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March 4th, 2013 
In This Issue
Greetings!

In an effort to get the latest news, job postings, grant opps and resources to you as promptly as possible, we are pleased to announce the Small Farms Monthly Update is moving to a bi-monthly format!  The Small Farms Update is intended for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast. If you have an item to be included in the update, please send us an email SUBSCRIBE HERE
Announcements
Free Farm Energy Audits & Up to $250,000 for Equipment Upgrades!
NYSERDA's Agriculture Energy Efficiency Program has funding NOW - don't wait!  NYSERDA can help you identify and implement electric and natural gas energy efficiency measures for your farm. Your farm must be a customer of a New York State investor-owned utility and contribute to the System Benefits Charge(SBC). NYSERDA will assign a FlexTech Consultant to perform an energy audit for your farm at no cost for audits up to $2,500. Plus, NYSERDA will contribute cost-share assistance of up to 75% toward implementing upgrades!  You can request an energy audit, project implementation incentives, or both. For more information and to get an application visit nyserda.ny.gov/Agriculture.
New!  Need Help with Livestock Processing?
Are you trying to find the nearest slaughter house to your farm?  Interested in the rules for on-farm processing or interested in mobile slaughter units? Have questions about licensing and regulations? You're not alone!  The Cornell Small Farms Program has put together a new resource page dedicated to helping you find answers.  If you see a resource missing from these pages, please send us an email at [email protected]

Food Safety Laws Survey for Farmers 

A Master's student at NYU is conducting a survey of farmers to assess perceptions and readiness in regards to the FDA's proposed produce safety rules. These rules were written by FDA under the authority of the Food Safety Modernization Act and will likely affect a large number of farmers. The information gleaned from this survey will be used to ensure that the final rules accommodate farmers while also achieving a high level of food safety, confident customers, and a wholesome food supply. Access the survey here: http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1165279/Food-Safety-Modernization-Act-Farmers.

Events
Featured Events

March 13, 2013. 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.  No Farms No Food Rally. Legislative Office Building 3rd Floor Terrace, 198 State St, Albany. Unite with farmers, local foods advocates, community leaders and others who care about local farms and food at the State Capitol in Albany. Meet with state legislators and urge them to support funding and legislation to strengthen New York's farm and food economy, protect farmland and the environment, and increase access to locally grown food. Visit http://newyork.farmland.org/no-farms-no-food for more information.

 

March 16th, 2013.  Southern Tier Spring Grazing Conference.  Norwich, NY.Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango County will be host to a conference designed to give dairy and livestock producers some of the latest information in preparing for the 2013 grazing season; to be held at the Oxford Memorial Library, Oxford, NY.  A veritable "Who's Who" from New York's grazing and agriculture industries are lined up to provide conference attendees the latest information to help make their dairy and livestock operations more profitable.  For information and/or to register contact Rich Taber, Grazing/Ag Economic Development Specialist at [email protected], or call 607-334-5841 (x21).

 

March 20, 2013. 9:00 AM-3:45 PM.  4th Rural Issues - Community Leadership Conference. Herkimer County Community College, Herkimer, NY.  A special one-day educational opportunity for municipal officials, farmers, economic developers, and planners.  This conference will cover food hubs, farm brewery legislature, and how communities can benefit from cleaner greener grants program. The cost is $35.00 by March 1, 2013; $45.00 afterwards and at the door.  To register, email the Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship (CADE) at [email protected]. 

 

[MANY MORE EVENTS!Visit our comprehensive statewide events calendar online.

Career Opportunities

Looking for a farm job, internship or apprenticeship?

Are you looking for a farm internship, apprenticeship or job? Looking for venues to post an opportunity? The Northeast Beginning Farmer Project has compiled an extensive national list for you! Visit here to start your search!

SARE/NACAA Sustainable Agriculture Fellows Program Accepting applications

This program is designed to provide hands-on experience and materials for selected NACAA members to study and become familiar with the basics of sustainable agriculture and alternative farm systems as currently practiced within the four regions of the USDA. Applications are due March 15. The Fellows program is open to NACAA members in good standing with their state associations and with responsibility in agricultural production systems. Find complete eligibility and entry details online.

Funding Opportunities

Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program-Organic Transitions - Due April 5th
The overall goal of the Organic Transitions Program is to support the development and implementation of research, extension, and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are adopting organic practices. Colleges and universities are eligible to submit applications. Prospective applicants are asked to email a notice of intent to submit an application by March 1, 2013. Applications are available
here.

USDA Farm to School Grants - Due April 24th
Three different USDA Farm to School grant types are available. Planning grants are intended for schools just getting started on farm to school activities, while implementation grants are available for schools seeking to augment or expand existing efforts. Additionally, eligible non-profit entities, Indian tribal organizations, state and local agencies, and agriculture producers or groups of producers may apply for support service grants in order to conduct trainings, create complementary curriculum, or further develop supply chains, among other activities. $5 million in grants will be awarded [More Info].

Organic Farming Research Foundation Research Grants - Due May 15th
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) offers funding of up to $15,000 per year for organic seed-quality or crops-breeding projects in certified organic settings. [More Info]  

Latest Resources
New Online Hang-out for Farmers 
Want to be a part of the young and beginning farmer national community?  National Young Farmers Coalition is proud to launch the NYFC Forum!  Serving as a link between farmers, coalitions, and farm-supporters from around the country, the forum is a space for chatting about farm techniques and practices, making sense of farm laws and regulations, and organizing grassroots networks.
Check out the NYFC Forum here.

Help for Beginning Farmers as Tax Day Approaches

Tax time can be daunting for any business, and farming operations bring their own set of challenges-particularly for beginning farmers.  A new tip sheet from the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) can take away some of the mystery as April 15 approaches"Tips About Farmer Income Tax" and the other tip sheets in the series can be downloaded for free or purchased as a paper publication for a small handling fee at the ATTRA website www.attra.ncat.org.

Newly Revised Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture Now Available

To help farmers interested in pastured poultry learn more about these important considerations - pasturing systems, animal health, cooperative marketing, quality of life concerns and much more - SARE is pleased to present the newly revised, Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture, which can be accessed from the SARE website. Profitable Poultry, originally published in 2006 and updated in 2012, combines farmer experiences and the latest research to serve as a comprehensive primer on pastured-poultry systems.  

Guide to Growing Organic Vegetables & Herbs for Market Recently Published

Keith Stewart, author of Storey's Guide to Growing Organic Vegetables & Herbs for Market addresses everything you need to know to successfully grow and market organic vegetables and herbs, covering land, equipment, crop mix, growing techniques, irrigation, soil fertility, pests, greenhouses, harvesting, storage, labor, debt, customer management, sales, accounting, and much more. With this comprehensive guide, you can turn your dream of a thriving farm into a profitable reality. Visit http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Growing-Organic-Vegetables-ebook/dp/B008NEZRRQ to order the book.

List of Smartphone Vineyard Apps Available

There are many GIS/GPS programs out there that can help with vineyard management, as well as various smartphone and tablet apps that can improve efficiency in the vineyard, but this website provides a relatively comprehensive list of links to more information on some of these apps to help get you started. Visit http://lergp.org/apps to access the list.

 

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