Event Details

Date

January 10, 2017

Time

10:00am - 2:00pm

Location

Jordan Hall, Geneva Experiment Station
614 W. North St.
Geneva, NY 14456

Cost

This event is free.

Host

Central New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops


2017 NYCO Winter Meetings

January 10, 2017


The popularity of the NYCO winter meetings has grown from a gathering of six organic grain producers in the Martens Farms' farmhouse kitchen in 1994 to Jordan Hall in Geneva. Last year we had more than 300 farmers attending the 3 meetings.

To continue the tradition, the Winter NYCO meetings will be held in Jordan Hall, Geneva Experimental Station. They will be held January 10th, February 14th and March 13th. This years topics will include the use of Alternative Forages, Expanding to Poultry and Nutrient Balancing.

There is no cost or need to register to attend the meetings, which start promptly at 10:00am. Participants are asked to bring a dish to pass at the potluck lunch. The New York Crop Insurance Education Team and Cornell Cooperative Extension provide support for these meetings. There will be a brief description of how Crop Insurance can benefit organic farmers at each of the meetings.

Featured Speakers:

  • Bob Quinn of Big Sandy, Montana will be the opening speaker for our 23rd season of NYCO. He leads the Quinn Organic Research Center which includes a 2,800 acre farm. They transitioned their 4th generation farm to organic production in 1986. His work on organic grain varieties led to the redevelopment of Kamut, an ancient grain grown by the Egyptians. In addition they grow soft white wheat, durum wheat, buckwheat, lentils, peas, sweet clover, and flax. Bob is a sought after speaker on marketing and development of organic grains. He will present his vision of where organic markets are going and how New York's producers can prepare for the future.
  • Sandra Wayman is a research technician with the Cornell Sustainable Cropping System Lab. She will review their work with the newly developed perennial grain, Kernza. 
  • Tim Christensen farms with his father, Guy in Penn Yan, NY. He has been experimenting with different cover crops in his corn and small grain rotation. His decisions are based on multi-layered objectives of; protecting soil health, adding green manures and qualifying for annual Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) payments. Tim will share some of the success and failures he has had on his farm.
  • Mark Sorels, PhD. is the chair for the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future at Cornell University. He was part of a team of researchers at Cornell who worked on the "Accelerating Production of Organic Grains in Western NY" sponsored by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority and Wegmans. Mark will review the results of this study done at the Cornell University's Musgrave Research Farm. 

For more information contact Fay Benson at 607-391-2669 or at afb3@cornell.edu





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Dairy

Dairy

Livestock

Livestock

Forages

Forages

Grains

Grains

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Farmers Can Join MeatSuite For Free!

MeatSuite.com is a free resource provided by Cornell University where NY meat farmers can create a farm profile and list their bulk (wholes, halves, quarters) and bundled (i.e. Grilling Bundle) meat products.

Why should farmers join?

1. It's free and easy!
2. Connect with more local customers. In the past year the MeatSuite.com farm directory had 8,300 visits from New York consumers. Farm profiles get as many as 25 views per month from potential local customers. We also spotlight MeatSuite farms on social media and bring attention and purchases to farms through highlights and giveaways.

How do I join?

Farmers can visit https://www.meatsuite.com/farmers/ to create a free farm profile. You must list at least one product for your farm's profile to go live. You'll also have access to Cornell's free Meat Price Calculator, a helpful tool for pricing your meat to make a profit.

While you're on MeatSuite, check out the "Creating Consumer-Friendly Bulk Meats" publication on the log-in page. It has tips on how to create bulk meat products that are easier for first-time buyers to say "yes" to.

If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, we're here to help! Please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu.


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CCE Livestock Program Work Team

See the Livestock Program Work Team website for news, upcoming programs, and NYS Slaughterhouse Map.