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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Watch Webcast of Recent Conference on Organic Dairy and Field Crop Research
Demand for organic products continues to rise and researchers around the country are aiming to keep pace with organic field studies. Learn the latest findings on experiments from the field by watching the webcast of the “What’s New in Organic Dairy and Field Crops meeting that was recorded live on Dec 13th, 2007. To view the video, go to www.organic.cornell.edu
and click on the link to the Organic Dairy Initiative.
This meeting was held in conjunction with the NY Certified Organic (NYCO)
gathering taking place at Jordan Hall that day. NYCO is a group of organic farmers who have been holding organic crop meetings in Geneva once a month over the winter for the past 10 years. For the past 4 years they have opened up the topics to include organic dairy production. The conference was sponsored by NY Farm Viability and the Cornell Small Farms Program.
New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health offers free Farm Safety Trainings
Quality Milk Production Services is partnering with The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) to offer you safety training in Spanish or English free of charge. With this new partnership, there is funding again from the New York State Department of Labor Hazard Abatement Board # C012755.
On-farm safety trainings are available to any type of agricultural operation, including special trainings for 4-H clubs. Safety topics vary according to audience, but may include: Tractor & Machinery, Skidsteer, Forklift, Payloader, Personal Protective Equipment, Hazard Communication Standard (Chemical Safety), Animal Safety, Safe Lifting & Carrying, Worker Protection Standard. Other farm safety topics can be presented upon request. Each farm that completes an on-farm safety survey or training receives a certificate of completion and a copy of the training roster.
For additional information contact Jim Carrabba – Agricultural Safety Specialist at 800-343-7527 ext 239 or at jcarrabba@nycamh.com or Lisa Ford -- Quality Milk Production Services at (607) 255-8202 or lisa.ford@cornell.edu
CORRECTION - Free Farm Energy Audits Available for Dairy Farms
By Dick Peterson, Northeast Agriculture Technology Corp.
*Please note that our announcement regarding Farm Energy Audits that appeared in the November, 2007 issue provided incorrect contact information.
When was the last time you had an energy audit conducted on your farm? More than five years ago? Never? If you answered yes to either of those questions, it’s time to consider an energy audit. Most farm energy audits identify numerous, easy, low-cost ways to reduce energy consumption and save money. Qualified farm energy analysts can identify the best ways to save energy on your farm. A Farm Energy Audit Report will provide extensive details about your farm energy use, patterns of use, opportunities for reductions in use, and the cost to install energy conservation measures.
Need to buy equipment to save energy? The Farm Energy Audit Report will tell you where funds are available to help you buy the necessary equipment to improve your energy efficiency. But often, no purchase is necessary. Sometimes, just following some simple maintenance procedures can improve energy efficiency. The audit report will make maintenance suggestions that can reduce your energy bills.
Northeast Agriculture Technology Corporation (NATC) is a Flex Tech contractor for the New York State Energy, Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Under the Flex Tech program, NATC can perform farm energy audits and NYSERDA will cover all or most of the cost of an audit on your farm. NATC is working with Cornell Cooperative Extension in several counties across the state to encourage farm owners to request an energy audit. It’s a simple, painless process, and we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to find out just how energy is used on your farm.
NATC is working specifically with dairy farms at this time; however, if there are other types of operations interested in energy audits (e.g. greenhouses, poultry, swine), they are still encouraged to get on his list for future audit contracts with NYSERDA.
Contact Dick Peterson, Northeast Agriculture Technology Corp: 607-725-2741 or
clkp329@aol.com.
Announcing the 2008 Grasstravaganza
The Northeast Grasstravaganza is returning to Binghamton, New York on March 28th & 29th, 2008. This energetic conference at the Holiday Inn Arena is intended for a broad audience of farmers, consumers and agriculture professionals.
