Greetings!
The Small Farms update summarizes announcements, information resources, opportunities and upcoming events relevant to small farms. Please feel free to share this information in newsletters, email lists, etc. If you have announcements or resources you would like to include, please send us an email. Subscribe here. Thank you again for your interest and support of small farms in New York. Anu Rangarajan Director, Cornell Small Farm Program
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 NY Small Dairy Innovators: Successful Strategies for Smaller Dairies Cornell Small Farms Program offers farmers many informational guides in the "Resources" section of our website, one of which is the "Small Dairy Innovators" guide to successful strategies for smaller dairy farms. This guide features 7 small dairies all over New York State that have found methods of increasing profit and leisure time even in the face of a very challenging time for the dairy industry. Click here to download the PDF version for free. |
 Revised for 2015: Guides to Farming and Urban Farming in NYS The Guide to Urban Farming in NYS and the Guide to Farming in NY. have been newly updated for 2015 and are now re-stylized and are more user-friendly. Along with an overhaul in the looks and navigation departments, all of the information and links have been checked and updated to represent only the most recent material. T he Guide to Farming in NY contains fact sheets on everything from finding land to financing an operation, regulations on marketing and processing, and tax benefits of farming. The Guide to Urban Farming offers a similar menu of resources for farmers producing food in urban centers and on the urban fringe. Topics include site contamination, soil renovation, rooftop farming, urban livestock, farming with neighbors, and much more! Choose to view the guides online or download the PDF versions here. |
Farm Managers Sought for Survey
Middle managers are vital to the success of production agriculture, and New York FarmNet is seeking to learn more about the management skills of middle managers. NY FarmNet's Middle Management Survey requires approximately 20 minutes of your time and is available online now through September 7, 2015. The results of this survey will help NY FarmNet develop training programs for middle managers across New York State. The information is also beneficial to employers seeking to develop training programs outside those offered by NY FarmNet. See the press release for more information or take the survey.
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 Webinar: Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Food and Vegetables The goal of the Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables is to develop additional opportunities for schools to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables with entitlement funding, while using pre-existing commercial distribution channels and school relationships with growers, produce wholesalers, and distributors. The pilot supports the use of locally-grown foods in school meal programs using entitlement funds. For more information, visit the pilot's website. Register here. |
Field Day - Corn Rootworm Integrated Pest Management
August 5, 1pm - 3pm. Gaige Farm, 433 Knox Gallopville Rd., Berne, NY
No more confusion! Learn learn about rootworm resistance to Bt-corn hybrids, how to identify corn rootworms and look-a-likes, how to know when you really have a problem, how to decide amongst the management options, and if you really have to plant a refuge. This free workshop will be taught by Aaron Gabriel, CCE, and Ken Wise, NYS IPM Specialist. Two Pesticide Recertification Credits available & CCA credits requested. RSVP to Tove Ford, 518-756-3518, [email protected].
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 Growing Fall Vegetables August 11, 6:30pm-8:30pm. CCE-Tompkins Education Center
615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca, NYMany garden vegetables can be planted in late summer for fall harvest, including peas, kale, spinach, and salad greens. Learn the best varieties and timing for planting fall vegetables. Planting fall garlic will also be covered, as well as cover crops, sheet mulching and other techniques for preparing beds for winter.
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2015 Northeast Organic Farming Association 41st Annual Summer Conference
August 14-15. UMass Amherst, Massachusetts.
This year's Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference features 144 individual sessions with 27 different topic areas. Workshops address organic farming, gardening, land care, draft animals, homesteading, sustainability, nutrition, food politics, activism, and more. Read the full workshop program here. The theme for this year's Conference is "Healing the Climate, Healing Ourselves: Regeneration through Microbiology". For more information and registration please visit www.nofasummerconference.org.
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Groundswell's Good Afternoon
August 15, 2pm - 5pm. The Good Life Farm, 4058 Hickok Rd, Interlaken, New York Do something different! Treat yourself to a fun and delicious afternoon on one of the most fascinating and innovative farms in the Finger Lakes. Take a tour the organic orchards and greenhouses. Check out the grazing turkeys and beef cattle. Upstairs in the Cidery, enjoy a flight of distinctive ciders crafted by local farm-based cider makers, and try pairing them with an array of local farmstead cheeses, hand-crafted charcuterie, artisanal breads and spreads. Then explore the actual workings of the cidery below, learn how fine ciders are made, and get the latest on the cider renaissance that's happening now in the Finger Lakes. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com. |
MANY MORE EVENTS at our Statewide Events Calendar.
