 | VERMONT HORSE COUNCIL OCTOBER 2002 NEWSLETTER |
| VERMONT HORSE COUNCIL OCTOBER 2002 NEWSLETTER |
|
The riding season is winding down but the VHC is still moving forward. We continue to add new members regularly, NEKET is gaining ground, the annual trail ride was a success, and we are working on future programs to ward off the winter doldrums too. First I'd like to thank the trail ride committee of Karin Lewis, Sharon McNeil, and Morris and Brenda Lasell. They organized another fun and successful year. They were assisted in their work by Karen Blow, Al and Paula Basso, Peg and Will Deane, Phylis Civitello, Don Roberge, Bea Gill, and Carol Hebert, Penny Finnegan, Carol Ball, Maureen Durkee, John Lasell, and Shirley Bailey. A very large THANK YOU goes to Susan McNeill who headed up the necessary work to control the health concerns at the fair grounds. Susan did an exceptional job of collecting the facts, following the state veterinarian's recommendations and informing the participants. This is our major fundraiser for three years in a row now, so thank you everyone, volunteers and riders, for supporting the VHC. Thank you Terry Rose for the membership update included in this newsletter and to David Blow for the NEKET Update. Thanks again to Susan McNeill for the schedule of events. Check it out and consider attending something on the list. Betsy Greene, the UVM Equine extension agent is still collecting the 2002 EQUINE SURVEY. If you haven't done yours yet please do so and remind your fellow horse owners as well. We have the census on the VHC web page if you would like to print more copies. The deadline is December 31, 2002. I will be attending the Equine Affair in Springfield Massachusetts on November 7, 8, 9, and 10. The New Hampshire Horse Council has generously invited the VHC to have a representative at their space, in the breed building, on Saturday the 9th. I have four members lined up to observe and say Hi to folks at different times of the day. Hopefully we will be able to get our own space for Nov. 2003. Please stop by and say hello on Saturday if you are at the fair. Well, for most of us our riding season is winding down. The shows season is over, hunters will have their time in the woods, and all too soon the snow will fall. My three-year gelding just returned from a month of training, so I am planning to visit a local indoor arena this winter to keep him and his little (big) brother exercised. After the holidays we will have the Equine Summit IV to plan with UVM and the Dept. of Agriculture, and our annual meeting; both in March. We have two other events in the works for the coming winter and spring, and information will be forth coming as soon as locations and dates are firmed up. Lynn
Dow Third
Annual VHC Fall Foliage Trail Ride The third annual Vermont Horse Council Trail Ride at Tunbridge was another wonderful event for all who attended. There were 98 riders and although the weather was not totally cooperative on Sunday, all in all it was a great weekend. Saturday was a nice day with some great views along the way. In the evening, after a great dinner of roast beef and chicken with trimmings, we did a little dancing and drew names for the door prizes. The lucky winners were: Julie Gauthier won a $25.00 gift certificate from Walkers Feed and Seed, Fortann NY. Bill Bourgault received 50 pounds of grain from Otter Valley Supply/Hughe Spafford/West Rutland VT. Dorothy Blue and Morris LaSell each won a great candle-holder that was fashioned out of horse shoes donated by Belmont Forge/ Ed Burgess/Belmont Vt. Jeanne Cullen, Sally Cooke and Suzanne Page each won a great Vermont Horse Council Trail Ride Sweatshirt. The 50/50 raffle winner was Carol Hebert, taking home $65.00. We had quite a rain-storm Saturday night and Sunday was a little dreary, but those of us that rode had a great time - at least the three in my group did. It was a little less intense than Saturday but it was also a little more damp. All in all I would say that most people had a great time. Hope we can do it again next year. There are still sweatshirts
available if anyone would like one; we have 9 large, 8 Xlarge and 9 XXL. They
are $15.00 and you can contact either me, or Al Basso. Welcome
new members Steve & Janet Bissonette from Vergennes, VT and Lisa Moreno from
Montpelier, VT. That brings our membership up to 123. David Blow, chair of the NEKET committee, reports that the group is working on a near final draft presentation packet for Dave Willard from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, ANR. This package will include examples of the trail signs and passes, and the map which will include approximately 50 miles of trails, parking areas, watering areas, overnight camping area for 10 RVs and horse trailers. The map is being produced by Josie Russell, and will also include trail etiquette and information on area services: vets, farriers, and supplies. Sponsors will also be listed on the map. Dave Willard will take the final package and present it for public approval around northeastern Vermont, to the areas affected by the trail system. Once approved the VHC NEKET committee will become official corridor managers for the trail system and the work will begin. Insurance has already been purchased to cover the committee. It's looking very good for the spring 03 opening. NEKET
