Category Archives: Uncategorized

1. Farmington Fresh Processing Facility
2. Air Cargo Loading Pad

Greater effort needed in expanding Western New York presence on global agricultural export market?  Buffalo-Niagara Enterprise should take a look at the Modesto, CA airport processing operation as a potential for business model.

A September 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said:

Buffalo-Niagara Enterprise should take a look at the Modesto, CA airport processing operation as a potential for business model.    

A September 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said:

New York produces agricultural products that are exported worldwide. In 2008, the State’s cash receipts from farming totaled $4.7 billion, and exports were estimated at $1.2 billion. Agricultural exports help boost farm prices and income, while supporting about 13,899 jobs both on the farm and off the farm in food processing, storage, and transportation. Exports are increasingly important to New York’s agricultural and statewide economy. Measured as exports divided by farm cash receipts, the State’s reliance on agricultural exports was 25 percent in 2008.

New York’s top agricultural exports in 2008 were:
• dairy products — $333 million
• wheat and products — $152 million
• fruits and preparations — $149 million
• feed grains and products — $125 million

Ten years ago the “Statewide Cultural Tourism Coalition” prepared a White Paper Report where it announced that Agriculture and Tourism are the #1 and #2 revenue producers in the state economy totaling $39 billion.

The California central valley city of Stockton (291,000 pop) has capitalized on its proximity to the great agricultural production from the area.   Stockton Metropolitan Airport has a main runway that is of similar length to NFIA at 10,650 ft.  The airport also has something that Niagara Falls does not, a fruit packing and distribution company with concrete loading pad for exporting produce.  The processor is Farmington Fresh:

Farmington Fresh Sales handles fresh produce importing and exporting for the agriculture and food industry. In 1995 five local growers formed the company as a refrigerated produce-handling and airfreight operation at Stockton Metropolitan Airport in Stockton, Calif. Stockton’s Metropolitan Airport was chosen because of its largely unused capacity to handle wide-body aircraft. The facilities also permit consolidation and staging of large volumes of perishable food products for dedicated airfreight shipments by charter carriers. It is a full-service airport with a 10,000-foot, all-weather runway and landing system. Farmington Fresh is located east of San Francisco in California’s San Joaquin Valley, one of the world s largest agricultural production areas.

So a little used airport with its low fee schedule has become home to a major business with international cargo flights because it was able to attract a progressive tenant looking to improve market share.  While Western New York may not be in the same club as that region what is done there might still be doable here. 

Cornell Univ. statistics show that 61% of all U.S. exports go to #1 Canada, #2 Taiwan, #3 Hong Kong, #4 United Kingdom, #5 Mexico, and #6 Indonesia.  New York state would lose the Asian market place battle but on the Middle East-South Asian – African front there might be new opportunities for business expansion for our farms and orchards.  When it comes to apples another fact comes into play, the fact apple production within the European Union is declining.  Germany an apple producer now imports better than a half million tons of apples.  France has seen its orchards reduced by nearly 40%.  On the other hand Poland, Ukraine and Turkey have increased apple production.  Still, quality could be an issue and in our favor. 

Last year, an associate, Jeanne Gittler, and I met with Niagara County officials last year at the county business development center to pitch the idea.  We also brought to their attention  a  large Dubai, UAE based food importer/exporter  named  Greenbelt Food Stuff LLC Satwa and Al Awir.   We wondered if such a company might have an interest in doing business with local producers and quite possibly invest in a airport facility as in Stockton.  The idea seemed intriguing when you consider Gov. Andrew Cuomo has placed a one billion dollar development plan on the table.  

 We were politely received but found no interest and  received no follow-up.  The same for the New York Apple Association.  Plenty of phone calls, put on hold, then told he’s not in you can leave a message.  Emails were never answered.  But that is really not surprising.  Twenty years ago  the Department of Agricultural Economics, New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences @ Cornell University took a statewide survey of packer/shippers.  Surveys were mailed to 38, responses were received from only 17.  A pretty sorry 45% response rate.

