June 1st, 8th, 20th | 6:00PM-8:00PM

Coastal Gardening Course (CCE Westchester)

Gardeners are problem-solvers. Our proximity to water bodies such as the Long Island Sound and the Hudson River present area gardeners with a unique opportunity to make wise choices about how we garden, how we enrich our soils and how we keep our nearby fresh and salt waterways healthy.

June 3rd | 9:00AM-3:30PM

Silvopasture Forest Conversion Workshop (CCE Columbia-Greene)

Silvopasture is an Agroforestry Practice of integrating trees, forage, and rotationally grazed livestock into one system.

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia-Greene, Ulster County educators, along with Forester Jeff Jourdain, for a full day of Converting Forest to Silvopasture at the Agroforestry Resource Center. Lunch and handouts are included; part of this workshop is outside, so dress appropriately for the weather.

June 5th | 9:00AM-12:30PM

NYSFOLA Regional Conference

Lower Hudson Lakes' NYS Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) Regional Conference will be held June 5 at Sedgewood Club, on the shore of China Pond in Kent.

Speak with experts. Connect with local lake users. Share ideas and experiences.

Speakers and topics:

• Welcome & NYSFOLA update – Janet Andersen, NYSFOLA Secretary
• Building communities at Peach Lake – Warren Lucas, North Salem Supervisor
• Septic Advances to Safeguard Lake Kitchawan – Tia Trate & Emily Nealon, Woodard &Curran
• Action through Connection – Emily Vail, Executive Director, Hudson River Watershed Alliance
• Native Plants Belong at Your Shoreline – Carolyn Summers, Adjunct Professor, WCC Native Plant Center

June 7th, 13th | 1:00PM-3:00PM

Paint Making with Invasive Plants (CCE Columbia Greene)

Through mini presentations and hands-on paint-making, workshops introduce participants to bird species on farms and invasive plant management that supports their conservation. Participants will take home a bottle of plant paint and a list of low-cost, recycled-material options that allow them to continue paint-making independently.

June 7th | 1:00PM-3:0PM

Past, Present, & Future of Our Forests and What We Can Do for Them (CCE Greene)

Join us for a woodland walk at the Siuslaw Model Forest with a sensory immersion that deeply observes slow processes happening within the forest, while considering the relationship between our own lives, communities, and the forest. We will explore how this relationship can be mutually healing through simple hands-on tasks we can do in our local forests. We'll focus on awareness and the nuances of issues such as invasive species, deer, and forest pests and diseases. This walk will be led by Annabel Roberts-McMichael of Tend & Gather Forestry Practice.

June 16th | 12:00AM-1:00PM

Business Development and Marketing Monthly Webinar Series: Social Media Overview

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension for a Business Development and Marketing Zoom series. These monthly webinars will take place on the third Tuesday of each month and focus on a variety of business development and marketing topics. All sessions will be led by content experts across the Cornell Cooperative Extension system, organizations and businesses which support agricultural operations across New York State.

June 17th | 12:00PM-1:00PM

2026 Cut Flower Webinar Series, Local Cut Flowers for Weddings (Cornell Cut Flower Program Work Team)



Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Cut Flower Program Work Team invites cut flower growers to join a free monthly webinar series focused on practical, research-based strategies to support successful production. Sessions are held throughout 2026 and cover a wide range of topics relevant to both new and experienced growers. All webinars will be recorded.

June 18th | 4:30PM-6:30PM

Rooted in Sustainability: Perennial Cut Flower Production at Vanishing Point Farm (CCE Ulster)

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County for an evening workshop at Vanishing Point Farm focused on sustainable approaches to perennial cut flower production. This program will offer participants a firsthand look at how perennial plants can be incorporated into a cut flower operation to support long-term productivity, biodiversity, and a distinctive floral product mix.

