Cornell Small Farms Program

04/30/2021

Our tarps are down and the beds are tucked in tight, as we begin year seven of our long-term reduced tillage experiment at Cornell's Thompson Vegetable Research Farm.

We're continuing to learn about tarping in reduced-till and no-till vegetables by comparing side-by-side to un-tarped beds. Hoping these tarps hold well and the beds get their rest for a couple more weeks ahead of our crop of lettuce.

Learn more about our project: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/reduced-tillage/

04/28/2021

Anu Rangarajan, director of Cornell Small Farms Program, and other Cornell Cooperative Extension and faculty experts testified during a recent New York State Senate hearing about opportunities to diversify agriculture and address food justice.
https://cals.cornell.edu/news/cornell-experts-advocate-ag-diversity-food-security

04/20/2021

Grow-NY – Food and Agriculture Competition in New York State

Do you have a startup business with growth potential in food and agriculture?

Applications are now open for the 2021 Grow-NY food and agriculture business competition, which brings together the best entrepreneurial minds to strengthen New York state's agricultural industry.

Apply now for the potential to win a $1 million top prize, mentorship, training, business development support, and tax incentives: https://www.grow-ny.com/

Food and Agtech innovation competition for startup funding and prize money

04/14/2021

Our Reduced Tillage research project helped support tarping bed prep at Van Noble Farm with help from trainees in the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming's Farmer Training Program. The tarped beds will be used to grow crops like peppers, cucumbers, and cilantro.

04/12/2021

Study will help NYS livestock farmers maximize profit | Cornell Chronicle

Are you a NY farm that sells meat by-the-cut at farmers markets, farm stores, and online?

Cornell is looking to work with livestock farms on a new project using Point-of-Sale (POS) software to record sales and make data-informed changes to prices and marketing practices to increase sales and profitability.

A webinar will be held on Thursday, April 22, at 7 p.m. to review the results of a similar project conducted with vegetable farms in 2018 and then introduce the new project.

Register for the webinar: http://ow.ly/IuVk50EmETE

Learn more about the project: http://ow.ly/e0U350EmETF

Associate professor Todd Schmit and extension associate Matt LeRoux from Dyson will use a USDA grant on research to help improve the marketing returns for small- and medium-sized livestock farms in New York state.

04/08/2021

In the News: How We're Imagining the Future of Urban Agriculture - Cornell Small Farms

Our Urban Ag project was featured a recent article from The Cornell Daily Sun. We shared our research that found the viability of an urban farm depends on factors such as the laws and regulations of a municipality, the availability and affordability of land, and opportunities available for season extension.

With this data, we have been able to tailor our urban agriculture advocacy to the needs of active growers. Read more about how we are imagining the future of urban agriculture: http://ow.ly/7ydV50EjYgo

In 2019, our director Anu Ranjarajan, and Molly Riordan, now an urban agriculture specialist with our program, published a report titled “The Promise of Urban Agriculture.” This report was drawn from data collected from a wide network of active urban growers was designed to further augment our U...

04/07/2021

Cheers to NY brewers on #NationalBeerDay!

On #NationalBeerDay, we toast to NY brewers and eagerly await our chance to sample local beers using Excelsior Gold, the first variety of spring malting barley bred by CALS plant scientists to succeed in NYS's wet climate. https://cals.cornell.edu/news/new-barley-variety-cornell-leads-way-brewers

04/06/2021

Climate resilient farming, resources for livestock producers, new pandemic assistance, and more.

In this week's #CornellSmallFarms newsletter we talk about New York State's plans for climate resiliency, and how farms help from soil health to agroforestry.

We also shared upcoming workshops for veterans interested in agriculture, webinar recordings for livestock farmers, funding updates, and more.

Read the newsletter for more small farm news, opportunities and events: https://ckarchive.com/b/38uphkhg8q5q

​ ​ ​ Dear farmers and friends, Last week I had the chance to learn more about New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) that puts the state on a trajec...

04/05/2021

Celebrate African American farmers, land, and legacy by joining the upcoming virtual events for "We Are Each Other's Harvest," a new book from Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar.

This anthology brings together essays, poems, photographs, quotes, conversations, and first-person stories to examine Black people’s connection to the American land from Emancipation to today.

Learn more and register: https://nataliebaszile.com/events

Celebrate African American farmers, land, and legacy by joining the upcoming virtual events for "We Are Each Other's Harvest," a new book from Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar.

This anthology brings together essays, poems, photographs, quotes, conversations, and first-person stories to examine Black people’s connection to the American land from Emancipation to today.