You would think that with the economy in bad shape that businesses would be interested in investigating a new lower cost transportation opportunity, a new market, and exploitation of declining production by competing apple producers on the global market.

Lake Erie is the fourth largest Great Lake- is 210 miles long by 57 miles wide totally nearly 10,000 sq. miles of water.  It is called a lake but because of its shallow 62 foot average depth with a 210 foot maximum acts like a river.  The whole mass is inexorably flowing towards the Niagara River, a plunge over the Niagara Falls and exit into the final Great Lake, Ontario.

At one time Lake Erie was a great commercial fishery.  American and Canadian boats would head out into the Lake daily to catch, Walleye, Perch and other species.  Then environmental disaster hit the lakes and industrial waste began to decrease fish stock.  All the while 150 years of navigation on the Lakes aided by the Erie Canal at first and then more dramatically with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway   ballast water transfers from such ships have introduced invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels, spiny waterfleas, Eurasian ruffe, sea lamprey and the round goby joined in suppressing native fish stock.

By 1970 the New York fishing fleet based in Dunkirk shut down.  Today all that remains is Canadian fleet with some 178 licenses. (Source: Walleye Central).  Canadian sportsmen don’t like that at all.

Compared to the old days Lake Erie was pretty much dead.   Things were so bad that both the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, OH and the Buffalo River in Buffalo, NY each caught fire.  Well, it really wasn’t the rivers that burnt it was the chemical and industrial wastes that had found their way into those streams and ignited.

That was 40 years.  Environmental laws were enacted, heavy industry died, phosphates were removed from soaps and detergents, dredging operations were done in the most seriously affected feeders streams and shorelines  to aid in the clean.  The lake started making a comeback.  By 2000 Lake Erie became one of the world’s great freshwater sport fishing destinations. Fishing charters sprung up.  Captains made money, sportsmen were happy.  There was potential in the air.  The Bass Masters even came to Buffalo Harbor and the Niagara River to run one of the great fishing competitions.

Lake Erie could once again become another plank in the hull of the ship that was once Western New York’s thriving economy.

Are red flags being raised once again?  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environment Visualization Laboratory  released a report 2 days ago that said:

February 2013 was 9th Warmest on Record

Recently released analysis by NOAA scientists at the National Climatic Data Center reveals that the February 2013 global average temperature of 54.93°F (12.67°C) was the 9th warmest year on record (dating back to 1880). This image, using data from NCDC’s Global Historical Climatology Network shows areas of warmer (red) and cooler (blue) than normal temperatures. Most areas of the world experienced higher-than-average annual temperatures, including eastern Europe, western Russia, the Middle East, much of Canada, and southern Greenland. Meanwhile, northern and western Alaska, far northwestern Canada, a large swath of the contiguous United States, western Europe, northwestern Africa, Siberia, Mongolia, and most of the eastern Pacific Ocean were notably cooler than average. In addition, the Antarctic sea ice extent reached its annual minimum extent on February 20th at 1.42 million square miles, marking the second largest annual minimum extent on record.Of itself it would appear that there is no real connection to the rebirth of Lake Erie as an attraction.  Except that in November 2012, NOAA released a satellite photo of the Lake.  And what was shocking was the sight of a massive algae bloom covering nearly all of the western end of the lake.  It was a very late season bloom and snow was covering the ground at the same time.  In October 2011, the NASA Earth Observatory reported:  Lake Erie has been invaded by zebra- and quagga mussels, carried into the lake in the ballast of ships. The mussels are bottom feeders, and they do a good job cleaning the water. They remove so many particles that Lake Erie is very clear in the spring and early summer. But zebra and quagga mussels don’t like microcystis. “They selectively feed on other phytoplankton species, removing competitors so microcystis can thrive,” says Mouw. As the mussels digest, they release phosphate and ammonia into the water, and these nutrients give microcystis an additional boost. When microcystis blooms develop, they create a green scum on the surface of the water that is visible from space. Though not directly toxic to fish, the bloom isn’t good for marine life. After the algae dies, bacteria break it down. The decay process consumes oxygen, so the decay of a large bloom can leave “dead zones,” low oxygen areas where fish can’t survive. If ingested, the algae can cause flu-like symptoms in people and death in pets. In its January 2013 issue Scientific American reported: Although harmful algal blooms have been documented for more than a century, recently the number and frequency of cases have drastically increased. According to research published in leading scientific journals, Lake Zurich is by no means alone. Cyanobacteria now threaten the ecological well-being of some of the world’s largest water bodies, including Lake Victoria in Africa, Lake Erie in the United States and Canada, Lake Taihu in China, the Baltic Sea in northern Europe, and the Caspian Sea in west Asia. They’ve also been found in Lake Kokotel in eastern Siberia, which is next to Lake Baikal, the world’s largest, deepest and most ancient freshwater lake. Baikal contains 20 percent of the world’s total unfrozen freshwater reserve. Red Flags should go up.  Who would have thought that you would find an algae bloom on Lake Erie with snow on the surrounding shore? Cold Weather Algae Bloom on Lake Erie Source: Earthgauge.net

