BEGINNING FARMER PROJECT OFFERS CLASSES, HOW-TO-GUIDE
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
How-to classes and an updated “Guide to Farming in New York” are the latest
offerings from Cornell University’s New York Beginning Farmer Project
The initiative of the Cornell Small Farms Program develops new educational resources and coordinates existing ones to assist farmer startup in New York State.
“Our goal is for every beginning farmer to have access to the information, training, and technical support they need to be successful in starting their farm,” said Erica Frenay, coordinator of the NY Beginning Farmer Project. “In addition to providing training on a particular topic, (we) help participants tap into the network of service providers that exist to support them. … Typically, (people say) they had no idea of the resources out there to aid their success.”
A project aided by grant funds from the NY Farm Viability Institute helped 35 New Yorkers start farms from 2007-2009, through education in business planning, animal care, value-added food processing, and more.
The NY Farm Viability Institute is a farmer-run nonprofit group that awards grants to applied research and outreach projects that help farmers improve profits. The Institute received funds from the state legislature and Department of Agriculture and Markets.
A recent grant award from the USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program, and funds from the NY Farm Viability Institute, will help the NY Beginning Farmer Project extend its reach and programming.
“We are expanding our programmatic scope to benefit new farmers. We are building a learning network that will enable organizations to share best practices with each other and collaborate on programs for beginning farmers’ benefit,” said Anu Rangarajan, an associate professor of horticulture and director of the Small Farms Program.
Program plans include developing new online courses, training videos, coordinating resources of groups that work with new farmers, providing marketing training to new farmers, encouraging youth to pursue careers in agriculture, and more.
Upcoming Classes
Fruit Pruning Workshop: Learn about pruning, thinning, and grafting from 9 a.m. – noon, March 20 at Reisinger’s Apple Country, 2750 Apple Lane, Watkins Glen. Register: Call (607) 535-7161, or email rlo28@cornell.edu.
Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Is starting a farm right for you? This interactive series is for those thinking about starting a farm, or turning a hobby into a business. Classes are at 6 p.m. on March 24, March 31, April 7 and April 20 at the office of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County, 1581 Route 88 North, Newark. Cost is $75, which includes materials. Register: Call (315) 331-8415.
Intro to Tractors: Tractor selection, operation, and safety for beginning farmers will be covered in this program, planned for 9 a.m. – noon on March 27 at Dryden Lawn and Recreation, 53 North St., Dryden. Register: Call (607) 272-2292, or email mr55@cornell.edu.
Updated Guide
The NY Beginning Farmer Project and Cornell Small Farms Program recently released a revised Guide to Farming in NY: What Every Agricultural Entrepreneur Needs to Know.
The guide, developed in part with funds from the NY Farm Viability Institute, consists of 33 fact sheets that describe how to locate farm land, food processing regulations, farm vehicle safety, financing, farm taxes, and more.
The Guide to Farming in NY is available at no cost to download, as a complete document or by individual fact sheets, from the Cornell Small Farms website, www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/resources/businessmanage/guide.cfm. (Or, go the Small Farms Program homepage and click on the link that says "Guide to Farming in NY.")
- By Rebecca Schuelke Staehr, NYFVI communication specialist
On the web:
Cornell Small Farms Program, www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/
NY Beginning Farmer Project, www.nybeginningfarmers.org
NY Farm Viability Institute, www.nyfvi.org
