Welcome to summer!
Check out our announcements below, including
- Updates on CCETC Staff Projects
- Grants for Farmers
- Training Opportunities
- Calls for Farmer Participation
As always, reach out and let us know what you'd like to see from us here at CCETC!
~ The Ag and Food Systems Team at CCE Tompkins
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Updates on CCETC Staff Projects |
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Tompkins Food Future Presents Food System Plan |
The Tompkins Food Future team invites the public to attend the upcoming Legislature meeting on Tuesday July 19th to preview the Tompkins County Food System Plan: A Roadmap for our Future. The Plan is the culmination of a two-year public engagement process to understand the challenges, strengths, and opportunities in the Tompkins County Food System and to develop a framework for future action, improvement, and collaboration through stakeholder-driven goals and recommendations. Members of the public are invited to speak about their role, concerns, and hopes related to the future of our food system during the Privilege of the Floor by the Public, beginning at 5:30pm.
Tompkins Food Future will host a series of forums over the summer and fall months to share the plan with the public, seek feedback, and identify opportunities for collaboration. For more information and upcoming events, visit www.tompkinsfoodfuture.org or contact Katie Hallas, Community Food System Plan Coordinator, at (607) 272-2292 ext. 281 or kh788@cornell.edu.
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Ag Energy NY:
A CCETC Program for Farm Energy Efficiency throughout NY
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Would you like to save on your farm energy bills? There are many opportunities to reduce energy use through efficiency improvements that save money, labor, and maintenance costs.
Energy efficiency also has co-benefits, buffering farms from high costs in energy market fluctuations and making it easier to transition to electric power and renewable energy.
Ag Energy NY is a program by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, offering a smartphone-friendly website and factsheets describing farm energy efficiency technologies, techniques, and incentives. Ag Energy NY focuses on the following farm sectors: crops and vegetables, beef, swine, poultry, grain drying, maple, orchards, berries, and vineyards.
Ag Energy NY is part of a broader NYSERDA program, Energy Best Practices in Agriculture, which also provides support for dairies and greenhouses. After reviewing energy efficiency measures online, you can reach out to the Ag Energy NY team with questions and to connect with a NYSERDA FlexTech Consultant for farm-specific advising. NYSERDA offers no-cost, no-commitment energy assessments to help farmers prioritize areas for improvements and identify incentives to help with implementation.
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Nut Cropping Initiatives Expand in Tompkins and NY |
New staff member, Samantha Bosco, joined the team full time this month after completing her PhD at the Cornell School of Integrative Plant Science with a focus on Nut Growing in NY.
Samantha will support chestnut and hazelnut growing throughout the state and educate farmers in Tompkins about ways to add these perennial systems to their revenue streams through silvopasture and/or alley cropping. Look for more agroforestry and nut growing information to come in future newsletters or reach out directly to her at sfb42@cornell.edu.
Learning Opportunity: Talk to an MSU Chestnut Expert
Michigan State University Extension will be hosting a series of interactive Zoom meetings this season to allow easy communication between chestnut producers and MSU faculty. These informal, every-other-week sessions will include crop and pest updates from Rob Sirrine and Erin Lizotte. In addition, MSU faculty will drop in to address timely issues and provide research project updates. Bring your field notes too!
These Wednesday sessions begin May 11 and run every other week through Aug. 31, 2022, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Registration is free but required. Sessions will not be recorded. Register today!
Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested before the event by contacting Erin Lizotte at taylo548@msu.edu to make the arrangements. Requests will be met when possible.
This material is based on work supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection Pest Management Program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Update Your Directory Information |
CCE Tompkins receives thousands of web views every year for its U-Pick Listings, CSA Guide, Farmers Market Directory, and more.
If you have changed your offerings, hours, contact information, or other details, send them our way and we'll make sure customers can find you.
Email updates to ebs20@cornell.edu
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Farm to Fork Microgrant Program |
The Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Ithaca), a division of the Tompkins Chamber, has released an application for the 2022 cycle of their Agriculinary Farm to Fork Microgrant Program. The purpose of this Program is to support local agriculture while expanding visitor and tourist readiness which will promote overnight visitation in Tompkins County.
