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.
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Organic Dairy Agrees to Alter Some Practices
A huge Colorado organic dairy agreed yesterday to stop applying the organic label to some of its milk and make major changes in its operation after the Department of Agriculture threatened to revoke its organic certification for, among other problems, failing to provide enough pasture to its cows.
The dairy, Aurora Organic Dairy, which supplies private-label organic milk for many supermarket chains, must also remove some animals from the organic herd at its Platteville, Colo., farm, according to a Department of Agriculture statement released late yesterday that outlined the terms of a consent agreement with the dairy.
While the U.S.D.A. has taken action against other organic producers, the consent decree with Aurora represents a rare show of force against a leading supplier of products to the rapidly expanding market for organic foods.
"The organic industry is booming, and the National Organic Program is a high priority for the U.S.D.A.," said Bruce I. Knight, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. "And through this consent agreement consumers can be assured that milk labeled as organic in the supermarket is indeed organic."
Find more information at: www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/business/30dairy.html
USDA Announces Sustainable Operations Council
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns recently announced the creation of the USDA Sustainable Operations Council for efficient and effective use of USDA's energy and resources. "This new council helps all USDA's employees work together to operate, promote and use sustainable operating practices so we save energy and practice effective use of our resources," said Johanns. Additional information about USDA's Sustainable Operations can be found at www.greening.usda.gov.
Eat Well' Tour Celebrating Sustainable Foods
A 38-day tour across the country is highlighting local, sustainable foods from
different regions, with stops at restaurants, farms, and value-added food businesses, according to a PR Newswire press release. The "Eat Well Guided Tour of America" began in California August 2, and will conclude September 9 in New York City at the Farm Aid concert. Sustainable Table Founder and Director Diane Hatz and her colleagues aboard a biodiesel bus are visiting with farmers, chefs, authors, filmmakers, and other local food advocates at tour stops in each state, as well as tasting pies and specialty foods from each region. Highlights of the tour are posted regularly in a blog on the Sustainable Table Web site: www.sustainabletable.org/
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.
Family Farm Festival. September 9. 11am-5pm rain or shine. Epworth Center, High Falls, NY. Music, heritage breed farm animals, lacto-fermented and artisanal food vendors, grassfed meats, biodynamic fruits, celebrity chef competition, free workshops and much more. See www.familyfarmfestival.com for further information. Workshops for Livestock Farmers. September 15. 8:30am - 4:00pm. SUNY Cobleskill Meat Lab. Live animal evaluation and carcass correlation of beef, lamb, pork, and goat. $25 per person, includes country picnic lunch. Register by September 10th by contacting Kathleen Harris, NELPSC Processing Coordinator at (518) 673-5193 or email nelpsc@frontiernet.net. Grassfed Meats Grilling Workshop, September 16. 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Sap Bush Hollow Farm, Warnerville, NY. Shannon Hayes, author of The Grassfed Gourmet and The Farmer and the Grill cookbooks, will demonstrate the culinary art of grilling, barbequing and spit-roasting different cuts of grassfed beef, lamb and pork. Includes a farm tour. $50/person. Register by September 10th by contacting Kathleen Harris, NELPSC Processing Coordinator at (518) 673-5193 or email nelpsc@frontiernet.net. Diagnosis, Visual Assessment and Management of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes of Vegetables and Small Fruit in the Northeast. September 19 & October 3. Albany, NY and Windsor, CT . Free training to participants throughout the Northeast in nematode diagnosis and management. Pre-registration is requested. To register and for more information contact Beth Gugino at 315-787-2412 or bkg9@cornell.edu. Grass to Fuel Field Days. Sept. 28th, noon to 2:30pm. Frank Pikul Farm, Florida, NY. Alternately, Oct. 5th, noon to 2:30, starting at the Farm and Home Center, Millbrook, NY and finishing at Rocky Reef Farm, Stanfordville, NY. A general discussion on growing biomass energy crops in the Hudson Valley. Topics will include variety selection, establishment, production and cost of establishment of Reed Canary grass and Switchgrass. Contact Larry Hulle (845) 344-1234 or Steve Hadcock (518) 828-3346. 2007 In State Beef Tour, October 5-6. Estimated cost (based on double occupancy) per person $150. Includes lodging, transportation from Syracuse, breakfast and supper. For more info. or to register, contact Mike Baker, 607-255-5923. Email: mjb28@cornell.edu Catskill Mountain Ginseng/Medicinal Herb Festival. October 7th. 10 AM until 5 PM, rain or shine. Historic Catskill Point in Greene County NY. Admission is $5.00 at the gate. This year’s festival will feature 6 educational lectures/workshops on topics related to growing ginseng as well as the cultivation, use and marketing of other medicinal herbs. Contact Linda Overbaugh at (518) 943-0989 or email catskillchamber@mhcable.net. 2007 Cornell Strategic Marketing Conference. Nov. 5th and 6th. Hyde Park, New York. “The Northeast Competitive Advantage – Increasing Producer Access to Markets” At this year’s conference, producers, buyers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers will share their insights on distribution, market access, and expanding market opportunities in the Northeast and ways producers can capitalize on them. For more information, contact: Todd Schmit, Dept. of Applied Economics and Management, at 607-255-3015 or tms1@cornell.edu. NORTHEAST GRASSTRAVAGANZA 2008, March 28th & 29th, The Holiday Inn, Binghamton, N.Y. Hosted by the Central New York RC&D Project Inc.
