Do you work with farmers markets or farmers market vendors? The Farmers Market Federation of NY and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County are preparing a project looking to address the decline of customers at farmers markets as a whole since the summer of 2016. Answer this quick (12 question) survey to help them better understand how you work with farmers markets, and if you might be willing to help in the dissemination of information, if this project is funded.

A new certification program enables agricultural producers to let consumers know they are farming in ways that benefit bees. Funded by a grant from the USDA, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation partnered with Oregon Tilth to develop and launch the Bee Better Certified program. Bee Better Certified is working with conservation-minded farmers to meet a growing interest from consumers to know how their food choices impact bees. The program focuses on integrating flower-rich habitat on farms in order to provide food and nesting sites for native bees, honey bees and other pollinators. It also helps farmers reduce or eliminate use of pesticides known to cause harm to bees. Farmers can learn more about Bee Better here.

More farmers in additional counties across New York State will now be able to purchase crop insurance for malting barley, expanding opportunities for small grain farmers and supporting New York's thriving craft beverage industry. The United States Department of Agriculture's program will now expand coverage options to growers in 44 counties in New York State starting in 2018. Learn more here.

Are you a beginner or advanced beekeeper interested in learning about maintaining the health of bee colonies? Join NY Bee Wellness for sessions covering the various types of diseases and pests that afflict honeybees and bee management. All-day workshop sessions will be held  July 7th-9th, 2017 at Morrisville State College. Register and find more information here.

Hear from the experts and gain hands-on experience in this introductory class for those interested in growing organic garlic for profit. Among topics discussed will be the crop's life cycle, field preparation, and post-harvest considerations. There will be time for questions, a discussion period, and a visit to Gillie Brook Farm to help finish a garlic harvest.  The event will take place on  July 8th, 2017 from 9am-3pm  in Camillus, NY.  Priority for spots will be given to veterans in the Southern Tier, but others are welcome to attend as space permits. Click  here  to register.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Broome County is seeking an Ag in the Classroom Educator to work under the leadership and oversight of the Agricultural Resource Educator and provide program implementation and administrative direction, management, and coordination to the Ag in the Classroom Program. By helping teachers, students, and their communities learn about and engage in agriculture, food systems and the environment , this programming will foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation of how food and fiber is produced, how people eat, and how people live. Applications are due on July 5, 2017. For more information and to apply, click here.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County has a Program Coordinator position available.  The Horticulture Program Coordinator will provide program coordination and support to the Horticulture program and facilitate the dissemination of horticulture information to the residents of Monroe County utilizing a trained volunteer corp. This individual will also serve as primary contact and coordinator for the Master Gardener Volunteer program. Apply here by July 20th, 2017.

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York is seeking a Plant Manager to coordinate and oversee all production activities within the Dairy Processing Facility at SUNY Cobleskill. The Plant Manager will be responsible for facility supervision and as such will serve as the responsible party for NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets regulatory compliance. Applications are due by July 15, 2017. Find more information or apply here.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County seeks an Agricultural Stewardship Specialist. The Educator will be responsible for the planning, development, delivery, evaluation, coordination, and management of the Agricultural Stewardship Program in Suffolk County. The focus of the Agricultural Stewardship Program is promoting environmentally sound agriculture practices to minimize the impact of agricultural inputs on surface water and groundwater through research, demonstration, educational materials and programs. For more information and to apply visit here. The position will remain open until qualified pool of candidates is obtained.

The Delaware County Department of Economic Development is pleased to announce a second round of funding under the Agricultural Microenterprise Program. This funding will focus on two primary components of business development: education and financial assistance. The goal of the program is to encourage the development of new, agricultural and agri-tourism micro enterprise businesses within Delaware County. The grant program will make roughly $82,000 of funding available solely to new agricultural and agri-tourism related businesses. For the purposes of this opportunity a new business is one which has been in operation or formally established for six months or less at the time of application. Applications are due  September 15th, 2017. Visit here for more information.

How healthy are the bees in Northern New York? The results of a first-ever survey to identify the presence of key parasites and pathogens in regional bee colonies are now posted . The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program provided a small grant for the survey of Northern New York bee colonies to contribute to regional knowledge and educate regional beekeepers on practices to better maintain the health of their bees and their businesses. This project documents for the first time the levels of key parasites and viruses in commercial and hobby bee colonies in Northern New York. Read the results here.

Are you looking to improve your marketing? Want tips for selling at roadside stands, on the internet, through CSAs, co-ops, produce distributors or farmers markets? Check out the National Center for Appropriate Technology's (NCAT) Marketing Tip Sheets, available for free as a PDF download here. The publication contains 13 tip sheets, each of which describes a particular marketing channel and notes some of the considerations associated with that approach to marketing. Each tip sheet also provides additional resources about that marketing channel.

Sometimes local questions are best answered by your neighborhood Cornell Cooperative Extension agent. Check out our county-by-county listing of small farm agents here. You can also get to know our Cornell Small Farms Program  staff, or contact us. Just starting to farm? We have an extensive resources available in the " Plan Your Farm" section of our website.