Cornell Small Farms Program Update- Spring 2012
Message from the Managing Editor Happy Spring! Looking out the window of the Cornell Small Farms Program office here in Ithaca, NY, the crocuses and aconites have burst into bloom, and students are luxuriating in the warm, kind breezes arriving earlier than usual. For many, the surprise descent of warm weather is a reason to…
Read MoreThe “Perfect” Sheep Pasture
“The perfect is the enemy of the good.” Voltaire In a sheep farming operation that relies on grazing alone without feeding any grain, the pasture is of utmost importance. If the demand is such that the lambs should be finished in a time as short as possible, the pressure is high. I am in that…
Read MorePhoto Essay: Spring Peeping
Welcome to our new photo essay feature! For 2012, we’ll be bringing you seasonal images from the Whole Systems Design Research Farm in the Mad River Valley region of Vermont. The farm is a demonstration site to test out regenerative food, fuel, and shelter systems that operate on current solar energy. Learn more about the…
Read MoreRecirculating Farms: Growing healthy, fresh food and a new local food culture
Facing an average nightly low of 21 degrees, most Boston-area farmers throw their hands up in January and take a break. But with recirculating farms — which can grow plants (hydroponics), fish (aquaculture), or a combination of both (aquaponics) — a farmer can continue generating revenue throughout the worst conditions that winter brings. “They can…
Read MorePricing Your Meat Cuts
So, you’re thinking about raising livestock for direct-to-consumer sales. You’ve figured out what kind of livestock you want to raise, what kind of infrastructure you will need, soil tested your pastures, the works. One question remains; how much should you charge your customers? It doesn’t matter if you are selling halves, quarters or single cuts,…
Read MoreIs Your Honey Green? New Apiary Certification Program for Natural Beekeepers
by Dr. Buddy Marterre and Alice Varon We all know honey bee health is threatened by pesticides, monoculture crops, in-hive chemical treatments, pests and diseases, and colony collapse disorder, among other things. One result has been a rise in natural beekeeping, regarded by many as the surest way to support the health of honey bees.…
Read MoreGleaning More of New York’s Harvest
A new collaboration among farmers, Cornell University and New York’s food banks aims to increase the amount of gleaning, or food donated directly from farms to the state’s hungry. Gleaning is an ancient concept, thought to date to Old Testament times, and carried through the medieval feudal system, when farmers and large landowners were encouraged…
Read MoreFaces of our Food System: J. Kings
Get to know a local food distributor in our 2012 feature series. This article is the second in a series highlighting distributors of New York State farm-grown products. For our second spotlight, I spoke to Joel Panagakos, the Executive Vice President for Produce at J. Kings, located in Holtsville, New York, on Long Island. J.…
Read MoreAnd the Survey Says! Beginning Farmer Critical Needs
With nearly one-quarter of American farmers expected to retire in the next two decades – indeed, the average age of a farmer in the U.S. hovers around fifty-seven – the need for an effective plan to encourage beginning farmers has never been more pressing. As with any entrepreneurship, farming has a number of major barriers…
Read MoreUsing Online Surveys and Polls to Connect with Your Clients
Surveys help you gauge what your customers think of your business, and give you the chance to learn more about what they want from you. Online polls can help you gather feedback quickly and easily from your customers. While not appropriate for every business or situation (sometimes paper surveys can get a better response rate),…
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