Farm Ops Offering Veteran Learning Cohort Workshops
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped farmers from farming, nor has it stopped the work of our Farm Ops project to support veterans interested in agriculture. Last year we started offering virtual workshops, and we are continuing these offerings through 2021. Our Farm Ops project’s “Veteran Learning Cohorts” bring together a group of veterans interested…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update on NYS Agricultural Assessment Revenue Threshold Exception
Farmland owners across New York State participate in Agricultural Assessment to reduce their real property tax costs. Each year an application (RP-305) or renewal (RP-305-r) must be filed for each eligible parcel with the local assessor in the municipality where the property is located in order to receive this benefit. For farms with 7 acres…
Read MoreJoin Our Farmer Focus Group and Discuss New Approaches to Farm Labor
Do you struggle with getting all the work done on your farm? Do you have challenges attracting and retaining employees? Are you interested in working with other farmers to design solutions to labor challenges? If so, consider attending our farmer focus group, “Exploring Novel Approaches to Farm Labor,” to be held via Zoom (online), on…
Read MoreUpcoming Webinars Help Explain Mushroom Growing & Foraging Regulations
Join our Specialty Mushrooms project for two free educational webinars that address often asked topics as we help support mushroom production in rural and urban landscapes. Specialty mushrooms are defined by USDA as any species not belonging to the genus Agaricus (button, crimini, portabella). Our team has been working with regulatory agencies in New York…
Read MoreLearn Ways to Boost Your Farm Business with Our Final Block of Online Courses
Our current season of online courses is underway, and the last block of courses will start live content at the end of February. With courses on business, grazing management, soil health, and mushroom production, this is a great opportunity to learn before the growing season begins. Our suite of online courses is offered on a…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update on Vaccine and Distribution
Throughout the pandemic, the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University (IFS) has answered questions around the risks associated with food production with useful links to expert resources to ensure that a safe and robust food supply is maintained. Recent installments of their Virtual Office Hours have focused on the COVID-19 vaccine. During this week’s…
Read MoreJoin Our Be Well Farming Project’s Winter Workshop Series
Update 1/27/21: The workshops are now full, and we are only accepting waitlist requests. The Be Well Farming project is pleased to announce our winter workshop series for farmers or earth workers of all roles and backgrounds across the Northeast. This season, our series focuses on topics to bring more wellness and better communication to all…
Read MoreSpeciality Mushrooms Project Launches Survey for Growers
Did you grow and sell at least $100 worth of mushrooms in the 2020 growing season? Then our Specialty Mushrooms project wants to hear from you. Specialty Mushrooms are defined by the USDA as any species other than Agaricus bisporus (Button/Crimini/Portobello) produced in the USA. Our project is a unique cooperative extension effort that offers technical…
Read MoreFeatures of Trees Useful for Identification
Learning to identify the trees on your property will help you enjoy and better manage your land. Woodland owners who learn how to identify the trees and other vegetation on their property are better able to enjoy their land, and will make more informed decisions about their management actions. The terminology associated with dendrology, the study of trees, can be…
Read MoreHealthy Soil for Urban Farm Production: Building from Scratch
Thanks to a SARE-funded grant, a nonprofit Urban Farm in Binghamton, NY, was able to experiment with new ways of creating a vegetable production field from scratch. As we all know, a robust regional food system is an important step toward becoming a more sustainable and equitable society. While rural agriculture is the backbone of a regional…
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