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Anna Birn

  • CSAs are Buzzing and So Are Pollinators

    Changes made by the COVID-19 pandemic have benefited at least two facets of our ecosystem: community supported agriculture, and pollinators.   It feels hard to remember a time when the news was full of things unrelated to COVID-19, a time when the things we talked about had nothing to do with a global pandemic. Constant…

  • Updated Guide Provides Regulatory Information for Marketing for Livestock and Poultry Products

    We are excited to announce that our “Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry” has undergone an extensive update. The guide, first published in 2010, provides useful information on how to legally sell meat and poultry in New York State. This resource provides guidance on everything from meat certifications to butchering cuts and everything in…

  • New Resources Available for Specialty Mushroom Growers

    We are excited to announce the release of a new Harvest to Market Guide for producers interested in growing specialty mushrooms. This resource is the product of a cooperative effort conducted by the Cornell Small Farms Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension, consultant growers, and other supporting organizations.  This guidebook is meant to serve as a companion…

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  • In the News: How We Help NYS Farmers Implement Reduced Tillage Systems

    Sweeping problems under the rug usually leads to larger problems in the future, unless of course, the problem is weeds and the rug is tarps. Tarping fields as a weed management strategy is an integral part of many organic and reduced tillage operations.  Cornell Small Farms Program director, Anu Rangarajan, and Reduced Tillage project coordinator,…

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  • Cornell Awarded for Work with Farmworkers

    On November 10th, Cornell University was awarded the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award for its ongoing work with farmworkers in New York State. This award, complete with a $20,000 grant, was delivered at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ (APLU) annual meeting in San Diego.  President Martha Pollack accepted the award, highlighting the…

  • New York’s Craft Beverage Industry Supported by Cornell Institute

    The craft beverage industry is a regionally important economic driver in New York State. The 400 craft brewers in the state had an overall impact of $5.4 billion in 2018, with those numbers expected to continue increasing in the future. To support this growing industry, Cornell University has opened the Cornell Craft Beverage Institute in…

  • CCE Connects Producers to New Markets

    Connecting growers to new markets is a key part of the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) mission to bring economic vitality and social well being to New York State.  One of these markets is the Taste New York program, which features locally grown and made products including everything from maple syrup and fresh apples to local…

  • Study Measures Maple Syrup Production in a Changing Climate

    A changing climate is expected to change the seasonality of crops, largely affecting farmers’ production patterns and yearly cycles. This impact on crops also includes maple syrup production, according to a new study from Dartmouth College. Maple syrup production is especially dependent on temperature, and even in the best conditions has a very short seasonal…

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  • Stability in Diversity: A Case Study of Birds in Sugarbushes

    In an ecosystem, diversity means stability. When assessing the health of a natural space, one looks for diversity of species, diversity of ages within those species, balance between living and non living resources, and diversity between plant and animals. More and more research points to diversity in agricultural landscapes as a tool to create productive…

  • Explorations of Growing the Kiwiberry in the Northeast

    Kiwiberries could be the next big horticultural crop for producers in the Northeast, according to researchers. Kiwiberries are a perennial vine which produce grape-sized, smooth-skinned fruit, that look and taste like their tropical namesake. The fruit has a complex flavor profile and is easy to consume making it especially desirable in regions where they are…

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