As was the case the last time I did this I placed the Tottenham Hotspur in the mix.  The London borough of Haringey, home of the Spurs, is not a Sister-City, but, as a supporter I give them benefit of the doubt.

At the moment the Sister City clubs aren’t shining but with half the season to go they all have much to play for, particularly poor AC Siena.  Siena is now at  the bottom of the Italian Serie A and face a struggle to avoid relegation to the 2nd division.  Dortmund, Tottenham and Rzeszow are in battles for league honors.

Good luck to all.

I’ve done some research into Brazil lately.  Their economy is booming.  The Football (Soccer) World Cup is coming in 2014  followed by the 2016 Olympics. University population is growing.  Favelas previously dominated by drug gangs are being up.   While still troubled by much poverty, personal income is rising and Europeans are seeking out Brazil as a place to resettle and begin their careers.

What just caught my eye was a story published by USA Today, (to read – click “Brazil Makes Tourist Strolls Smartphone-Friendly.”)   The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is embedding QR Codes that give relevent tourism information in its sidewalks at nearly three dozen locations around the city.  You may not  recognize the name QR Code, but you have seen it and probably even scanned one or more with your cell phone.  I thought the idea was wonderful and with the City of Buffalo in the process of reinventing itself as a tourist destination I believe this is an idea that needs consideration for local use.

Our area from Buffalo up to Fort Niagara and from Canada’s  Niagara-On-The-Lake down to Fort Erie offer many opportunities for travelers looking  to be educated, entertained, excited, wined and dined.  It is unfair to expect  visitors  to spend time  hunting for attractions and looking for directions .  This simple and inexpensive method will improve their experience.

The great thing about the QR idea is that it does not need be embedded in tile or concrete  as in Brazil.  We have winter weather.  Sidewalks could be snow-covered.  The Tourist QR Code might  be mounted on poles and covered  with a protective glass or graffiti proof coating allowing for easy access.  I hope this new tool gets fair consideration.

If you do not have a CQ Code Reader you can download an Android version from Google Play by searching  for “QR Code Reader..”

If you have a code reader you can try it out on this.

On July 4, 1817 construction began on what detractors called “Clinton’s Big Ditch”, the  Erie Canal.  After 8 years and 363 miles (584 kn) of back-breaking sun-up to sun-down work by hired men, women and children the canal opened for business over its complete length on October 26, 1825.  One hundred ninety-six years after that first shovelful of dirt was turned the Erie Canal remains a fixture across the New York.  It is the longest canal in the nation that does not receive any help from the U.S. Federal Government.  It is a continuing and historic  tribute to the people of New York State.  Although the canal is no longer a driving force in U.S. expansion and economic might it continues to see the state as a major tourist attraction and site for recreational boat for travelers from around the world taking in the Down East Circle Route or Great Circle Route.