Participants can expect to hear an outstanding selection of nationally known speakers including Kathy Voth, Stockman Grass Farmer Columnist, Janet McNally, GRAZE magazine, Kevin Fulton, Nebraska Beef Farmer & Custom Grazier, Dan Barber, Award Winning Chef & Co-Owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, David Smith, Springfield Farm & President of American Pastured Poultry Producers Association, Shannon Hayes, Farmer & Author of The Farmer and the Grill and The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, Dr. Darrell Emmick, USDA/NRCS NYS Grassland Specialist, and Kim Seeley, Grass-Based Dairyman & President of the (PASA) Board.
Practical workshops are planned that span every topic from pasturing strategies, grass finishing, marketing to restaurants and schools, soil health and holistic planning, and how to get started with a grazing operation.
A highlight of the Grasstravaganza will be the New York State Grown Grass-Fed Meats trade show. For more details call the CNY RC&D office @ (607) 334-3231 Ext. 4
The 2008 Northeast Grasstravaganza is being organized and sponsored by the Central NY RC&D Project Inc., NYS Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, The Cornell Small Farms Program, The Upper Susquehanna Coalition, Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison, Chenango Co. SWCDs, Cayuga Co. CCE, Cornell Dept. Animal Science, USDA/NRCS, Rural Health Network of South CNY, Cornerstone Farm Ventures, Creekside Meadows Farm, High Lonesome Farm.
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.
www.nyfarms.info/calendar.html
A sampling of regional/statewide events that may be of interest to small farmers. Details on the following events and many more can be found in the NY Farms! Calendar of Agricultural Events.[back to top]
- Tunnel Production - A Three-Day Farmer-to-Farmer Workshop for Vegetable Farmers. January 14 -16. United Methodist Church, Saratoga Springs, NY. All meals feature local and organic products and are included in the $175 registration fee. Contact Sandy at 518-638-6501 (8AM to 8PM) or (preferably) email sparnold@capital.net.
- New York Beef Producer’s Association Conference and Annual Meeting, January 25-27, 2008. Holiday Inn, Syracuse, NY. For more information or to register, visit: http://www.tjbailey.com/nybpa/calendar.htm
- NOFA-NY Annual Conference. January 25 – 27, 2008. Saratoga Hotel and the Conference Center, Saratoga, NY. For more information call Kate Mendenhall at 585-2711979 or email projects@nofany.org. Visit: www.nofany.org
- NYS Farmers’ Direct Marketing Conference. February 7-8, 2008. Holiday Inn, Waterloo, NY. For more information please contact: Jeanette Marvin at (315) 986-9320 or jmarvin@rochester.rr.com.
- PASA’s 17th Annual Farming for the Future Conference. February 7-9, 2008. Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA. For more information contact Michele Gauger at 814-349-9856 or michele@pasafarming.org
- Empire Fruit & Vegetable Expo. February 12-14, 2008. Holiday Inn in Liverpool and the On Center, Syracuse, NY. For more information, call or contact Jeff and Lindy Kubecka at 315-687-5734 or email nysvga@twcny.rr.com
- Carcass evaluation workshops: “ Hoof to Rail”, March 8. 10am-12 noon. Cornell Beef Teaching and Research Center, Harford, NY. Follow-up workshop on March 15,10am-2pm. Cornell University Campus. Fee: If registered by February 20, $35 ($15 2nd person from same farm/family) covers both workshops, and includes instruction, handouts, coffee, donuts and lunch on 3/15. Children under 12 years, $5. Fee, after February 20, $45. Contact Vicki Badalamenti at vb65@cornell.edu or 607-255-771
Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
CSREES requests applications for the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) for fiscal year (FY) 2008 to support: (1) the development of Community Food Projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such
projects self-sustaining; (2) projects that provide Training and Technical Assistance on a nationwide or regional basis to entities interested in developing new Community Food Projects or assisting current grantees; and (3) Planning Projects to assess the food security needs and plan long-term solutions to help ensure food security in communities. CSREES anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2008 will be approximately $5,000,000. Letters of intent are due by January 10, 2008. For more information, visit: www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/community_food.html
Request for Proposals in Organic Farming, Research, Teaching & Outreach – Due February 5th
The Toward Sustainability Foundation (TSF) at Cornell University is requesting proposals for innovative research emphasizing Energy, the Environment, Economic Development, and Social Equality in organic farms and food systems. Short proposals are requested (10 page maximum single spaced, including an itemized budget) from Cornell staff and students, Cooperative Extension educators, and New York organic farmers. All funded proposals must include someone on the CALS faculty as a principal investigator or co-PI, in order for us to allocate these funds. Projects will be funded at a maximum of $12,500 for a one-year period (calendar year 2008), although multiyear projects may be considered for continued funding if TSF funds are available in future years. For additional information on this request for proposals, please contact Wendy Wirth at 607-255-4568 or waw3@cornell.edu or Ian Merwin at 607–255-1777 or im13@cornell.edu.
