Programs

December 6 – Club Assembly

December 13 – Pending

December 20 – Pending

December 27 – no meeting Christmas

Suggestions for future programs are always welcome. Please forward your ideas to Toni at tonicurt27@aol.com.

News & Notes

Twin Birch Dairy – 3d generation Family Farm on cutting edge

Twin Birch Dairy is one of the largest dairy farms in Central New York. But despite its size, the farm remains true to its roots as a family farm.

Dirk Young discussed the state of his third generation family farm Thursday, November 29, 2007.

Twin Birch was founded in 1962 when Dirk’s father Kenneth Young Sr. and his wife, Georgienna purchased 290 acres in the southwest corner of the Town of Skaneateles. The farm incorporated in the early 1980s with sons Dirk and Kenneth II (Tad) joining their father as principal officers. Over the next 20 years, the farm gradually grew and today owns more than 2,500 acres and cares for more than 2,050 head of cows with 25 employees.

Twin Birch has close to 1,000 cows in milk production that produce about 10,000 gallons of milk per day or about 10 gallons of milk per cow per day.

Each of the cows eats up to 50 pounds of feed and 40 gallons of water each day, which translates into a lot of waste in the form of manure. But as the farm has grown, Twin Birch has remained focused on maintaining the most environmentally conscious practices to deal with the manure. The farm produces its own organic fertilizer and, through an anaerobic digester used to extract the methane from the manure, produces 900kw of green energy – enough to make the farm energy efficient and, at the very least, break even.

Thanks to the digester and other practices, Dirk estimates that the farm is at or close to a negative carbon footprint. The farm is currently working with the EPA on a carbon and ammonia particulate emissions study being performed by researchers at Cornell and Purdue Universities.

For its dedication to the environment, the farm was named the Conservation Farm of the Year in 2002 by the Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District.

For more information about this excellent operation, visit www.twinbirch.net.

Evening Club’s Christmas Basket Benefit tonight at the Club

This year’s annual Christmas Benefit will be held tonight at the Skaneateles Country Club. All proceeds from the event support the Christmas efforts of the Skaneateles Outreach Program and the local food pantries.

A grand event is planned by Chairman Todd May who is being capably assisted by Timer Whittingham, Dale Zabel, Steve Schwartz, Jack Hyatt and Robin Jowaisas. Cocktails and live “Big Band “ music begin at 6:00 followed by a family style turkey dinner at 7:00 and table hosts are reminded to bring their carving tools to do honors to the bird. Just a reminder that the $20 dinner fee only covers the cost of the dinner and that the fund raising results from participation in the raffle by the Rotarians and guests present.

So please let’s fill those tables…no empty seats allowed…and please ask your guests to bring a monetary donation for participation in the raffle. Checks should be made out to “The Skaneateles Rotary Foundation”, the new tax deductible arm of our club. Todd May is happy to answer any questions and Jack Hyatt is the ticket-master.

-- Richard Kokosa

Timeline – 1965 – Founding of Group Study Exchange program

The Rotary Foundation creates the Group Study Exchange program, and the first 34 teams, from Australia, Great Britain, Japan, and the United States, go abroad. Now one of The Foundation's most popular and successful programs, Group Study Exchange promotes world understanding and peace. The Foundation also initiates the Matching Grants program, ushering in a new era of service in the international arena.

Club Business &

Dates to Remember

Call to Order; Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation

lIntroduction of Guests/Visitarians

lHappy Dollars & Fines

District Major Events

December 6 – Holiday Baskets, SCC

December 20 –Holiday Party, Sherwood Inn

January 2008 – D7150 Mid-Winter Meetings

March 14-15 – Multi-District President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) - Double Tree Hotel

Committee Reports

lClub Administration

President – Marion Krauter

Treasurer – Toni Feldmann

Secretary – John Rooney

l Service Projects

Food Pantry – Daryle Pickering

Sea Scouts – John Paddock

Programs – Toni Feldmann

Early Act – Tom Seeley

Fire Equipment – Chris Bruna

Service Committee – John Rooney

lWinterfest & Craft Fair – Paddock/Krauter

lMembership (& Retention) – All

lSocial Chair – Paul Torrisi

lSergeant at Arms – Daryle Pickering

Evening Club Programs

TODAY – Christmas Basket Dinner

December 13 – Annual Club Meeting

Officers & Directors

Officers

President – Marion Krauter

President-Elect – Tom Seeley

Past President – Daryle Pickering

Treasurer – Toni Feldman

Sergeant-at-Arms – Daryle Pickering

Secretary – John Rooney

Committee Chairs

Club Service – John Rooney

Food Pantry – Daryle Pickering

Membership – All

Program Chair – Toni Feldman

Rotary Foundation – John Paddock

Social Chair – Paul Torrisi

Youth Exchange – Doug Hill/John Paddock

Members

Christopher Bruna, Dave Cutten, Robert DeWetter, Toni Feldmann, Paul Frickey, Douglas Hill, Marion Krauter, Michael Krebs, John Paddock, Daryle Pickering, John Rooney, Thomas Seeley, Patrick Taylor, Paul Torrisi, Michael Wahlrab, Rhett Weiss

Exchange Students

Sarah Bierbaum (Germany), Lucas Grob (Switzerland), Eddy Tasia (Belgium), Nico Avalle (Argentina)

TRY OUR ROTARY WEBSITES

Our District Website: http://www.rotary7150.org/

Rotary International: http://www.rotary.org/

RYLA http://www.rotaryryla.com/

Skaneateles Rotary: http://www.skaneatelesrotary.org/

e-club http://www.rotaryeclubny1.com

SUNRISE EDITORS

Thomas W. Seeley 685-2311 Fax: 685-2460 tws@mlsattorneys.com

The Sunrise

Newsletter of the Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club

District 7150

Bulletin #2007-20 Date: December 6, 2007

News & Notes

TRY OUR ROTARY WEBSITES

SUNRISE EDITORS