Winters in New York State west of Chenango River  have always been cold and snowy causing barge traffic to dramatically slow or stop.  On a 60 mile stretch west of the City of Rochester winter means it is time to shut down.  This is the  Lake Ontario Plain, a portion of the canal which in places can resemble the Mississippi River at New Orléans.  Boats travel at the 2nd or 3rd story level of adjacent  buildings.  Should the canal give way serious flooding will occur.  The risk increases during the winter months when pressure caused by expanding ice and thaw take place.  In addition to the levees at Lockport, NY the original Flight of Five locks and now Locks 34 & 35 are also at risk of  damage due to this natural process.

To control this process Stop Gates are positioned in critical locations to prevent flooding and damage.  Pictured below is a gate in Pendleton, NY.  Incoming water from the Niagara River,  located 15 miles to the west (on your right), is severely restricted.  You can see the difference in elevation between the right side of the lowered gate and the left.  If you want you get an overhead view using Google Earth by tracking to 43ﾟ06’57.23″W by 78° 44’11.98″W

The photographs below show the drained area at Erie Canal Locks #34 – #35 and general vicinity at Lockport, NY (Click to Enlarge)

1848 “Free Stone” building at Lockport Locks and Canal Tours

View looking towards Locks 34-35 from 1/4 mile distance.

Looking down into Lock #34

50 Ton Lock #34 Gate

300Ft long Lock #35

Back in 2010 I was working for Niagara Country Community College at the Trott Center on Portage Rd at 11th St.  Part of my drive in was on the Robert Moses Parkway along the Niagara River.  One day I thought I saw something among the trees that looked like the top of a stone something, I didn’t have a clue, amidst the trees.  I recall thinking that’s a weird spot to build something.

Today I was in Niagara Falls.  Returning home this stone thing caught my eye again.  Unlike like the last time my curiosity caused me to turn around and take a look.  Glad that I did.  And I’m happy cell phones now have built-in cameras.  In the City of Niagara Falls  on Buffalo Ave. on a the side of a road embankment surrounded by trees and brush exists not stone building but a single very large stone fireplace.  A fireplace bigger than I had ever seen.  It is at least 30 feet tall.  And more amazingly it bears a green weathered copper plaque which says:

“Built by the French 1750, 100 Ft  Westward in Fort Little Niagara’s barracks which they burned in 1759.  To it the British built-in 1761

The Stedman House. (where that Master of the Portage lived until U.S. Occupation in 1796) which in 1808 became Broughton’s

Tavern burned by the British in devastation of 1813.  Re-erected here in 1898 by Niagara Falls Power Company.  Marked by the

Niagara Frontier Historical Society in 1915.”

I was rather stunned.  The oldest structure on the U.S. side of the Niagara River Region is the French Castle, now surrounded by the walls of the Historic Old Fort Niagara.  The castle was designed and built by  Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Lery, chief engineer of New France in 1727.  The castle and fort sit where the Niagara empties into Lake Ontario.  It is a notable tourist attraction.  The massive stone chimney, while only a chimney, is still memorable because of its size, its association with another fort, and the fact that it is 263 years old.

I have never heard of Fort Little Niagara (Fort du Portage).   So I checked the internet for references of two forts of which I was aware.  The still standing French/British Fort Niagara and the now gone British Fort Schlosser.  I found that Fort Schlosser incorporated the Little Niagara Stone Chimney into its construction.

The plaque also confirms a fact which few locals are aware.  This part of modern New York State was not part of the New York Colony that fought for independence form the British.  It remained part of British Canada until 1796, a time seven years after the U.S. Constitution was ratified by the 13 states.

In the course of on-line research I came upon an article in the local Niagara Falls Reporter,  the Niagara Gazette and the Niagara County Historical Society mention Old Stone Chimney.

I am hoping that even these little remnants of our past can play a part in our future.  The tales  from those days when the nation was young and the Niagara Frontier remained a prize are worth repeating.  We are more than the Great Niagara Falls.  We need  to find the will to preserve rather than let our past fade away unnoticed.   This “Old Stone Chimney” needs a fitting home where its tale may be told.  After all how many things have you seen in this part of the world that is 263 years old?

Pictures that I took today.