4-H Youth Development Team Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland County, NY is searching for a full time Youth Development Program Team Coordinator. In this highly visible position, provide in-depth leadership for the needs assessment, development, implementation, marketing and evaluation of the 4-H Youth Development Program. Take the initiative to regularly identify youth-related community issues and priorities, seek and obtain additional resources, and supervise staff and volunteers in order to create broad, innovative, high-quality educational programs to address those issues in Rockland County. Must comply with codes, policies and procedures issued by Cornell University Cooperative Extension and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland.
See http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/admin/careerops/pa459.htm for full PD. APPLICATIONS will be reviewed beginning 1/15/08, or until an acceptable pool of applicants has been identified. Send letter of intent, resume, and transcripts to PA#459, Box 26, Kennedy Hall, Cornell U, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Video: Pasture and Environmental Farm Management for the Horse Owner
Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) and Hudson Mohawk Resource Conservation & Development Council (HMRC&D) of New York are offering a new video: “Keeping It Green: Pasture and Environmental Farm Management for the Horse Owner” at ELCR's web site, www.elcr.org .
The collaboration between ELCR and the HMRC&D is intended to raise awareness and improve knowledge amongst horse owners across the nation about how to improve pastures and minimize their horse's impact on the environment. With open space disappearing at the rate of 250 acres per hour (USDA figures), it is important for horse people to recognize the crisis of loss of land for horses and the importance of caring for the land we have.
Degraded pastures and improper manure management can have a serious, detrimental impact on the environment. We hope horse owners find this video useful for the management of their properties and pastures. This video is offered in 8 segments with titles such as "Water Quality and Manure Management," "Rotational Grazing - Weed & Forage Control," and "Drainage Improvements in High Traffic Areas." Funding for the segments was provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative.
For more information visit and to view the segments, please visit www.elcr.org.
New Draft Animal Power Website
As a result of the 2007 Northeast Animal Power Field Days, a NEW Website has been created to facilitate discussions about Draft Animal Power. The website is set up as a discussion forum including a Calendar feature, Frequently Asked Questions, and some starter Categories and Threads of discussion. More categories and threads will be created as the community grows. Visit www.draftanimalpower.com to sign up.
Conventional and Organic Corn Weed Guide Available
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering a "New England Guide to Weed Control in Field Corn". It's designed to help conventional and organic field corn growers decide how best to control weeds. And it includes guidelines for chemical and nonchemical methods.
Developed by John Jemison, Jr. of UMaine Extension, and Prasanta Bhowmik of the University of Massachusetts, this 20-page guide can be purchased for $3 by calling 800-287-0274. Or you can download it free from the Web site: www.extension.umaine.edu.
The updated publication discusses commonly used herbicides, timing of applications and alternative controls to provide a comprehensive approach to controlling weeds in field corn.
"Organic growers will find new information on cultivation practices. Conventional growers will find up-to-date recommendations for herbicides available in the Northeast," adds Jemison. Extensive tables on corn herbicides registered for use in New England, herbicide effectiveness on specific weeds, and herbicide modes of action are included.
