View Cornell University Small Farms Program Monthly Updates Online HERE

CONTENTS Announcements

• NY Small Dairy Innovators: Successful Strategies for Smaller Dairies

• With New Staff, Small Farms Program Supports More Farmers

• Is Your Farm Powered by Renewable Energy?

• Help Us Prioritize Biggest Challenges for New Farmers After Start-up

Upcoming Events

• Beginning Farmer Calendar
• Grazing Calendar
• Cornell Sheep Program Calendar
• Other Featured Events

Career Etc Opportunities

• Attention Beef Farmers: Cornell Seeks Antibiotic-Free Beef for Sale to Dining Halls

Funding Opportunities

• New York NRCS Announces Funding for Conservation Innovation Grants – Pre-proposals, Due June 25
• Tree Assistance Program – Sign-Up, Due July 6
• USDA Offers Payments Through Farm Transition Program
• USDA Grant for Farmers Markets

Resources

• Slide Show Highlights Urban Farmers
• Online Certification Available for Sheep Quality Assurance
• USDA Maps Detail U.S. Local Meat Processing Facilities
• USDA Releases Local Food Systems Report

Program Highlight

• Small Farms Program Launches Small Dairy Workteam

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NY Small Dairy Innovators: Successful Strategies for Smaller Dairies

The Cornell Small Farms Program is pleased to announce the publication of a new book of profiles “NY Small Dairy Innovators: Successful Strategies for Smaller Dairies” The book features 7 small dairies all over NYS that have found methods of increasing profit and leisure time even in the face of a very challenging time for the dairy industry.  The profiles may be downloaded at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu.

The book is the first of many new resources the Small Farms Program is planning for small dairy produces by way of a new Small Dairy Workteam.  Read the ‘Program Highlight’ in this newsletter for more information.

With New Staff, Small Farms Program Supports More Farmers

We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Goldfarb to the Small Farms Program staff as our new Extension Associate. Matthew comes to us from the Farm Institute in Massachusetts, where he served as director for 5 years. He began his career in farm-based education and sustainable food production and distribution systems in 1994. Since then he has studied and worked within this field in a number of positions including: the design and management of diversified farms, consulting work with farms and farm-education organizations, teaching high school biology and agriculture, academic work in Rural Sociology, and completing his MBA from Babson College with a focus on entrepreneurship and creativity. In his new position, Matthew will be focusing on small dairy and livestock issues and conducting much needed small farms research.

We are also excited to welcome our summer intern, Annie Bass. Annie is a Cornell undergraduate in linguistics. Annie comes from New Haven, CT, where she volunteered with the Yale Sustainable Food Project and a nearby CSA farm. Annie will be working on farm energy and beginning farmer support over the next 3 months.

Is Your Farm Powered by Renewable Energy?

Do you use renewable energy on your farm?  Have you discovered low-cost methods to conserve energy?  Are you interested in sharing your innovations with others? Let us know! This summer, the Small Farms Energy Work Team, a project of the Cornell Small Farms Program, is again organizing a series of on-farm renewable energy field days around New York. We want to publicize your installations, your techniques, and the grants, energy audits, and other energy resources available to farmers. Farmers are reimbursed for hosting field days, which will be scheduled for the month of August.  If you’re not interested in hosting a field day, we would still like to hear from you, as we are compiling a database of farms powered by renewable energy. Please contact Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 or email vws7@cornell.edu. For more information about the Small Farms Program’s Small Farms Energy Work Team, visit https://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/projects/workteams/energy/energy.cfm.

Help Us Prioritize Biggest Challenges for New Farmers After Start-up
Cornell’s Beginning Farmer Education Enhancement team needs your help prioritizing the challenges and needs of new farmers after their start-up. This effort is directed at the entire Northeast Region and is an attempt to capture as broad and diverse a beginning farmer sample as possible. Will you complete this survey, and/or share it with farmers you know? if so, please visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/BarrierID.

The items in the survey were generated by farmers and Beginning Farmer service providers; getting more input from both audiences on prioritizing the items is absolutely critical. Results from this survey will be used by economic, production and social researchers to guide their efforts toward solving the highest priority beginning farmer problems.

