Small
Farms Update is intended as a resource for farmers and agricultural service
providers in New York, and is provided to you by Cornell’s 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.
Our work is made possible by a network of close partnerships among Cornell faculty
and staff, Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and staff, NYS agriculture
support agencies, non profit agriculture organizations and farmers.
Prefer to print out the update for easier reading? Download this month's Small Farms Update in Rich Text Format (RTF).
Guide to Farming in NY: What Every Ag Entrepreneur Needs to Know
This Guide, originally written in 2004 by Monika Roth and Jacob Schuelke, has been thoroughly expanded and reformatted into a compilation of fact sheets. It is an essential resource for new and existing farmers alike, providing answers to questions about taxes, business planning, labor law, zoning, regulations, marketing and many other topics that farmers need to know. Hard copies are being distributed to every county CCE office; contact your local office to request one. Or view the entire guide, or individual fact sheets, online at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu (click on "Resource Spotlight" or "What's New" on the homepage)
Take 2 minutes to answer a few questions and you can qualify to win a free spot in our brand new 7-week online course for beginning farmers, starting Oct. 1! http://ws.cit.cornell.edu/ss/wsb.dll/73/agventure.htm By participating in this mini-survey, you will help shape the development of new online resources for people planning start-up farm enterprises. Your input is very valuable to us! Respond by July 11 - we will choose up to 5 respondents to participate in the online course by July 20. Please share this survey with other farmers you think might be interested.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is calling all small farmers to sign up to receive a census data form. It is often difficult for the NASS to acquire statistics from small farms, yet accurate and comprehensive small farm data can provide important information to local communities, businesses, government agencies and others to make critical decisions about the future of farming and rural America. People can sign up by calling 1.800.892.1660 between 8am and 4:30 pm MT, or online at www.nass.usda.gov/counts. The deadline for this year's sign up is August, 2007.
Active farmers and producers are encouraged to use their agricultural knowledge and leadership to help the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) select proposals to fund under the Institute's grant programs. NYFVI seeks producers for the following grant application review panels: fruit, vegetables, livestock, dairy, organic dairy, green industry and field crops. Review panels are created as the volume of applications within that agricultural sector or commodity warrants them. Review panels will meet, in person or via phone conference, this fall. Applicants for review panels may be asked to participate in a selection interview. For more information about becoming a grant review panelist, contact New York Farm Viability Institute at (315) 453-3823.
NYFVI is a nonprofit, farmer-led organization that directs and funds research projects that result in increased profits on New York farms. The Institute supports projects that focus on business management, marketing, production issues, technology adoption, outreach education and more across the diverse agricultural sectors, farm sizes and production practices in the state.
Projects are selected through a competitive application process. Proposals are reviewed and ranked by active producers within the related agricultural sector, then brought before the board of directors for approval and funding amount decisions. The Institute's seven-member volunteer board of directors is comprised of active agricultural producers. All funded projects must include farmer participation in identifying needs, developing the project, implementing research or evaluation success.
The NY MarketMaker site will go 'live' online by July 1st. This web-based tool will be of real assistance to NY producers, processors and ag entrprepreneurs. NY MarketMaker's current development site is at http://nydev.marketmaker.uiuc.edu. Two new innovations will appear on the NY Market Maker site. The Ag Marketing Resource Center (www.agMRC.org) from Iowa will serve as the national portal for MarketMaker; they have an exposure of over 3.5 million 'hits' each month. Secondly, a 'Buyers and Sellers' Forum is presently being beta-tested. Both are viewable on the New York site in its present form. The site will offer up-to-date web traffic reports in an effort to track business benefits from MarketMaker use in new ways beyond counting hits.Market Maker is still seeking website sponsors to help recoup the startup costs that have been covered by Extension/NYC. For more info, contact, jsn10@cornell.edu.
We are highlighting these events because of the importance of grazing to our dairy and livestock audience. Please see the Graze NY! Website for a complete listing of pasture walks and grazing workshops.
Responsibility for providing leadership in the planning, implementation and evaluation of innovative and timely educational programs related to dairy and livestock production and management and agronomy for identified clientele in Sullivan County.
See http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/admin/careerops/pa442.htm for full PD
APPLICATIONS will be reviewed beginning 7/21/07, or until an acceptable pool of applicants has been identified.
Send letter of intent, resume, and transcripts to PA#442, Box 26, Kennedy Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
The Educator is responsible for promoting and developing programs that will enhance the economic vitality and sustainability of agriculture, horticulture and the food systems industry in Fulton and Montgomery Counties; assisting farmers on agricultural/horticulture marketing and business development issues; and working with local and regional economic development staff to incorporate agriculturally-based economic development strategies into the county economic development strategy program.