New Community Food Security Publication Available
The Community Food Security Coalition has released a new publication, "Building
Community Food Security: Lessons Learned from Community Food Projects, 1999-2003". This publication is based on analysis of Community Food Project (CFP) narrative reports from 1999-2003, CFP focus groups, and relevant literature. It outlines a summary of project activities and includes characteristics of successful projects, factors for success, challenges, and lessons learned. A downloadable PDF version (http://www.foodsecurity.org/BuildingCommunityFoodSecurity.pdf) is available online.
In this section we highlight the Small Farms Program's activities, including projects we coordinate and those we have funded through Innovative Small Farm Education grants to Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators.
Grassroots meets Government at the 2007 Small Farms Summit
The 2007 NY Small Farms Summit took place on November 29th with over 120 participants at four videoconference sites.
Hosted by Cornell’s Small Farms Program, the Summit featured a question and answer session with Patrick Hooker, Commissioner of NYS Agriculture & Markets and Mark Kenville, NYS Center for Dairy Excellence. Topics ranged from plans for a wholesale farmers’ market in New York City to regulations on the sale of raw milk. Hooker responded appreciatively to the audience for opening a dialogue with him and invited farmers to collaborate with his executive staff to work toward solutions.
“Farmers know what challenges they face better than anyone. Our office listens carefully to farmers’ needs and strives to be open-minded, creative and service-oriented”, said Hooker.
The Commissioner responded to multiple requests for less cumbersome dairy and meat-processing regulations. He stressed that Ag and Markets has the dual responsibility of supporting agriculture in the state and ensuring consumer safety. “At the end of the day,” he said, “the most important factor is the health and safety of people in NYS.” But he expressed optimism about finding solutions that will work for small farms. “Maybe our regulations need to be re-examined.” He called for farmers to work together with food safety and other agencies to develop safe processing methods and appropriate regulations.
In his closing remarks, Commissioner Hooker encouraged small farmers to continue to send concerns and input to his office in the way of letters and emphasized the importance of attending meetings or sending extension representatives. “The world is run by those who show up. Small farmers should not take “NO” for an answer when it comes to technological needs and appropriate regulations”, said Hooker.
Mark Kenville also requested more grassroots input and welcomed small dairy farmers to participate on the newly formed New York Dairy Industry Task Force.
In the afternoon program, attendees divided into groups to offer feedback to several new state-wide small farm “Work Teams.” The work teams were organized by the Cornell Small Farms Program in response to priorities identified in the 2006 Small Farms Summit: Livestock Processing, Grasslands Utilization, Local Markets, and Beginning Farmers. Three of these work-teams received a “Small Farms Grant” of $5,000 in October to pursue a statewide strategy in their respective issue area. A fourth - the NY Beginning Farmer Project – had already been organized and funded through other sources.
A loud chatter filled the rooms as groups tossed out answers to work-team leader’s questions: “What has been your experience with livestock processing regulations?” “How can we obtain additional land for utilization by farmers for grazing or forage production?” “What barriers need to be overcome in order to increase local and regional marketing of small farm products?” A summary of the discussion will be available for download from the Small Farms Website in late January.
The Summit closed with comments from Cornell administrators, Jan Nyrop, Senior Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Science, Mike Hoffmann, Director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station and
Chris Watkins, Associate Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension. The administrators thanked the group for informing them and encouraged continued communication.
The Cornell Small Farms Program thanks all who offered input on this collaborative effort to advance opportunities for New York’s small farms. The Program especially applauds Commissioner Patrick Hooker for his willingness to engage directly with farmers in a public dialogue, and for his openness to new ideas and new collaborations.
For additional ag-related news and events by email:
Agricultural community and economic development news and events: Community Food
and Agriculture Program, hmm1@cornell.edu
Consumer and public education news and events: NY Farms! News To Share, nyfarms@nyfarms.info
Eastern NY, MA and VT news and events: Regional Farm and Food Project, billie@farmandfood.org
Policy-related news and alerts: National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture,
campaign@sustainableagriculture.net
