Small Farms Quarterly

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SFQ military hort potting

Exchanging the Challenges of Military Service for the Challenges of Learning about Horticulture

By Nina Saeli / April 3, 2024

Tyler Evans explored what it meant to be part of the U.S. Marine Corps, and he lived with a mindset to defeat the challenges that hinder progress. After completing his service, he explored and now works with nature to challenge himself and progress to build an agricultural business.   When Marine Corps veteran, Tyler Evans, left…

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SFQ Sheep Die Deworming

Why Sheep Die

By Ulf Kintzel  / January 8, 2024

There are two leading causes of death for sheep, according to this farmer’s experience. Selling young White Dorper breeding stock inevitably brings the expected follow-up calls when buyers have questions after the purchase. This is especially true when a new sheep farmer ran into problems and a sheep dies. While sheep can die of many…

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SFQ armed to farm cover

Agricultural Basic Training for Farmers

By Nina Saeli / January 8, 2024

Armed to Farm returns to New York State to again assist veterans explore careers in agriculture. “I’m a veteran, and I want to be a farmer!” This statement comes in emails and voicemails to the Cornell Small Farms Program staff on a frequent basis. In different stages of transition out of military service, each veteran…

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SFQ grazing sheep winter

Extending The Grazing Season Beyond Growing Season

By Ulf Kintzel  / October 2, 2023

How To Do It And To What End Extending the grazing season well beyond the end of growing season is a desirable goal when raising sheep on pasture. Feeding stored feed like dry hay and haylage over the winter is costly. Extending the grazing season can reduce these winter-feeding costs. There are various ways to…

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SFQ seed saving

Starting to Save Seeds Intentionally

By Erica Frenay / July 3, 2023

How the Seed Producers Course, offered by a collaboration of Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, experienced seed producers, and regional seed companies, helped to level up one farmer’s seed-saving skills. At the end of last year, like every veggie grower I know, my mailbox filled with seed catalogs. And I, like every veggie grower I know, delighted in perusing the bright colors and optimistic…

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SFQ sheep pregnancy

Hypocalcemia versus Pregnancy Toxemia in Sheep

By Ulf Kintzel  / July 3, 2023

A downed sheep is a dead sheep. Towards the end of pregnancy, a ewe may go down and will be unable to get back up. Common perception is when a sheep is down, it will die. It doesn’t have to be that way. A pregnant ewe just weeks from giving birth going down and being…

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group photo

Growing Together: Kelly Street Garden’s Community-Centered Approach to Mushroom Cultivation

By Sneha Ganguly / July 3, 2023

Bronx-based community garden is a hub for innovation in urban agriculture. Authors: Sneha Ganguly and Leigh Ollman On a typical weekday at Kelly Street Garden, you’ll find the members of the mushroom cultivation team – Renee Keitt, Pepper Negron, Sunny Vasquez, and DK Kinard – troubleshooting the retrofitted refrigerator they are using to grow different…

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Empty Pockets Ranch LLC – A Veteran Owned Family Farm

By Nina Saeli / April 18, 2023

After 10 years in the Army, three tours in Iraq, and the responsibility of leading Soldiers, veteran Josh David, realized an office job was not for him, and through his wife, Lori, he found his path into agriculture.  Laying down the leadership mantle is never easy, but what can be even harder is allowing your…

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SFQ tomato disease resistant

New Tomato Bred to Naturally Resist Pests and Curb Disease

By Krishna Ramanujan / April 3, 2023

A Cornell researcher has completed a decades-long program to develop new varieties of tomato that naturally resist pests and limit transfer of viral disease by insects. A Cornell researcher has completed a decades-long program to develop new varieties of tomato that naturally resist pests and limit transfer of viral disease by insects.    Martha Mutschler-Chu,…

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Editor’s Letter, Spring 2023

By Anu Rangarajan / April 3, 2023

  Dear farmers and friends,    Over the last few years, the Cornell Small Farms Program has been growing in both staff and program areas.  With this growth comes an invitation to also reflect on how we must to plan ahead to meet future needs. What are the emerging opportunities and challenges that our small-scale…

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