Veteran Trainings in Agroforestry in 2017

The Cornell Small Farms Program, with support from New York State and the USDA, announced three trainings in agroforestry in the winter and spring of 2017 to support veterans looking to get into agricultural production.

Agroforestry includes farming practices that combine trees and forests with crop production. The three trainings focused on three of the most viable tree-crop enterprises: maple syrup, log-grown shiitake mushrooms, and silvopasture (combining livestock with trees).

Each training included classroom instruction and site visits to farms in active production. Content covered the technical aspects of production as well as the financial and business considerations for each venture.

These trainings were exclusively for veterans and active military personnel who were residents of New York State and had an interest in selling commercial farm products (filing a Schedule F) in 2017 or 2018. Participants completed a targeted survey at the end of the course and again six months later to determine the effect on their operation.

The cost was $30 per training, which included lunch and all materials. Participants were able to submit up to $100 in travel expenses for reimbursement.

The workshops took place on the following dates and locations:

February 17 & 18, 2017
Maple Syrup Production
Uihlein Sugar Maple Research & Extension Field Station
157 Bear Cub Lane, Lake Placid, NY 12946

This course covered the basics needed to start a sugaring operation on a range of scales, including assessing a woods for sugaring, equipment needed, tapping, processing, value-added products, and more.

March 31 & April 1, 2017
Log-Grown Shiitake Mushroom Production
Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango County
99 N Broad St, Norwich, NY 13815

This course discussed the appropriate wood species and setup for economical production of log-grown shiitake mushrooms. Participants gained hands-on experience in inoculating logs and received budget planning tools to help them decide on the scale of their operation.

Learn more about shiitake production here.

Cornell Small Farms Program gratefully acknowledges support provided by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Additional support was provided through the USDA NIFA BFRDP Grant 2015-70017-22882.