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Summer Fruit Tour 2019 Luis

Lake Ontario’s New Generation of Hispanic Employees, Future Leaders, and Innovators

By Nicole Waters / July 24, 2019

It was a sunny and gorgeous Saturday afternoon on July 13 for the 5th annual CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Program’s Hispanic Summer Fruit Tour successfully conducted in partnership with the Cornell Small Farms Program.  The beautiful weather added to the high turnout, but in truth, Mario Miranda Sazo is the reason more than one hundred…

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Why Strip Tillage?

By Ryan Maher / July 15, 2019

Repeated, intensive tillage degrades soil structure and creates compacted layers than can restrict plant roots. Strip tillage targets soil disturbance to the planting zone and can help retain surface residue, preserve soil moisture, build soil structure, and reduce erosion. This approach can give vegetables a good start by warming soils, forming a good seedbed, stimulating…

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Why permanent beds?

By Ryan Maher / July 15, 2019

Permanent bed systems can help farms improve soil health at the farm-level. Rather than plow and harrow by the field, fields are divided into a set of beds and field traffic, whether tractor or foot, is restricted to the between-bed area, year after year. These pathways can be managed with cultivation, mulches, cover crops, or…

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Training Offers Holistic Approach to Learning

By Violet Stone / May 20, 2019

On March 14th and 15th the Baskets to Pallets project hosted a regional Training in Rochester NY.  In this retrospect, Violet Stone shares how the Training prioritized a holistic approach to learning… As project coordinator of the Baskets to Pallets project, much of the work I do is at a desk, coordinating the development of…

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Labor-Ready Trainings Support Farm Management Skills

By Nicole Waters / April 2, 2019

The first three months of 2019 have been a whirlwind of activity for the Labor Ready Project. In this retrospect, Nicole Waters shares how the project’s recent trainings supported both advanced beginning farmers and farm managers in business and management skills. The accumulation of months of outreach and preparation came to fruition during March for…

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Labor Ready Project Offering Two Upcoming Events

By Kacey Deamer / February 18, 2019

The Cornell Small Farms Program’s “Labor Ready Farmer” project works to ensure that new farmers and advancing employees in our region can access high-quality information, supportive networks and proven tactics essential to effective management of labor. These efforts support new farmers scaling up and Latino agricultural employees to move up the ladder of management on existing…

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Seeking New Markets? Baskets to Pallets Coming to Rochester March 14-15

By Violet Stone / January 31, 2019

Are you looking to diversify sales beyond the farmers market, CSA and farm stand? Food hubs, grocery stores, schools, and cooperatives are looking for your products to meet growing consumer demand for locally produced food. Yet, doing successful business with wholesale buyers requires planning and preparation. Ensure your success by joining us for ‘Baskets to…

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Announcing the 2019 Baskets to Pallets Training in Rochester, NY

By Violet Stone / January 15, 2019

Baskets to Pallets Regional Farmer Training. March 14th and 15th Irondequoit Conference Center, Rochester, NY Are you in search of new markets? Have you considered intermediary channels like food hubs, grocery stores, schools and cooperatives? The demand for local food continues to grow…Is your farm business ready for the opportunities? Ensure your success by joining us…

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Save Money, Retain Valuable Staff and Increase On-Farm Efficiency

By Kacey Deamer / January 14, 2019

Time is valuable. Time is money. And time is of the essence at the height of the busy season! We know that the ability to manage people effectively is a critical skill for a successful farm business. An efficient crew can make or break the bottom line during harvest. So why not invest in your…

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Reusable Black Tarps Suppress Weeds and Make Organic Reduced Tillage More Viable

By Haley Rylander / January 14, 2019

Research on the potential of tarps to reduce or even replace tillage by controlling weeds and decomposing crop residue. By Haley Rylander Introduction Organic vegetable farmers rely heavily on intensive soil tillage to control weeds, incorporate amendments and cover crop residue, and prepare clean seedbeds. Intensive tillage, however, can decrease long-term soil health by causing…

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