See http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/admin/careerops/pa432.htm for full PD.
APPLICATIONS will be reviewed beginning 07/13/2007, or until an acceptable pool of applicants has been identified.
Send letter of intent, resume, and transcripts to PA#432, Box 26, Kennedy Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
NY Farms! is a statewide network of consumers, farmers, businesses and public benefit organizations committed to a sustainable future of farming in NY State. We do this by fostering consumer loyalty to NY farm products and facilitating practical solutions among our constituencies to understand and meet the market demand for NY Farm products.
In partnership with the Board of Directors and its President, the Executive Director will be responsible for advancing the mission of NYFarms! and coordinating the initiatives which make the mission a reality.
Using electronic mail only, interested candidates are requested to send a resume and cover letter, preferred job structure, recent salary history and proposed compensation to: Gene Pierce, President of NY Farms! via gene@glenora.com
Whole Foods Market, the leading organic and natural foods supermarket, is seeking local farmers and other food producers who are interested in participating in its new Local Producer Loan Program. As part of a company-wide initiative supporting local agricultural producers and food artisans, the company plans to provide up to $10 million annually in low-interest loans to small producers in the U.S. At five to nine percent, the interest rates currently offered through Whole Foods Market's pilot program to small agricultural producers can be extremely attractive. The program has other attributes geared to small producers: loan application paperwork is minimized; there are no penalties for early repayment; and loan terms may be from a few months to ten years.
The Local Producer Loan Program is part of Whole Foods Market's renewed commitment to local agriculture. This includes hosting farmers markets at stand-alone stores, refocusing in-store marketing to highlight locally-produced products, and hiring regional staff focused specifically on sourcing local products.
"It is Whole Foods Market's intention to help finance local food production all over the United States," said John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market. "We are going to 'walk our talk' with financial support for local, small-scale agriculture. We believe this financial assistance of up to $10 million per year can make a very significant difference in helping local food production grow and flourish across the United States."Producers throughout the U.S. are invited to participate in the program. Those interested can find more information and a loan application at the website, www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/locallygrown/lplp/index.html. They can also contact the program coordinators at lplp@wholefoods.com.
The New York Farm Viability Institute is a nonprofit, farmer-led organization dedicated to directing research projects that result in increased profits on New York farms. The Institute supports projects that focus on business management, marketing, production issues, technology adoption, outreach education and more across the diverse agricultural sectors, farm sizes and production practices in the state. The Institute is accepting proposals for its core grant programs:
Education Innovation: projects that use innovative methods to deliver production, business or management education, technology transfer, technique demonstration or reach new or underserved audiences with the intention of assisting farmers in increasing farm profits. Project may be funded for up to $250,000. Proposals are due by Aug. 15. Funding decisions will be made after Nov. 21.
Applied Research Partnership: projects that use existing research to explore on farms feasibility, implementation models and other considerations. Projects may be funded for up to $250,000. Proposals are
due by Oct. 1. Funding decisions will be made after Dec. 19.Projects are selected for funding through a competitive application process. Proposals are reviewed and ranked by active producers representing a cross section of the state's agricultural sectors, commodities and regions. The volunteer board of directors makes funding decisions for all grants. All funded projects must include farmer participation in identifying needs, developing the project, implementing the research or evaluation the success of the project.
Grants may not exceed $300,000 over two years. Funded projects must include outreach education components and opportunities to provide templates for successful farm practices for producers across the state. Funding is from a legislative appropriation to the Institute through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
For more information, contact the New York Farm Viability Institute at (315) 453-3823 or www.nyfarmviability.org
NOFA NY has compiled a comprehensive directory of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in New York State. The directory is NOT all-inclusive. To add additional operations, e-mail office@nofany.org To view the guide, visit: http://nofany.org/dbapplet/csadirectory.html
Responding to an explosion of interest in biofuels and other energy opportunities for agriculture, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has created a handy "one-stop shopping" search tool for farms and ranches interested in funding and building renewable energy projects, reducing energy costs, and becoming more energy self-sufficient. The tool is at: http://attra.ncat.org/farm_energy/farm_energy_main.php
NCAT created this tool with the practical needs of agricultural producers In mind. Partnering with about a dozen leading renewable energy trade organizations and agencies, NCAT has gathered in one location up-to-date listings in all major energy-related topic areas. Using clickable maps and a few simple drop-down menus, growers can quickly find technical assistance, financial assistance, and sources of equipment in their own state for making energy saving improvements and building anaerobic digesters, biodiesel, ethanol, wind, and solar energy projects.