USDA and other policy makers are also very interested in the results of this effort to help direct energy toward beginning farmers’ most critical concerns. Again, we greatly appreciate your willingness to help identify key issues and concerns of the Northeast’s beginning farmer population.

The survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/s/BarrierID and easily completed online. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Erica Frenay at 607-255-9911 or ejf5@cornell.edu; or Dave Grusenmeyer at 315-453-3823 or dgrusenmeyer@nyfvi.org. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Beginning Farmer Calendar

July 14, 2010. Tools and Systems for Starting a CSA Farm. 5:30pm – 8pm. Sweet Land Farm, 9732 State Rte 96, Trumanburg, NY 14886  (Tompkins County). Sweet Land Farm runs a CSA that has 375 summer members and 140 winter members. This is their fourth season in operation. Evangeline Sarat and Paul Martin will discuss starting a CSA, business planning, marketing, communicating with members, field layout, labor, and equipment. Free-flowing questions will be encouraged! Supported by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Project Grant Program. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

July 23, 2010. What is a Year-Round, Full-Food, Free-Choice, Horse-Powered Membership Farm? 5 – 7pm. Essex Farm, 2503 Route 22, Essex 12936 (Essex County). Mark and Kristin Kimball are managing a dynamic and organic experiment in farming in New York’s North Country: actively farming 500 to 600 acres in integrated egg, (state certified raw) dairy, vegetable, grain, and meat production on one piece of land. The produce from this integrated farm provides members with a year-round share that accommodates nearly all of their food needs. Come learn about this unique farm management and marketing model. Participants can come as early as 1 p.m. and spend the afternoon hiking the farm and watching farmers set up for membership pick-up. The formal program will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude after 7 p.m. with informal conversation. Supported by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Project Grant Program. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

Grazing Calendar

June 18, 2010. Mohawk Valley Graziers Pasture Walk. 11am – 2pm. Glen Meadows Farm, Dennis and William Egelston, Egelston Road, Fultonville (Montgomery County). Glen Meadows Farm is currently grazing 120 lactating dairy cows. Topics to be covered include transitioning livestock to pasture, adjusting barn rations to account for pasture consumption, and forage sampling techniques. Admission is free; please bring your own lunch. Funded by USDA-NRCS and NYS GLCI. For more information please call Amanda at 518-853-4015.

July 9, 2010. Organic Grazing Pasture Walk. 10:30am – 2pm. Tillotson’s Grasslands Dairy, 6350 Sparks Road, Pavilion (Genesee County). The Tillotson Dairy milks 320 cows on 400 acres of pasture, with another 200 acres in grass and 120 acres in triticale. Paul relies on good recordkeeping to help him manage the dairy, and has aided the transition of the farm to the next generation. We will also take a look at the dairy’s robotic calf feeders.  Event organized by Cornell Small Dairy Program and NOFA-NY with refreshments provided by Horizon Organic and GLCI. For more information, contact Kristina Keefe-Perry at 585-271-1979 x505.

July 28, 2010. Organic/Grassfed Dairy Pasture Walk. 10:30am – 2pm. Zufall Dairy, 20 Campbell Road, Lisbon (St. Lawrence County). This dairy has been 100% grassfed for three years. Since the animals are outside for more than half the year, there’s less manure to handle. The cows are cleaner and have fewer foot problems. The herd makes a circuit of most of Mr. Zufall’s 540 acres, taking about 30 days to get back to the beginning. The family clips off what the cows don’t eat in any given area so weeds don’t take over and everything grows at about the same rate. Event organized by Cornell Small Dairy Program and NOFA-NY with refreshments provided by Horizon Organic and GLCI. For more information, contact Kristina Keefe-Perry at 585-271-1979 x505.

