Small Farms Quarterly
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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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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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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,…
Read MoreDear 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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What grass and legume species are liked by sheep and are easily established? A recurring question I receive is the one of what grass and legume species to choose when a pasture is being reseeded. Exotic names are being tossed around and I am being asked my opinion. Pasture mixes that are offered by various…
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The Cornell Small Farms Program’s “Reconnecting with Purpose – A Renewal Experience for NY Farm and Food System Educators and Change Makers” fosters a welcoming and trustworthy space for participants to explore challenges, to “live their questions,” and to uncover a sense of clarity and direction in their work and lives. “One of the hardest…
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“Duragna” is a mix of wheat and barley, and sometimes other grains too, planted together rather than one type of grain sown in orderly rows. Morgan Ruelle, M.S. ’10, Ph.D. ’15, was living in the remote mountains of Ethiopia in 2011, researching his dissertation on food diversity, when he kept hearing about a crop that…
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Results from a 2021 survey of specialty mushroom growers around the USA offer an interesting glimpse into this growing industry. By Kristen Park and Steve Gabriel In January 2021, the Cornell Small Farms Program conducted a survey of specialty mushroom growers about their cultivation and marketing practices. We want to thank the growers for providing…
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Farmers are particularly susceptible to both chronic and acute stress, and one underappreciated strategy for reducing this stress load is our mindset and approach to decision-making. What causes you to feel stressed out? Major sources of stress in my life include, in no particular order: money, kids, livestock, off-farm job, my farm business, and the…
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As the nature of farming can lead to feelings of social isolation, it is important that farmers feel like they have people to talk to about their issues. Nicole Tommell knows well the financial challenges today’s farmers face. But over the last few years, Tommell – an agricultural business management specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension…
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