This grant, which will provide up to 50% (up to $2,000) of total proposed project costs, is available to: Farms, food and/or beverage producers, and restaurants who use a minimum of 20% locally-sourced food and beverage products, located within Tompkins County.
Applicants will be reviewed in two (2) rounds of funding:
- Monday, April 18th, 2022, at 5pm
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and Monday, June 20th, 2022, at 5pm
Remaining funding may be available following June 6th, 2022 on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis, pending availability of remaining funds.
If you have any questions regarding application, timeline of your project, or general inquiries, please email Grant Coordinator Cloud Kelley, Business & Workforce Development Specialist, at CKelley@TompkinsChamber.org.
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Additional Grant Listings for Farmers |
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CADE Emerging Market Training Support |
CADE is recruiting 20 farmers to receive tailored marketing support in 2022. Farmers are a good fit for this program if they are looking for support in the following areas: scaling up for wholesale and/or institutional sales; market matchmaking; adding value with certifications and trainings; farm safety and labor plans; education on topics such as e-commerce, marketing and branding; agritourism and other emerging market opportunities. |
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Free Technical Assistance on Employment Practices |
The Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) is providing farmers in New York with free help developing fair employment practices, including: employment policies, integrating social justice values into employment practices, communication and conflict resolution processes, health and safety plans, and pricing products to cover fair wages and production costs. Take a 30-minute self-assessment survey, share existing employment policy documents if you have them, and they'll provide individualized suggestions and resources tailored to your needs. |
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Tax Credit Webinar from Farm Credit East |
Join Farm Credit East, NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, NYS Department of Taxation & Finance and Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development for this free webinar outlining significant tax credits that are applicable to many farmers in New York state.
Attend on Tuesday, June 21, at 11 a.m. to find out what's new, what these tax credits cover and how to apply.
This webinar is free and open to all. The webinar will be recorded for those who cannot attend live, and posted on Farm Credit East’s webinars page for future reference.
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Calls for Farmer Participation |
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Insect Management Start-Up Seeks Partners |
Barn Owl Technologies is looking for interview opportunities to discover insect problems or challenges farmers are facing. We are interested how farmers tackle insect issues in the farmland.
The interview will be conducted during the summer from now to August 3rd.
If any farmer is interested, please reach me through the phone number or email below.
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Participate in Seed Corn Maggot Research |
Are you interested in participating in Cornell research on the effects of cover crops on corn seed maggot pressure?
Participation will entail putting traps with organic corn and bean seed into fields with cover crops and fields without cover crops. Any crop can be planted in these fields this spring. Growers won't need to alter the management of these fields and traps will be temporarily pulled out of the field whenever it's needed (tilling, planting, or any other reason). Both organic and conventional producers are welcome!
By participating in this program you will find out how severe seed corn maggot is on each farm.
If you are interested in hosting wire traps and yellow sticky card traps this spring, please email Anna DiPaola at add87@cornell.edu or call 609-751-7282
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Participate in Berry Farm Labor Study |
As farmers, Labor is critical to your success. Cornell, with funding from the New York Berry Growers Association and New York State Agriculture and Markets, is testing the scope and scale of labor regulatory changes on your farm, and we need berry growers to join our study.
The study will describe the present labor force and wages paid for farm labor and the potential changes to labor when minimum wage rates increase. In addition, the research will explore changes in labor, production practices, and market channels driven by proposed changes in overtime regulations.
Our survey will consist of an in-person, farm interview conducted by a Cornell project team member and a short 5-10 minute follow-up survey. The interview should take approximately one hour to complete.
To participate, contact: Kristen Park, ksp3@cornell.edu or 607-255-7215.
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Join the Farmer 2 Farmer Discussion Group - Ithaca Area on facebook
BuyLocalNY.org: List your farm so that consumers can find you!
Cornell Small Farms Program: Find Classes and Support to Build New Ventures
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development (HR and labor laws)
FarmNet: Coaching, Business Planning, Farm Succession Planning, Referrals to Resources and more!
CCE South Central Dairy and Field Crops Team
Cornell Livestock Team
Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE)
NY Farm Bureau
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA)
NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program FREE
New York Farm Land Finder - Find or Post Farm Land
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