Cornell Small Farms Program Update- Spring 2011
Message from the Managing Editor
Happy Spring! May this issue find you enjoying a warmer sun and the greening of the land. Spring is a time of congregation and re-acquaintance with each other, and as I was editing the articles featured in this Spring 2011 issue, I was struck by how many focus on farming as a movement to build community. Daisy Bow tells us the story of New York City’s newest farmers who are growing food on rooftop and concrete as a way to reconnect urban residents and earn a living at the same time. LuAnne Hughes reports on the progress of “Seeds for Success” an 8 year old program that has been training New Jersey youth in new job skills, bringing business to farmers, and increasing community access to healthy food. Elizabeth Henderson brings us an article of the strong cooperative models that are strengthening Community Supported Agriculture systems across the country. And Annie Bass tells us the story of a farm-to-cafeteria project in Canandaigua, NY, which is bringing familes and farmers together through local food. All of these stories remind us that farming doesn’t have to be solitary and in fact can be the perfect means to build community and connect with each other. As always, we welcome your comments and feedback. Drop us a line at smallfarmsprogram@cornell.edu anytime. I hope you enjoy this issue and wish you a fruitful year of farming and gardening!
-Violet Stone, Managing Editor
New Beginning Farmer Website Unveiled!
After a year of development, the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project is pleased to unveil a colorful new website with expanded tools and a wealth of new resources. Point your browser to http://nebeginningfarmers.org to find the enhanced site, which will extend high quality support to aspiring, new and diversifying farmers across the entire Northeast.
Do you wonder how other farmers breed pigs, process chickens and transplant seedlings? The new site features a growing selection of video footage capturing experienced farmers and their successful production techniques in action. You’ll also find our popular library of video interviews with farmers sharing advice on profitability, choosing an enterprise, evaluating land, and much more.
Looking for upcoming classes, events and trainings? You can browse our events calendar, subscribe to our monthly e-news, follow our blog, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter, all from the homepage of the new site: http://nebeginningfarmers.org.
Enter ‘Plan Your Farm’ to start drafting your business plan with the help of tutorials and interactive worksheets. Find answers to common questions, browse the Guide to Farming, and check out the latest beginning farmer online courses which can help you turn your dreams into action right from your home computer.
Need some face-to-face guidance in your neck of the woods? Visit the ‘Who Can Help Me?’ map to locate organizations that serve new farmers near you.
The Northeast Beginning Farmer Project is part of the Cornell Small Farms Program and is funded by a Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. With the help of our team of partners, we are:
To learn more about the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project, visit http://nebeginningfarmers.org.