Cornell Sheep Program Calendar — www.sheep.cornell.edu/sheep/calendar/index.html

Other Featured Events

June 21, 2010. Celebrate the Solstice! Going Solar on Your Farm or Garden. 5:30 – 8 pm. Arnold Schmidt’s, 6687 Beach Rd., Syracuse, NY  13219  (Onondaga County). Have you ever considered running your farm or garden operations with solar electric power? The economics for installing solar may never be better! Bill Jordan, President of Jordan Energy & Food Enterprises, will discuss the economics of installing solar and explain specific USDA grants that can cover up to 25 percent of the installation costs. NOFA-NY has partnered with Jordan Energy & Food Enterprises to offer members a discount on solar installations. Joe Livingston, a local solar engineer, will talk about the details of installation. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

June 29, 2010. Celebrate the Solstice! Going Solar on our Farm: Save Money, Help the Environment, and Support NOFA-NY. 5:30 – 8 pm. Prospect Hill Orchards, 25 Clarks Lane, Milton, NY 12547 (Saratoga County). See description above.

June 30, 2010. Have Some Wheat with Your Vegetables! 5-8 pm. Amber Waves Farm, 375 Main Street  Amagansett, 11930  (Suffolk County). Join Catherine Baldwin and Amanda Merrow for a tour of Amber Waves Farm, whose mission is to provide the local community with both healthy food and an open-air classroom on agricultural sustainability. You’ll learn how they are integrating small-scale wheat production into their vegetable operation, which markets through a CSA and farmers market. You’ll also learn about their Farm to Food curriculum, working with local schools to educate students about healthy food choices, farming and land stewardship, grain growing, and bread making. Bread tasting will also occur! Amber Waves wheat work is funded from a grant by the Baker Foundation. This field day is co-sponsored by NOFA-NY and the Northeast Organic Wheat Project. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

July 6, 2010. Adding Value to Grain—Like Crazy! 4 – 7pm. Oechsner Farms, 1045 Trumbulls Corners Rd. Newfield (Tompkins County). Farmer-entrepreneur Thor Oechsner is growing a wide variety of small grain crops—and pioneering new markets for them. Come take a tour of his fields, where he is growing winter and spring wheat, spelt, three oat varieties, buckwheat, and the ancient grain emmer. We’ll also spend time in his farmyard, where you’ll see the production and seed-cleaning equipment and storage facilities he’s put together to produce and maintain high-quality grains. Thor will also talk about his marketing work, including the flour mill he co-owns, working with a Rochester baker/miller, and developing multiple emmer products. Breads, other baked goods, cooked grains, and pasta will be tasted! This field day is co-sponsored by NOFA-NY and the Northeast Organic Wheat Project. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

July 7, 2010. How to Build a Cheap Walk-in Cooler. 5:30pm – 8pm. St. Lawrence Nurseries, 325 State Hwy 345 Potsdam, NY 13676  (St. Lawrence County). Join nurseryman and engineer Bill MacKentley as he shows off the two climate-cooled coolers on his diverse farmstead. Bill will outline a very simple protocol with which people can build their own inexpensive cooler boxes – without the need for an energy-intensive cooling system. In his coolers, Bill stores thousands of pounds of roots over winter for animal and human consumption. Find out how the coolers relate to the other alternative energy systems on his farm: a windmill, photovoltaics, a wood gasification system, and a super-insulated home. Participants will walk away with an idea of how to construct energy-efficient, inexpensive, underground coolers for their own farm or homestead. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

July 8, 2010 and August 2, 2010. Summer Twilight Series for Commercial Vegetable Growers. 6 – 8p. CCE-Orange and Ulster Counties have organized a series of vegetable twilight meetings for the purpose of updating commercial growers on pest events and best management practices. Cornell University experts and Extension field staff will be on hand to lead discussion and offer recommendations. NYS DEC Recertification Credits have been applied for. July 8 – Tomato Diseases (including Late Blight), 6-8pm in Milton, NY. August 2 – Late Season Vegetable Diseases, 6-8pm in Newburgh, NY. The cost is $15 per program or $35 for all three, if registered by June 4. To register and receive all information and locations, please call Maire Ullrich at 845-344-1234 or Teresa Rusinek at 845-340-3990.

July 8, 2010. Seed Growers Field Day. 8:30am – 12pm. New York Seed Improvement Project (NYSIP) Foundation Seed Barn on Rt. 366 in Ithaca, NY. This annual event, focused on small grains and forages, will feature presentations by people from the research programs of Dr. Mark Sorrells, Dr. Don Viands, Dr. Gary Bergstrom, and Alan Westra. Highlights of the agenda include Small Grain Varieties and Breeding for Quality and Pest Resistance, Certified and Foundation Seed Update, Field Crops Pathology Update, Forage Varieties, Pest Management, and Breeding. DEC and CCA continuing education credits have been applied for. For more information and to register contact Margaret Smith at 607-255-1654 or mes25@cornell.edu, or Larissa Smith at lls14@cornell.edu.

