Soap Bubbles to Insulate Greenhouses: A New Approach to Energy Conservation
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…
Read MoreNew York Cheese Wrapped Up
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…
Read MoreManaging a Buying Club for Freezer Lambs
If you are raising animals and are looking for an additional option to sell your product, consider selling it through a buying club. I do. While this method is the most involved and also the most nerve-wracking, it is also one of the least vulnerable options of all my sales, only second to my direct…
Read MoreJuneberries – They Go Where Blueberries Can’t
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…
Read MoreFor Disease-Resistant Apples, A Moment in the Sun
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. It was a winter morning in 2006,…
Read MoreFarmStart: Continuing the Tradition of Agriculture in the Northeast
Starting a new business in any industry comes with challenges, but new businesses in agriculture are presented with an additional slate of obstacles. Many startup farms don’t have the capital needed for upfront expenses, such as land, equipment, seed, etc. New farms often lack the credit history, repayment ability and/or collateral, so investors and lending…
Read MoreFarmscapes for Birds
This article is the first in a two-part series. In the winter article I will highlight some real-life success stories of working with landowners in partnership with NRCS and Audubon Vermont. Audubon Vermont is working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on two exciting programs, called the Forest Bird Initiative (FBI) and Champlain Valley…
Read MoreFarmer Driven Company Evolves
The Northeast Livestock Processing Service (NELPSC) is a company that was started by 5 farmers with a notion to help their fellow farmers with livestock processing problems. Now in business for 6 years, NELPSC has evolved from a totally grant supported notion to a self supporting viable LLC owned by those same farmers who became…
Read MoreIs Farming Right for You?
4H teens learn about the hard work and creativity needed to run a successful small farm during Career Exploration Days on the Cornell University Campus. A “Fruitful” Adventure Through the 4-H program, I have been able to travel to Cornell University and choose a career class. I chose “A small Farm Dream!” Living on a…
Read MoreYoung Farmers Take Their Message to Washington
With farmers retiring faster than they’re being replaced, a lot of people are worried about who will be feeding America in fifty years. There is growing interest among young people in farming careers, but they are experiencing significant barriers that are keeping them from realizing their potential in agriculture—and preventing the nation from renewing its…
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