Fire Safety in Farm-Provided Employee Housing

By Jay Canzonier, Employee Housing Specialist, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development

Are your resident employees prepared for fire? Are you?

Having an emergency plan and proper fire safety equipment in your farm-provided employee housing can save lives. The risk of fire in a dwelling occupied by multiple people in an unfamiliar setting, combined with the complexity of residents working multiple shifts, sharing cooking facilities and maintenance responsibilities, increases the need to plan and prepare for fire emergencies. You can greatly reduce risk by breaking fire safety into these five integral parts:

Awareness: What is your risk, your readiness, and your plan in the event of a fire?

• Educate residents on what could potentially start a fire, and the dangers involved with a fire.

• Communicate what to do in the event of an emergency, there should be no delay when calling for help.

• Provide emergency contact information, post 911 and other important numbers in visible locations.

• Post 911 address inside dwelling, and outside in a location visible from street.

• Identify at least two exit points from each room.

• Keep all hallways and exit routes clear.

• Maintain a list of all occupants for accountability in the event of a fire.

Prevention: What do you do to minimize the probability and impact of a fire? What don’t you do?

• Never leave cooking unattended.

• Always dispose of smoking materials (including cigarettes) properly. Or don’t smoke inside house.

• Avoid using portable space heaters. Clean heating appliances, chimneys, oven, and dryer vents regularly.

• Ensure that all appliances and extension cords are UL listed. Avoid using power strips and multi-outlet to single plug adapters.

• Do not charge Ebikes indoors.

Detection: Do you have properly installed, operational smoke alarms and carbon monoxide sensors?

• Discuss the importance of alarms with residents.

• Familiarize residents with basic operation and what to do if an accidental alarm sounds.

• When possible, use 10-year sealed battery detectors to alleviate tampering.

• Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at least twice a year.

• Recommendations for type and placement of alarms and sensors are listed below.

Alarm: Do your residents know what to do if alarm system sounds? Do they have a plan and have they practiced it?

• Carefully check for fire and smoke. Pay attention to smells and check each door for high temperatures with the back of a hand before opening it.

•  If there is smoke, cover nose and mouth with a cloth and keep close to the ground while evacuating.

• Have an escape plan, and a designated meeting place.

• If fire isn’t found, have a knowledgeable person check the batteries in the smoke alarms.

• If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, evacuate the building and call 911.

Suppression: Have you supplied your residents with properly rated fire extinguishers or installed a sprinkler system?

• Fire extinguishers should be provided and stored in a readily accessible location not more than 100 feet from each housing unit. Fire extinguishers must provide protection equal to a 2 1/2-gallon stored pressure water extinguisher or a 5 Lb. Type ABC extinguisher.

• Discuss what conditions would be safe to suppress a fire, and what conditions warrant immediate evacuation.

• Demonstrate proper use of fire extinguisher.

1. Pull pin.

   1. Aim nozzle at base of fire.

   2. Squeeze handle to discharge contents.

   3. Sweep stream to cover burning material completely.

Smoke Alarms are the first step in a fire escape plan.

Smoke spreads fast, properly selected, located, and maintained smoke alarms give residents an early warning so they can get out quickly. The following recommendations for placement and types of smoke alarms are based on the most recent requirements from New York State Uniform Fire and Building Code.

Smoke alarms should be located:

1. On the ceiling or wall outside each separate sleeping area or bedroom. (If within 10 feet of each door, can be combined CO detector)

2. In each room used for sleeping purposes. (bedrooms)

3. In each story within a dwelling unit, including basements.

4. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet from the stove.

5. Smoke alarms should not be installed less than 3 feet horizontally from the door or opening of a bathroom that contains a bathtub or a shower.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors:

1. One carbon monoxide detector on each floor containing a fuel burning appliance.

2. At least 1 on each story that contains a sleeping area or bedroom.

3. More than 1 should be installed to ensure no sleeping area is more than 10’ from a carbon monoxide detector.

4. A carbon monoxide detector should be installed in each sleeping area that contains a carbon monoxide sou

Raspberry & Blackberry Pest and Disease Alerts

Our friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension share these tips for managing pests and diseases in raspberry and blackberry during this unusually wet summer.

Tarnished plant (lygus) bug levels are high in caneberries. We’re also seeing some damage to cut flowers following feeding on buds.  Insect feeding through buds, in open blooms, or on developing fruits stunts berries. Cornell Guidelines suggest a threshold of 10-20% infested canes. In caneberries Assail, Befenture 10DF, carbaryl/Sevin, Danitol, are labeled; Brigade DF can be used in caneberries but isn’t labeled for TPB but will provide incidental control used for other labeled pests (Brigade also has a supplemental label in NY for spotted-wing drosophila). In organic production Mycotrol, Grandevo, PFR-97 and PyGanic are labeled, but emphasize good weed management. (This information is from Dan Gilrein, CCE Suffolk.)

Spur blight (Didymella applanata) has unsurprisingly reappeared in many cane berry plantings. This fungal disease loves the wet humid weather we are having. Dense plantings usually have problems even in dry years, but this year even well-pruned plantings may see this disease. Chocolate brown to purple blotches appear at the buds of canes. This results in weak or no growth from those buds and an overall lack of vigor. 