Learn more and register: https://nataliebaszile.com/events

04/02/2021

Meat Processing Webinars Help Answer Livestock Farmers' Questions - Cornell Small Farms

The past year wreaked havoc on both livestock producers and processors, neither of whom could keep up with the demand for local meat. As a result, we worked with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Livestock Program Work Team (PWT) to offer a series of webinars to address some of the most common questions we were hearing from farmers and others.⠀
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Webinar topics included starting a red meat slaughterhouse, alternate processing solutions, and meat cutting in a commercial kitchen.

Recordings of the meat processing webinar series are now available: http://ow.ly/8mPF50EfnN1

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on both livestock producers and processors, neither of whom could keep up with the demand for local meat. As a result, the Cornell Small Farms Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Livestock Program Work Team (PWT) offered a series of webinars to address s...

04/01/2021

Farm Ops Opens Next Round of Veteran Learning Cohort Workshops - Cornell Small Farms

Registration is now open for the next round of our Farm Ops project's new “Veteran Learning Cohorts,” which bring together a group of veterans interested in agriculture to progress through an educational workshop together.

The upcoming workshops include Indoor Specialty Mushroom Cultivation, Starting Seeds with the Three Sisters, and Getting Started with Pastured Pigs. These workshops will be a combination of self-paced learning and cohort discussion sessions in May and June.

Military veterans currently enrolled or eligible for enrollment into a New York or New Jersey VA facility are welcome to register. Registration is now open, and closes on April 26.

Learn more: http://ow.ly/Kt3c50EeyJB

Our Farm Ops project is continuing to find ways to support veterans interested in agriculture amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Recently the project expanded its offering of virtual workshops to “Veteran Learning Cohorts.” These cohorts bring together a group of veterans interested in agricult...

03/30/2021

How is our Cornell Maple Program helping NYS build a $100M maple industry?

How is our Cornell Maple Program helping NYS build a $100M maple industry?

03/29/2021

COVID-19 Update on Availability and Expansion of Aid for Farmers - Cornell Small Farms

USDA recently announced Pandemic Assistance for Producers to distribute resources more equitably after identifying gaps in previous aid. This includes the reopening of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) sign-up for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021.

Also, the current deadline for PPP funding is March 31, 2021, and farms are encouraged to take advantage of the new round of funding and apply ASAP.

Learn more about these COVID-19 updates: http://ow.ly/hQhF50EbwIz

USDA Announces ‘Pandemic Assistance for Producers’ to Distribute Resources More Equitably After Identifying Gaps in Previous Aid USDA recently announced Pandemic Assistance for Producers to distribute resources more equitably after identifying gaps in previous aid. At least $6 billion is being d...

03/25/2021

Are you looking for a new career opportunity? The Black Farmer Fund is hiring for two positions, a Communications Lead and an Operations Director!

The Black Farmer Fund is an emerging community investment fund that invests in black food systems entrepreneurs in New York State.

Learn more and apply: http://ow.ly/hkNB50E8Cpq

Are you looking for a new career opportunity? The Black Farmer Fund is hiring for two positions, a Communications Lead and an Operations Director!

The Black Farmer Fund is an emerging community investment fund that invests in black food systems entrepreneurs in New York State.

Learn more and apply: http://ow.ly/hkNB50E8Cpq

03/24/2021

In the News: Our Director Featured in "Extension Out Loud" Podcast - Cornell Small Farms

Hear our director, Anu Rangarajan, share her approach to extension work and her vision for the future of New York farm and food systems in the latest episode of “Extension Out Loud,” a podcast by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

From the impact of the pandemic on how we work, to our program’s vision of a more diverse agriculture community in New York State, you'll learn more about our past, present and future.

Read more and listen: http://ow.ly/RgOm50E7zes

In the latest episode of “Extension Out Loud,” a podcast by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Cornell Small Farms Program’s director, Anu Rangarajan, shared her approach to extension work and her vision for the future of New York farm and food systems. This episode was the third of the podcas...

03/23/2021

Happy National Agriculture Day - Cornell Small Farms

Happy National Agriculture Day!

We extend our gratefulness to all who work hard to feed, fuel, and fiber us, fill our landscapes with beauty, help our farmers with seeds and supplies, and support agriculture as a viable and meaningful vocation. Your combined efforts continue to bring bounty to our tables. Your commitment to our NYS agriculture has been critical during the trying times of this pandemic.

We are excited to do our part in supporting your agricultural work. Your interest, hunger for knowledge, and commitment to small farms is what feeds and motivates us.

