Small Farm Priorities – Project Proposals Now Being Accepted

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The Cornell Small Farms Program is requesting proposals for projects that address specific priorities for small farms in New York as identified at the 2010 statewide Small Farms Summit.   The 2010 Small Farms Summit was a statewide gathering of 120 farmers, educators and farmer advocates invested in the continued growth and success of small farms in NY.  During the daylong meeting, participants prioritized specific and pressing new projects that within two years, could provide useful outcomes to NY’s small farms.

The projects identified originate from three main focus areas:  Livestock Processing Issues, Local Market Access and Growth, and Grasslands Use/Grazing.

For a list of eligible projects, download the full RFP at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu. Application deadline is January 13th, 2012.

Farmers, agriculture educators and service providers, community development groups, agricultural non-profit organizations, and community members in New York State are all eligible to apply. Project teams of 4 or more collaborators are required and participation from a cross section of the farm sector is encouraged.

Each proposal must have an individual project leader who is able to accept responsibility for the grant on behalf of the project team and be in a position to manage the grant, submit interim and final reports, and respond to any inquiries.  For accounting purposes, each project team must include at least one Cornell Cooperative Extension Agent or Cornell Faculty/staff as a co-leader to manage the allocation of the funding for the project expenses.

Each project selected will receive a “Small Farms Grant” of $4,000 in federal Smith Lever funds. Project duration is February 30th, 2012 – September 30th, 2012.