Year: 2017
by Brian Caldwell and Ryan Maher Janaki Fisher-Merritt grew up on a pioneering organic vegetable farm. Janaki’s parents, John and Jane Fisher-Merritt, started The Food Farm in northern Minnesota in 1975. They moved to their current location in 1988, became certified organic in 1990, and started the first CSA in the Duluth area in 1994. …
Farmers and woodland owners have opportunities to generate income from their woodlands. by Rich Taber CCE Chenango has received a grant from the New York Farm Viability Institute “Increased Farm Viability and Diversification through Value Added Forest Products”. The impetus for this project was due to the fact that 66% of New York Farms (23,576)…
From the Editor The spring brings renewal – and the promise of a productive year ahead for farmers. We ease into the season with excitement and some caution, wondering if early killing frosts or too much or too little rain will make our lives difficult. Despite all the unknowns, we’ve experienced all the possibilities before,…
by Peter Smallidge A sugarbush is a special type of woodland. Woodlands include a complex mixture of natural processes and attributes such as soil type, elevation, tree species, types of wildlife, history of use, tree age and more. Foresters can help maple producers gain an in-depth understanding of these factors to achieve a healthy and…
Cooperative Ext., SUNY announce spring class schedule by R.J. Anderson When Samantha Schriber-Vanstrom decided to drive nearly five hours from her western New York home to attend the Harvest New York poultry cutting workshop at SUNY Cobleskill, she did so looking to maximize her small farm’s profits. “I wanted to learn about how other people…
by R.J. Anderson Strong friendships typically spring from deep roots. That is certainly the case with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Eden Valley Growers, Inc., a 50-year-old vegetable growing farm cooperative in western New York. It’s also why CCE recently honored Eden Valley Growers with its 2016 Friend of Extension award. “Excellent extension and research…
Binghamton Farm Share helps CSA farmers develop sustainable business in untapped low-income markets. by Kate Miller-Corcoran Connecting farmers and residents in low-income areas is a strength of the Binghamton Farm Share. Each season since its inception in 2013, half of the share members have fallen within very low to moderate income ranges, as set forth by…
by Reuben Dourte In the farming community, machinery and implements are regularly borrowed or rented. For the most part, farmers are a close-knit community who look to help each other out when possible. Sometimes situations arise where a tractor may be broken down, and to continue time-sensitive harvest of planting operations, the neighbor’s tractor is…
by Kina Viola New York livestock farmers, whether experienced or just getting started, will benefit from the release of a new pricing tool from Cornell Cooperative Extension. The “Livestock Price & Yield Calculator” exists as part of MeatSuite.com, an online directory of over 160 New York State farms selling meat in bulk. The calculator has…
by John H. Lavelle Most farmers have a substantial real estate portfolio. Depending on the geographic region, this can be extraordinarily valuable, but in every case, land is always a critical asset for the succession of the farm business to future generations. In many cases, the value of the land is also a planned retirement…
