Greetings!
The Small Farms update summarizes announcements, resources, opportunities and upcoming events relevant to small farms. Please feel free to share this information in newsletters, email lists, etc. If you would like to submit an item for an upcoming issue, please visit our new online form. 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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NEW!! BF 107: Climate Smart Farming
This new online course will equip farmers with the knowledge to understand their risk to climate change and extreme weather, empowering them to implement measures that not only respond to climate change, but also raise their bottom line by promoting sustainability, preparedness, and best management practices. The course begins January 17. Learn more and register here!
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New IPM Videos Explain Shifts in Diseases, Insects, and Weeds
On October 4-6 at the National Forum on Climate and Pests, a group of the world's experts presented and discussed the latest research on climate change and the shifting dynamics of diseases, insects, and weeds to an online audience. If you missed the event - or want to view it again - recordings and downloadable presentations are now available online. Additionally, on October 27, three scientists presented on the topic of insects that often feed on humans - mosquitoes, ticks, and bed bugs - during a special session at the annual meeting of the Advisory Council of the Northeastern IPM Center. The presentation slides for all three talks are available here.
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USDA Announces Applications Available for Conservation Stewardship Program
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting applications for enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), with sign-up running through February 3, 2017. CSP helps landowners build on their existing conservation efforts while strengthening their operation. Whether you are looking to improve grazing conditions, increase crop yields, or develop wildlife habitat, NRCS can custom design a CSP plan to help you meet those goals. They can help you schedule timely planting of cover crops, develop a grazing plan that will improve your forage base, implement no-till to reduce erosion or manage forested areas in a way that benefits wildlife habitat. If you are already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, chances are CSP can help you find new ways to meet your goals.
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From Farm to Table to Justice: Food, Film and Farmworker Rights!
November 18, 5-9pm. Friends Meeting House, 120 3rd Street, Ithaca, NY
On Friday November 18th, please join Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming, New Roots Charter School, Congo Square Market, the Multicultural Resource Center, the Youth Farm Project, the Tompkins County Workers' Center, and Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County for an evening of food, film and justice! Community members are invited to gather at the Ithaca Friends Meeting House to learn about farmworker rights and action steps towards farmworker justice. The event is a special fall iteration of Congo Square Market, with dinner for sale by community vendors from 5:00-6:30PM and t-shirt sales by New Roots students and Groundswell Center. Dinner will be followed by a screening of the film "Food Chains", a movie on the revolutionary Fair Food organizing of Florida based human rights group The Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Join us for a post-film panel discussion on local action for farmworker rights, featuring Fabiola Ortiz Valdez of the Workers' Center of Central NY, Carlos Gutierrez of the Tompkins County Workers' Center, and more TBA! Register here.
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Growing Table Grapes for Profit Workshop
December 1, 9am-4pm. CCE Albany County Meeting Room, 24 Martin Road, Voorheesville, NY
Learn about the ins and outs of growing table grapes in New York. This session will cover subjects such as table grape biology, trellis construction, vineyard management, as well as marketing and planning for your new enterprise. Topics will be presented by specialists from CCE ENYCHP, New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Northeastern Vine Supply, and Hudson Valley growers. If you have questions, please contact Laura McDermott at [email protected] - 518-791-5038 or Abby Henderson [email protected] - 518-746-2553. Register for this event and view the schedule of events here.
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Dairy Sheep Association of North America:
22nd Annual Symposium
December 2-4. 146 Morrison Hall, 507 Tower Road, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853The 22nd annual DSANA symposium will be held at Cornell University from Friday, December 2nd until Sunday, December 4th. Sheep and goat farmers, and sheep and goat youth are welcome to attend. The slide show tours and on-farm tour on Friday morning are probably of interest to both sheep and goat farmers while the workshops that afternoon pertain primarily to dairy sheep. The slide show tours on Friday morning are of Black Pearl Creamery and of Northland Sheep Dairy. Shepherd's Way LLC is the dairy that we will be touring on site on Friday morning from around 9:30 to 11:30. Most of their sheep milk is used for their sister industry, Old Chatham Sheepherding. Owner Dave Galton is instructive in discussing start up and management for both enterprises. Saturday's events may interest both folks milking sheep and goats and "want-a-bes" while Sunday's workshops are on topics of importance to sheep and goat farms in general. The registration form and program are available on the web here. Registration deadline is November 18, 2016. |
MANY MORE EVENTS at our Statewide Events Calendar.
