News and Updates

October 19th, 2015 7-9 pm 9 Training Center Ln, New Hampton, NY 10958 Mark Shepard has transformed a 106 acre degraded Wisconsin corn field into a diverse silvopasture system that mimics the ecological functions of a savannah without sacrificing productivity and profitability. In this lecture, you will learn about important ways to improve modern farming…

ITHACA, NY – The Cornell Small Farms Program announces a new development in the emerging log-grown mushroom industry; New York State has officially designated “actively managed log-grown woodland mushrooms” within the meaning of the term “crops, livestock and livestock products,” for purposes of provisions of law relating to agricultural districts. The bill, introduced by Bill Magee…

On October 16th, a cover crop workshop targeted for small scale vegetable producers is being held at USDA-NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center. Speakers from NRCS, Cornell University, and Kings Agriseeds will be in attendance. You will have the chance to observe multiple cover crop plots and a reduced tillage demonstration. For more information, check…

NESAWG is offering a limited number of scholarships to attend the 2015 It Takes a Region Conference. Those interested must submit an application no later than September 7, 2015 by midnight. If you apply for a scholarship, please wait until you find out whether you received a scholarship before you register for the conference. Recipients…

Late Fall through Winter and early Spring is a great time for farmers to rest, slow down the frenetic pace (at least somewhat), and build new skills for the coming growing season. If you sign up for an online course through the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project, you don’t even need to leave your home to…

Cornell Cooperative Extension in partnership with USDA NRCS, the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, The Watershed Agricultural Council, and Schoharie Valley Farms will be hosting a Soil Health Field Day – Building Better Soils With Cover Crops, September 3, 2015 in farm fields at Fox Creek Park 495 N Main Street (State…

The Farmers Market Federation of NY, in partnership with SUNY Cobleskill and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, is pleased to announce the first ever Farmers Market Managers Professional Certification Course to kickoff November 10th to 12th on the SUNY Cobleskill Campus: FMM PRO.  This program will create New York State’s first Market Manager Certification…

Could RNA be a new method for controlling insect pests on crops? In a Cornell study, researchers confirmed that foliar application of Colorado potato beetle dsRNA actin (an RNA insecticide) is highly effective for control. Check out the press release or read the full study online for more information!

The Northeast Beginning Farmers Project website has a video resource library of on-farm production techniques. These videos provide some great examples of high-quality production practices used on successful farms for raising vegetables, berries, pigs, sheep, poultry, and more. Check out the Vegetable Production Video Playlist and others on the Cornell Small Farms YouTube channel. Here…

“By improving soil quality via sustainable agriculture, American farmers can protect us from impacts of drought and flood” A new report by the National Wildlife Federation titled, Can Soil Save Us? Making the Case for Cover Crops as Extreme Weather Risk, was recently released in June. In this report, researchers have found that in the face of climate change, healthy soil…