Upcoming Events & Opportunities: Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Farmers' Market Manager's Certification Course
$75
Starting October 9, 2024 - March 2025
Virtual
Get your market growing! FMM Pro's Certification is a value that benefits your market, your community, and YOU.
- From basic management to developing key programs, strategies to grow markets, and building community.
- Develop professional skills that can be used to gain community support.
- Networking opportunities to share and learn.
- Build your farmers market toolkit with 17 homework assignments.
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Topics Covered:
- Evaluating Livestock for Ideal Harvest Timing
- Livestock Handling & Delivery for Meat Quality
- How to Work with your Processor & Navigate Difficult Situations
- Carcass Math Break-Down & Pricing
- How Much Value does Value-added Add?
- Creating Consumer and Processor-friendly Bulk Meat Sales
- An introduction to MeatSuite.com, the Cornell Meat Price Calculator, and the forthcoming Meat Processor Directory.
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English & Spanish
Topics Covered:
- Feed economics and feed management
- Dry Matter and feeder math
- Feed consistency and TMR audits
- Troubleshooting Mixer Wagons
- Bunk Silo management
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The program will provide helpful information specifically for agricultural producers / agribusinesses to become familiar with how energy efficiencies can help save money and increase productivity. Topics include:
- learn about various statewide programs that can assist in identifying how to save energy both within the farm homestead as well as in barns and agricultural equipment
- learn what an energy audit is and how it helps identify improvements for energy efficiencies
- overview of energy efficiency technologies within agricultural production
- grant and financing opportunities for upgrading equipment or renewable projects
Registration is required. Click here for a full list of dates and locations. For more information or questions regarding this program series, contact us at agenergyny@cornell.edu.
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Includes breakfast and lunch for both days. Includes dinner for the first day.
Join us for this two-day program targeted to firefighters, veterinarians, EMS, animal control officers, equine breeders, equine trainers, large animal facility operators, large animal transporters, large animal owners, students, and stakeholders who want to be prepared and safe in an emergency. Minimum age: 18
This program aims to cover the practical considerations, behavioral understanding, specialty equipment, techniques, and methodologies behind the safe extrication of a live large animal from entrapments (trailer wrecks, ditches, mud, barn fires) in local emergencies and disaster areas.
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Producer benefits include:
- Great educational content, including a track designed specifically for producers. Come learn how your peers have successfully sold to school markets.
- Ample opportunities to forge business-to-business connections.
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Opportunity for Organic Dairies
Participate in this USDA multi-state project and receive a free evaluation of your milking equipment and parlor routine, a bacteriology test of your bulk tank, and a $100 Amazon gift card.
Contact Daniela for more information and to sign up at 315-749-3486 or DG647@cornell.edu
What will you get?
- Bacteriology results from your bulk tank on 2 occasions.
- Milking equipment check
- Parlor timing and hygiene evaluation
- A report summarizing your farm's specific mastitis risk factors and a follow up report.
- $100 online Amazon gift card as a token of thanks for the time dedicated to the project.
What will participating farms be asked to do?
Participating farms will be interviewed over the phone/web conference to complete a milk quality survey, and then we will spend 1/2 at the dairy conducting the evaluation including during one of their milking shifts. We will return for a second evaluation ~ 1/2 year later. We will be taking extra precautions from a biosecurity standpoint.
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Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Survey
To date, there is limited information available about rental rates and fees for crop harvesting. Farms can use this valuable information for their farm business planning to help improve decision making and profitability.
The data that is collected, and the subsequent reports/findings/resources will be helpful for all of us to answer that call of "what's the average rental rate in my area" and "how much do people charge to combine oats".
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USDA Launches Assistance Network to Support Financially Distressed Farmers and Ranchers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide personalized support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation. Through a series of Cooperative Agreements, this national network will connect distressed borrowers with individualized assistance to help them stabilize and regain financial footing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~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
How do I join?
Farmers can click here 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.
If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu
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NYSERDA's Agriculture Programs
Three programs :
- Agriculture Energy Audit Program (AEAP): This program offers NY state farmers no-cost energy audits to help identify energy efficiency opportunities on their farm.
- REAP Technical Assistance Program (RTAP): This program has been designed to assist farmers at no-cost to make applications to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). If awarded, farmers can receive up to 50% of the total project cost.
- Energy Best Practices for Agriculture: The best practices have been developed to help educate producers with energy-efficient technologies, how they function, the average cost, and the average payback in years.
To learn more about these programs and eligibility, click here.
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Video: Endangered Species Act and Pesticides: An Example
Bill Chism, chair of the Endangered Species Act Committee of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA)'s acclaimed March 20, 2024 webinar on how pesticide labels may change to protect endangered species is now available on NYSIPM's YouTube channel.
