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Solar Solutions: Agrivoltaics Offer Array of Options for Farmland Use
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Not everyone is excited about New York’s rapid solar expansion. The buildout of solar energy infrastructure across the state has become an issue of grave concern for many farmers and those worried about the state’s agricultural communities. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 10 million acres will be needed to meet solar energy production goals by…
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Three Ways to Protect Honeybees — As Keepers and Community Members
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Honeybees are on decline, but you can help! In 2023, the United States lost 48% of its agriculturally managed honey bee colonies in an unprecedented year. But the issue is more complex than the statistics can communicate. In a Cornell Keynote from eCornell, Marina Caillaud, a lecturer of entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS),…
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Rooted in a Cornell Collaboration, New York State is Tops for Beets
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New York harvested more acres of beets than any other state according to the most recent Census of Agriculture. New York state is known for producing the most yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream of any state in the U.S. But there’s a vegetable that – while not everyone’s favorite – is also No. 1…
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Cornell Helps NYS Growers Hone the Art and Science of Poinsettias
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Specialists at Cornell support growers in diagnosing problems – with poinsettias or any other crop – and finding solutions informed by research. Last summer, Mark Van Bourgondien, co-owner of CJ Van Bourgondien Wholesale Greenhouses in Peconic, on Long Island, noticed white flecks and slight discoloration on a few of his young poinsettias. He quickly found…
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Farmer-First Approach to Agrivoltaics Will Benefit NY Food, Energy Goals
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The New Bremen dairy is one of a handful of New York farms that are pioneering agrivoltaics: co-location of solar energy production and agriculture on the same land. Solar developer Greg Hering approached a dairy farmer in New Bremen, New York, with a proposal to install panels that could produce 6.5 megawatts of energy on…
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Hummingbirds Offer Substitute for Pesticides in Berry Farming
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The thought of spraying pesticides can be daunting — its cost, environmental and health implications are far reaching and unfamiliar to some farmers. Integrated pest management (IPM) offers a way for farmers to steer clear of harmful pesticides while fighting growing populations of insects. Being able to preserve crops is especially important for New York…
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Dean Houlton: Leading Through Extension with Humility and Responsibility
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A conversation with Dean Benjamin Houlton from the “Extension Out Loud” podcast. In this episode of “Extension Out Loud,” a podcast by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), Benjamin Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, shares his journey and his vision for carrying forth Cornell’s Land Grant mission in New York state. From his midwest agricultural…
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2021 NYS Farming Predictions Include Limited Labor and Increased Wages
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New York State farmers should anticipate increased wages and a continuously tight labor market in 2021, according to Richard Stup, agricultural workforce specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Stup offered his insights during the 2021 Agricultural and Food Business Outlook Conference on January 25. Stup predicted that “ag labor…
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Food Safety Practices Found to Increase Sales for Small Farms
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Previously perceived as a financial burden to small-scale farmers, food safety practices have now been shown to open new markets to producers, leading to an overall gain in revenue. A new study led by Todd Schmidt, an associate professor in Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, surveyed New York farmers…
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African rice farmers test traditions against NY climate
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In 2013, Nfamara Badjie and his wife, Dawn Hoyte, bought a 6-acre farm in Ulster Park, New York, in the Hudson Valley. They soon realized the fields were muddy – almost wetlands – but Badjie didn’t mind. “I said, ‘That’s the one I’m looking for, the wetland is good for the rice,’” Badjie said, flashing an easy smile. “Dawn said, ‘No, you can’t…
CALS
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