Prune and destroy diseased canes before next spring. There are plenty of fungicides labeled for this disease but take care when applying at this time of year, especially in hot weather. You can get foliar burn from some of the pesticides. The best time for control is delayed dormant in the spring. 

Cane blight (Leptosphaeria coniothyrium) are similar in appearance to spur blight, but the lesions can be found all along the cane. Often the two diseases appear together. Cane blight is more common in black and purple raspberries, but can also infect red raspberries. Prune and destroy infected canes asap. Best control comes from delayed dormant sprays of lime sulfur. 

What You Need to Do for a Successful Blueberry Harvest This Summer

Our friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension have shared these important tips for ensuring the success of this season’s blueberry crop.

Blueberry harvest is underway and looks surprisingly good in most places – despite the May freeze, early drought, and occasional hail events around the region. Fruit is sizing very well and plant growth is great – these plants LOVE all this rain! But unexpected weather is when you will discover how effective your disease management program was.

Anthracnose fruit rot (Colletotrichum acutatum) is widely apparent in plantings. This disease should be prophylactically sprayed before and during bloom. You can spray now in hopes that you can thwart the spread of the disease, but look carefully at the REI and days to harvest all chemicals.   

This disease will present as a sunken spot on the fruit. In this humid weather, you will undoubtedly see the pink-orange fruiting spores that will grow on the sunken areas. Make a note to focus on next season to control this disease.

Mummyberry (Monilinia vacinii-corymbosi) is less widely apparent, but definitely out there. Mummyberry spores can be moved by pollinators, so even if you’ve never dealt with this disease before, there is always a chance. That is why we encourage growers to manage for it, despite the history in your own patch. This disease is controlled at the vegetative green tip – so pretty early in the spring. 

Blueberry tip borer moth (Hendecaneura shawiana) is a pest that we are seeing much more frequently than in the past. The pest doesn’t damage the fruit from this season. But the overall impact is more significant. The moth lays eggs in the tip of the newest canes, causing the cane to abort vertical growth and branch much lower than it normally would. This means that there is less opportunity for overall growth, the fruiting wood is too low, and over time the plant becomes less productive due to the architectural change. 

The small brown moth lays eggs in June, which hatch in July. The larvae drill down several inches, causing distortion and then death of the shoot tip. This flagging can look something like canker, but it’s more localized to the top 6” of the shoot. There are no labeled conventional insecticides. Use azadirachtin and pyrethrin products at petal fall for control.  

Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) have started feeding on blueberry foliage. I’ve yet to get a report of fruit feeding, but that is when they become a problem worthy of spraying. Despite the foliar damage, they usually don’t do lasting damage to the plant. There are many pesticides that can be used on this insect, but don’t pull the trigger unless you really need to and make sure to read the label for Days to harvest. 

Canker diseases (Fusicoccum putrefaciens and Phomopsis vacinii) are exhibiting the tell-tale cane flagging. New shoots will wilt rapidly and die back from the tip towards the crown. Healthy vigorous canes will wilt and collapse. When you see this happen in an otherwise perfectly healthy plant, the likelihood is high that it’s canker. Fusicoccum canker forms bulls-eye type lesions on the stem, which is another diagnostic help. Prune the dead out as it appears and make a note to use a delayed dormant spray next spring.  

Spotted Wing Drosophila First Trap Catch in Some ENY Counties This Week

Photo by Katja Schulz, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

By Mike Basedow, CCE-ENYCHP, Eastern New York

Spotted wing drosophila first trap catch is showing up in a handful of ENY counties this week. Counties reporting first catch in our region include Columbia County, Rensselaer county, Saratoga County, Washington County, and Essex County. Cherries and peaches will be at risk once they’ve begun to blush or soften. Spotted wing can be managed using a combination of cultural and chemical practices. You will need to be diligent.

Excellent sanitation will reduce SWD populations. Fruit should be harvested frequently and completely to prevent the buildup of ripe and over-ripe fruit. Unmarketable fruit should be removed from the field and either frozen, “baked” in clear plastic bags placed in the sun, or disposed of in bags off-site. This will kill larvae, remove them from your crop, and prevent them from emerging as adults.

Cool fruit immediately. Chilling immediately after harvest to 32° – 34° F will slow or stop the development of larvae and eggs in the fruit. U-Pick customers should be encouraged to refrigerate fruit immediately to maintain fruit quality at home.

An open canopy will make the environment less favorable. Prune to maintain an open canopy, increase sunlight and reduce humidity. This will make plantings less attractive to SWD and will improve spray coverage. Repair leaking drip lines and avoid overhead irrigation when possible. Allow the ground to dry before irrigating.

Insecticide sprays will kill SWD adults and thereby reduce egg laying. Insecticide treatments should begin at first SWD trap catch when highly susceptible fruit crops begin ripening. Insecticides should be re-applied at least every seven days and more often in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides with pre-harvest intervals that work for your picking schedule. Rotate insecticides according to their modes of action. The spray guide quick sheets for SWD can be found here.

You can also learn more about regional monitoring efforts for spotted wing, as well as tips for management of this pest, on the NYS IPM SWD webpage.

Help Farm Employees “Sleep for Success!”

By Jay Canzonier, Housing Management Specialist, Cornell Ag Workforce Development

June 21 marks the first day of summer and longest day of the year. A glorious day and evening for barbeques and corn hole tournaments…unless you are working the night shift. Our co-workers who brave the dark during their workday have a much different outlook on the sunlight looking in while they try to sleep.