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Career, Etc. Opportunities
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Northeast Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass) Development Director
The NOFA/Mass Development Director is responsible for leading development activities within NOFA/Mass. The Development Director directly supervises the NOFA/Mass Run Coordinator and the Marketing Director. The Development Director reports directly to the Executive Director. This is a 20-hour-per-week employee position, roughly broken down as 15 hours for development responsibilities and 5 hours for supervisory and organizational tasks. The position pays $18/hour. NOFA/Mass does not offer health insurance to employees. For more information or to apply, contact Julie Rawson, Executive Director ([email protected], 978-355-2853). Application must include cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. Starting date for this position is as soon as the right candidate has been selected.
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 Position Announcement: Groundswell Center Director The Groundswell Center is seeking a resourceful and innovative leader with demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice, and with the passion, experience and skills to build community around local food and inspire people to actively support Groundswell's mission. The person who fills this position will provide overall organizational leadership in strategic planning, fundraising and development, organization and financial management, staff coordination and supervision, program development, communication, and cultivating strategic relationships. Send CV and cover letter to [email protected] to apply. Please include names and contact information for three references. Application deadline is September 15, 2015. |
 FREE FarmDogg for a NY Farmer Want a shiny new FREE FarmDogg? Rogue Rovers a start up vehicle manufacturer based in Oregon is launching the 50 States of Farming campaign on Kickstarter in mid-August and they are looking for some small farmers that are interested in participating. They are seeking one farmer in each state across the US. Farmers are starting to sign up, so if you're interested please contact [email protected] for more details as soon as possible. |
CHS Classroom Grant
Five CHS/National Agriculture in the Classroom grants of $1,500 will be awarded to kindergarten through 12th grade core-education teachers whose innovative classroom projects use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, nutrition, science, and/or social studies. For more information or to apply, visit the National Agriculture in the Classroom webpage. The deadline for grant proposals is September 15, 2015.
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USDA Small Business Innovation Research Program - Phase I
The purpose of the SBIR program is to provide an opportunity for US-owned, for profit small business firms to submit innovative, applied, research and development projects that address important problems facing American agriculture and have the potential to lead to significant public benefit if the research is successful. Proposed Phase I projects should prove the scientific or technical feasibility of the approach or concept. For more information, see the Program Solicitation. Maximum award of $100,000. Deadline to apply is October 8, 2015.
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USDA Climate Hubs Release Tool Shed Resource
The USDA Climate Hubs have released the Climate Hubs Tool Shed, an online, searchable database featuring data-driven, interactive websites and mobile apps. These tools can assist land managers, land owners, and extension professionals in adapting working lands to the impacts of climate change, including drought, pests, wildfire, and extreme weather.
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Discussion: Integrated Pest Management and Pollinators
The Northeastern IPM Center recently hosted a discussion on the topic of pollinators in a live-streamed web event: "Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Pollinators: What is the appropriate role for IPM on the issue of pollinators?" The Northeastern IPM Center invited speakers from the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the Natural Resources Defense Council, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. In the recording, panelists provide an update on current issues surrounding pollinator health. They share facts about pollinators and pollinator decline, and give some thought to the role that the integrated pest management community, as well as scientific experts, public officials, and citizens, should take to address it. View the web broadcast recording: http://neipmc.org/go/HsFg.
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Running a Food Hub is a new technical report series to help new and existing food hubs. Developed in partnership by USDA Rural Development, Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VA FAIRS) and Matson Consulting, the series offers food hubs valuable information on how to plan for success, address challenges, and achieve viability. Read the first report in the series here. For more information visit http://blogs.usda.gov.
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Complying with the I-9 process webinar
Complying with federal and state labor laws can be complicated matters for not only agricultural producers but any business operator. One aspect of federal labor law is verifying the individual is eligible to work in the United States. On June 22, Dr. Shannon Ferrell of Oklahoma State University covered this topic and touched upon other issues related to federal labor laws. Watch the recording of the webinar here.
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Need personal help?
Sometimes local questions are best answered by your neighborhood Cornell Cooperative Extension agent. Check out our county-by-county listing of small farm agents here. You can also get to know our Cornell Small Farms Program staff, or contact us. Just starting to farm? We have an extensive directory of beginning farmer service providers across the Northeast in the "Who Can Help?" section of our Northeast Beginning Farmers Project website.
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The Small Farms Update is intended as a resource for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and the Northeast, and is provided to you by Cornell Small Farms Program. Our mission is to foster the sustainability of diverse, thriving small farms that contribute to food security, healthy rural communities, and the environment. The Cornell Small Farm Program is a joint effort of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
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