Cornell Small Farms Update Spring 2016

Message from the Editor
We’ve been blessed with a milder winter in most of the Northeast, after two brutal ones. All three of these years set records for extreme weather, indicating that we are in for changes and challenges to agriculture over the coming years and decades.  
Adapting to change, innovating, and responding to surprises are nothing new to farmers – in fact, it’s one of the things we do best. The willingness to work toward solutions and find news ways of doing the old are very much the theme of the Spring 2016 issue, appropriate as we experience the dynamic change from dormancy to the growing season in the Northeast.
Our continued thanks goes to the writers and editors that provide such valuable information in these pages, so that we can all be better decision makers in the face of change. We welcome anyone to submit an article for a future issue for consideration, on topics of how you and your farm are adapting to a changing climate, changing economy, and changing consumer base. Happy Spring!
— Steve Gabriel
 
Seeking cover photography for SFQ
Are you a fan of taking photographs throughout the seasons on your farm? We need your help! We’d love to consider your high-resolution photo for the cover. Farm animals, vegetables, tree crops, and farmers are all great subjects. Please send submissions to sfg53@cornell.edu with “SFQ COVER” in the subject line.
Wholesale Market Watch
Wholesale Market Watch is a new listserve that provides information and resources to facilitate connecting small and mid-sized farmers to larger markets such as food hubs, grocery stores, restaurants, online marketplaces and cooperatives. Are you a farmer, agricultural educator, or regional food-buyer in the Northeast?  You can sign up to receive email alerts from Wholesale Market Watch at this link. This listserve is part of a larger project called “Baskets to Pallets: Preparing Small and Mid-sized Farmers to Enter Food Hubs, Groceries, Restaurants and Cooperatives”.  Learn more about the project goals and activities here.  If you have an opportunity to share, please send information to Project Coordinator Violet Stone at vws7@cornell.edu
New York Educators: Register Now for “Baskets to Pallets” Statewide Training
Are you an agricultural educator or service provider in New York State interested in supporting farmers seeking to enter food hubs, groceries, restaurants or cooperatives? The Cornell Small Farms Program and Northeast SARE are pleased to announce a new statewide professional development opportunity. ‘Baskets to Pallets: Preparing Small and Mid-sized Farmers to Enter Food Hubs, Groceries, Restaurants and Cooperatives’, will be offered on April 18th-19th, at the Cornell Plantations Visitor Center in Ithaca, NY.
In this two day Training, the authors of the brand new “Baskets to Pallets” Curriculum will introduce a series of lectures, discussions, activities, videos and other teaching resources designed to prepare small and mid-sized farmers in NY to enter new wholesale markets. The Training is open to 25 educators and agricultural service providers in New York State on a first-come, first-served basis.  To register and for questions, contact Project Coordinator Violet Stone at vws7@cornell.edu or 607-255-9227.  The Baskets to Pallets Training is supported by Northeast SARE, the Cornell Small Farms Program, and the Local Economies Project.
Cornell Institute for Climate Change & Agriculture: Cornell Maple
Cornell Institute for Climate Change & Agriculture has produced multiple videos on “Climate Smart Farming”. In this Cornell Maple video, Steve Childs, the NYS Maple Specialist at Cornell Maple located in Ithaca, NY discusses extreme weather, climate variability, and adaptations taken to overcome weather challenges. For more Climate Smart Farming resources and videos, visit https://climatesmartfarming.org/.