In the darkness of evening and as you enter sleep, your body produces melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone which regulates your body’s circadian rhythms, your natural sleep-wake cycle. By morning light your body begins to suppress melatonin by elevating levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone which plays a significant role in waking up. Exposure to light helps your body figure out when it’s time to sleep, and time to wake up. Light, whether it be natural sunlight or artificial, disrupts the creation of melatonin. This disruption cues your internal body clock to be awake and active, making it difficult to enter a restful sleep.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep daily. A lack of sleep can lead to decreased energy, delayed reaction times, increased anxiety, inability to process information quickly, and many more side effects that decrease productivity at work and overall quality of life. Long term sleep deprivation can contribute to more severe chronic health risks including anxiety, coronary heart disease, depression, obesity, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes just to name a few. Inadequate sleep can be a key contributor in work related accidents.

Working the night shift causes your body to get out of its natural sleeping rhythms by requiring you to be alert when the light cycle programs it to be sleeping. Conversely, when you go home after a night shift, your internal body clock and exposure to daylight tells your body to be awake and active. There are sleep hygiene tactics that can be used to help your body minimize the effects of an opposite sleep schedule resulting from night duty. Tools to make your sleep time more pleasant and productive include:

• Wear dark sunglasses to suppress light when leaving the workplace in the morning. Even if it is a short exposure, minimizing the effect of sunlight on your body can have an impact on how quickly you enter a restful sleep, and how long you sleep.

• Use blackout curtains in sleeping rooms to eliminate sunlight during the sleep time. Blackout curtains are fabric drapes or shades that cover the window completely, eliminating all light from entering the sleeping area. Note that these will be labeled differently from other drapes and shades which may be only “light filtering.” Blackout curtains help create a dark environment that mimics nighttime, your body will produce melatonin and lead to a longer and more refreshing quality of sleep.

• Eliminate sources of “blue light” from electronic devises within the sleeping area. Blue light decreases the production of melatonin, making sleep incredibly difficult particularly when working the night shift.

• When possible, align work shifts with sleeping shifts in employee housing. Doing so can minimize daytime disturbances in the sleeping area and accommodate the sleeping needs and preferences of the night shift workers.

These strategies are affordable and simple ways to improve sleep quality, overall health, safety, and productivity. Maintaining your body’s natural circadian rhythm is an essential building block in overall health and quality of life. By sharing this information with our night shift workers and providing them with the necessary tools, we can help those who work while we sleep…sleep while we work.

This link is to an informative website and short video on the importance of sleep and how it affects performance. Dr. James B. Maas was a professor at Cornell University for more than 48 years and is famous for coining the term “power nap.”

State Agriculture Commissioner Tours Frost-Damaged Vineyards

By New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Unseasonable weather significantly impacted grape growers and other fruit and vegetable crops across the state

STEUBEN CO., N.Y. — State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball on Friday joined state and local leaders, representatives from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, New York Farm Bureau, the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (USDA FSA), Empire State Development, and Cornell Cooperative Extension to tour several vineyards in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions impacted by a recent freeze. The group visited with grape growers in Steuben, Schuyler, and Seneca Counties to assess the damage in the region and better understand the outlook and plan for recovery.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Our grape growers haven’t seen frost conditions this late in the season in decades, particularly in the counties we visited.  The situation has been compounded by the fact that our growers also faced weather-related challenges last year. It is imperative that we do everything we can to help all grape growers across the State who saw damage to their crops, as well as our other fruit and vegetable growers across the State, to secure the assistance they need to overcome this challenging time. We will continue to work closely with our partners to advocate for assistance to help alleviate the current burden and any long-term economic effects of this damaging severe weather event.”

According to the Department’s Division of Emergency Management and Cornell Cooperative Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), during the reporting period of May 15 to 25, 2023, New York State experienced extremely low temperatures, which resulted in frost damage to a number of crops throughout many regions of New York State.  In addition to the reports of damage to vineyards in the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley, there are reports of crop damage to other commodities in several other regions, including the North Country, Central New York, Capital Region, and Hudson Valley areas.

While Cornell Cooperative Extension continues to survey vineyards and other farms in the area to get a complete picture of the extent of the damage, the USDA FSA offices are standing by to assist growers. FSA staff across the area are already working with partners and producers to document the damage and prepare a disaster declaration request.

The FSA recommends that farmers affected by the freeze should continue to document their conditions (pictures and video) and any losses. Farmers can file a CCC- 576 (Notice of Loss) with their local USDA FSA. Contact information for the offices can be found here.

New York is the third largest grape producer and the third largest wine producer in the country.  According to the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, these growers generate a $6.65 billion economic impact for New York State.  There are 471 wineries in New York, growing a variety of grapes on 35,000 acres.

Sam Filler, Executive Director, New York Wine & Grape Foundation, said, “The growers and producers behind New York’s vineyards are critical contributors to our agricultural and tourism economy. Facing frost conditions this late in the season can be detrimental to their crops, as well as other growers across the state, which is why we must do all that we can to lessen the damage. We’re grateful for the assistance of the State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Farm Service Agency for their support in this time and will continue to do all that we can to combat the effects of these extreme weather events for our growers.”

