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Finding a slaughterhouse to process meat has been a challenge for small farmers for years. Federally inspected slaughterhouses are few and far between, and in many parts of the country, it takes driving long distances — often multiple hours, both ways — to reach one. This shortage is often attributed to the consolidation of processing…
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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 memorable 4 days with Bill Burrows, a 6th-generation rancher and Holistic Management practitioner from Northern California. Bill told us the story of how his family…
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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, the COVID-19 pandemic has made access even more difficult. We are collecting information to communicate with policy-makers the scope of the problem from farmers’ perspectives…
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Previously perceived as a financial burden to small-scale farmers, food safety practices have now been shown to open new markets to producers, leading to an overall gain in revenue. A new study led by Todd Schmidt, an associate professor in Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, surveyed New York farmers…
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As the year-round market demand for local food grows, more farmers are using controlled environments, such as greenhouses, to efficiently produce fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables. However, this controlled environment agriculture, or CEA, requires advanced knowledge of both infrastructure and plant biology. As a result, it has been difficult for many farmers to come by…
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Applying for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness, Program Changes and a Possibility of an Extension Cornell Cooperative Extension educators have been compiling updates on various emergency funding opportunities for agricultural businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In their most recent fact sheet, they provide more information about how farmers now have 24 weeks instead of…
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Through the COVID-19 pandemic, farming hasn’t stopped and neither has the work of our Farm Ops project. Due to current restrictions to in-person workshops, Farm Ops is offering virtual workshops through February 2021. These workshops have been adapted from our typical hands-on trainings, providing learning and engagement opportunities while participants complete the workshops remotely. Participants…
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By Lindsay Ferlito, Betsy Hicks, and Margaret Quaassdorff, CCE Regional Dairy Specialists In response to these especially volatile times, producers have been faced with having to make rapid changes. These changes have led to some unintended consequences, many of which would often be considered positive in a typical dairy market. When producers take a step…
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Interim Guidance for Equine Operations The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets released the following Interim Guidance for Equine Operations on June 11, 2020. This guidance is provided for equine farms, consisting of recreational, boarding and breeding operations. It does not apply to racing and other equine competition venues. On March 7, 2020,…
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Are you a nursery/greenhouse/cut flower grower who has been impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions? Completing this survey will help us provide data to USDA, which may help impacted farms qualify for CFAP farm disaster funding. If you are a nursery/greenhouse grower or cut flower grower, you may be aware that those farms were left out of…
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