We celebrate #AgDay21 today and every day your efforts to sustain vibrant small farms that feed our communities and our local economies.

http://ow.ly/QF7I50E6lx9

Happy National Agriculture Day from all of us at the Cornell Small Farms Program! We extend our gratefulness to all who work hard to feed, fuel, and fiber us, fill our landscapes with beauty, help our farmers with seeds and supplies, and support agriculture as a viable and meaningful vocation. Your....

03/22/2021

Learn About Cutting Meat in a Commercial Kitchen with Upcoming Livestock Webinar - Cornell Small Farms

For NYS farmers seeking to regain some control over butchering their animals, there is a middle option between being at the whim of slaughterhouse schedules and opening your own slaughterhouse — cutting and packaging your meat in a 20-C commercial kitchen.

In the latest webinar from the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Livestock Program Work Team, experts will detail the regulatory aspects of meat-cutting in a 20-C kitchen in NYS, including requirements for building a 20-C kitchen and where farmers are allowed to sell meat processed in this way.

Learn more and register: http://ow.ly/HUTa50E5pr9

For NYS farmers seeking to regain some control over butchering their animals, there is a middle option between being at the whim of slaughterhouse schedules and opening your own slaughterhouse. That middle ground involves taking control of the cutting and packaging of your meat in a commercial kitch...

03/19/2021

Historic support for agriculture in Assembly & Senate budgets

Historic support for agriculture in Assembly & Senate budgets

ALBANY -- The importance of New York's agriculture and food economy is being reflected with historic support in the State Assembly and Senate one-house budget...

03/18/2021

Black Land Matters: Black Farming and Food Security Webinar Recording Now Available - Cornell Small Farms

ICYMI: our director Anu Rangarajan moderated a conversation between Natalie Baszile, filmmaker and author of the novel, Queen Sugar, and Karen Washington, co-founder of Black Urban Growers (BUGS), for a Rural Humanities at Cornell University webinar.

The speakers addressed the issues surrounding the loss of Black property as well as the connection between food and land justice and African Americans’ contemporary struggle for justice in general.

Learn more and watch the webinar recording: http://ow.ly/34nS50E2xLN

Recently, our director Anu Rangarajan moderated a conversation between Natalie Baszile, filmmaker and author of the novel, Queen Sugar, and Karen Washington, co-founder of Black Urban Growers (BUGS), for a Rural Humanities webinar. In the half-century following the American Civil War, Black farmers....

03/17/2021

Farm Finance Flash Poll: We Need Your Help - Cornell Small Farms

Are you actively farming in NYS and trying to improve your farm’s bottom line?

We are designing a brand-new peer-learning opportunity to address small farmers’ financial planning skills and needs. Our goal with this new effort is to improve small farm’s profitability and financial stability while learning from other small farms operating in New York State. Your input will help us create a stronger program.

This flash poll takes less than 5 minutes to complete and will close on Sunday, March 21, at 12 p.m. ET.

Learn more and take the flash poll now: http://ow.ly/dwOc50E0voQ

Are you actively farming in NYS and trying to improve your farm’s bottom line? We are designing a brand-new peer-learning opportunity to address small farmers’ financial planning skills and needs. What we envision is that groups of farmers would meet, either in person or virtually, on a regular ...

03/16/2021

COVID-19 Update on Paycheck Protection Program Access for Small Farms - Cornell Small Farms

Attention farmers: updates to the PPP Loan Program make forgivable loans available to small farms with little or no hired labor expense. Act fast to meet the March 31 application deadline!

If your farm business did not apply for an earlier round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), you may wish to reconsider. Congress recently expanded PPP loans, making it more generous to small farm businesses with limited payroll expenses. This program has potential to provide small farms with an infusion of working capital, supporting flexibility, liquidity and resilience during a time of economic uncertainty.

Contact your lender as soon as possible, as some lending institutions may have earlier application deadlines. Learn more: http://ow.ly/dXyh50E0jGS

Updates to the PPP Loan Program make forgivable loans available to small farms with little or no hired labor expense. Act fast to meet the March 31 application deadline! If your farm business did not apply for an earlier round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), you may wish to reconsider. The...

03/16/2021

Improving your farm's bottom line, farmer success stories, upcoming workshops, and more.

In this week's #CornellSmallFarms newsletter we talk about farm financials, including a flash poll we are asking you to take to help us strategize how we can support your farm’s bottom line.

We also shared farmer stories from our Labor Ready project, new workshops on fairness, power and communication from our Be Well Farming project, upcoming farmer to farmer tarp talk webinars, and more.

Read the newsletter for more small farm news, opportunities and events: http://ow.ly/xtwU50E0dr9

​ ​ ​ Dear farmers and friends, Last year upended how we farm and where we sell our products. For many, the pandemic resulted in difficult losses from seed to markets. For other...