CCE Helps Veteran Farmers Grow Their Dream

January 10, 2018/Claire Norman

Peter and John both farmed as young boys and decided to get back into it after retiring from the military. With the help of Cornell Cooperative Extension Specialist Nancy Glazier, a member of NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team, brothers Peter and John Lehning were able to start their own farming operation. 

They started off small with only two beef cows, and have slowly grown their Red Angus herd from there. They now own and operate Lehning Farms of Honeoye Falls, NY. 

In a video tour of the farm, the brothers give credit to Cornell Cooperative Extension for their farming expertise and educational opportunities. It is because of the extension program that they have been able to learn how to properly farm and manage their herd. Additionally, CCE has the resources and network that the Lehnings couldn’t have found on their own. According to the brothers, they aren’t young farmers, but they are new farmers, and CCE has provided the education and resources to them to become better farmers. 

Claire Norman

Claire is a Senior in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She chose an interdisciplinary major where she could blend her passions for small-scale agriculture and education. Claire comes from a small dairy farm in Pine Plains, NY, where she grew an appreciation for the natural environment, but it was through FFA that she developed a passion for education. She hopes to one day bring agriculture to her classroom and to support community agriculture.
Posted in