Welcome back to the Cornell Small Farms newsletter!
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We hope your fall harvest has been fruitful, and have enjoyed seeing your images shared as a part of our new s
ocial media outreach initiative. Announced in
the last newsletter, your use of
#CornellSmallFarms l
ets us know how things are working on your farm, and how we can continue to support your success.
Through this newsletter we want to help inform your week with news stories, announcements, resources, opportunities and upcoming events relevant to small farms. You can always submit a story idea, event, or announcement for an upcoming newsletter using our
online form
. Also, don’t forget to
subscribe
.
Thank you again for your interest and support of small farms in New York.
Anu Rangarajan
Director of the Cornell Small Farms Program
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Improving Soil Health:
Our Work on Reduced Tillage Practices
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As the growing season winds down, Haley Rylander, a masters student working with the Small Farms'
reduced tillage project
, has been visiting with local farmers who have taken an active role in her research.
Haley is researching the impact of black silage tarps placed on the soil surface prior to planting. These tarps can reduce tillage, suppress weeds, and more. She shared some of these farmers’ experiences on our website, and also offered insight for other small farmers interested in using tarps.
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Initial results of our research on the use of tarps was published on
eXtension.org
.
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Handbook Offers Reduced Tillage
How-To
Interested in improving your farm’s soil health? Reduced tillage may be the answer. The practices can take many forms, and can be applied to a bed, a field or across the whole farm. Learn more in a new handbook with how-to information, available at no charge from Cornell Cooperative Extension and partners.
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Small Farms Staff to Share Tillage Research
The results of our four-year permanent bed trial will be shared at the Farmer to Farmer Conference hosted by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) on November 5, 2018. The experiment tested the effects of tarps, mulches, and tillage depths to reduce tillage without succumbing to weed pressure
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From the Archives: Tillage in the Quarterly
Organic farmers and researchers utilize cover crops to reduce labor and expense of organic mulches.
Learning a small-scale organic method to reduce tillage with less weeds.
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Register Now for Small Farms'
Block 2 Online Courses
Want to learn how to better rotate your crops? Thinking about adding berries to your farming enterprise? What about incorporating pigs into your pasture? All this and more to learn in
Block 2
of our online courses.
The Block 2 courses start the week of November 5, and registration closes on October 28.
Register now
to guarantee your place in the class.
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North Country Cuisine Trails to Boost Agritourism
Agritourism is New York’s third largest employer and continues to expand through state investments. The most recent addition is six new
cuisine trails
which weave through maple farms, dairy farms, breweries, restaurants, and more. The trails connect farms to retailers, and tourists to the state's great agriculture.
Read more
about cuisine trails and NYS agritourism.
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Farmers Can Apply Now for Change Grant! Not a Farmer? Vote!
The
Cultivating Change Grant
has $85,000 available in grants. In addition to a panel of industry experts reviewing the grants, the general public is able to vote on their favorites. Applications can be submitted through December 15th and the review and voting will conclude by January 31st. Winners of the grants will be announced on February 4, 2019.
Apply or vote now!
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Interested in Ecological Design and Permaculture?
Learn about how permaculture farms balance human needs with improvement of local ecosystem health in the online distance-learning course, Permaculture: Fundamentals of Ecological Design. The course is offered Nov. 5 - Dec. 20 by the Horticulture Distance-Learning. It is one of three permaculture courses offered which, combined, create the portfolio necessary for a certificate in Permaculture Design by the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute. Register soon if interested, as the course is limited to 20 students on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Learn more and register.
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Hummingbirds: Your Newest Tool in Pest Management
Berry growers around the state are all too familiar with the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). Growers can consider incorporating hummingbird bird feeders around their fields to attract this bird and potentially decrease the presence of SWD. Additionally, strategic planting of flowers attractive to hummingbirds can be used instead of bird feeders.
Read more.
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NY FarmNet Seeks Survey Responses
NY FarmNet wants to better serve you and fellow farmers throughout New York State. Their new survey should only take about five minute and is applicable to any industry within the state. Help FarmNet help you and
take the survey
now.
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CADE Seeks Senior Program Manager, Farm & Food Business Development
The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) seeks a Senior
Program Manager to deliver an array of business development services to agribusinesses and entrepreneurs aspiring to develop or expand their operations each year through CADE’s Farm and Food Business Incubator (FFBI). The goal is for farm and food businesses to compete and thrive, contributing to a sustainable regional food system
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Grass-fed Beef Marketing
When:
Monday, Oct. 29, 5 - 7 p.m.
Where:
Oneida County CCE
121 2nd Street Oriskany NY
Details
:
Strauss Meats
will be sharing information regarding meat marketing. Free event, but reservations required. Call Marylynn at 315-736-3394 or email mrm7@cornell.edu by Friday, October 26 to register for the event.
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Navigating Dairy Decision Making
When:
Monday, Oct. 29, 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Where:
Oneida County CCE
121 2nd Street Oriskany NY
Details:
A meeting is being held to highlight various decision making tools available to producers through the Dairy Acceleration Program (DAP). Reserve your spot by Oct. 25 by calling 315-736-3394 ext. 132 or email to mrm7@cornell.edu.
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Composting, Mulching and More
When:
Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.
Where
:
840 Upper Front St. Binghamton NY
Details
: Learn to u
se leaves to improve soil and plant health, including making leaf mold and compost, mulching and mowing leaves. There is no charge for the workshop, but please call (607) 772-8953 or email kjm8@cornell.edu to register.
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Aspiring Farmers Academy
This two part series, held on Oct. 25 and Nov. 8, is designed to provide participants with the information they need to move their farm dream forward. The workshops will take place at the Madison County CCE's Ag Center, 100 Eaton St. Morrisville, NY 13408. The cost to attend is $20 per person or $30 per farm, and includes all materials and dinner both nights.
Please visit
www.madisoncountycce.org
for more information, or contact Sarah Ficken at (315)684-3001 ext 108 or sjs299@cornell.edu.
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NESAWG 25th Annual It Takes A Region Conference
The theme of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's conference this year is "cultivating transformative food systems." Learn more about the conference, review the workshop sessions and events schedule, and get to know the fantastic line up of speakers on the
NESAWG website
.
The conference will be held from Oct. 25 to 27 in Philadelphia.
Register now.
For questions about registration and lodging, contact Hoshea Rogovin: hoshea@nesawg.org
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Featured From #CornellSmallFarms
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@fishkillfarms
shared that they were “inch[ing] closer and closer to the height of apple season.”
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@hiyfarm shared their harvest season struggles of rain, breakdowns and more.
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We want to hear from you. Share what’s been happening on your farm with #CornellSmallFarms and we may feature your image and story in the next newsletter.
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About Us
The Cornell Small Farms newsletter is a resource for farmers and agricultural service providers in New York and beyond. We envision a future where diverse and vibrant urban and rural farms build human capacity, revitalize communities, supply regional food systems, and foster ecological resilience in a changing world. The Cornell Small Farms Program (SFP) is a joint effort of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
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Are you just starting to farm? We have an extensive resources available in the
"Plan Your Farm"
section of our website. Do you have farm-related questions? Sometimes local questions are best answered by your neighborhood Cornell Cooperative Extension agent. Check our
county-by-county listing
for your small farm agents.
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