Jim Barber, State Executive Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, said, “New York grape growers suffered unprecedented damage after the May 18 freeze event due to an unusually warm spring that forced the onset of bud development several weeks ahead of normal. Joining Commissioner Ball in discussions with the growers, we talked about existing programs, such as low interest emergency loans from the USDA, and the importance of state and federal agencies working together to support our farmers through times of economic stress.”

Hans Walter-Peterson, Senior Viticulture Extension Specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension, said, “While isolated frost or freeze events are not uncommon here, this freeze event in the Finger Lakes impacted the majority of vineyards in the region. Damage estimates are anywhere from 5 – 100%, so the impacts vary significantly depending on location. At this point, we have to wait and see what kind of crop might emerge from secondary shoots that emerge after this damage in order to assess how much of an impact this freeze will have on growers’ yields.”

Assemblyman Phil Palmesano said, “We have been in close contact with Commissioner Ball and the Governor’s office since last week’s frost and we welcome Commissioner Ball’s visit to see the damage and to hear firsthand from regional growers and producers about what they’re facing on the short- and long-term impact.  The vine damage is extensive and it is going to have a dire effect on vineyards and wineries that are fundamental to our local economies. These are major economic engines. It is imperative that we immediately initiate a collaborative effort, at every level of government, to help deliver the assistance, resources, and support needed to help one of New York State’s most vital and productive industries recover.”

Senator Tom O’Mara said, “This is an unprecedented frost for grape growers throughout our region. The widespread vine damage will result in devastating losses for many growers and have a detrimental impact across this state’s vital Finger Lakes wine industry. It will be critical for all of us, at every level of government, to deliver the resources necessary to assist growers and the industry as a whole recover throughout the year ahead. We appreciate Commissioner Ball for surveying the damage firsthand and we stand ready to work with him to initiate a swift response from the state and federal governments.”

Upstate 2.0 Wins $1M NSF Award to Transform Economy

By Bridget Hagen, marketing/communications coordinator for the Center for Regional Economic Advancement

Upstate 2.0, a partnership between Cornell and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) that aims to bolster economic development in upstate New York, has received a $1 million development award from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines.

The collaboration seeks to transform upstate New York to an innovative bioeconomy, where biological resources are sustainably converted into goods and services to reverse the impacts of climate change and ensure environmental justice. This includes maximizing opportunities in food systems, forestry, robotics and fossil fuel replacement.

“This proposal will create a more resilient supply chain and grow the regional economy, all while reducing fossil fuels and creating good-paying jobs,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). “I am proud to deliver this $1 million Phase One award and I will keep fighting so scientists trained right here in Ithaca can lead the way for an upstate New York green clean energy future.”

“There is incredible potential for a bioeconomy in upstate New York,” said principal investigator Jillian Goldfarb, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). “To build a climate-smart, prosperous upstate, our team will engage diverse stakeholders – farmers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, educators and researchers – to create a roadmap for sustainable economic development.”

The Upstate 2.0 institutions – which now have the opportunity to compete for a $160 million federal investment – will leverage their research, education and entrepreneurial expertise in sustainable agri-food and forestry systems; climate beneficial technology and nature-based innovation; and bio-based industrial processes and products.

“ESF has more than a century of forest management research and expertise. We look forward to partnering with Cornell to put our collective resources into action to drive transformative change and sustainable economic impact in upstate New York,” SUNY ESF President Joanie Mahoney said. “The challenges of climate change are immense. Collaborations like ours are necessary to develop and implement solutions to help our state reach its net-zero goal.”

Research will be conducted through strategic partnerships among innovators, industry, entrepreneurs, job creators, policymakers and community members, with support from the Cornell Cooperative Extension network, Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement and the NSF Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub.

“Throughout our history, Cornell has been a place where ideas from different disciplines come together in new and transformative ways, resulting in positive impacts that extend far beyond our campus and region,” said Lynden Archer, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. “The NSF Engines development grant will allow us to leverage the power of our collaborative environment to create and execute a broader plan that enhances our region and serves as a model for the rest of the country.”

By developing solutions to global challenges in sustainability and building a more resilient supply chain, Upstate 2.0 aims to grow the regional economy in upstate New York while helping to realize the state and nation’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy.

“This grant will accelerate our transition to a circular economy that is based on agricultural innovation, new climate and food technologies, and carbon removal, creating new jobs in the region and placing New York state in a leadership position in climate neutrality,” said Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS.

Upstate 2.0 is one of more than 40 teams in the inaugural round of NSF Engines Development Awards, which intend to help partners collaborate to create economic, societal and technological opportunities for their regions.

The awardees span a broad range of states and regions, reaching historically underserved geographic areas. With the awards, the organizations will create connections and develop their local innovation ecosystems within two years to prepare strong proposals for becoming future NSF Engines, which will each have the opportunity to receive up to $160 million.

“These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said. “These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF’s vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of our nation.”

Launched by the NSF’s new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the NSF Engines program harnesses the nation’s science and technology research, development enterprise and regional-level resources.

NSF Engines aspire to catalyze robust partnerships to positively impact regional economies, accelerate technology development, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create local, high-wage jobs.

“Through these planning awards, the NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships,” Panchanathan said. “This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems all across our nation.”

More Than 100,000 Acres of Farmland Protected Across NYS

In celebration of Earth Week, NYS goverment has announced a milestone in land conservation.