Video: Quebec Farmer Panel on Life After Neonics
Four years ago, neonicotinoid seed treatments were banned in Quebec (the provisions in NY's Birds and Bees Act are similar to this law).
Recently, UVM extension hosted a Quebec Farmer Panel on Transitioning Away From Neonic Treated Seeds.
The discussion was recorded and can be viewed for free and unedited.
Opinion article can be found here by Louis Robert.
NY Farm Bureau's statement on NY's Birds and Bees Act.
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Click here to sign up at the bottom of their webpage.
The Farm Hand e-newsletter is the newest monthly resource from NY FarmNet. Each month they will bring readers information, resources, and news about how NY FarmNet supports agriculture across NYS.
NY FarmNet's free, confidential services are available to all farmers, farm families, and agribusinesses operating in New York State, regardless of size or type. They help farmers with a variety of personal and financial issues - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NY FarmNet can be contacted at 1-800-547-3276 or by email at nyfarmnet@cornell.edu
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H5N1 Bird Flu Guidance for Farmworkers (pdf; 1465KB)
Gripe aviar H5N1 Pautas para trabajadores agrÃcolas (pdf; 1484KB)
H5N1 Bird Flu Recommendations for Dairy Operators/Producers (pdf; 1438KB)
Gripe aviar H5N1 Recomendaciones para productores y operadores lácteos (pdf; 1447KB)
Dairy
Livestock
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
2025 Dairy Day
January 7, 2025 : Dairy Day - Hamilton
Hamilton, NY
New Location! Lunch Included!
January 8, 2025 : Dairy Day - Ballston Spa
Ballston Spa, NY
Lunch Included!
Corn & Soybean Day
January 14, 2025 : Corn & Soybean Day - Hamilton
Hamilton, NY
New Location! Lunch included! 2.75 DEC Credits available!
January 15, 2025 : Corn & Soybean Day - Ballston Spa
Ballston Spa, NY
New Location! Lunch included! 2.75 DEC Credits available!
Farm Succession Planning Webinar
January 22, 2025 : Farm Succession Planning Webinar
Free webinar
Announcements
Sign Up for Our Weekly E-Newsletter
We send out a bi-weekly e-newsletter that has announcements, upcoming programs, and opportunities for you! Registration is quick, easy, and free. Click here to sign up today!Document and Share Storm Damage
Mother nature has really been difficult over the last few days. Significant damage has been seen throughout NYS. Please let us know what types of damage your farm may have sustained during this time. This could be in the form of property damage, lost power, milk dump due to lost power, loss of livestock, loss of stored feed or growing crops.Farms are encouraged to DOCUMENT AND SHARE any impacts the weather may have had on their home or business. This could include structure damage, crop loss, inventory loss due to power outages, damage to equipment or fencing, and more.
If your farm experienced any sort of damage, please reach out to any of the folks listed below (or all of them). The more impact information that is collected, the greater the likelihood of a disaster declaration which can bring vital emergency support and awareness. The CNYDLFC Team will continue to collect detail and submit to NYSDAM and the EDEN network.
Reporting Weather Related Impacts (For your home or farm business)
- First, ensure that all the people and animals on your farm are safe, and that there aren't any unsafe working conditions created because of the weather (check your structures!). If there's an emergency, call 911 - don't try to manage it all on your own.
- Second, document all negative weather impacts for your farm and their estimated financial cost. Take photos, make estimates, and put it all in a safe place.
- Reach out to your insurance providers - farm, vehicle, crop, etc. to initiate the claim process as needed.
- Then, share your farm's damage with any (or all) of the ag support agencies listed below. We all work together to collect storm damage information and funnel it up to Ag and Markets which can initiate a natural disaster declaration.
- Chenango: 607-334-5841
- Fulton/Montgomery: 518-853-2135
- Herkimer: 315-866-7920
- Madison: 315-684-3001
- Otsego: 607-547-2536
- Schoharie: 518-234-4303
- Saratoga: 518-885-8995
- Erik Smith: 315-219-7786
- Daniela Gonzalez: 315-749-3486
- Ashley McFarland- 315-604-2156
Your county USDA/FSA service center.
- Chenango: 607-334-3231
- Fulton/Montgomery: 518-853-4015
- Herkimer: 315-866-2520
- Madison:315-824-9076
- Otsego: 607-547-8131
- Schoharie: 518-295-8600
- Saratoga: 518-692-9940
Your county farm bureau manager
- Region 3: Bailey Coon: 518-937-0566
- Region 5: John Wagner: 315-761-9770
- Region 6: Natally Batiston: 518-937-0269
- Region 7: Todd Heyn: 518-431-9338
Please let us know how we can help you.
Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Survey
To date, there is limited information available about rental rates and fees for crop harvesting. Farms can use this valuable information for their farm business planning to help improve decision making and profitability.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.