Posts by Violet Stone
Earlier this month, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), released the latest count of farms in the United States. The nation has nearly 2.2 million farms, a number that has held pretty steady for the past decade. While this number is important, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Agriculture is undergoing major changes. Not only…
Read MoreThe Small Farms Update includes small farm announcements, events, job and internship opportunities, grant and loan opportunities, and latest handbooks, tools and other small farm resources. It is intended for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast. If have an item to be included in the update, please contact Violet Stone…
Read MoreThe Cornell Small Dairy Team has released a series of 6 new resources to help small dairy farms. The team, whose members include farmers and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators, received a grant from the Cornell Small Farms Program in 2011 to provide new educational resources and tools to small dairy producers. “Small dairies have…
Read MoreA series to highlight creative strategies on family dairies to take place between May 9th– July 11th, 2012 Are you interested in how small dairy farms across New York are improving profitability, sustainability, and quality of life? Whether you are a farmer, educator, homesteader, or just curious, the Cornell Small Farms Program has teamed up…
Read MoreAddress: 44301 Cross Island Rd. Wellesley Island, NY 13640. Website: www.crossislandfarms.com Description: Dani Baker and David Belding are the owners of this highly diversified organic farm, with retail sales of vegetables, eggs, beef, chicken, goat and pork. Dani and David will lead us on a tour of their recently completed sustainable energy project, including a 10KW…
Read Moreby John J. Hanchar INTRODUCTION Economic efficiency is the ability to realize a favorable relationship between input use and output based upon economic measures such as the value of production, costs of inputs, and others. Production is economically efficient when goods are produced at minimum cost. Various costs of producing a hundredweight (Cwt.) of milk…
Read Moreby Mariane Kiraly This Farm decided that the upfront cost was less than the return of high quality forages and lower labor needed to complete the harvest. Streamview Dairy has been in business around 30 years. The last five years have brought about some thoughtful changes to the operation to reduce labor, lower feed costs…
Read MoreDairy Farm Profit Benchmarks A Farm Business Educator once used the analogy of barrel staves as a way to describe portions of the dairy farm business. If the whole farm was a barrel, then the staves would be represented by: Milk production, Animal Husbandry, Crop Production, Business efficiency, etc. He said that a farm could…
Read MoreAnnouncements Summit Resources Posted Online Workshop Highlights Opportunities for New York Cheese Makers, Small Dairies Upcoming Events Sponsored Events Beginning Farmer Events Other Events Career etc. Opportunities Livestock Resource Educator (CCE Ulster County) – Apply by April 20, 2012 Organic Farm to Restaurant Coordinator (NOFA-NY) – Apply by April 30, 2012 Farm Start-Up Opportunity –…
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Message from the Managing Editor Happy Spring! Looking out the window of the Cornell Small Farms Program office here in Ithaca, NY, the crocuses and aconites have burst into bloom, and students are luxuriating in the warm, kind breezes arriving earlier than usual. For many, the surprise descent of warm weather is a reason to…
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