News and Updates

Looking to start raising and hatching chicks? Join Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County (CCEUC) educators and local professionals for a class on hatching chickens. Find more information and register here.

Are you an agricultural producer interested in implementing practices to treat the runoff from barnyards and bunk silos, implementing milkhouse waste systems, or helping store and manage manure? Interested in protecting the Susquehanna River? You can access funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The Upper Susquehanna Coalition administered by the Tioga County Soil and Water…

If you’re interested in pursuing a livestock enterprise, a good fence is an essential tool to manage animals on the land. Join John Slifka (Army) of Three Sisters Farm at (Rome) as he teams up with Sons of the American Legion member, grass farmer, conservation professional and former fence contractor, Troy Bishopp, to show others…

By Alex McKiernan I’d be willing to bet that the vast majority of direct-market farmers started as interns or apprentices on someone else’s farm. When you think about mainstream production agriculture, I think you’ll find the same thing, except that those folks likely “apprenticed” with their parent, grandparent, or other relative. For farmers, apprentices and…

By Jennifer Savran Kelly Big on flavor, aroma and size, Cornell’s newest grape lacks one defining feature: a name. Grape breeder Bruce Reisch ’76 spent years developing the grape, and now he’s offering the public the chance to name it.   Currently dubbed NY98.0228.02, the grape is a seedless, flavorful berry with the attractive blue…

Established in 2011, the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides direct assistance to veterans who are in the early stages of their farming operations. With awards rangin from $1,000 to $5,000, purchases are made to third-parties on behalf of the veteran for critical items such as breeding livestock, used tractors, greenhouses, irrigation systems and more. This…

This article covers:  Becoming part of the solution  Tax credit for farmers who donate harvest  Resources to help you coordinate The Problem: Studies show that unhealthy, heavily processed food is more affordable and easier to access than food that is fresh, healthy and locally grown. 2.67 million, or 13.5%, of New Yorkers are…

Are you registered to receive the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture questionnaire? If not, you have until late June to sign up. Currently, the USDA Census of Agriculture is the only complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It includes even the smallest plots of land – rural or urban…

The Cornell Small Farms Program in partnership with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) are bringing the week-long Armed to Farm (ATF) training back to New York State. ATF gives veterans an opportunity to see sustainable, profitable small-scale farming enterprises and examine farming as a viable career. ATF combines engaging classroom sessions with farm…

Have you noticed our new look? Yes, we’ve merged our sister site, the Northeast Beginning Farmers Project, with the Small Farms Program website. You can now find all the great features of both sites in one place, but excuse some broken links. We’re working to address them as soon as possible! If you need help…