farmers, conservation professionals and friends to educate leaders on the value of a grass-based system for New York State.  The words from farmers, much like a cat scratching at the door, have proven to make a difference when the odds were not looking so good. The true wake up call to action came back in late 2006, when this beneficial initiative and its staff were basically eliminated because of the restructuring in Congressional leadership.  The question was posed.  What could be done to change this outcome? The call went out to the countryside to ask farmers to tell thei