The Farmland Protection Implementation Grant (FPIG) program has helped preserve more than 107,000 acres of New York farmland through completed conservation easement projects totaling more than $250 million on nearly 370 farms. The program is in line with national efforts to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. land and water by 2030. 

"Supporting New York's farmers starts with protecting the farmland they use to feed communities across the state," Governor Hochul said. "Through the New York Farmland Protection Program, we are conserving land that will provide food security to New Yorkers today and bolster future generations of farmers tomorrow. My administration is committed to continuing to address the needs of New York farmers and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our agricultural industry."  

The announcement was made at Mulligan Farm, a fourth-generation dairy farm in Avon, Livingston County, and the first farm to use the Farmland Protection program in Livingston County. The Department of Agriculture and Markets awarded Mulligan Farm $1.3 million in 2008 and $1.5 million in 2021 through the FPIG program, which resulted in seven conservation easements, protecting a total of 1,800 acres of land in Avon, Livingston County and Rush, Monroe County from future development. The conservation easements were completed with the assistance of Genesee Valley Conservancy. The Mulligan Farm was the first conservation easement Genesee Valley Conservancy completed and is also one of its most recent.   

In Livingston, Monroe, and Wyoming Counties alone, 18,750 acres across 19 farms have been protected through the FPIG program and Genesee Valley Conservancy's partnership. An additional 11,000 acres of protected land is pending. So far, a total of $55 million in grants from the program have been invested or committed to in the area.   

Approximately 20 percent of the state's land area, or nearly 7 million acres, is farmland. The Department's Farmland Protection Program provides financial assistance to counties, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, and land trusts to enable them to implement farmland protection activities consistent with local agricultural and farmland protection plans. The most frequently funded activity is the purchase of development rights on individual farms. However, the program also awards funding to land trusts and land conservancies to enable other implementation activities, such as amendments to local laws affecting agriculture, option agreements, and covering the transaction costs of donated agricultural conservation easements.  

In the most recent round of the State's Farmland Protection program, Round 18, critical adjustments were made to the program's eligibility and focus. For the first time ever, projects were awarded that support the State's top priorities, including food security, climate resiliency, and source water protection. In addition, eligibility criteria for the program was expanded to include the agroforestry, equine, and wine sectors, reflecting New York's diverse agricultural industry. Previously, the State launched the Dairy Transitions Farmland Protection Initiative to provide dairy farms the opportunity to diversify their operations or transition their farm to the next generation at a more affordable cost while ensuring the land forever remains used for agricultural purposes. In addition, the State also subsequently launched the Farm Operations in Transition Farmland Protection Initiative to similarly provide other types of farm operations - those challenged by trade policies or the effects of climate change - the same opportunity to diversify or transition ownership to the next generation.  

The Governor's Executive Budget proposes to continue to fund the Farmland Protection program at $21 million, through the Environmental Protection Fund.   

New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, "Protection of farmland is critical in ensuring the continued success of farming and food security in New York State. Our state's farmland protection program is unparalleled in its mission and protecting 100,000 acres of farmland is truly an environmental milestone.  I look forward to seeing another 100,000 acres protected in the future."  

Entomology Update with Monique Rivera

This is a summary of the new Scaffolds Podcast, as featured on the CE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program blog. Click here to listen to the podcast.

Well, folks, it looks like we're off to a weird start to the season with a week of summer weather and now in western New York, cooler and wetter conditions. Maybe a weird start is more like a stumbling start because it will warm up again for a day or two in western New York, and then go right back to cool and wet. But either way, we are collectively heading towards Pink, and there are, as always, some insects to consider and think about treatments for. 

If San Jose scale is a concern, it's not too late to include a treatment for this. There are still options until foliar development progresses to the point where coverage will decline. So the real aim of this treatment is to make contact with the woody parts of the tree and hopefully make contact with any eggs or immatures that are there. So if you're focused on getting an oil applied for this, there's still time for a 1% oil spray through tight cluster again to cover those woody surfaces. If you think you will need more control, there are other insecticidal options to add. In particular, I would consider Centaur or Esteem, both of which are insect growth regulators. 

So last week I spoke about the idea of bulletproofing IPM programs, and I think a good thought experiment about that would be to think about what your management program would look like if Organophosphates and Pyrethroids, for example, were eliminated. The idea of this is kind of ridiculous because organic management can use Pyrethrins, which are the direct plant extract, but in all honesty, at higher levels this is being considered.

And it's something that along our journey here on Scaffolds, I probably will continue to mention, because if we don't think about it now, I really think that it will sneak up on the industry as things start to be considered for elimination. And so it would be good to start to think about again what your program would look like if you could not use whole classes or mode of actions of insecticides. It would be really helpful to your future programs to start considering that. Not that I know that this is coming down the pike in New York State, but I do know that in California, before I left, I was asked to review the use of pyrethroids, which is the beginning of that consideration. 

135+ organizations call for farm and food business technical assistance in the Farm Bill

By American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust (AFT), the Agricultural Viability Alliance, and a national coalition of agricultural organizations, service providers, non-profits, businesses, lending institutions, and government entities, today sent a letter to leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees calling for dedicated funding for business technical assistance and farm viability in the upcoming Farm Bill.

