2012 News Archive

Priorities for Investment and Action to Enhance Viability of New York’s Small Farms

The Cornell Small Farms Program is very pleased to announce the release of the “2012 Recommendations for Strategic Investments in New York’s Small Farms.”   Download the full report and access supplemental material at: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/summit/ This colorful report details the top priorities for enhancing the viability of small farms in New York.   We thank … Read More

Get Your Ducks in Order! Online Farmer Planning Courses Start January

Get Your Ducks in Order! Poultry & Vegetable Production, Business & Financial Planning and Recordkeeping Online Courses all Start in January Winter is the season for farm planning! What better way to use the long dark evenings than to snuggle up with your computer and join an online course from the Cornell Small Farms Program? … Read More

Local Food Fair at Cornell University Nov 15th

Come one and all! Mann Library will be co-hosting the 4th annual Local Fair at Cornell University from 2 – 5pm on Nov. 15, 2012. There’ll be a lively open market in the Mann Lobby, offering a rich sampling of food, fiber and energy products from the Finger Lakes region, as well as informative displays … Read More

Barley Fodder Feeding for Organic Dairies Webinar

Join eOrganic for a new webinar on feeding barley fodder in organic dairy and other livestock production systems on Tuesday, November 27 at 2 PM Eastern Time (1 PM Central, 12 PM Mountain, 11 AM Pacific Time. The webinar is free and open to the public. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Register now … Read More

October Small Farms Update Posted

The Small Farms Update includes small farm announcements, events, job and internship opportunities, grant and loan opportunities, and other small farm resources. It is intended for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast. If have an item to be included in the update, please contact Violet Stone at vws7@cornell.edu.

Light Up the Farm with Sustainable Energy

Have you been considering transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy on your farm or homestead?  The farmers in the 2012 “Light Up the Farm with Sustainable Energy” field day series are eager to show you how.  The farms in our 2012 series are producing a wide range of products spanning vegetables, poultry, milk, eggs, honey, garlic, koi fish, and even lemons and figs!  And they are all doing so using sustainable energy.  [Read More]

September Small Farms Update Posted

The Small Farms Update includes small farm announcements, events, job and internship opportunities, grant and loan opportunities, and other small farm resources. It is intended for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast. If have an item to be included in the update, please contact Violet Stone at vws7@cornell.edu.

Get Help Writing Your Business Plan this Fall!

It is rare for a farm to be an accidental success; having a written document laying out the farm’s goals, marketing strategies, financial projections, and operation is essential to demonstrate the feasibility of the farmer’s plans. A business plan is also a must-have for anyone seeking loans or grants to help fund their farm’s development. [Read More]

Small Farmers: Register Now for Fall, Winter and Spring Online Courses

Whether you are a seasoned, new, or aspiring farmer, there’s something for you in the 2012-2013 line-up of online courses presented by the Cornell Small Farms Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. View all 12 courses at http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses.
There are courses covering commercial production topics like raising veggies, berries, and poultry, and many more covering management of a successful farm, including business planning, holistic financial planning, marketing, and getting started in farming.
Take advantage of this opportunity to interact with other farmers, develop your farming plans, and learn new skills from the comfort of your own home. Most courses are 6 weeks long and a bargain at $200 each.
Learn more at http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses

Check out the August Small Farms Monthly Update!

The Small Farms Update includes small farm announcements, events, job and internship opportunities, grant and loan opportunities,  other small farm resources. It is intended for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast. If have an item to be included in the update, please contact Violet Stone at vws7@cornell.edu.

New! Guide to On-Farm Poultry Slaughter

Do you process less than 1000 poultry/year on your farm? Have you had difficulty getting liability insurance because your birds aren’t processed in an inspected facility? Check out the latest guide published by the Cornell Small Farms Program. Designed to complement a hands-on training in how to properly kill and prepare a poultry carcass for … Read More

Livestock Drought Concerns

Thanks to the Delaware Watershed Ag Council and Delaware County Cooperative Extension for putting this fact sheet together! Prepared by Dan Vrendenburgh, Conservation Planner Paul Cerosaletti and Meghan Filbert, Extension Educators During this time of drought, the following are some general ideas on watering livestock: Not only will animals need more water because of the … Read More

July Small Farms Update

The Small Farms Update includes small farm announcements, events, job and internship opportunities, grant and loan opportunities, and latest handbooks, tools and other small farm resources. It is intended for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast. If have an item to be included in the update, please contact Violet Stone … Read More

Sign up today! Beginning Farmer Lunchtime Learning Webinars

The Northeast Beginning Farmer Project is pleased to announce the remaining two webinars in the Summer Lunchtime Learning Series: Alternative Farm Financing and Serving Diverse Beginning Farmer Audiences. The 1 hour webinars are for beginning farmers and service providers. The webinars are free to attend, but please register here. **Please note the date change for … Read More

NOFA-NY Announces Two Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Programs

The NOFA-NY Mentorship Program will assist (as a free benefit of NOFA-NY membership) beginning or transitioning-to-organic farmers in finding a farmer mentor who will help them develop their career and farming practices. Drawing from a network of farmers who are eager to share lessons learned during their many years of farm experience, new farmers (“mentees”) … Read More

Register now for “One-Stop Shopping Approach for Beginning Farmer Training” webinar

The Northeast Beginning Farmer Project presents a webinar opportunity for ag. professionals in the Northeast who serve beginning farmers, or for new and aspiring farmers in MA or NY seeking to learn about programs that could benefit them. Next Mon, June 25, you can learn from two amazing organizations here in the Northeast, both offering … Read More

Staying Small Through a Century of Dairy Farming

The Cornell Small Farms Program and Tompkins County Cooperative Extension will host a small dairy field day titled “Staying Small Through a Century of Dairy Farming” on Wednesday, June 20th, from 1 – 3pm in Brooktondale, NY, Tompkins County.   The farm has been in the Snow family for three generations.  A year and a half … Read More

Be counted! Sign up to Participate in the Census of Agriculture

Earlier this month, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), released the latest count of farms in the United States. The nation has nearly 2.2 million farms, a number that has held pretty steady for the past decade. While this number is important, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Agriculture is undergoing major changes. Not only … Read More