continues to urge more people to get involved. Different demands and obligations
pull volunteers away and new blood is always welcome. If you live in northern
Vermont, or even out-of-state, and you want to get involved call David Blow at
655-0837 or email him at cimerron02@aol.com. The safety committee
was hard at work preparing for the annual VHC trail ride. A new Helmet Safety
Release form was created. The VHC highly recommends wearing helmets but it isn't
a requirement for our ride. The council reviewed and discussed this at an earlier
meeting and decided at this time to go with a waiver only. All participants were
asked to sign a release stating they understood the dangers of riding without
a helmet and if they chose not to wear one they were riding at their risk. Next
year that waiver will be incorporated into the registration form for the ride.
We also had the special task of disinfecting the fairgrounds prior to the ride
as there were reports of sick horses leaving the Tunbridge Fairgrounds the previous
weekend. The Department of Ag couldn't do it on such short notice but did supply
use with their product to ensure effective disinfecting. A special thanks goes
to Pete Howe of Tunbridge for going above and beyond the call of duty to help
us try to locate what we needed, and also to Morris Lasell for helping me spray
the stalls.
The UVM Extension Advisors Meeting was held at the Marsh Dining Hall on the UVM campus October 4, 2002 at 1:30 pm. This meeting was organized to critique and prioritize fiscal year 2003 "plans of work" for the Extension staff and faculty in these five program areas: Dairy, Diversified Agriculture, Family and Community Resources and Economic Development (FCRED), Natural Resources and Environmental Management, and Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health. I was in Diversified Agriculture. There were 8 people in our group, not including the Advisor and his assistant. We were all given a list of goals and objectives the extension agents had for themselves and we re-wrote and prioritized these goals as a group. The Diversified Ag list started with 9 goals/objectives and we added two more, and re-wrote some others. The two issues we encountered in our group were (1) the omission of the words beef and poultry in the goal "to improve production and marketing skills to enhance profit and sustainability". (Even though Dairy has its own group, beef is still a huge part of Diversified Ag.) and (2) we asked UVM extension to acknowledge and prioritize organic farming. This was so important to our group, we gave it its own priority line. Because we (the Vermont horse industry) have Betsy Greene as an equine extension agent, she gave us one line of priority and it reads "Evaluate the impact of the equine industry on Vermont and educate participants in order to improve equine management and safety skills." This line was not changed and it got my top priority sticker. UVM Extension hopes to have this type of meeting every 6 months. Rose Hewes, our chairperson for the Alternative Ag Advisory committee, was unable to attend so I volunteered. Respectively
Submitted, Letter to Customers
of Agway Feed and Nutrition To Our Valued Customers: On October 1, Agway Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 11 is a legal process that is designed to allow a company like ours to continue with normal business operations and provide you with our quality products and services without interruption while Agway Inc. reorganizes its financial obligations.
Let me address some specific points that are of likely interest to you: Agway has a good foundation of core operations, strong brands and loyal customer bases to build on. With the time and opportunity provided by this process, we intend to develop a plan of reorganization that will serve as a framework for Agway's emergence from Chapter 11 as a financially healthy, more competitive enterprise. While we cannot predict at this time exactly how long it will take to emerge from Chapter 11, we are determined to get through the process as quickly as possible. Between now and then, our primary concern is that our customers receive the quality products and on-time delivery they require. This action is the right one for Agway and the first step towards becoming a stronger and healthier company. We will continue to build on recent, decisive actions to move the company in the right direction and we will do everything possible to ensure that you continue to enjoy the service and quality that you expect from Agway. Sincerely, | ||||