Where to Connect with the Small Farms Team this Winter
Winter is traditionally a season filled with farmer and association conferences, and this year is no different. Our team will be traveling around New York State, and beyond, to share information with farmers and other farming organizations. Check out where our team will be for a chance to learn and connect! Join Workshops on Soil…
Read MoreNew Community Mushroom Educator Program Offered in 2020
Join our new network of educators to learn how to grow and sell mushrooms, and teach these skills in the community you serve. With support from USDA-SARE and USDA-AFRI, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Cornell Small Farms Program is partnering with Just Food, Farm School NYC, and Grow NYC to offer a two-year Community Mushroom…
Read MoreWinter Ready? CCE Podcast Shares Tips to Weatherize Your Home
Snowstorms and frigid temperatures make winter preparation in the Northeast a serious undertaking. Cornell Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) podcast Extension Out Loud hosted a “Winter Readiness Round Table” with extension energy experts across New York State to offer tips on winter preparedness and programs to ease the financial burden of weatherizing your farm or home. …
Read MoreCaring for Your Farm’s Greatest Asset
Our new research project creates spaces for farmers to experience holistic health and renewal. What is your farm’s greatest asset? Deep, fertile soil? A steady, hard-working farm crew? A reliable market that pays good prices? If you have any of these, you are blessed, but a group of agricultural service providers are embarking on a…
Read MoreIn the News: How We Help NYS Farmers Implement Reduced Tillage Systems
Sweeping problems under the rug usually leads to larger problems in the future, unless of course, the problem is weeds and the rug is tarps. Tarping fields as a weed management strategy is an integral part of many organic and reduced tillage operations. Cornell Small Farms Program director, Anu Rangarajan, and Reduced Tillage project coordinator,…
Read MoreIn the News: Our Comms Specialist Talks Farmer Succession with New York Times
Farms all over the country are closing their operations having not found a successor for their farm business. New York is not immune to the challenge, nor are multi-generation family farms. With an aging population of farmers, over 1.8 million acres of farmland in New York State are owned by people over the age of…
Read MoreCornell Awarded for Work with Farmworkers
On November 10th, Cornell University was awarded the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award for its ongoing work with farmworkers in New York State. This award, complete with a $20,000 grant, was delivered at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ (APLU) annual meeting in San Diego. President Martha Pollack accepted the award, highlighting the…
Read MoreNew York’s Craft Beverage Industry Supported by Cornell Institute
The craft beverage industry is a regionally important economic driver in New York State. The 400 craft brewers in the state had an overall impact of $5.4 billion in 2018, with those numbers expected to continue increasing in the future. To support this growing industry, Cornell University has opened the Cornell Craft Beverage Institute in…
Read MoreLearn to Be a Better Farm Manager with Labor Ready Training
Managing people is a skill that can be learned, much like operating equipment or growing crops. Do you expect yourself, or your employees, to learn those other skills on your own? Most people are not born with people management skills and benefit from coaching. Labor is one of your farm’s biggest expenses — how well…
Read MoreIn the News: Farm Ops Featured in Veteran’s Day Podcast
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) podcast Extension Out Loud sat down with our own Dean Koyanagi to discuss the myriad programs and resources available to veterans interested in agriculture. A Marine Corps Veteran himself, Koyanagi joined the Cornell Small Farms Program to lead the Farm Ops project and support fellow veterans. …
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