Wallkill Valley Times July 31 2019 | Page 2

2 Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, July 31, 2019 IN THIS ISSUE Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 8 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 School News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 34 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Walden.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Highland hosts Ulster County Fire Parade PUBLIC AGENDA THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 Shawangunk Town Board, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill Montgomery Town Board, 7 p.m. Town Government Center, 110 Bracken Road, Montgomery. TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 Gardiner Town Board. 7 p.m. Town Hall, Route 44-55, Gardiner Town of Shawangunk Planning Board, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill. Montgomery Village Board, 7:30 p.m. Village Hall, 133 Clinton Street. Photos by Mark Reynolds Walker Valley Fireman Greg Greer was honored by the Ulster County Volunteer Firemen’s Association for his many years of dedicated service dating back to the late 1950s, prior to last Satuday’s Ulster County Fire Parade WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 Climate Smart Gardiner Task Force. 7 p.m. Town Hall, Route 44-55, Gardiner. MONDAY, AUGUST 12 Town of Montgomery Planning Board, 7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 110 Bracken Road, Montgomery. HOW TO REACH US OFFICE: 300 Stony Brook Court Newburgh, NY 12550 PHONE: [phone], FAX: [phone] Emails may be directed to the following : ADVERTISING [email protected] CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS [email protected] TO REACH THE EDITOR [email protected] FOR THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT [email protected] PUBLIC NOTICES [email protected] WEBSITE www.timescommunitypapers.com The Wallkill Valley Times, (USPS 699-490) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh, NY 12550, with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY. Single copy: $1 at newsstand. By mail in Orange, Ulster or Sullivan Counties: $40 annually, $44 out of county. Periodicals permit at Newburgh, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wallkill Valley Times, 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550. Walker Valley brought one of their older trucks to the parade. The Walker Valley Marching Band performed in Saturday’s parade. A good year for farmers! Continued from page 1 growing season not over yet, several farmers said the jury is still out on this year’s yields and profits. Sue McGowan, owner of Twin Ponds Farm, said the combination of heat and a torrential downpour a couple weeks ago provided a welcome boost to the corn crop, pushing the stalks even higher. Nop echoed McGowan’s sentiment, claiming the corn had a sudden growth spurt from the rain and heat. Despite the late plantings, Nop said his corn crop is growing well so far. “Everything looks great as of now,” Nop said. Some of the first plantings of corn at the Nop farm already reach eight feet. However, since corn plantings are often staggered, Nop said another section of their corn is only a foot high. Each farmer uses their crops differently. For the McGowans, ears of corn are not as valuable as the corn stalk itself; the farm uses their corn field for their famous corn maze and permits a neighboring farmer to plant and harvest the corn. The farm also grows other crops to sell directly, such as cut flowers, pumpkins and produce. The Nops use their corn to feed their cows. The Hoeffners sell their crops directly to the customer through their farm stand. The farm also sells surplus crops to markets in New York City. Hoeffner Farms grows about 20 different crops. Another challenge that farmers who sell direct through farm stands face is increased competition. With the advent of various meal delivery services and other methods of purchasing produce, Hoeffner said he and other farmers have less customers visit their farms and farm stands. “People have very good choices to buy produce today,” Hoeffner said. The Hoeffner Farm has more than 100 years of experience in the farming business; the Montgomery location has been continuously farmed since 1917. Hoeffner said his grandparents moved to the farm’s current location from Queens County on Long Island, NY, that year. His grandparents were third-generation farmers. With so many years of experience, Hoeffner said he is confident the farm can survive the years’ weather variations. “We have 100 years of experience adjusting to these conditions,” Hoeffner said. “We know how to deal with these conditions.”