“As you begin the process of developing a new Farm Bill,” the letter, signed by over 135 organizations, writes, “[we] urge you to include dedicated funding for one-to-one business technical assistance for small and midsized farm and food businesses. These investments in farm viability are critical to achieving a more just, secure, resilient food supply chain, growing our rural economies, and helping farmers and food businesses weather periods of uncertainty, high input costs, and market disruptions.”

“Congress begins work on a new Farm Bill at a time when the agricultural economy and food system face a number of urgent, overlapping challenges,” said Tim Fink, Policy Director for AFT. “From historic inequities and systemic barriers for underserved producers, to rising input costs and vanishing margins, to generational transfer of farmland – business technical assistance has proven an effective and cost-efficient way of addressing these challenges and building capacity on the ground.”

The call for dedicated Farm Bill funding builds on work that AFT, in partnership with the Agricultural Viability Alliance (the Alliance), began in 2021 requesting USDA to set aside a portion of Coronavirus relief funding for one-to-one business technical assistance. More than 110 organizations joined AFT and the Alliance in urging USDA to prioritize this type of technical assistance to small and mid-sized farm and food businesses. In addition, 50 Members of Congress similarly encouraged USDA to support business technical assistance. USDA responded to this request with its establishment of two new initiatives: the Farm Service Agency’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, and the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Regional Food Business Centers.

“The entrepreneurs we serve face barriers to becoming financially viable, so we support them to develop financial management skills, access capital and land, and build resilient businesses,” said Benneth Phelps, Executive Director of the Agricultural Viability Alliance. “We do this by providing information, training, skill-building, and capital, within a carefully crafted ecosystem of support, and funding for this work in the Farm Bill is critical.”

Business technical assistance covers a wide range of one-to-one services offered to farm and food businesses by nonprofit organizations, state agencies, private consultants, and extension services. Customized to meet the unique needs of individual businesses, these services include coaching, skill development, and planning related to financial and labor management, marketing and business strategies, farm transfer and succession, and access to land and capital. BTA has proven effective at creating jobs and supporting local economies. This work is also critical to addressing historic and systemic barriers facing farmers and food entrepreneurs of color, who have been structurally denied opportunities to access capital, land, technical support, USDA programs, and broader professional advancement for generations.

Gov. Hochul announces $3.8M+ awarded to improve seniors' access to local foods

By NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the Department of Agriculture and Markets has been awarded over $3.8 million from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to help New York seniors better access locally grown food. The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and is part of $50 million the FNS is awarding in grants to 47 states and tribes to modernize and expand the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs. It is one of many programs Governor Hochul is facilitating to source more locally grown and produced foods.

“One of our biggest strengths as a state is the wide scope of what we have to offer, and our farms’ bounty is at the top of that list,” Governor Hochul said. “With a fifth of our land used for farming for our 33,000 family farms, we’re bringing more of New York’s fresh produce and products not only to our seniors, but also to schools and State agencies — supporting our farms and promoting healthier lifestyles.”

In addition to the expansion of the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Governor Hochul will be issuing an Executive Order later this year to direct New York State agencies to source 30 percent of their food from New York producers while also inviting local governments and school districts to strive to meet this goal. The Governor’s proposed FY24 Executive Budget allocates $50 million to a grant program that will support scratch cooking facilities for schools using New York Farm products. The Budget also sets aside $10 million in funding for grants providing for expanded food access to farm markets, food co-ops, and other retail food stores in underserved communities, as well as over $2.2 million to expand urban agriculture infrastructure and community gardens across the state.

New York State Office for the Aging Acting Director Greg Olsen said, “Access to nutritious food is vital for preventing disease, helping to manage a range of chronic conditions, and increasing energy to stay active. As the administrator of the largest senior nutrition program in the country, NYSOFA uses every tool available to increase access to healthy foods from New York, improving overall nutrition and health for older adults. The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program allows thousands of older New Yorkers to access fresh products in their communities. NYSOFA thanks Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball for their longstanding support and their leadership in expanding this popular and successful program.”

The grant funding allocates $3,378,945 to help New York serve more fresh foods to eligible seniors. It also allocates $500,000 to implement other program improvements, such as online applications and training for farmers interested in participating, web-based farmers’ market and farm stand directories, and outreach to more eligible seniors through partnerships with community organizations.

USDA’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program provides eligible seniors with access to fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey in 48 states, Puerto Rico and eight tribal areas. These foods help support nutrition security, ensuring older Americans have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, affordable foods essential to good health. Learn more about this program in New York State at https://agriculture.ny.gov/consumer-benefits-farmers-markets.

Farmers’ markets fill an essential gap in New York’s local food supply chains by improving access to and encouraging consumption of locally grown foods and supporting direct farmer-to-consumer transactions. Farmers’ markets, farm stands, and mobile markets are crucial components to a healthy food system. Today, New York has more than 400 farmers’ markets, 250 farm stands, and 10 mobile markets. They provide outlets for agricultural producers to meet the rising consumer demand for a variety of fresh, affordable, and convenient products grown directly from the farm. New York State—through the Department of Agriculture and Markets, Department of Health, Office for the Aging, and Office of Temporary Disability Assistance—administers several programs that help low-income families, seniors, and Veterans access fresh, healthy food at participating markets. To learn more about the Department’s farmers’ market programs or to find a market near you, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/farmersmarkets.