Youth Development Team Coordinator, CCE Chemung County
Responsible for providing program leadership for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the 4-H Youth Development Program. Participate as an active member of the association program management team in developing a well-integrated overall association educational effort. Provide leadership and coordination and effectively manage volunteer personnel including 4-H club leaders, short-term volunteers, teen leaders, middle management volunteers and program development committees. Responsible for effective management of resources available to the 4-H Youth Development program and for assuring that accountability and affirmative action requirements are met within the 4-H Youth Development program. Represent the association before the public community leaders, government officials and Cornell University. Highly visible position to disseminate and encourage the application of accepted extension programs.
See http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/admin/careerops/pa446.htm for full PD.
APPLICATIONS will be reviewed beginning 9/14/2007, or until an acceptable pool of applicants has been identified.
Send letter of intent, resume, and transcripts to PA#446, Box 26, Kennedy Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Agriculture Program Leader (Half Time), Erie County CCE
Provides leadership for the commercial agriculture program area for Erie County CCE (E. Aurora, NY). This position will develop and manage agricultural development efforts. Position activities could include: assisting farmers with development concerns and opportunities; networking with various organizations, resource providers, and ag businesses to implement program goals; promoting a positive image of the ag industry; supporting farmland protection efforts; and providing technical assistance and educational opportunities.
· Evaluates CCE programming needed to support agricultural businesses
· Determine program priority recommendations
· Identify activities and resources needed to support agricultural businesses
· Assist with obtaining identified program resources
· Manage and coordinate program activities and resources
· Provide programming activities that carry out program recommendations
· Periodically evaluate program effectiveness
See http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/admin/careerops/pa447.htm for full PD.
APPLICATIONS will be reviewed beginning 9/7/07, or until an acceptable pool of applicants has been identified.
Send letter of intent, resume, and transcripts to PA#447, Box 26, Kennedy Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
New York Beginning Farm Loan Program
New York State is making it easier for beginning farmers to acquire agricultural land and equipment by offering low-cost financing through the New York Beginning Farmer Loan Program (BFLP). Through the BFLP, beginning farmers can borrow up to $250,000 to help start a farming business or facilitate inter-generational transfer of a farm business.
To obtain BFLP financing, the beginning farmer works with a Lender to arrange the terms of a loan. The interest rate is based on the applicant’s credit rating, the type of loan, etc. The BFLP acts as a conduit by issuing and selling a tax-exempt bond (aggie-bond) to the lender with the funds being loaned to the farmer and the loan assigned back to the bank. With the loan being tax-exempt, the bank can give a better interest rate to the farmer, usually around 1 to 2 percentage points less than the usual taxable interest loan.
To be eligible for BFLP financing the Beginning Farmer must:
The BFLP is administered by the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) in partnership with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.
For more information on the BFLP, call 800.200.2200 (NYS). Visit www.nysefc.org and click on “Programs” and “Beginning Farmer”, or e-mail beginningfarmer@nysefc.org.
Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry
This 95 page guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry will help New York farmers to better understand the current regulations governing the slaughter, processing and marketing of meat animals. One way for farmers to realize higher returns for their farm products is by taking over some of the traditional roles of middlemen or by shifting completely to direct marketing. However, meat regulations are complex. Accurately interpreting the statutes governing the processing and sale of meat animals and their products is more formidable for us than for our counterparts in the fruit and vegetable production. Even experienced farmers can be confused by the regulations. Without a clear understanding of what is and is not permitted under certain laws, many meat producers are hesitant to participate more directly in the marketing of their product. Instead, farmers may be confined to 1) contract growing livestock for large corporate packers, or 2) selling slaughter animals through a shrinking number of local auctions and dealers. Both alternatives offer limited recourse to competitive pricing. This resource guide explains the complex meat laws in layman terms and clarifies the legal logistics of direct marketing livestock and poultry. Ultimately, this should lead to a more direct market chain from farm to consumer in New York and hence, more dollars circulating in local communities.
The guide may be downloaded for free from the NY Farms! website http://www.nyfarms.info/whatnyfarmsdo.html or may be purchased from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County for $5. Contact Bernadette Logozar at 518-483-7403 ext. 312 or bel7@cornell.edu
New Alternative Swine Production Health Reference
In recent years there has been dramatic growth of specialty markets for meats produced on farms that satisfy new sets of consumer preferences. These production systems bring special opportunities and also unique challenges. A new guidebook, Managing for Herd Health in Alternative Swine Systems, draws on the knowledge of veterinarians and experienced producers who are successfully working in alternative production systems. "Alternative swine systems" often differ from a typical, "conventional" operation both in the inputs they use and in the way pigs integrate with the overall farm. There is likely to be tighter integration, with crops providing bedding and in turn relying on swine manure returned to the field. Swine pasture may rotate with other crops. Alternative swine systems are often tied to specific premium markets that determine some of their production practices. Typically this includes the avoidance of antibiotics. It may also include practices to assure animal comfort and restrictions on synthetic wormers. For these reasons, applying basic principles of herd health in alternative swine systems calls for creative management and sound veterinary science. Managing for Herd Health represents a three-year effort by swine producers, field veterinarians, ISU scientists, and the nonprofit organization Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI, www.practicalfarmers.org).
Managing for Herd Health balances veterinary science and practical management tips. Real-world examples and producer profiles are spread throughout, as are "words of wisdom" from experienced hog farmers. The guide includes: Principles and Strategies; Biosecurity, Pig Flow & Introduction of Stock; Breeding Herd; Farrowing; Nursery and Grower Pigs; Diagnostics & Veterinary Services; Vaccinations & Testing; Table of Significant Diseases; and Additional References. A forthcoming resource from Iowa State University, the Niche Pork Production Handbook, will deal with managing specifically for production, topics not covered in detail in the herd health guide.
Copies of Managing for Herd Health in Alternative Swine Systems are available without charge from Practical Farmers of Iowa. Contact the PFI/ ISU Extension Farming Systems Coordinator Rick Exner, 515-294-5486, dnexner@iastate.edu. The 50-page guide is also available at www.pfi.iastate.edu/pigs.htm, where you can download updated versions of guide chapters and also leave your comments and suggestions for future revisions.
Counties and Local Food Systems: Ensuring Healthy Foods, Nurturing Healthy Children
The “Counties and Local Food Systems: Ensuring Healthy Foods, Nurturing Healthy Children” best practices guide examines four methods (Food Councils, Farm to School, Infrastructure for Local Producers, Agricultural Conservation Easements) and case studies for how county governments can support their local food systems. It was written with a focus on obesity prevention, but readers interested in the links between agriculture and economic development, environmental protection, and food security will also find the content useful.
The publication was produced by the NACo Center for Sustainable Communities, Washington DC. Their primary mission is to provide a forum for county leaders to work with other governments, the private sector and communities to develop policies and programs that will lead to economic enhancement, environmental stewardship and social well being — the three pillars of sustainable communities. The Center helps local elected officials build sustainable communities by promoting community leadership initiatives, facilitating multi-jurisdictional and public-private partnerships, providing technical assistance and training, and conducting community policy and educational forums.
To obtain copies or receive a pdf file of the guide, contact Casey Dillon, NACo Center for Sustainable Communities, at 202-942-4243 or e-mail cdillon@naco.org
The Small Farms Program announces publication of the newly revised 2007 Small Farm Research and Education Resources guide. The handbook describes current agricultural research projects conducted by the Small Farms Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Cornell University. The guide also provides resources relevant to the public and correlating contact information. It specifically address the following areas:
The Small Farm Research and Education Resources guide may be downloaded from the Small Farms Program website at: www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/about/SmallFarmResources.doc
To receive a copy by mail, please call 607-255-9227 or e-mail vws7@cornell.edu.
For additional ag-related news and events by email:
