Register Now for Learning Opportunities in the New Year
The new season of online courses is almost halfway through, and now’s the time to register for our upcoming block three courses which begin in the new year. Our suite of online courses is offered on a user-friendly platform, which grants registrants permanent access to their course content. Also, courses have tiered pricing based on…
Read MoreThree New Team Members Join Our Team
The Cornell Small Farms Program is excited to announce an expansion of our team with three new additions: Jamie, Molly and Nina. Each has been involved in our program’s work in some way over the years, and we are glad to now have them as formal members of our team. Jamie Johnson will be the…
Read MoreUpcoming Webinar on Starting a Slaughterhouse
This has been a challenging year for livestock farmers and red meat packers in New York State. With many packers already booked solidly for 2021, livestock farmers are feeling panicked about how to get their animals harvested in a timely way. This has driven unprecedented interest in opening new slaughterhouse facilities in the state. But…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update on Horticultural and Agritourism Businesses in Cluster Sites
As we enter the colder months, we must remain vigilant in maintaining health and safety requirements to stop the spread of COVID-19. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) is reminding horticultural and agritourism businesses that they must adhere to the COVID-19 New York Forward guidance. Nonessential agritourism activities permitted under Phase…
Read MoreIn the News: Our Team Contributes to Cornell CALS White Paper COVID-19 Impacts on Farming
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted individuals, families, communities, and businesses throughout New York state, and continues to do so. In an effort to detail the impact of COVID-19 on selected agricultural sectors, experts from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University have contributed to a series of nine papers. These papers…
Read MoreGreen Practices Can Negate Climate Emissions on New York Farms
New York agriculture has the capacity to mitigate its own greenhouse gas emissions, two Cornell researchers say in a state-funded report commissioned by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The 65-page report “New York Agriculture and Climate Change: Key Opportunities for Mitigation, Resilience, and Adaptation” provides a scientific assessment of opportunities and…
Read MoreStudy Finds Food Safety Practices Benefit Small Farmers
A new Cornell study finds that when small-scale farmers are trained in food safety protocols and develop a farm food safety plan, their access to new markets leads to gains in revenue. The costs of implementing food safety practices to prevent foodborne illnesses have been viewed as a threat to the financial well-being of fruit…
Read MorePrecision Apple Thinning with Computer-Based Plant Growth Models
A new bloom thinning model, developed by Virginia Tech researchers, might offer New York apple growers more precision and increased yields. In eastern New York, there has recently been increasing interest in thinning apples earlier at bloom to improve return bloom in biennial varieties like Honeycrisp, and to begin the thinning process earlier in hard…
Read MoreCan Farm Employers Require Employees to Wear Face Coverings/Masks?
Can Farm Employers Require Employees to Wear Face Coverings/Masks? The science about wearing face coverings/masks to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus is increasingly clear; wearing a mask dramatically reduces the amount and range of virus particles that an infected person emits into the air to potentially infect other people. Wearing a mask to protect…
Read MoreWill Dry Weather Create Forage Shortages This Winter?
Farmers can take action now to adequately prepare for the winter months. We have seen quite dry conditions in much of our region and much of the state this past spring and into early summer. There has been some recent rain. However, it has been sporadic in nature. Some locations have seen a fair amount…
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