Posts by Nina Sannes

Nina worked as a student intern for the Small Farms Program in 2019. She is a 5th year undergraduate student pursuing an independent major in agroecology in an effort to gain a nuanced view of the social and scientific sides of agriculture. She hopes to work to aid small farmers in adopting agroecological growing practices.
bf 121 online course veg production 2

New Platform for Our Online Courses — Register Now!

By Nina Sannes / August 20, 2019

The Cornell Small Farms Program is excited to announce that our suite of online courses has moved to a new, more user-friendly platform. Now registrants have permanent, year-round access to their course content. Also, courses have tiered pricing from $199 – $299, based on household size and income to make access to the courses more…

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cce extension out loud podcast 2i79471

CCE Specialists Talk Crops and Climate Change Mitigation in New Podcast

By Nina Sannes / August 7, 2019

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s podcast “Extension Out Loud” released a new episode last week titled How’s it growing? New York State summer crop outlook.  Eight extension specialists from across the state joined the podcast to give updates on berry and vegetable crops, viticulture, tree fruit, and field crop production so far in the 2019 season.  Common…

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ryan maher at freeville field day 2019 stands in front of group

Join Us for a Soil Health Conversation at Empire Farm Days

By Nina Sannes / August 5, 2019

Join us at Empire Farm Days from Aug. 6-8 in Seneca Falls, New York for educational events and conversations focused around soil health in the Northeast.  Building soil health is imperative for a farm’s resilience in the face of drought and extreme weather events, erosion, water, and fertility management, as well as ecological and economic…

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Can Ladybugs Control Your Cabbage Pests?

By Nina Sannes / July 19, 2019

The cabbage industry in New York State is worth about $60 million annually, a statistic that is threatened by the cabbage looper: a pest capable of creating massive yield loss. Farmers are looking for sustainable alternatives to chemical insecticides, which have the potential to build up resistance, impact non-target organisms, and incur a heavy bill…

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A green field of cover crops

Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops

By Nina Sannes / July 15, 2019

Cover crops present a myriad of benefits to farmers in terms of soil health, weed suppression, improved water availability, and much more. The millions of acres of cover crops currently planted throughout the country are proof that they are becoming more and more attractive to growers in the United States. It is established that cover…

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A person walks behind a herd of cattle.

Has New York Found the Secret to Linking Retiring Farmers and Eager Upstarts?

By Nina Sannes / July 1, 2019

Connecting retiring farmers and young upstarts is just the first step of a newly expanding statewide program — funding, access to markets, and a community of support help complete the picture. At the end of 2017, Sandy Gordon spent six weeks helping Joshua Rockwood move his entire farming operation across about 30 miles of upstate…

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Onions planted in rows in a field of dark brown soil

CALS Team Promotes Adoption of Onion IPM Program to Fight Pests, Cut Chemical Sprays

By Nina Sannes / June 17, 2019

The value of the onion crop in New York state is between $40 and $50 million annually, but that figure is threatened by the predation of onion thrips. Onions are a high value vegetable crop that can only be grown on specific nutrient-rich soils, with the potential to make a grower up to $6,000 per…

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Person driving tractor in green field

Heat or Drought: Which is the Main Driver of Crop Yields in a Changing Climate?

By Nina Sannes / June 10, 2019

Increasing temperatures and weather volatility are expected to have a substantial impact on crop yields in the coming decades. Adaptable solutions are necessary to ensure the future of food production and of farming as a profitable venture. Whether yield loss will be mainly driven from dry conditions or increased temperatures has, so far, remained uncertain.…

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Person wearing hat next to beehive frame

New Book on Wild Honeybee Biology Can Help Small-Scale Beekeepers Build Resilient Hives

By Nina Sannes / June 6, 2019

A new book by a Cornell University professor illustrates the fascinating and previously little-known biology of wild honeybees, and details management strategies for small-scale beekeepers in a changing world. “The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild,” by Thomas Seeley, is currently the No. 1 best seller in entomology…

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A group of people stands under a tent in a field next to a trailer

New York Soil Health Trailer: Learn about Compaction and Soil Health in Northeast Pastures

By Nina Sannes / June 4, 2019

The New York Soil Health Trailer brought spring 2019 “Train the Trainer” programs, taught by New York Soil Health Trailer Coordinator and Cornell Extension Specialist Fay Benson, Soil Structure Consultant Larry Hepner, and Cornell Soil Health Laboratory Director Bob Schindelbeck to Brunswick and Troupsburg, N.Y . Seventeen grazing educators attended the two trainings, offered as…

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