Energy-related businesses, agencies, and non-profit organizations serving agriculture are encouraged to submit their own listings, using the simple self-listing form available at the site.
There is no cost to use the search tool or to list a business or resource. Funding is provided by the USDA Risk Management Agency, through a project called "Building Farm Energy Self-Sufficiency."
This is the latest energy-related tool available from NCAT's ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. To explore an extensive Collection of tools, publications, and links, visit www.attra.ncat.org and click on "Farm Energy."
NCAT is a national non-profit organization with headquarters in Montana and offices in Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. For more information about NCAT, visit www.ncat.org.
Watershed Media announces the publication of a new book titled, Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature: Essays in Conservation-Based Agriculture, produced by Wild Farm Alliance and edited by Daniel Imhoff and Jo Ann Baumgartner. This book takes a hard look into the future of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation and offers realistic means of addressing farming's need for the wild and the wild's need for preservation. To order the book, visit: www.watershedmedia.org
A new handbook, Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats by Missouri farmer-rancher Maggie Sayer, covers topics such as planning for profitability, breed selection, understanding goat behavior, nutrition, disease prevention, shelter requirements, fencing options, transportation and handling, all types of marketing options and
breeding.Many farmers are discovering a robust market for goat meat and that goats are easier to handle than cattle, less labor intensive, are good at sharing pasture with other species, and they reproduce and grow out faster returning a quicker return on investment.
This is a nicely arranged 336 page book with good illustrations and an excellent glossary. It is 6 x 9 overall and retails for $18.95. It is available from www.Back40Books.com with free-shipping. Quantity discounts are available. To order by phone call 866.596.9982 or mail orders to Back40Books, order department, Box 8, Hartshorn Missouri 65479. Missouri residents add 5.225% sales taxes.
The summer edition of the Farmers Market Forum, the quarterly newsletter of the Farmers Market Federation of NY, is available on the web. www.nyfarmersmarket.com/pdf2007/newslettersummer07.pdf
A new report from Michigan State University entitled Economic Viability of Grazing Dairy Farms shows that low-capital, managed grazing dairy production offers a viable management option for small- and medium-sized farms and beginning farmers. Findings include the following:
- Grazing dairies require less capital investment per cow than confinement operations, and often have higher returns to assets and equity.
- Grazing dairies have greater net income per cow and per hundred weight of milk than confinement dairies. A grazing dairy can provide a livable family income on a scale that can be operated and managed primarily by farm family labor.
- With reduced costs, lower capital investments and viable net incomes, grazing dairies may present more accessible start-up opportunities for beginning farmers.
- Opportunities exist for differentiated, niche, or value-added products to add to profitability, but do not appear necessary to achieve satisfactory net incomes.
- Socially and economically, rural communities with relatively large numbers of medium-sized farms tend to score better in various measures of well-being than do communities with small numbers of larger scale farms. These measures include, for example, lower poverty and unemployment rates, and greater civic engagement.
- Dairy operations that rely more heavily on managed perennial pastures can provide enhanced ecosystem services, including reduced soil erosion, reduced phosphorus losses, and increased soil carbon sequestration potential.
- Some states are working to address the decline of their state's dairy farms and foster scale diversity through long-term planning, industry diversification, strategic financial assistance, and individualized technical assistance.
The entire report is available online at: www.mottgroup.msu.edu/Portals/mottgroup/downloads/ReportForWebsite-Grazing%20Dairy%20Farms.pdf
The 20th century has witnessed a massive growth in urban populations. In 1990, one-third of the world's people lived in cities of one million or more. As well, hunger and malnutrition are on the increase worldwide, as the global food system fails to satisfy the growing demand of the urban consumer.
For Hunger-proof Cities is the first book to fully examine food security from an urban perspective. It examines existing local food systems and ways to improve the availability and accessibility of food for city dwellers. It looks at methods to improve community-supported agriculture and cooperation between urban and rural populations. It explores what existing marketing and distribution structures can do to improve accessibility and what the emerging forms of food-distribution systems are, and how they can contribute to alleviating hunger in the cities. Finally, the book discusses the underlying structures that create poverty and inequality and examines the role of emergency food systems, such as food banks.
For more information and ordering information, visit: www.idrc.ca/en/ev-9394-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
1. A Web-based Program for Locating Sources of Organic Waste for Use as Renewable Energy Resources: www.manuremanagement.cornell.edu/HTMLs/Co-digestion.htm
2. Overview of Carbon Trading in Agriculture www.manuremanagement.cornell.edu/HTMLs/FactSheets.htm
There is a great deal of activity in Washington DC these last few months as the 2007 Farm Bill is written, negotiated, rewritten and renegotiated. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has proposed a Healthy Food Access Act that will positively favor farmers markets in the upcoming Farm Bill. The act increases funding to the following programs.
