Posts by Erica Frenay

Erica has had several different roles with the Small Farms Program since she began working there in 2005. In 2006 she co-founded the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project, and launched the first online course in 2007. For 10 years she facilitated and organized the Beginning Farmer Learning Network, a professional development network for service providers in the Northeast who support beginning farmers. She has shepherded the development, publishing, and updating of several key SFP publications, like the Guide to Farming in NYS, the On-Farm Poultry Processing Guide, and the Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry. As the SFP’s menu of online courses surpassed 20, she shifted her role primarily to managing these courses, providing ongoing training to instructors, and ensuring a high quality experience for students.

Meat Processing Webinars Help Answer Livestock Farmers’ Questions

By Erica Frenay / March 31, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on both livestock producers and processors, neither of whom could keep up with the demand for local meat. As a result, the Cornell Small Farms…

New Self-Paced On-Farm Poultry Processing Course Available

By Erica Frenay / March 1, 2021

Has your insurance provider told you they won’t underwrite your on-farm processing of poultry unless you complete a training? Do you need to brush up on best practices for processing…

NYS Livestock Industry Poised for Growth but Impacted by COVID-19

By Erica Frenay / January 11, 2021

The Cornell Small Farms Program contributed to a Cornell CALS white paper on COVID-19 impacts on food and farming, offering insight on the livestock industry.  The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted individuals, families, communities, and businesses throughout New York state, and continues…

Upcoming Webinar on Starting a Slaughterhouse

By Erica Frenay / November 16, 2020

This has been a challenging year for livestock farmers and red meat packers in New York State. With many packers already booked solidly for 2021, livestock farmers are feeling panicked…

NYS Livestock Producers Share Meat Processing Challenges

By Erica Frenay / August 24, 2020

In Spring 2020, with the COVID pandemic in full swing, the Cornell Small Farms Program (CSFP) was hearing reports of livestock producers from around NYS who were either unable to…

Consider Glamping to Diversify Income from Your Scenic Pastures

By Erica Frenay / July 27, 2020

The Cornell Small Farms Program’s Erica Frenay details how a glamping operation has helped diversify her farm’s income stream. In the early 2000’s, I had the joy of spending a…

Struggling with Slaughterhouse Access? Survey for NYS Livestock Farmers

By Erica Frenay / July 20, 2020

If you raise animals for meat in New York State, you are no stranger to the complicated logistics and roadblocks that exist in getting animals to slaughter. For many producers,…

Solar Grazing: Livestock as Landscapers at Utility-Scale Solar Arrays

By Erica Frenay / July 20, 2020

Solar grazing is the use of livestock to maintain vegetation under solar panels.   Utility-scale solar arrays may cover 3 million acres across the US by 2030, according to the…

Selling Real Farm Products in a Virtual Marketplace

By Erica Frenay / July 1, 2019

There are myriad options to explore, from a personal online store to a collective online farmers’ market. Four years ago, I was using a common mix of marketing channels for…

Invest in Your Farm Education this Winter

By Erica Frenay / January 14, 2014

Evaluation Shows Online Courses Inspire Action. Too busy to travel to a workshop or conference?  Have you ever thought of taking an online course to advance your farming education?  Whether…