Posts by Tara Hammonds
by Kina Viola New York livestock farmers, whether experienced or just getting started, will benefit from the release of a new pricing tool from Cornell Cooperative Extension. The “Livestock Price & Yield Calculator” exists as part of MeatSuite.com, an online directory of over 160 New York State farms selling meat in bulk. The calculator has…
Read Moreby John H. Lavelle Most farmers have a substantial real estate portfolio. Depending on the geographic region, this can be extraordinarily valuable, but in every case, land is always a critical asset for the succession of the farm business to future generations. In many cases, the value of the land is also a planned retirement…
Read MoreSamuel Palmer works at Cross Island Farms to gain experience for his budding new career: farmer. by Alyssa Couse Jefferson County, NY is home to two prominent ways of life: agriculture and the military. The proximity of Fort Drum to local farms and agribusinesses creates an opportunity for the two worlds to collide. As different…
Read Moreby R.J. Anderson For commercial fruit and vegetable growers in New York state, winter is a time of reflection, preparation, and guarded optimism. It’s also a time to hone one’s craft through continuing education and consumption of research-based analysis. A buffet of that insight drew more than 800 attendees to the 2017 Empire State Producers…
Read Moreby Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming and the Cornell Small Farms Program are teaming up to create a new column called Lessons from the Land, which captures and share the stories of and lessons learned from farmers, homesteaders and land workers around New York and the…
Read MoreIncreasing production on the farm can often require investments in equipment to improve labor efficiency, productivity and profitability. Are you a farmer who is interested in scaling up farm production through investment in your first tractor or upgrading to a bigger piece of equipment? Are you a beginning or experienced farmer who wants to understand tractors…
Read MoreLearn to take care of business, grow veggies and oyster mushrooms, extend your season with high tunnels, improve your marketing efforts, enhance your grazing practices, and start a beekeeping enterprise with our suite of online courses. Sign up by January 26 and save $25 on tuition! http://www.nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/annual-calendar-of-courses/ The Cornell Small Farms Program offers over twenty…
Read MoreClimate change is here. Is your soil ready? Carrie Koplinka-Loehr When Grant Gayman straddles the boundary line between his backyard and his neighbor’s cornfield in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, one boot is on his own turf and the other rests a step down — a whole 12 inches lower — in the dirt. Fifty years ago, when…
Read MoreLand offers both challenges and opportunities in transfer to the next generation. by John H. Lavelle, Attorney at Law One of the defining characteristics of farming is the presence of significant real property. This property is essential to the business, the family, and a way of life. In many ways, a farmer is exactly like…
Read Moreby Mario Miranda Sazo Over the past five years, many New York fruit farm operations have undergone significant growth. Orchards that used to employ only a handful of people with low-skill horticultural talent now look for more help to meet this demand. Why does one fruit grower always have highly-efficient labor, while other similar farm operations do not? Why are some…
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