SEC. 201 Fresh Fruit and vegetable Program
SEC. 202 Farm-to-Cafeteria Program
SEC. 203 Purchases of locally produced food
SEC. 301 Farmland Protection Program
EC. 401 Farmers Market Promotion Program Plus
SEC. 402 Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
EC. 403 Healthy Food Enterprise ProgramFor more details about the proposal or to voice support for these initiatives, visit www.nyfarmersmarket.com/pdf2007/newslettersummer07.pdf
Note: This project was made possible by grants from the Small Farms Program, the NY Farm Viability Institute, Northeast Farm Credit, and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Ever increasing numbers of rural landowners are interested in exploring ways to use their land for economic return. The motivation of these individuals ranges from the desire to start a small farm business to the ideal of achieving a simpler life in the country with a little income to offset the cost of owning land. Individuals interested in farming have a variety of backgrounds, most of which have little to do with farming; hence they are not familiar with the legalities and logistics of starting a farm. Extension educators across the state are responding to increased demand for information on getting started in farming by offering counseling and classes for would-be farmers. Frequently asked questions include: "do I need a permit to start farming", "are there grant monies to help me get started", and "how should I structure my business?"
It would be more efficient for educators to provide this information in a compiled document that addresses common questions. Additionally, it would be less confusing for the beginning farm entrepreneur who may forget what they are told on the phone. Also, a compiled document can serve as a resource for educators teaching classes for beginning farmers.
The project leaders have compiled and written a publication titled "Getting Started in Farming in New York State" which we proposed to update, make more complete and distribute across the state to extension educators and others working with beginning farmers.
Expected outcomes of project:
1. Individuals interested in starting a farm business will know what is required
in terms of business registration, organization, taxes, marketing regulations,
environmental regulations, etc. that pertain to their enterprise. Having this
information will help them do a better job of business planning and help them
jump-start their business. The information will also help them reduce costs
because beginning farmers will know about benefits like property tax exemptions
on farm buildings, etc.
2. Extension Educators across NYS will have a tool that has all the information
being requested by beginning farmers in one document and they will have easy
access to specific fact sheets that pertain to a caller's question. This will
increase the services offered to beginning farmers. The fact sheet series is
also an excellent tool for workshops that educators can offer for the beginning
and small farm audience.
3. SBDC's will be able to provide information to individuals who want to start
a farm or land-based enterprise and can make appropriate referrals to Cooperative
Extension.
4. It is likely that this information will become the most utilized reference
by beginning and small farmers in New York State.
Project activities:
Winter 2006
In Dec. 2005, we sponsored a workshop called "Legalities and Logistics
of Getting Started in Farming" where we utilized the workbook we had developed
in 2004. The goal of the workshop was to evaluate the content of the workbook
in preparation for making revisions to the text. A total of 34 people attended
the workshop with a variety of interests and needs. Based on this class feedback,
we started working on making text revisions.
Spring-Summer 2006
We hosted our annual Intro to Farming workshop where we provided all 61 participants
with a copy of the document and presented content from it, and requested feedback.
We contacted all agencies listed to make sure information was correct and phone
numbers or websites accurate. We also selected additional topics for inclusion
in the book and wrote content. We then compiled and edited text so that each
topic could stand alone as a fact sheet that can be downloaded separately from
a website.
Farmer participation:
A total of 99 individuals considering farming have been exposed to the content
of the publication at two workshops offered by the project leaders. Additionally,
at least 500 farmers have participated in the annual Introduction to Farming
Workshop that has been sponsored by the South Central NY Area Agriculture Program.
Farmer evaluation:
Participants at workshops expressed being overwhelmed by the information that
was presented and as a result, they were very appreciative of having a workbook
to refer to for questions that arise. Some individuals reported feeling overwhelmed
by the amount of content in the workbook and unsure about what information was
relevant to them at their stage of development. We feel the fact sheet format
will help solve this problem as they can be provided with content that is more
pertinent to immediate needs.
Your evaluation:
This document will need continued updating and refinement to make it truly user
friendly. A decision tree document that leads people through the steps of getting
started is needed to complement this document or as a pre-amble to this document.
To download the Guide in its entirety or individual fact sheets separately,
www.smallfarms.cornell.edu and
click on the Resource Spotlight or the 'What's New?' icon on the homepage.
For additional ag-related news and events by email:
