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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 Cultivate New York:
An Agenda to Protect Farmland for Growing Food and the Economy
American Farmland Trust has developed the Cultivate New York report to celebrate the program's accomplishments of the last 20 years, while offering new evidence of threats to farmland in New York and the urgent need for action. AFT's Cultivate New York report presents impactful and achievable goals for protecting the state's irreplaceable farmland-ensuring a growing farm and food economy and the availability of healthy, local food for generations to come. |
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Apply Now for Beginning Farmer Profit Teams
Are you a beginning farmer in New York state who has been farming for at least three years? Is the farm business you manage at a crossroads, needing to improve efficiency, scale up, or make other major changes to achieve long-term viability? You may be eligible to receive support for a New Farmer Profit Team. This initiative seeks to improve the long-term success of advanced beginning farmers by providing selected farmers with customized, one-on-one guidance from farm professionals (financial, production, legal, marketing, etc.) over an 18-mo to 2-year period. Read more about the program and apply by clicking here. The application deadline is March 15, and in this third and final round, 16 farms will be chosen. This project is a collaboration of the Cornell Small Farms Program, NY Farm Viability Institute, and NY FarmNet, made possible with funding from NYFVI and the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
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Last Chance for Winter Online Farming Classes
The Cornell Small Farms Program still has a few online courses still open for registration. These i nteractive 5-7-week courses connect you to the information and people you need to start a successful farm business or diversify your farm. Led by experienced educators and farmers. To learn more, click here. |
 National Agricultural Statistics Service to Gather New Data on Organic Agriculture Production If you have an organic farm, consider taking this survey conducted by the USDA. The purpose of the Certified Organic Survey is to gather up-to-date data on certified organic crops and livestock in the United States. This effort is critical to help determine the economic impact of certified organic agriculture production in the United States. The report, to be released September 2016, will be meant to assist farmers, suppliers and others in the private sector in planning the production and marketing of new products to help sustain industry growth. The agency urges all participants to respond by February 19. |
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Finger Lakes Produce Farm Workshop
February 23, 10am-3:30pm.
This workshop will cover high tunnel usage, post-harvest handling and cold storage for season extension and year round produce marketing. Guest speakers include Paul & Sandy Arnold, Pleasant Valley Farm and Crystal Stewart, Vegetable Specialist with Cornell's Eastern NY Vegetable team. Please register by contacting Matt LeRoux at 607-272-2292 or [email protected] by Thursday, Feb. 18th. $12 per person includes registration, lunch and refreshments.
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 Lambing and Kidding Workshop February 24th, 6:30-9pm. Cornell Cooperative Extension Center, 480 North Main St., Canandaigua, NY. This workshop is designed for new and experienced farmers, and for youth and adults. Cornell Small Ruminant Extension Specialist, tatiana Stanton, will start out covering the basics of lambing and kidding. There will be some hands-on activities and a discussion on coping with birth related problems. Experienced farmers will be encouraged to have input on these topics. After that, the topic will switch to methods to manage birthing efficiently without sacrificing animal wellbeing. Class fee: $15.00 per person. To register or for more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension at 585-394-3977 x 427, email [email protected] with your name, address, and phone number, or visit http://www.cceontario.org/cce-site-documents/Lambing-and-Kidding-Workshop.pdf. |
Introduction to Permaculture
Feb. 24, 6:30-8:30pm. CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca, NY.
Permaculture (short for 'permanent agriculture') is a system of growing food that minimizes labor by using mostly perennial food plants, which come back year after year. Join Sean Dembrosky of Edible Acres in Trumansburg for an evening introduction to the basic concepts of permaculture. We'll look at living examples of plant guilds, polycultures and plants that are often used in northern permaculture landscapes. Sean will also shed light on some of the concepts that inform permaculture ethics and design in gardens and beyond. $5-$10 S.S.F. To register for the class, call (607) 272-2292.
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 Veggie Farming Part 2- From Season-Long Care to Harvest
February 24 - March 23, 2016. Webinars every Wednesday evening from 7:00-8:30pm.
This online course through the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project will take you from transplanting to harvest, including information on in-season fertility; integrated pest management including pest ID and control; weed control options; harvesting strategies; and tips for marketing your products. Be prepared to create an in-season fertility and pest/weed control plan as part of this course. Weekly homework will focus on preparing you to make good decisions in the coming growing season. This course is for serious aspiring farmers or those with at least one growing season of vegetable farming experience. You should already have a basic understanding of how to select crops, manage bed prep, seeding, and transplanting. This course is focused specifically on production systems used in the Northeast, so is targeted to people farming in that region. For more information and to register, visit http://www.nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/all-courses/bf-121-veggie-farming-part-2/.
