Year: 2012

Apply Now for Sustainable Agriculture Grants

By Violet Stone / October 23, 2012
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Are you a farmer with a new idea you would like to test using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, or other technique? Are you an educator looking to conduct research with farmers as active cooperators? Are you a community member aiming to connect sustainable farming with community revitalization? If you answered “YES” to any of…

4th Annual Cover Crop Tour and Workshop

By Violet Stone / October 23, 2012
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The 4th Annual Cover Crop Tour and Workshop, at the USDA NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center will take place on November 15th.  Registration will start at 9:15am, and the field tour begins at 9:45am. Speakers Include: Ray Archuleta– National Technology Center-East; Soil quality, health, biology and cover crops. Reduction of chemical inputs through soil health. Quirine Ketterings– Cornell University…

October Small Farms Update

By Maryn Carlson / October 12, 2012
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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. Announcements Farm Energy…

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The Next Generation of Small Farmers

By Emaleigh Perry / October 1, 2012
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4H teens learn about the hard work and creativity needed to run a successful small farm during Career Exploration Days on the Cornell University Campus. Each summer, 4H teens across New York visit the Cornell University campus to explore academic fields and career exploration, develop leadership skills, and get hands-on experience in a college setting.…

Happy Cows, Healthy Fish

By Carley Stein / October 1, 2012
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Gordon Waite, a man with a friendly demeanor and steady smile, manages twenty Herefords on his 67-acre farm situated in Granville, Vermont. Gordon cannot picture himself doing anything besides farming. “I love farming, and I love my animals,” Gordon proudly announced, an honest statement he demonstrated by calling each of his cows from a distance…

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Mighty Food Farm: Abundance in the Pownal Valley

By Brent Wasser / October 1, 2012
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The Pownal Valley nests squarely in the southeast corner of Vermont, bordering New York and Massachusetts. Highway 346 weaves through the historic town center past a small library and church, and follows the Hoosic River north. Animal-focused agriculture dominates here; milk, beef, and hay production have sculpted a rolling green landscape in this border town…

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Marketing Help for Sheep & Goat Farmers

By tatiana Stanton / October 1, 2012
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SheepGoatMarketing.info originated in the late 1990s.  It grew out of the Northeast Sheep & Goat Marketing Project at Cornell University which received a grant from USDA with the goal of improving producer access to equitable markets while building regional capacity to supply the growing consumer demand for high quality lamb and goat meat. The emphasis…

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Dairy Delight

By Maryn Carlson / October 1, 2012
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Our Fall photo essay comes to us from Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont. Brothers Andy and Mateo Kehler began farming and making cheese in 2003 with a goal of creating a model to be replicated by other farmers in Vermont who wished to diversify their quickly disappearing farms into more workable options. They wanted…

Taking Agritourism as High as a Hot Air Balloon

By Rachel Whiteheart / October 1, 2012
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Donna Quadri developed a comprehensive agritourism plan to help vineyard owners and businesses enhance tourist experiences Welcome to the Northeast SARE Spotlight! SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) offers grants to farmers, educators, universities and communities that are working to make agriculture more sustainable – economically, environmentally, and socially. Learn about whether a SARE grant…

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New Farm, Old Farmland

By Michael Chameides / October 1, 2012
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Columbia County, NY has a vibrant farm history – the farmland at Sparrowbush Farm in Hudson, NY has been farmed since 1853. Generations of farmers have grown crops and fruit on the farm’s rich, fertile soil. While Sparrowbush Farm is continuing the farming legacy, the farmer, Ashley Loehr, isn’t part of the Palatine and Tinklepaugh…