July 8, 2010. Southern Tier Hay Day. 11am – 1pm. Fitzgerald Road, between Mecklenburg and Burdett, just off of State Route 79 (watch for signs along route 79). CCE-Schulyer will host a hay field day featuring the latest in self-propelled choppers, big square balers, rakes and tedders. The field day will be held on Fitzgerald Road, with fields supplied by Taber Hill Farm and Bergen Farm. Demonstrations include mowing, raking, tedding, chopping and baling. Equipment to be demonstrated includes Kuhn’s new big square baler, H&S merger, Claas rake and tedder, New Holland self propelled chopper and a Claas 900 forage harvester. CCE educators will provide information on “Hay-in-a-Day” (wide swathing), Why “Grass is Great”, and the latest research on cutter bar height recommendations. A light lunch will be served at noon. Following the field demonstrations those who are interested can join us for a short tour of Bergen’s Dairy Farm, including the rotary parlor. Sponsored by Monroe Tractor, Lamb & Webster Equipment, Pottinger, and Lakeland Equipment. Reservations are appreciated; contact CCE-Steuben County at 607-664-2300 to make a reservation by July 7.

July 12, 2010. Visit Makinajian Farm & Long Island NOFA-NY Potluck. 5 – 7pm. 276 Cuba Hill Rd, Huntington, NY 11743 (Suffolk County). Visit this diverse, 4 acre certified organic farm, one of the last working farms in Huntington. Two generations of the Makinajian family work together growing organic blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cut flowers, and a wide range of vegetables and herbs, as well as raising laying hens and meat birds for their retail store located on the farm. Join the NOFA-NY Long Island Chapter afterwards as we enjoy Makinajian Farm’s own rotisserie chickens and elect Chapter officers for 2010-2011. Please bring a potluck dish to share. $5 NOFA members, $15 non-members.

July 14, 2010. Northeast Hops Alliance (NeHA) Hop in the Field. 5p. Pedersen Farms, www.pedersenfarms.com , in Seneca Castle, NY. Fee is $15 for NeHA members/$25 for non-NeHA members. Fee includes tour, dinner & Ithaca Beer. For more information about NeHA field days or to register, please visit https://www.northeasthopalliance.org or call 315-684-3001 x 125.

July 15, 2010. Exploring a U-pick Berry CSA. 10:30am – 12:30pm. Kestrel Perch Berries, 220 Rachel Carson Way Ithaca, NY 14850 (Tompkins County). Kestrel Perch Berries offers 200 shareholders in the Ithaca area 6 to 8 weeks of U-pick small fruit (strawberries, red and black raspberries, red and black currants, and gooseberries). “Pay-as-you-go” U-pick extends the season into August and September (blackberries, fall red raspberries). Join fruit farmer Katie Creeger to learn about KPB’s chemical-free berry operation and unique marketing combination of the CSA and U-pick models. Supported by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Project Grant Program. $10 NOFA-NY Members / $20 All Others.

July 22, 2010. Cornell University’s Aurora Farm Field Day. 10am – 3pm, registration at 9a. Musgrave Research Farm, 1256 Poplar Ridge Road, Aurora, NY. An educational program of the Integrated Field Crop, Soil, and Pest Management Program Work Team in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension will be hosting the Aurora Farm Field Day with research demonstrations and presentations of interest to the local farming community. DEC and CCA credits have been applied for. For more information, please contact Larissa Smith at lls14@cornell.edu or 607-255-2177.

