COVID-19 Update on PPP Loan Forgiveness, Program Changes and More
Applying for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness, Program Changes and a Possibility of an Extension Cornell Cooperative Extension educators have been compiling updates on various emergency funding opportunities for agricultural businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In their most recent fact sheet, they provide more information about how farmers now have 24 weeks instead of…
Read MoreFarm Ops Trainings for Veterans Go Virtual for 2020
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, farming hasn’t stopped and neither has the work of our Farm Ops project. Due to current restrictions to in-person workshops, Farm Ops is offering virtual workshops through February 2021. These workshops have been adapted from our typical hands-on trainings, providing learning and engagement opportunities while participants complete the workshops remotely. Participants…
Read MoreBack to Basics: Herd Management Lessons from COVID-19
By Lindsay Ferlito, Betsy Hicks, and Margaret Quaassdorff, CCE Regional Dairy Specialists In response to these especially volatile times, producers have been faced with having to make rapid changes. These changes have led to some unintended consequences, many of which would often be considered positive in a typical dairy market. When producers take a step…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update for Equine Operations
Interim Guidance for Equine Operations The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets released the following Interim Guidance for Equine Operations on June 11, 2020. This guidance is provided for equine farms, consisting of recreational, boarding and breeding operations. It does not apply to racing and other equine competition venues. On March 7, 2020,…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update: Nursery/Greenhouse/Flower Survey on CFAP Funding
Are you a nursery/greenhouse/cut flower grower who has been impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions? Completing this survey will help us provide data to USDA, which may help impacted farms qualify for CFAP farm disaster funding. If you are a nursery/greenhouse grower or cut flower grower, you may be aware that those farms were left out of…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update on Webinars for Farm Business Safety Plans
Cornell Cooperative Extension is offering a webinar series on developing safety plans for “New York Forward” compliance and to reduce liability risk. A version of this post first appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal. New York State requires businesses to have a specific business safety plan in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all farms,…
Read MoreA Letter from Our Director: Building Resilience through Racial Justice
Throughout this pandemic, the Cornell Small Farms Program has been sending messages and guidance about building resilience to the stresses this virus has created. It has required many of us to learn new skills, adapt and change our marketing approaches quickly, and pivot our own vision of how we farm. These messages have emphasized how…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update on Farm Business Safety Plan Resources
Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) specialists developed resources to help farms comply with the COVID-19 written safety plans required in New York State. A version of this post first appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal. New York Forward: As the New York Forward plan is implemented across the state, businesses of all kinds are required to…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Update on Prevention and Response for Farms
Recently, New York State detailed its plan to begin re-opening in phases, as regions of the state achieve certain COVID-19 management metrics. An important part of this New York Forward plan is for all businesses to have a customized, written safety plan that details specifically how each business will prevent and manage COVID-19. All farms…
Read MoreBuilding Resilience through Farm Employee Training Resources
Sharing training videos, labor resources and standard operating procedures to help your farm business. As we start to gear up for this new season, many of us may face some uncertainty with our farm labor. While we are implementing best management practices to protect our employees during this pandemic, it is likely that we may find…
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