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
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Telling Better Stories: Journalism Training for Small Farm Educators and Farmer Writers
April 11, 2013, 10:00 - 3:00pm. Mann Library, Room 100 and 102, Cornell University Campus, Ithaca NY
Are you an agriculture educator or service provider who tells stories of the farmers you work with to the public? Do you write articles, profiles, blogs, essays, take photographs, or produce podcasts about farmers? Are you a farmer writer or blogger? If so, this free upcoming training is for you! This full day workshop series will offer you professional journalism training on how to improve your communication to the public. Learn how to fine-tune your interview skills, use style appropriately, find reliable facts and sources efficiently, develop engaging narrative, take better photographs and create podcasts. Two concurrent tracks allow you to choose what is most interesting and helpful to you! Get more info: Workshop Descriptions | Instructor Biographies | Workshop Schedule To pre-register, click here. This free workshop is made possible by the Cornell University Small Farms Program Work Team. Questions may be directed to Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 or [email protected].
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New Generation Energy: Sustainable Power for Your Farm or Homestead Lunchtime Webinar Series - Starts March 29th
This four-part lunchtime webinar series will provide examples of energy conservation, solar arrays, wind turbines, compost heat, and a variety of other ecological production techniques and introduce you to farmers and professionals who are successfully harnessing the power of renewable resources to produce affordable, sustainable energy. Tune in to learn if solar, wind, geothermal, and even compost power are right for you! The series will run from noon-12:45pm every Friday from March 29th through April 19th. All of the webinars are free and open to the public. Read webinar descriptions and register here. Sponsored by NE SARE (Northeast Sustainable Ag Research and Education) and the Cornell Small Farms Program. |
Featured Events
March 20- March 29, 2013. 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM. Berry Pruning Workshops. Various locations. These workshops are directed at the commercial berry grower. Properly blueberry pruning for insect and disease management will be discussed. We will also talk about bramble pruning - depending upon the location - to include floricane and primocane raspberries and blackberries. An emphasis on SWD management will be part of the workshop. For more information: http://cdvsfp.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=83
March 24th. Farm to Market Connection Conference. Liberty, NY. Join us for a day of networking and education about the most current topics in direct marketing. Gather with local food advocates from across the region including farmers, retailers, restaurateurs, specialty food producers, distributors, farmers' market staff and economic development practitioners. The Farm to Market Connection is the perfect way to get the growing season off to the right start! [More Info]
April 6, 2013. 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Growing Nut Tree Meeting. Lockwood Farm, 890 Evergreen Ave., Hamden, CT. The Torrey Botanical Society and the New York Nut Growers Association are co-hosting this meeting, covering Tree Crops and Pastures in Organic Farming; Starting a Nut Tree Planting as Part of a Tree Farm; Biogeography and Evolution of the Pecan Genus (Carya, Juglandaceae) in North America; and the New York Nut Growers Association's CSA Black Walnut Distribution Program. There will be guided tours of the experimental plots of food-bearing and landscape trees on the farm's 74 acres. For more info: contact Jerry Henkin, Program Coordinator, 501 Riverdale Avenue (4J), Yonkers, NY 10705, [email protected],(914) 282 - 1371.
[MANY MORE EVENTS!] Visit our comprehensive statewide events calendar online.
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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!
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Good Food Collective Distribution Crew Members, Rochester, NY - Due May 1st
The Good Food Collective is a multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project offering membership programs that connect people to local, sustainable foods and some of the best farmers in the Rochester area. The Collective seeks two distribution crew members to assist in the receiving, sorting, and storage of daily deliveries from partner farms. For a full job description and qualifications, email
[email protected]. For more info on the Collective, visit http://thegoodfoodcollective.com
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0% Interest Loans Available to Farmers from Kiva Zip! Rolling deadline
Kiva Zip is a non-profit loan program for startup folks without startup money and break-even folks who want to expand towards profitability. Apply for up to $5000 in loans and pay 0% interest. No minimum credit score required and 6 month grace period for start-ups! Apply now! [More Info]
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| Extension Integrated Pest Management: Coordination and Support Program - Due April 26th EIPM-CS funds will help agricultural producers and other pest managers adopt alternative pest management practices through training, demonstration, and evaluation of methods and strategies. Award ceiling is $300,000. [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]
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Sustainable Ag Grad Students Grants - Due May 21st
The goal of this grant program is to support graduate students who are doing research on topics specific to sustainable agriculture under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Graduate Student proposals should address issues of current or potential importance to Northeast farmers and farm service professionals such as NRCS staff, Cooperative Extension, and researchers. Because universities typically do not allow students to manage institutional grants, the applicant's faculty advisor will be named the principal investigator if a grant is awarded. Grants are capped at $15,000.Learn more at http://www.nesare.org/Grants/Get-a-Grant
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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] |
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NNYADP Research Testing Heated Growing Methods for Salad Crops in NY
Can farmers grow salad greens through the winter in Northern New York? Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP)-funded trials at the Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY, are evaluating winter lettuce production methods. A team of Cornell University researchers and extension specialists investigated the use of prototype, low-wattage heating strips to warm the soil to enhance lettuce production during the winter months in NY. The initial trial results provided insight on issues with the placement and width of the heat strips, the benefit of combining the heat strips with the use of low row covers, and the proximity of the lettuce plants to the high tunnel exterior. The complete report is online under Horticulture: Vegetables on the NNYADP website at www.nnyagdev.org.
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New Program Helps Market Agritourism
North Dakota State University Extension Service and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Service have teamed up to release a new program, "Marketing Agritourism Online," to help agritourism enterprises attract business. This self-directed course and resource guide focuses on helping the agribusiness owner understand and plan for being online, getting found, being customer focused, and getting customers to pass on the word. The program is available at http://go.unl.edu/agritourism.
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