In consideration of the number of Northeast farmers selling their beef product directly to the public, and those consumers being especially interested in local sourcing of their food, the national beef checkoff has just launched the Northeast Beef Directory through a partnership with the Virginia Beef Industry Council. This new website, includes robust educational resources that inform consumers about their options for choosing beef.
Maple Weekends will be on March 18-19 and March 25-26, 2017 from 10am-4pm each day presented by the New York State Maple Producers Association. About 110 maple producers across New York will be hosting open houses for the public to see how maple syrup and other related products are made. Maple weekends take place regardless of the weather, so please dress accordingly for your visit.
Admission is FREE! Come have fun and do some tasting at this family-oriented event.
The first place winner of the 2017 New York Farm Bureau Agricultural Youth Scholarship is Carolyn Wright of Franklinville, NY. She is a member of Cattaraugus County Farm Bureau in District 1 and will receive a $1,500 scholarship from New York Farm Bureau. Wright grew up on her family’s dairy farm and maple operation. Recently, she was the Western New York Maple Ambassador where she spent the year promoting maple syrup. She has also been very active in FFA.
The Cornell University Institute for Climate Smart Solutions has developed a new Apple Freeze Risk decision tool to help growers assess precarious temperatures in turbulent springs.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in partnership with the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI), is now accepting applications for projects to utilize up to $600,000 under the Specialty Crop Block Grant program through a competitive bid process. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Moore’s Sugar Shack is now open. They offer all you can eat delicious - hot buttermilk pancakes and fresh maple syrup! They are located on 10444 Galen Hill Road, Freedom, NY
BF 152: Introduction to Maple Syrup Production, is an online course from the Cornell Small Farms Program January 17 – February 21, with webinars each Tuesday evening from 6:00 – 7:30pm EST.
PRO-DAIRY in partnership with DAIRYBUSINESS & HOLSTEIN WORLD magazine has launched a new weekly webinar series each Thursday from 12:30 to 1:15 pm EST. Registration is not required. Click on the Dairy Webinars section of PRO-DAIRY’s website to join. Each webinar is approved for one continuing education unit (CEU) from the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).
Woodland log-grown mushrooms are a relatively new, niche crop in New York. The Cornell Small Farms Program announced a new two year project funded through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant to support the development of this new niche crop in New York State; log grown shitake mushrooms. The crop is positioned for adoption by farmers who are interested in developing diversified niche crops on their farm.
The main goals of the Kids Growing Food Mini Grant are to increase appreciation and understanding of agriculture, nutrition, and the food systems by getting students involved in food gardening at school. Also, to create "garden classrooms" that provide authentic experiences and help educators meet New York State and Common Core Learning Standards.
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