2007-2008 Grants Projects
2006-2007 Grants Projects
2005-2006 Grants Projects
2004-2005 Grants Projects
2003-2004 Grants Projects
2002-2003 Grants Projects
2001-2002 Grants Projects
2000-2001 Grants Projects
Other Grant Opportunities
The Cornell Small Farms Program is pleased to announce its 2003-2004 grant awards for innovative small farm education. The grants program is overseen by Cornell's Small Farms Task Group, which includes farmers, non-governmental organizations, extension educators, and faculty. A committee of farmers reviews all proposals and makes final recommendations on which projects to fund.
Farmer-to-farmer learning is a key feature of many projects funded by the Small Farms grants program. Experienced farmers have served as teachers and mentors to other farmers in such projects. Farmer participation in planning and evaluating projects is also an important priority. Farmers initiate many projects with their ideas for educational programs and help their Extension partners get it going.
Through the CCE Grants Program for Innovative Small Farms Education, growing numbers of small-scale farmers are discovering that Cornell Cooperative Extension is a great resource for them. Many of the funded projects have attracted farmers who never, or rarely, used Extension in the past.
Funds for this program are provided by Helen Dillard, the Associate Dean for Extension at Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. For more information on specific grant projects contact the extension educator listed below. For more information about the CCE Grants Program for Innovative Small Farm Education or the Small Farms Program, contact Anu Rangarajan at (607) 255-1780 or ar47@cornell.edu, or visit our web site at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware Co., in collaboration with NOFA-NY and Northeast Organic Network (NEON), will hold fall and winter workshops that target 3 major issues: weed control, pest control, and soil fertility. The workshops will feature farmer-to-farmer program delivery and follow-up with spring/summer internships at area farms.
A project with a primary focus to educate the general public about agriculture in the area through a 4-day farm event, as well as educate farmers on how to effectively advertise their businesses and products.
View Final Report (.pdf) | Presenting Your Farm (.ppt)
Download Microsoft's PowerPoint Viewer 97
This project will offer small farmers support in establishing a growers cooperative in the North Country through information, meetings, and farm visits on the issues involved in selling wholesale including produce varieties, packaging, marketing, and accounting.
A 3-part project that trains potential farm mentors through a series of workshops: Decision Making, Teacher Training, Sustainable Farming Projects.
This project will develop a beef discussion group in Cayuga County through holding regular meetings which feature relevant speakers, distribute monthly info packets, and conference attendance.
A series of workshops for dairy and livestock grazers that present information on soil ecology and healthy soil. The intention was to provide a foundation from which to understand and evaluate alternative philosophies of soil fertility and ecology and to expose participants to alternative theories in the relationship between soil health and healthy animals.
View Final Report (.pdf) | Workshop Flyer (.pdf) | Sample Soil Analysis (.pdf)
A course intended to assist both small scale transitional producers and "homecomers" to achieve their animal agriculture objectives for the land, while at the same time offering alternatives to merely paying taxes and letting the land stay fallow, and to help straighten out the path to profitable production, as well as the learning curve for both neophyte and practicing animal agriculturalists.
A series of workshops that will guide participants to clarify goals and determine the appropriate scope and scale for their agricultural business.
This project evaluates and compares the costs of production on 4 types of grass management farms. The 4 types of farms are a grazing farm, a confinement farm, a pasture and confinement, and an intensively managed hay farm. The project will evaluate all aspects of production from financial to production quality. A guide will be put together with resources on intensive grass management.
This project will host Temple Grandin in a discussion about her understanding and research regarding animal welfare. Temple is the leading individual in the country that understands factors that lead to animal stress.
A 2-pronged project which educates small farmers that are interested in direct marketing through a farmer-to-farmer mentoring program as well as promotes local foods consumption through consumer education.
A winter conference that will present information on many aspects of operating a small diversified farm with emphasis on varied aspects of low-input production.
The New York Pasture Association newsletter, Greener Pastures, is published 6 times per year. It is currently mailed to NYPA members. This is one of the only publications that regularly collects and disseminates information about grass-based farming on a statewide basis.
This project will organize 3 different neighborhood groups to discuss practices that are working on host farms, areas that need to be improved, and how changes might be economically incorporated in their farm businesses. The workshops emphasize practices that can be implemented with the best chance for positive impact and least financial burden.
This project will develop a neatly packaged collection of resources that producers can use in a practical manner to enhance their marketing skills (the "Tool-Kit"); continue the "taste of the North Country" event, which featured all locally produced food products at the 2003 Northern New York Ag Expo; and expand the recently published North Country Pasture Raised Meat Directory.
This project will refine the "Integrated Forage and Feeding Systems Management" curriculum developed by Pro-Dairy and the New York City Watershed to meet the needs of local small and mid-sized dairies; sample and have analyzed hay or hay crop silage and corn silage for each participating farm; and teach 2-day workshops in 5 locations across the 3-county area involving participants from 75 farms using this proven curriculum.
View Final Report (.pdf) | Forage Feeding Project Materials (.pdf)
Forage Feeding Presentation (.ppt)
Download Microsoft's PowerPoint Viewer 97
The Finger Lakes Produce Auction is a farmer-owned corporation that markets locally grown fruits, vegetables and flowers. This year we would like to bring in growers from the other successful produce auctions from places such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. These growers will present information on profitable strategies for the auction, including attracting bigger buyers, alternative auctions, efficient packing, and lot sizes.
A demonstration plot at Wallkill View Farm in Ulster County will specifically target the audience at the Northeast Small Farm Expo in September 2004. Wallkill View Farm abuts the fairgrounds and provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate production of non-mainstream vegetable and herbs varieties. The demo will include ethnic and specialty crops, deer exclusion methods, and organic weed control using straw, rye, and white clover.
View Final Report (.pdf)
Additional materials: pic 1 | pic 2 | pic 3
Development of a "Small Dairy Farms Discussion Group" to foster farmer-to-farmer learning which is centered around small dairy farm issues and concerns.
Organization of a farmer-to-farmer learning and sharing group in St. Lawrence County specifically addressing issues that are important to local sustainable and organic agricultural producers. Guest speakers will address a specific topic each month and present new concepts in sustainable or organic agriculture.
This project consists of a seminar in 4 locations across NY with guest speaker David Kammel (University of Wisconsin). He will discuss his extensive experience working personally with farmers that have transitioned from a conventional dairy barn and pipeline milking, to a parlor/freestall system. Local dairy producers will speak on their experiences and ProDairy specialists will discuss the basics of barn design and financial concerns.
This project will seed new discussion groups across Northwest NY by using the experience of current successful discussion group members. Each new group will have a minimum of 3 meetings with an invited beef producer from outside their area to help generate discussion, share experience, and build trust among the group. Newly formed groups will then be encourage to continue to meet with topics set from inside the group. (With continued assistance from CCE.)