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 Agritourism Conference March 8, 2016, 9am-4pm. Coltivare Restaurant, 235 S Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY. The Finger Lakes and Tompkins County are major destinations for wine and culinary tourism...and agriculture is at the heart of it all! Many exciting ways in which farms can get into agri-tourism, from Pick-Your-Own, Retail sale, pumpkin displays, education, food tasting events, tours, and overnight stays, will be highlighted during this one day Agri-tourism Conference. The workshop is geared for farmers and rural landowners who have or are considering the development of an agritourism destination. Farmers will hear great stories and take home many ideas to consider. Follow up consulting is available during the summer to assess your readiness to start or grow into an agritourism venture. For more information or to register, visit http://db.ccetompkins.org/programs/civicrm/event/info?id=663&reset=1. |
MANY MORE EVENTS at our Statewide Events Calendar.
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Career, Etc. Opportunities
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Heroic Food Sustainable Farmer Training: Full Year Immersion Program
Apply now for Heroic Food's 2016 Full Year Immersion (FYI) program, a comprehensive sustainable beginning farmer training program located in Columbia County, New York. This training is suitable for post-9/11 veterans; other Heroic Food trainings are suitable for all veterans. Extensive hands-on training and supplemental instruction. Peer housing on the Heroic Food Farm. Spouses are welcome. The program starts March 15th - apply now! For more information and to apply, visit http://heroicfood.org/programs/fyi/fyi_apply/. |
Assistant Farmers - Purdy's Farmer and the Fish
Purdy's Farmer and the Fish (www.farmerandthefish.com) is looking for experienced, flexible, and responsible Assistant Farmers to help with all aspects of production on our 2 acre vegetable farm. Produce from the farm primarily flows into the kitchen of the adjacent farm-to-table restaurant and market. We recently expanded into active winter production with a new hydroponic greenhouse. We also run a short season CSA and farmer's market stand. Potential for year round employment, with reduced hours in the winter. Weekend work required. Hourly rate commensurate with experience. No housing. Email resume to [email protected].
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 Jones Farm Seeks Farm Laborer Jones Farm (www.jonesfarminc.com), a 101 year old family farm located in Cornwall, NY seeks farm laborer to work with our current organic gardener and staff. Duties include: garden prep using tractors, power equipment, tillers and hand tools; planting; mulching; trellising and harvesting. General farm work requires work with chainsaws, post hole digger and other power equipment. Must have experience in farming, preferably in organic farming. Must not be afraid of working outside in the heat. Must enjoy the process of growing, tending and harvesting organic crops. Must have valid drivers license and own transportation, be reliable, a self starter and team player. Potential for full time employment. Wages commensurate with experience. Please contact David at (845) 590-2085. |
The SARE/NACAA Sustainable Agriculture Fellows program provides a training opportunity that enhances understanding of sustainable agriculture and provides broad-based, national exposure to successful and unique sustainable agriculture programs. Participating fellows are better able to create new programs that meet the needs of their local clientele. A series of seminars exposes the fellows to sustainable farming and ranching systems, with a focus on basic sustainable agriculture strategies and how they work in the field. Fellows also visit selected farms and ranches to view firsthand the sustainable agriculture principles studied in the classroom. Applications are due March 15. For more information and to see if you are eligible to apply, visit www.sare.org/Professional-Development/Fellows-Program.
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The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition $1,500,000 in funds available for fiscal year 2016. It is anticipated that at least an additional two years of support may be available, depending on annual appropriations and successful performance.
The intent of this cooperative agreement is to fund entities that have active working relationships with local food producers, processors, or enterprises and/or organizations that have demonstrated experience developing and providing science-based, culturally specific food safety training, education and outreach, for local food producers and processors. Emphasis is placed on those that are involved in diversified, sustainable, organic and identity-preserved agricultural operations, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, value-added farm businesses and small-size processors, and direct and intermediate supply chain participants. Visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-FD-16-002.html#SectionI.Funding for more information. A letter of intent is due March 4, 2016.
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New Certification Program for Aquaponics Produce Growers
Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), a non-profit organization offering peer-review certification to farmers and beekeepers throughout the United States, has announced that they have completed development of a new certification program for aquaponic producers and are now accepting applications. This certification program is designed to provide an incentive and recognition for aquaponics producers who use the most sustainable practices possible, and to benefit both producers and consumers. Learn more about the aquaponic program's certification standards and other details at www.cngfarming.org/aquaponics.
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 Barn2Door: A Marketplace for Sustainable Food and a Storefront for Every Farmer Barn2Door (B2D) is a farm food marketplace designed to help Farmers save time, make more money and easily track customers and sales through an easy-to-use web store. Farmers can use their Barn2Door web store instead of building their own website, or use in addition to other, online sites. The web stores provided help farmers to manage online and direct local sales, customer communications, payments, inventory and fulfillment all in one place. B2D takes no margin or markup from farmers' food sales. For more information, visit ww.barn2door.com. |
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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