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CORTLANDTStorm rattled farms felt Irenes punch as far south as Cortlandt. Hemlock Hill Farms, on Croton Avenue, scratched up three generators after losing power, saving thousands of dollars in fresh pork, beef and chicken.
We had quite a problem, said John De Maria, owner of Hemlock Hill Farm, We had three generators running and we could have used two more. We couldnt get the feed out of the bins; we had to hook generators on to get the feed out. So were currently hooking up a big generator to take care of the farm because this seems to be happening too often, he said about losing power for multiple days. "It would have been a tremendous loss," added De Maria.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has already estimated damage to farms at $45 million, and state leaders were joined by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FEMA Director Craig Fugate to tour some of the hardest hit areas in the northern Hudson Valley, on August 31.
Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi has decried long waits for restoration of power in Cortlandt Manor, such as the three or four day wait the De Marias had. This is too late, wrote Puglisis, about Con Edisons renewed efforts to distribute dry ice on August 31, since perishables have already been discarded.
Other farmers in the lower Hudson Valley, such as Migliorelli Farms, have said they sustained minor damage to orchards as a result of the storm. Jon Zeltsman, co-owner of Community Markets, a company which manages 16 summer markets for Westchester municipalities says "Its going to be different for every market. Some farmers were hurt pretty badly, basically the whole crop got wiped out, others didnt get hurt. So its each farms unique situation. We have a couple farmers, we have one in New Rochelle, his crop got wiped out and he wont be coming back." Zeltsman added "the famers need the customers to be there to support them, because they need every sale they can get right now."
According to reporting from EcoPolitics Daily, a daily blog of the League of New York Conservation Voters, Darrel J. Aubertine, the commissioner of the states Department of Agriculture and Markets, said Ive been involved in agriculture my entire life, and there have been times when the weather wreaked havoc on livestock and farms, but I don't think I have ever seen anything on this scale here in New York.
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