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 2004-5 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. This year the team reviewed 22 proposals seeking a total of $82,600. We awarded funds totaling about $24,000 to 9 projects.
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.
For sheep producers, monthly meetings will be held in cooperation with the Jefferson County Sheep Association. Additionally a workshop will be held at the summer Jefferson County Sheep and Wool Festival. A fall grazing profitability meeting focused on small ruminants, including sheep and goats. For organic farmers, beef producers, and graziers, seasonal pasture walks with host farmers as discussion leaders. For beef producers, seasonal workshops (August on farm and January at LaFargeville Agway) with built-in time for farmer to farmer interactions. For the organic discussion group, bimonthly meetings from October to March focused on ration balancing, diagnosing health issues, milk quality, and growing organic grain. $2500
2 local, established greenhouse farmers will serve as mentors. Groups and individuals will be invited to their farms and they will visit potential new greenhouse sites and existing sites to provide information on improving techniques. There will be 2 training sessions on greenhouse production using Ed Person of New Hampshire, and Anu Rangarajan of Cornell University, on vegetable production; and Mike Timmons of Cornell University on fish propagation. $3200
They are proposing 3 activities to address the farm communities needs. 1. Hosting a workshop on Hosting Visitors at Your Farm. 2. 2 meetings to link experienced destination farms with less experienced businesses to create a support network. 3. Hosting an informational meeting in March among farmers interested in learning more about strategies for increasing off-farm sales. $3350
They plan to facilitate several farmer mentorship training workshops and then to monitor the educational progress of NFDP participants who will work closely with their respective mentors. These training workshops will comprise a "Training-of-Trainers" (TOT) for 10-15 farmers, which will provide them with some basic skills in nonformal adult education and mentorship. Once equipped with these skills, mentoring farmers will be able to: identify the needs of learners, develop basic lesson plans, identify effective techniques for demonstration-based/hands-on learning, practice the lesson plans they have developed, and assess mentee learning. $3500
$2840
This project will establish a network of small horse farmers ranging from the novice to professional for the purpose of sharing information, their expertise, and to provide opportunities to bring Extension educational programs and resources to this underserved group. $2312
This project will involve the continuation of the Beef Discussion Group and using its members and key members of the Ag Advisory Committee to establish a Dairy Discussion Group that includes farmer to farmer mentoring and farmer to farmer learning groups. $1000
A lead farmer-mentor has been identified who will serve as the primary mentor and resource person for the project. This person has extensive experience and knowledge in a variety of livestock marketing and production areas. In addition, other mentors have been identified to serve as resource people on an as needed basis or to be mentors for new farmers in the areas of small dairy farming, beef finishing, or farm produce production. $2798
A 6-grower panel discussion will take place once on Long Island and again in the Finger Lakes to emphasize low impact vineyard management. $2500