Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Committee

Ed Merry

Chris Comstock

Allison Lavine

Emily Brennan

Charles J Susick II

Kevin Peterson

Joe Castrechino

Arkport

Bath

Savona

Avoca

Bath

Corning

Prattsburgh

Legislative Representatives

Hilda Lando

Fred Potter

Steuben County Dairy Festival Saturday June 1st!

June is National Dairy Month! Come out and have some local fun tomorrow! Check out the activities of the day here.

Agriculture is an important part of Steuben County. Support your local dairy farmers by purchasing local liquid milk! Although June is Dairy Month, remember to support your local Dairies ALL year round.

Check out this easy resource on how to find out if your milk is locally produced!

Fruit Picking Season is Coming Quickly!

Remember to check out all the u-pick options on Finger Lakes Farm Country!

From lunch at a restaurant offering farm-to-table to various on farm experiences, you can plan a fun day centered around Steuben County Agriculture right from Finger Lakes Farm Country.

During early summer through fall, specifically look for Steuben County fruit farms to support these local agriculture businesses during their growing season!

2024 Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Rates

Almost daily, Cornell Cooperative Extension receives calls and requests for average rates in our region for land rents and custom harvest activities. CCE put together a survey, funded by New York Farm Viability Institute, to help provide regionally accurate answers to these important questions.

Please fill this survey out to help provide us with the most current information!

We will add additional information, resources, and survey results on this page throughout the Spring of 2024!

If you have any concerns, please email landrental@cornell.edu or contact Katelyn Walley kaw249@cornell.edu or Nicole Tommell nt375@cornell.edu.

Broiler Field Day at Sunny Cove Farm

Poultry is a low-cost farm enterprise with a short turn-around that holds potential to be a profitable business venture. Many beginning farmers are choosing to start with poultry, but may have questions including: what it takes to raise them; if they should process themselves or send them out to a certified processor; how to add value to a whole chicken; and is raising chickens something that can be profitable for me?

This workshop will provide farmers the tools to answer these questions. The workshop is being hosted at Sunny Cove farm, a farm that raises small batches of organic pasture-raised broilers, and processes them on-farm under the 1,000 bird exemption.

The program will be from 5pm - 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 6, 2024, and will cover the following:

Farmer Meghan introduces the farm and how she raises broilers.
Review of financial considerations for broiler enterprises, and what it takes to make a profit.
Tour of Meghan's processing set-up, including a discussion about food safety.
Hands-on further processing demonstration (taking a carcass into cuts allowed under the 1,000 bird exemption).

All who are interested in raising or are currently raising poultry for meat are welcome to register for this free event. Pre-registrations are required to ensure we have enough broilers for the cut-up demonstration and print-outs for all. you can register via this page or by contacting Kelly at 585-268-7644 ext 10 or klb288@cornell.edu.

Please bring your questions. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

These programs are provided free of charge thanks to work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LNE22-435.

GAPs Online Course

GAPs Online Produce Safety Course schedule

June 5- June 25, 2024
August 7 - August 27, 2024
October 9 - October 29, 2024

Course Registration

More Course Information

PRODUCE SAFETY ALLIANCE GROWER TRAINING

Note: Online delivery course is a three-week course that can be completed at your own pace. The online course is expected to take 15-30 hours for successful completion.

Indoor Mushroom Cultivation, Post-Harvest Handling, and Food Safety

Date: June 6, 2024

Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: Flat #12 Mushrooms

37 Chandler St

Buffalo, NY 14127

This workshop is intended for mushroom producers and those considering mushroom production. Hosted by CCE Wyoming County, the workshop includes a tour and discussion of Flat #12 Mushrooms production process, from substrate to sales, including their food safety plan creation, implementation, and the audit process. Alternative production methods will also be discussed.

SPEAKERS:

Robbie Giannada and Staff - Flat #12 Mushrooms Tour and discussion of cultivation methods, food safety plan creation, implementation, and the audit process.
Robert Hadad and Lori Koenick - CCE Cornell Vegetable Program - Intro to Food Safety Certification / GAPS Mushroom/ other certifications.
Mark Scarpena- New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Produce Safety/Food Inspector - Food safety presentation and input on food safety from inspection viewpoint.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Community Mushroom Educators Don Gasiewicz and Lori Koenick - lead discussion, planning future mushroom workshops.

COST:

$10/farm. Register online, by calling 585-786-2251, email Don Gasiewicz.

Click the document below to access the full HPAI Factsheet from the Institute for Food Safety

NYS Ag and Markets Shares USDA Recommendations to Minimize Influenza Transmission at Dairy Cattle Livestock Exhibitions

NYS IPM Dairy and Livestock Pest N ews Blog!

Southwest Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team

Learn more to help you manage your livestock!

This new resource will address potential pest issues that impact dairy and livestock, providing you with valuable insights and solutions. Stay updated with the latest research findings, real-time pest issues throughout the season, and IPM strategies specifically designed to manage flies, ticks, lice, and mites that affect livestock.

Looking for Pesticide Credits?