July 22, 2010. Pollinators and Pesticides Symposium. 10am – 11:30am, 1pm – 4pm. Alfred State SUNY College of Technology, 10 Upper College Drive, Alfred, NY. A steady decline in pollinator species has been noted for decades. Additionally, the increasing loss of honey bee colonies suffered by the commercial beekeepers that provide pollination services to commercial growers indicates that many food supplies are imperiled. This symposium introduces attendees to some of the recent findings related to honey bee and pollinator losses. Presentations include experts from Pennsylvania State University/Center for Pollinator Research and USDA-ARS Honey Bee Pollination Lab in Tucson, Arizona. This Symposium is Sponsored by Alfred State SUNY College of Technology/Institute for Sustainability; The Western New York Honey Producers Association; The New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group with USDA RMA; and Bee Culture – the Magazine of American Beekeeping. There is no cost to attend; we do however require registration through the New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group at nysawg@gmail.com or 716-316-5839. Include name, affiliation (eg. Grower, researcher/college, beekeeper/organization, etc), and phone # or e-mail address.

July 28, 2010. 4th Annual Biomass Bio-energy Workshop. 9:30am – 3pm. Big Flats Plant Materials Center, 3266 RTE 352 Big Flats, NY (Chemung County). There will be speakers, a wagon tour and demonstrations. Speakers will include representatives of private industry, Cornell University, Penn State University, USDA, and NGOs. Energy crops to be discussed: grasses, willows, hardwood chips, sorghum and canola. There will be a $10.00 charge for lunch. Please call 607-562-8404 for more information.

August 14 & 21, 2010. Master Beekeeper – Apprentice Level Fall Course. 9am – 6pm. The Cornell University Master Beekeeper Program will conduct its one-day Apprentice Level Fall Workshop twice this year. This is a comprehensive course that picks up where the spring class left off. It covers summer, fall and winter management; honey removal, extraction and processing; and IPM for honey bee pests, parasites, pathogens and predators. New beekeepers and experienced beekeepers looking for a refresher course are encouraged to attend. Class includes 2-hours of field work. Cost is $85. A workshop manual and refreshments are provided. The August 14 workshop will be at Dyce Lab, Cornell University, and the August 21 workshop will be at Betterbee, Greenwich, NY. Classes are limited t o24. For registration materials visit https://www.masterbeekeeper.org/masterbeekeeper.htm.

August 16 – 19, 2010. Cornell Soil Health Train-the-Trainer Workshop. This international workshop focuses on measuring soil health and improving soils through holistic soil management. The target audience is professionals working with agricultural and nonagricultural (including urban) soil management issues. The Cornell Soil Health Program has developed cost-effective methods for soil health assessment, targeting important soil processes such as aeration, drainage, root growth, disease pressure, nutrient release, etc. Specific management recommendations are also suggested to address soil health constraints. This intensive soil health workshop will include a mix of classroom training, hands-on laboratory experience, field assessment of soil health, generating the soil health report and its interpretation, and a field trip to local farms to discuss adopted soil health practices. The program is limited to 35 participants. Registration and program information are available at https://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu/extension/events/2010trainer.htm.

August 28, 2010. Northeast Hops Alliance (NeHA) Hop Pickin’ Picnic. 12 – 5pm. Foothill Hops Farm, www.foothillhops.com , in Munnsville, NY. Fee is $10 for NeHA members/$20 for non-NeHA members includes tour, lunch & Empire Brewery Beer. For more information about NeHA field days or to register, please visit https://www.northeasthopalliance.org or call 315-684-3001 x 125.

CAREER ETC. OPPORTUNITIES

Cornell Seeks Antibiotic-Free Beef for Sale to Dining Halls
There is still room for participation in a new education and marketing program. Due to the development of a new natural market, Cornell University Beef Extension program will once again offer a Feedlot and Carcass Value Discovery Program for calves born July-November, 2009. Qualifying cattle from this program will be marketed to Cornell Dinning and receive a $0.17/lb (hot carcass weight) premium. Producers of these calves will receive all feedlot and carcass data such as average daily gain, feed efficiency, market weight, ribeye area, marbling score and backfat. Calves are to be weaned June 1 and delivered to the Cornell Beef Teaching and Research Center in Harford, NY on July 1, 2010. Cattle are not to have been implanted or fed antibiotics (e.g. Rumensin, Bovatec, Aureomycin). Details can be found at: https://www.ansci.cornell.edu/beef/events.html.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

New York NRCS Announces Funding for Conservation Innovation Grants – Pre-proposals, Due June 25

The New York Natural Resources Conservation Service announced the availability of up to $250,000 for funding new technology development. The funding is offered through Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), and offers an opportunity to showcase public-private partnerships and support innovative technologies and approaches to address some of the state’s most pressing natural resource conservation needs. State, tribal, government, non-government, universities, and individuals may apply. Project results are expected to improve and create a transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches into NRCS technical guides or to the private sector. Projects may be single or multi-year, not to exceed three years. Additional information, the Program Announcement, and related forms are located on the web at www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig and at www.grants.gov.  Questions can be directed to Donald Pettit, Assistant State Conservationist at (315) 477-6503 or donald.pettit@ny.usda.gov.

