Small Farms Quarterly
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In 2010, the US imported 164.4 million pounds of “fresh garlic” and garlic imports continue to rise. However, in 2012 there will be a hundred or so people in the Hudson Valley who will be getting fresh local garlic from Great Song Farm in Milan, NY. This fall, Great Song is completing its first growing…
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The Whole Farm Nutrient Analysis Program (WFA) came along at the right time for Rob Howland of Candor, NY. Howland’s 74 cow dairy is one of eleven farms in the WFA project, an initiative of Cornell’s Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP). The WFA identifies opportunities for change in nutrient inputs or allocations that could benefit…
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Over the past decade, direct marketing has become very popular, and for good reason. Selling directly to the customer brings back a higher return and the satisfaction of a personal relationship, among many other advantages. But the time and talent to show up in person, peddling your products one by one, isn’t always the most…
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Welcome to the Northeast SARE Spotlight! SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) offers grants to farmers, educators, universities and communities that are working to make agriculture more sustainable – economically, environmentally, and socially. Learn about whether a SARE grant would be a good fit for you. Erin Forbes of Overland Honey in Portland, Maine has…
Read MoreMessage from the Managing Editor This year we are celebrating a decade of bringing you Small Farm Quarterly! We certainly have seen an explosion of growth in homesteads, micro-enterprises, and small farms over the past ten years here in the Northeast. From backyard chickens to farm dinners, the revival in small-scale food production is reconnecting…
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Small dairy farm operators may soon be confronted by the prohibition of winter spreading of manure. Any farmer looking to update their barns should consider a design that can accommodate a deep bedded pack (DBP) system. A DBP system incorporates animal feeding and manure storage into one open barn, and can be especially helpful to…
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One morning when I was about 9 years old, I woke to a snowstorm that crept in during the night. When that happened, in the Central New York winter months, during the late 1940’s, the first thing families did was to turn the radio on to hear if school was cancelled. Yes, this day…
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Unfavorable weather is an unpredictable challenge for farmers often leading to financial instability. Growers are turning to greenhouse production to reduce their losses from poor weather and to increase the length of the growing season. Though plastic hoop houses are inexpensive to erect, they demand large amounts of energy to keep them warm, especially…
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Cheese unexpectedly became controversial at farmers markets across New York State in the summer of 2011. One duty of the New York State Department of Agriculture is inspecting and enforcing New York state law regarding safe distribution of farm products. In late June, they stepped into New York City’s Green Market and shut down several…
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Many small farm operators and fruit enthusiasts see blueberries as Plan A. We all know that blueberries are popular, tasty, and they practically market themselves. But if you do not have very well-drained, acidic soils, you have to go with Plan B. It would be great if there was a productive berry that very much…
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