Program Updates

Futuro en Ag Project Had a Busy Winter

The Futuro en Ag project team has spend the past few months hosting a major in-person workshop, an online course, peer learning circles, and individualized technical assistance in Spanish, all prioritizing Latino/a/x farmers and aspiring farmers in the Northeast.

On December 6-7, 2024, Futuro en Ag anchored coordination of a two-day bilingual workshop in the Lower Hudson Valley, with active participation from farm families from 16 New York counties and Pennsylvania. Presenters spoke on marketing channels, farm finances and taxes, agroforestry and regenerative practices, postharvest management, and farmer associations.

In January and February, Futuro staff led a six-week online course, BF 102, “Analizando el Mercado y la Rentabilidad de su Negocio Agrícola” (Analyzing Markets and Profits in your Farm Business). Throughout the course and in one-on-one technical assistance sessions, participants developed marketing plans, financial plans, and applied for small grants to support new farm enterprises.

In addition, Futuro en Ag has been supporting farmers through peer learning circles and technical assistance, focusing on production planning, business legalization, individualized advisory services for farm families, and the formation of associations and cooperatives. These initiatives help farmers enhance their skills in financial management, grant writing, and planning. Futuro en Ag has actively assisted individuals seeking employment in agriculture, connecting them with resources and professional guidance.

 

Share Your Farm’s Experiences with Extreme Weather and Climate Change

We know that small farms in urban and rural places have been impacted by extreme weather events in the recent past. How have you adapted or plan to change your farming strategies to meet these challenges?

We are asking farmers to participate in our climate resilience survey to help us develop trainings and technical resources to help you adapt to climate variability. This survey asks questions about your current practices, as well as your awareness of climate-resilient farming strategies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first survey of its kind for New York State, and we especially want to hear from small farms and historically underserved farmers. The purpose of this research is to assess:

• the production systems, barriers, and future interests of participants
• the level of awareness and implementation of climate resilience farming practices of participants
• the awareness and concern that climate change and extreme weather may cause to the farming enterprises of participants

Our work on climate resilience at the Cornell Small Farms Program has grown and diversified over the years, and is now expanding further to meet the goals of the NY Connects: Climate Smart Farms and Forests Project Grant from New York State. Help us build a more climate-resilient small farm sector!

Participation in this survey is voluntary and should take about 15 minutes to complete. It is available in both English and Spanish. Your response will be kept confidential. Information gathered through this survey will be summarized across all responses before sharing. If you would be interested in entering a drawing for a free Small Farms online course, please follow the link at the end of the survey.

If you have questions, please contact María José Oviedo (mo488@cornell.edu) or Connor Youngerman (czy2@cornell.edu) from the Cornell Small Farms Program.