Tree Assistance Program – Sign-Up, Due July 6
USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011. To find a local office, visit https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=ny&agency=fsa.

USDA Offers Payments Through Farm Transition Program
The Transition Incentives Program (TIP), a new program under the Conservation Title of the 2008 Farm Bill, encourages retiring farmers to transition their land to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. If all program requirements are met, TIP provides annual rental payments to the retiring farmer for up to two additional years after the date of the expiration of the Conservation Reserve Program contract. To learn more about program, producers interested in applying and participating in TIP should contact their USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.  To find a local office, visit: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=ny&agency=fsa

USDA Grant for Farmers Markets

The USDA’s Community Facilities Program is awarding grants of $40,000 to $60,000 to communities with a population under 20,000 to install farmers markets, community gardens, and community kitchens. Applications must be submitted within the next two months. For more information about the grants, please visit https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HAD-CF_Grants.html. To find a local office, visit https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?service=page/CountyMap&state=NY&stateName=New%20York&stateCode=36.

RESOURCES

Slide Show Highlights Urban Farmers

This slide show is a tour of some of the country’s most innovative approaches to urban agriculture. These urban farms are training entrepreneurs, teaching kids about farming, and providing food for communities. From indoor fish farms to business training for refugees, enjoy this slide show of 11 pioneers. To view the slide show, visit: https://www.salon.com/food/feature/2010/05/17/community_gardens_slide_show/slideshow.html#.

Online Certification Available for Sheep Quality Assurance
You can now become Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance (SSQA) Level 1 certified from the comfort of your own home. The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) recently released their newly developed online version of this training. The Level 1 training is designed to educate producers on the basics of assuring safety and quality in American lamb products, to describe and define the safety and quality guidelines, and to assure that producers understand the concepts and reasoning behind the development of the guidelines and the importance of their implementation. For more information please visit www.sheepusa.org/Online_Education.

USDA Maps Detail U.S. Local Meat Processing Facilities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a preliminary study to identify areas in the U.S. where small livestock and poultry producers are concentrated but may not have access to a nearby slaughter facility. The data creates a county-by-county view of the continental United States, indicating the concentration of small farms raising cattle, hogs and pigs, and chicken, and also noting the location of nearby state slaughter facilities and small and very small federal slaughter establishments. The presentation is available at www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/KYF_maps-050410_FOR_RELEASE.pdf.

USDA Releases Local Food Systems Report
USDA Economic Research Service (ERR) has just released a new report entitled: “Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts and Issues.” This comprehensive overview of local food systems explores alternative definitions of local food, estimates market size and reach, describes the characteristics of local consumers and producers, and examines early indications of the economic and health impacts of local food systems. It is available online at www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR97/ERR97.pdf.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

Small Farms Program Launches Small Dairy Workteam

This summer the Cornell Small Farms Program will kick off a new statewide work team focusing on small dairy issues in NY. According to the NY Agriculture Statistics Survey, 90% of New York’s dairies contain 200 or fewer cows, and yet this size dairy also has seen the largest exodus from the industry. The new Small Dairy Work Team will build a coalition of a broad spectrum of stakeholders from the industry. Fay Benson, Small Dairy Support Specialist with the Cornell South Central NY Regional Dairy Team, and Matthew Goldfarb, Small Farms Program, will facilitate the Work Team. Support for the Team also comes from Cornell Regional Teams and Cornell ProDairy. This summer the facilitators will establish a leadership team and conduct SWOT analysis of this segment of the industry. They will also host a booth at Empire Farm Days in the Cornell Building, to gather information and suggestions. Stay tuned to more details in upcoming issues of the Update.