Steuben's County Profile from the USDA's Census of Agriculture 2022 is now available. Review the whole document by clicking the image below.

On June 4th and 5th, 2024, Steuben County Agriculture in the Classroom held its inaugural farm tour at Damin Farms LLC in Prattsburgh, New York. Hundreds of students had the opportunity to extend their year-long classroom learning experience to the farm.

Agricultural experts volunteered their time to host various activities for the students during the tour. Students observed dairy farm operations, visited with a miniature horse, held baby chicks and ducks, built seed bombs to help pollinators, learned which factories produce their favorite dairy products and so much more.



This event was made possible through the partnership and support of Damin Farms LLC, Prattsburgh FFA, Larry Romance & Son Inc., Empire Livestock LLC, Steuben Farm Bureau, Dairy Farmers of America, NYS 4-H Horse Program, CCE Southwest Regional Livestock and Dairy Team, Prattsburgh Library, NYS DEC, Southern Finger Lakes SNAP-ED Program, New York State Dairy in the Classroom, and the programs and staff at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County.

Fruit Picking Season is in Full Swing!

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!

Women For the Land Workshop: Sustainable Poultry Production

July 12^th, 10am – 3pm at Boston Valley Farms, Hamburg, NY

If you identify as a women in agriculture, you’re welcome to join us for an upcoming discussion circle on sustainably raising chickens for meat. We’ll cover topics including production, troubleshooting pests and disease, and processing (including a live demonstration). Cornell Extension poultry specialist Amy Barkley will guide us in selecting the right breeds, establishing ecologically beneficial production, troubleshooting pests & diseases, and processing. We will tour a 5A-certified on-farm processing center and watch a demonstration.

The event is free, and lunch is included.

Register here. (In cooperation with the American Farmland Trust)

Led by Cornell Cooperative Extension poultry specialist Amy Barkley and farmer Kate Geiger; facilitated by American Farmland Trust NY's Women for the Land Program Associate, Caitlin Tucker, CCA.

Questions? Contact Stephanie Castle

518-702-7203

email Stephanie Castle

Cornell Seed Growers Field Day

When: July 2, 2024

Location:

NYSIP Foundation Seed Barn

791 Dryden Road, Route 366

Ithaca, NY 14853

Host: Cornell Seed Growers

The Cornell Seed Growers Field Day to be held the morning of July 2^nd. The event will be held at the NYSIP Foundation Seed Barn, 791 Dryden Rd., Rt. 366, Ithaca, NY.

8:30-8:55 am:  Registration, coffee, & networking

8:55 am:  Begin tour

9:00-10:15 am:  Small Grains: Breeding for Quality and Disease Resistance (Mark Sorrells) 

• White and red winter wheat varieties 

• Spring oat and spring barley varieties 

• High quality spring and winter malting barley varieties for NY 

• Free-threshing emmer and spelt varieties

• Potential new hul-less oat variety release

• Update on certified seed inventory by crop (RJ Richtmyer)

10:15-10:35 am: Explaining the Birds and Bees Act and how it will impact neonicotinoid seed treatments in NYS (Alejandro Calixto)

10:35am -12:00 pm:  Forages, cover crops, pulse and industrial hemp 

• Pre-breeding diverse alfalfa germplasm from the USDA gene bank (Virginia Moore)

• Breeding alfalfa for compatibility with intermediate wheatgrass in a dual-purpose grain-forage system (Leah Treffer)

• Forage yield trial updates (Julie Hansen)

• Cover crop breeding updates (Solveig Hanson)

• Pulse crop update: lentil seeding rate & grain pea variety evaluations (Solveig Hanson)

• Hemp fiber variety evaluation (Luis Monserrate)

12:00 pm: Adjourn

DEC and CCA education credits will be requested   

Contacts: Alan Taylor (315-521-0439), agt1@cornell.edu) and Margaret Smith (607-255-1654, mes25@cornell.edu) 

GAPs Online Course

GAPs Online Produce Safety Course schedule 

• 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.

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.

Immediate change to NY breast milk expression in the workplace law

Important message from NYS Department of Labor follows, please update your employee policies accordingly.

As of June 19, 2024, employers must provide employees with 30 minutes of paid break time when employees need to express breast milk. Prior to this change, the break time could be unpaid. All employees have the right to express breast milk in the workplace regardless of the size of their employer.

Read the full article here.

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.

Contact us now: 800-732-1399

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

Ag Energy NY website has been updated making it easier to access guidance for different types of farm's needs!

Now offering one-on-one consultations for all your ag energy needs, including Solar and Wind Energy! If you are thinking about leasing land to alternative energy, set up a consultation to learn more about how your decisions impact you in the long run!

Contact Gabriel Gurley, rg523@cornell.edu for assistance and additional information!

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!

July 5^th: Japanese Beetle Management | Aphid-Eating Insects (This will not be live due to the Holiday. The pre-recorded session will be posted to YouTube during the normal broadcast time (12 pm on 7/5).)

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

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County 

20 East Morris Street | Bath, New York 14810

607-664-2300  |  smw272@cornell.edu  |  PutKnowledgeToWork.org

Cornell Cooperative Extension puts knowledge to work in pursuit of economic vitality,

ecological sustainability and social well-being. We bring local experience and

research based solutions together, helping New York State families and

communities thrive in our rapidly changing world.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

CCE does not endorse or recommend any specific product or service.

This newsletter is solely intended to educate consumers about their choices.