June 23rd | 5:30PM-7:30PM

Pond Management a General Overview (CCE Columbia Greene)

Are you interested in ponds? Join us at the Siuslaw Model Forest for an introduction to pond management and to learn the importance of ponds within the landscape. We’ll start in the classroom to discuss pond features, pond watersheds, basic ecology, and identify management goals. Afterward, we’ll walk to our ponds, and together we’ll apply what we have learned to perform an annual inspection while learning how ponds are influenced by their surrounding environment. Learn the basics to keep your pond resilient!

June 24th | 1:00PM-4:30PM

Value-Added Food Production 101: From Product Safety to Business Growth (CCE Ulster)

Are you interested in starting a value-added food business or taking the next step with a food product idea? Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County for an in-person educational program designed for beginning food entrepreneurs, aspiring food processors, and producers exploring value-added food production.

This workshop will help participants better understand key considerations involved in developing, producing, and growing a food product business.

June 24th | 5:00PM-7:00PM

Outdoor Mushroom Farming Series (CCE Columbia Greene)

Ready to set up your mushroom skills and turn that knowledge into a business? Join us at the Agroforestry Resource Center to learn what it takes. During this class, participants will receive shiitake business planning resources with detailed guidance on how to apply that knowledge to your farm. Many different revenue streams associated with mushroom cultivation will be discussed, and how to market your mushrooms.

June 24th | 6:00PM-7:00PM

Introduction to Disease and Insect Scouting Workshop (CCE Dutchess)

Getting ready for the growing season? Interested in learning more about pests and diseases? Join us at the Farm and Home Center on June 24th for a workshop covering disease and insect scouting! We will be discussing scouting plans, disease and pest symptoms and signs, integrated pest management plans, and more!

Application Period | March 16th-June 14th

2026 Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program

$1.7 Million Available for New York Beginning Farmers. New York Farm Viability Institute is pleased to announce that the 2026 NYS Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program (BFCG) is now open as of March 16. The BFCG is a competitive funding opportunity administered in partnership with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The program will provide 1.7 million to support beginning farmers in building financially sustainable, independent, commercial agricultural enterprises throughout New York State. Total Funding Available: $1,700,000. Required Match: 5%.

Deadline | September 26th

RFA 0331: New York State Grown & Certified Cooperative Marketing Program

The Department, with partial funding through a grant/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service, invites to apply for funding through the New York State Grown & Certified Cooperative Marketing Program. Funding will help increase producer sales through marketing and promotion efforts. A total of $500,000 in funding is available. Funding requests shall not exceed $10,000. Awards will be distributed for new marketing and promotional projects that create lasting and meaningful exposure of NYS G&C to consumers. Applicants must participate in the NYS G&C program and have signed a licensing agreement. 

Deadline | October 1st

Ken and Jean Royer Family Fund: Retail Florist Education Travel Grant Application

Applicants must be owners, managers, or employees of traditional retail florists with a brick-and-mortar storefront and MUST be requesting this grant as a First Time Attendee of a regional, state, or national conference/event. Applications for this travel grant must be for an industry event in the coming year. (For example, apply in 2024 for travel in 2025.)The grant will be made as a reimbursement after the event is attended. Examples of eligible opportunities include the below venues as long as they provide retail related business educational sessions as part of the conference/agenda. Grant Assistance Contact: cmusgrove@afeendowment.org

Deadline | Rolling Application

John May Farm Safety Fund 

The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) John May Farm Safety Fund provides financial help to New York farmers to improve work-related safety on their farms. Applications are awarded on a first-come first-serve basis. Awards may not exceed 50% of the estimated cost for the project and the maximum award amount is $5,000

Deadline | Rolling Application

American Farmland Trust: National Grant for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers

The Brighter Future Fund National Grant for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers was launched in 2020 to assist farmers in successfully launching, growing, and sustaining farms in the face of forces impacting the food and agricultural system, including the COVID-19 pandemic, changing markets, severe weather, and climate change. A major commitment of this program is to uplift, support, and amplify the work of a wide range of farmers. Funding will be allocated to help farmers improve farm viability; access, transfer, or permanently protect farmland; or adopt regenerative agricultural practices.