Remember to always refer to NYSPAD! All opportunities with credits must be registered so you can search upcoming opportunity in Steuben and other nearby Counties to find ones that fits your schedule most conveniently!

Access the NYSPAD Bureau of Pesticides Management - Information Portal

If you need help contact CCE Agriculture Dept, 607-664-2574.

Steuben County will be offering a Field Crops event with Pesticide Credits in Fall 2024 and a Small Fruits Event in June 2024 also offering credits.

Agritourism Workshops Monthly!

Are you thinking of starting an agritourism business or are you currently operating one?

Join the monthly lunch-hour, workshop virtual series and learn how to grow your agritourism business!

Each session will focus on specific topic to help aspiring agritourism entrepreneurs grow their knowledge and profit through this exciting on-farm business.

Pre-registration Required: Register for the Zoom Webinar here!

Price: Free

All workshops will be recorded and links shared. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Sponsor: Cornell Cooperative Extension Agritourism Program Work Team

Past topics and recordings

2024 Schedule:

January 9: Agritourism for Maple Syrup Operations

February 13: Grants for Agritourism Operations

March 12: Staffing your Agritourism Operation

April 9: Working with your Local Tourism Office

May 14: Overview of Agritourism Business Plan in AgPlan

June 11: How To's: Livestock Operations (not a petting zoo)

July 9: Urban Agritourism

August 13: TBA

September 10: Handling Difficult Customers

October 8: Creating Value-Added

Items/Experiences

November 12: Implementing Outdoor Recreation on the Farm

Please contact Lindsey Pashow lep67@cornell.edu or 518-569-3073 with any questions.

Are you thinking about starting a small farm? Do you already have a farm that you're looking to expand? Invest in your professional development and you'll see the returns in your business. Cornell Small Farms Program offers in-person trainings, workshops, and online courses for aspiring, new and experienced farmers.

Some options for 2024 are listed below, and you can read more and enroll HERE.

Dairy Market Watch

The most recent Dairy Market Watch can be accessed here . Past Dairy Market Watch issues can be accessed here.

Dairy Market Watch is an educational newsletter to keep producers informed of changing market factors affecting the dairy industry. Dairy Market Watch is published at the end of every month, funded in part by Cornell Pro-Dairy, and is compiled by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Business Management Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Program.

For those that get printed newsletters, it is included as an insert with each edition.

Interested in NYSERDA’s Agriculture Programs?

Below you will find a brief overview of these 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, you can scan the QR code on the image above, or click here: Agriculture Energy Assistance - NYSERDA.

Thank you so much for your support in ensuring the viability and growth of New York's agriculture!

New York Invasive Species Awareness Week!

June 3rd-June 9th

Invasive Species Awareness Week 2024 in the Finger Lakes

Join us in celebrating NY Invasive Species Awareness Week!

Invasive Species Awareness Week is back and better than ever! See our lineup of events to find out what is going on in your area and how you can participate! Email gallo@hws.edu with any questions.

What's Bugging You?

Join Live, on the first Friday of every month from Noon to 12:30 EST on Zoom.

Each month, experts will share practical information and answer questions on using integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. We’ll end with an IPM Minute and cover a specific action you can take in the next few days to help you avoid pest problems.

Watch the past Event presentations Here. Register for the 2024 events Here.

The 2024 What’s Bugging You First Friday schedule is now available on the program’s website, and you can register for multiple events using our registration form. We look forward to seeing you in 2024!

June 7^th: Tick & Mosquito Yard Treatments | Myth: Mosquito Repellent Plants

July 5^th: Japanese Beetle Management | Aphid-Eating Insects

August 2^nd: Spotted Lanternfly Update | Box Tree Moth Update

September 6^th: Back to School: Bed Bugs | Head Lice

October 4^th: Identifying Pests in Your Home

November 1^st: 2024 Tick Blitz Results | No Spray Needed

December 6^th: Feed the Birds | Repurposing a Holiday Tree

Dear Readers,

FLFC is a collaborative effort between the regional CCE offices and their respective counties' visitor centers. You may have seen the logo or heard of the Agritourism Trail project in the last year or so. We are continually building and adding visitor information to the website at no cost to you. If you are interested in having your farm listed on the site, please complete the survey or reach out to Kevin Peterson, contact information below.

Did You Know?

Finger Lakes Farm Country is a regional agritourism program that combines agriculture and tourism to promote the abundance of agricultural resources in the southern Finger Lakes. Through a collaborative approach to marketing and promotion, the program creates a memorable brand for agritourism attractions and businesses in the area, while showcasing educational and recreational activities for visitors to the region.

In an effort to sustain local farms and create an environment for entrepreneurism, Finger Lakes Farm Country will promote the region’s abundant agritourism resources through a variety of marketing strategies. The Finger Lakes Farm Country region includes the counties of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Yates.

Interested in Joining?

Complete this survey

If you have questions about Finger Lakes Farm Country please contact Kevin Peterson: kpeterson@corningfingerlakes.com or call 607-936-6544