Registration Open for Employee Development and Training Course

Submitted by Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development has opened registration for a new online course in the Supervisory Leadership Certificate Program. Offered for the first time, “Employee Development and Training” course materials release and registration closes on March 3, 2023. Live weekly Zoom sessions will be held 3 to 4 PM EDT each Thursday from March 9 through April 13. Continuing education credits are offered. Course cost is $275 and spaces are limited.

Find information and registration for the Agricultural Supervisory Leadership certificate courses here.

“I hope participants will gain practical tools that they can put in their supervisory skills toolbox. They can pull these tools out and use them to build a great workplace and solve problems. Ultimately, we want farm managers to be just as confident about their ability to lead people as they are about their ability to manage farm production,” said Dr. Richard Stup, Agricultural Workforce Development Specialist.

Employee Development and Training is the course you’ve been waiting for! Identify training needs. Understand learning styles. Design and plan learning experiences that accommodate learner needs. Develop effective training skills and techniques. Evaluate learning results and training effectiveness.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve labor management and leadership skills and we encourage our employees to take courses too,” said Bob DiCarlo, FaBa Farms, who took the Managing Performance course, and his employee took Organizing Work for High Quality Results. “We’re focused on continuous improvement. One of the big pluses has been getting to have time to learn from people not in the same agriculture industry and to talk through real-life situations. The breakout Zoom sessions were worthwhile. It was helpful for me to talk through situations and for our employee too. It's easy to say I’m busy but pick the course that would be of most interest. When you push your comfort zone, it returns the most. We’re continuing to see the importance of stepping away from daily tasks on the farm to see the bigger picture.”

The Agricultural Supervisory Leadership Program includes a series of courses that help farm supervisors and managers learn and apply human resource management practices and leadership skills that foster rewarding workplaces and drive business results. Confident managers who thoughtfully apply leadership and management skills improve employee performance, develop teams, reduce employee turnover, and increase employee engagement. The six courses within the certificate series offer extensive practice and engagement activities to build confidence and skill sets.

Who should attend?

This course, and the whole certificate program, is appropriate for both new and experienced farm supervisors and managers, and those preparing to become supervisors. All participants learn leadership concepts and practice skills that improve their ability to build a positive workplace and get results through leading others.

How to attend?

The course is taught online, but you can still actively engage with other learners. Watch prerecorded presentations on your own schedule, and engage with classmates and instructors during weekly, live discussion sessions. Participation in the live sessions is highly encouraged and provides a valued opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and networking. Continuing education credits are offered.

Course instructors include:

• Richard Stup, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Specialist

• Elizabeth Higgins, Ag Business Management/Production Economics Extension Specialist with the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture team

• Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy Specialist, Cargill

• Bob Milligan, Cornell University Professor Emeritus

• Kaitlyn Lutz, Bilingual Dairy Management Specialist

• Jay Canzonier, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Extension Support Specialist

Direct questions to Rachel McCarthy, Agricultural Supervisory Leadership Coordinator, at rachel.mccarthy@cornell.edu.

Courses in the Supervisory Leadership certificate program can be taken in any order and include:

• Transitioning to Supervisor: Develop essential communication skills and manage conflict. Lead a multi-cultural team. Build an effective workplace culture.

• Organizing Work for High Quality Results: Create an efficient and high-performing workplace. Develop clear expectations and standard operating procedures. Delegate effectively. Diagnose and correct performance problems.

• Managing Performance: Understand motivation. Harness the power of performance feedback and coaching. Build clear and effective workplace communications. Set safety expectations. Conduct effective performance improvements.

• Ethics and Employment Regulations for Supervisors: Implement responsible and ethical labor practices and understand why this matters for agriculture. Recognize and prevent sexual harassment. Understand and follow minimum wage and overtime laws. Implement Equal Employment Opportunity laws to prevent discrimination and harassment. Use an employee handbook. Handle employee discipline and termination.

• Employee Development and Training: Identify training needs. Understand learning styles. Design and plan learning experiences that accommodate learner needs. Develop effective training skills and techniques. Evaluate learning results and training effectiveness.

• Staffing and Organizing Your Team: Develop job descriptions. Learn how to find potential employees, interview and select the right people. Implement new hire documentation, employment authorization, and onboarding: bringing new employees into the business successfully and productively.

USDA Develops Simplified Direct Loan Application

Submitted by the USDA Farm Service Agency

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a simplified direct loan application to provide improved customer experience for producers applying for loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The simplified direct loan application enables producers to complete a more streamlined application, reduced from 29 to 13 pages. Producers will also have the option to complete an electronic fillable form or prepare a traditional, paper application for submission to their local FSA farm loan office. The paper and electronic versions of the form will be available starting March 1, 2023.  

“USDA is committed to improving our farm loan processes to better serve all of our borrowers,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We’re consistently looking for ways to make the application process easier to navigate, so more producers are able to complete it. Our new direct loan application is a critical step forward in our efforts to improve customer service and build equity into not just our programs but also our services.” 

Approximately 26,000 producers submit a direct loan application to the FSA annually, but there is a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. Coupled with the Loan Assistance Tool released in October 2022, the simplified application will provide all loan applicants access to information regarding the application process and assist them with gathering the correct documents before they begin the process. This new application will help farmers and ranchers submit complete loan applications and reduce the number of incomplete, rejected, or withdrawn applications.   