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Career, Etc. Opportunities
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 NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC in Binghamton NY Be a part of a growing non-profit company, USDA-accredited organic certification agency, whose primary purpose is to provide high integrity organic certification to over 800 organic farmers and processors throughout New York State and surrounding areas. NOFA-NY Certified Organic is hiring for full-time (40 hours/week) positions that include healthcare, dental and 403(b) as well as generous paid holidays/vacation time. Apply to be NOFA-NY's Crop & Livestock Certification Coordinator or their Certification Coordinator Assistant. Interested and qualified candidates are invited to email a resume and letter of interest to [email protected]. Click here for more details on the positions. |
UVM Farmer Training Program
The UVM Farmer Training Program is a six-month intensive program where students run the 10-acre Catamount Educational Farm from seed to market, learning from expert farmers and educators in the classroom, and working alongside successful, inspiring farmers in the field. Participants leave with a Certificate in Sustainable Farming from UVM, a deeper understanding of agricultural management and small-scale farming, the entrepreneurial skills to start their own operation, and a network of incredible people to support them along the way. You can be part of this life-changing program also! The early application deadline is Friday, November 15. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after that. A limited number of scholarships will be available on a financial needs basis. To learn more, visit our Farmer Training Website, follow us on Facebook, and read about Food Systems work at UVM on our Food Feed Blog.
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 Groundswell seeking educators to teach and/or facilitate classes and programs
Groundswell is looking for enthusiastic educators to teach and/or facilitate classes and programs in collaboration with us! Are you passionate about a topic related to food and farming? Are you excited to share a skill you have acquired? We want to know about it! Our most successful programs have been those led by experienced and passionate individuals in our area who what to share what they have learned with others. Classes on scything, orchard management, and beekeeping are just a few examples. To apply to become a Groundswell Educator, please read the details linked here and fill out the form to give us some detail of the idea for the class you would like to teach. If your program is selected, you will be hired as a Groundswell contractor and compensated for your time to develop course curriculum and lead the class. Although we accept submissions on a rolling basis, the priority submission deadline for 2017-18 programming is November 15. Visit groundswellcenter.org/employment for more information.
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NESARE Farmer Grants
Farmer Grants are for commercial producers who have an innovative idea they want to test using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, marketing initiative, or other technique. The goal of the Farmer Grant program is to develop, refine, and demonstrate new sustainable techniques and to explore innovative ideas developed by farmers across the region. Farmer Grant projects should seek new knowledge other farmers can use and address questions that are directly linked to improved profits, better stewardship, and stronger rural communities. For more information, visit the Farmer Grants webpage. The deadline for 2017 Farmer Grants is SOON: November 29, 2016 11:59 PM EST.
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National Conservation Innovation Grants
The purpose of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Innovation Grants is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production. National Conservation Innovation Grants support programs that demonstrate the use of innovative technologies or approaches to address national resource concerns. To learn more about this opportunity, view the Request for Proposals (RFP). Deadline for applications is January 9, 2017.
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New York State New Farmers Grant Fund
The New York State New Farmers Grant Fund will help farmers improve farm profitability through one or both of the following goals: expanding agricultural production, diversifying agricultural production and/or extending the agricultural season, and/or advancing innovative agricultural techniques that increase sustainable practices such as organic farming, food safety, reduction of farm waste and/or water use. Applications must be postmarked by January 27, 2017. Grant awards will be announced in the Spring of 2017. For more information or to apply, click here.
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 Soil Health Roadmap Healthy soils can deliver tangible economic and environmental benefits for U.S. farmers, businesses and communities for generations to come. A roadmap, prepared by an interdisciplinary team of Nature Conservancy scientists, environmental economists and agriculture experts, outlines how adopting soil health practices on all U.S. corn, soy and wheat croplands could deliver nearly $50 billion in social and environmental impacts annually. The Roadmap to US Soil Health can be found here. |
Floods and Organic Producers: Issues for Producers and Steps to Recovery after a Natural Disaster
During a flood or other natural disaster there will be a series of challenges facing every farmer. For an organic farmer, the flood or other natural disaster will have results that can be unique to organic production. This booklet presents a short summary of some of the issues that organic producers may face during a natural disaster and outlines steps for recovery.
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 The Livestock Conservancy, an organization dedicated to saving endangered farm animals from extinction, conducted a year-long study to determine how many birds of each breed of chicken, duck, goose, and turkey are in North America. The breeds at the bottom of the list were ranked in order of endangerment. The North American Poultry Census found more than 50 endangered chicken breeds in the United States, as well as nearly three dozen breeds of ducks, geese, and turkeys currently threatened with extinction. To read the full report from the North American Poultry Census and to learn how you can get involved with conservation, click here. |
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. We envision a future where diverse and vibrant urban and rural farms build human capacity, revitalize communities, supply regional food systems, and foster ecological resilience in a changing world. 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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