In October 2022, USDA launched the Loan Assistance Tool, an online step-by-step guide that provides materials to help an applicant prepare their farm loan application in one tool. Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. A version compatible with mobile devices is expected to be available by the summer. It does not work in Internet Explorer.    

The simplified direct loan application and Loan Assistance Tool are the first of multiple farm loan process improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future. Other improvements that are anticipated to launch in 2023 include:   

• An interactive online direct loan application that gives customers a paperless and electronic signature option, along with the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns.    

• An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local Service Center to pay a loan installment.   

USDA provides access to credit to approximately 115,000 producers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit through direct and guaranteed farm loans. With the funds and direction Congress provided in Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA took action in October 2022 to provide relief to qualifying distressed borrowers while working on making transformational changes to loan servicing so that borrowers are provided the flexibility and opportunities needed to address the inherent risks and unpredictability associated with agricultural operations.   

Soon, all direct loan borrowers will receive a letter from USDA describing the circumstances under which additional payments will be made to distressed borrowers and how they can work with their FSA local office to discuss these options. Producers can explore all available options on all FSA loan options at fsa.usda.gov or by contacting their local USDA Service Center.  

Take Part in the 2023 CCE ENYCHP Fruit & Vegetable Conference

After three years of virtual programming, the CCE ENYCHP Fruit & Vegetable Conference is back in person in Albany, February 22 and 23. Get ready for two full days of informative sessions, many of which will offer DEC credits, and a trade show.  After Wednesday sessions, enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and networking with vendors, conference attendees, and your peers at the attend the Trade Show Social. 

Register by February 12 to save money and ensure your room booking at a reduced rate. Click here for more information and to register.

Here’s this year’s agenda:

2023 CCE ENYCHP Fruit & Vegetable Conference

February 22-23, 2023

The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center
660 Albany Shaker Rd., Albany

Tuesday, February 21, 2023: Pre-Conference Produce Safety Grower Training Course, 8:15am-5:00pm 

Wednesday, February 22, 2023: 

• Tree Fruit Sessions, 9:00am–4:00pm

• Small Fruit Sessions, 9:00 am-3:30pm

• Vegetable Sessions, 9:00 am–4:00pm

• Join us after the sessions for our Trade Show Social, held in the Fort Orange Courtyard

Thursday, February 23, 2023

• Tree Fruit Session, 8:30am-12:00pm

• Vegetable Sessions, 9:00am-3:00pm

• Grape Session, 9:00am–12:00pm

Conference costs: Pre-conference Food Safety training is $65/person.  Regular conference registration starts at $80/person/day for ENYCHP contributors. Discounts for multiday and multiple attendees from same farm are available. Walk-in registration is $130 per person per day. Register by February 15 for the best rates! 

Lodging:  Group rate of $149 per night per room at The Desmond. The deadline for this reduced room rate is February 12th. 

Events You Need to Attend This Winter

A note from NYSBGA Executive Secretary Jim Bittner, on events you should attend this winter.

If you’ve got employees, you need to take part in the Becker Forum

If you have employees, plan to attend the Becker Forum in Syracuse on February 8. We have at least 8 farms in NYS that have petitions before the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) that will require their workers to be represented by a union. Don’t think this cannot happen to you. The group includes large and small farms, H2A and domestic workers, from Long Island to Western NY. Wineries, fruit, vegetable, and nursery operations are all part of the petitions. The two attorneys that are representing most of the farms will be presenting at the Becker Forum. Someone from PERB should be there, too. You need to be at this meeting to learn how to protect your farm and employees.

The Becker Forum will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Oncenter Syracuse. Register here.

Help us lobby for important funding

On February 15, the board of directors of the NYBGA plans on spending the day meeting with state legislators and lobbying for state funding for berry research and extension programs in NYS. This is a very unique and eye-opening experience. Please consider joining us; you do not need to be a board member to help. If you’re available to take part for a few hours, contact me: 716-778-7330, jim@singerfarms.com.

Another important upcoming event is the NY Farm Bureau lobby day in Albany. On the evening of February 27, there will be a reception that attended by a lot of NYS legislators and their staff. It will also include tastings of NY-grown food, and good conversation. 

The next day, February 28, Farm Bureau members will be visiting with legislators and their  staff in their offices.  I strongly suggest you reach out to your county farm bureau and offer to help represent NYS agriculture at these two events. 

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Sets Its Federal Policy Focus for 2023

NASDA members, the state commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture, hand-selected seven issues to serve as the organization’s primary policy focus for 2023. They include the 2023 Farm Bill, animal health, environmental regulations, food production and the supply chain, food safety, international trade and workforce development.

NASDA CEO Ted McKinney says, “These issues were chosen for the organization’s 2023 focus as NASDA members see specific opportunities for progress regarding each of these areas to best serve farmers, ranchers and all communities across the nation. Further, we believe these are the areas where state departments of agriculture are uniquely positioned to lead impact and direct policymaking solutions this year.”

NASDA has published one-pagers offering background and insight for each policy priority.

2023 Farm Bill
The next farm bill must remain unified, securing a commitment to American agriculture and the critical food and nutritional assistance programs for those who need it most.

Environmental regulation
NASDA supports the science-based and comprehensive regulatory framework the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act provides to ensure environmental and public health protection. NASDA stands ready to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in implementing FIFRA, ensuring our environment, including endangered species, is protected and U.S. farmers and public health officials have access to the technologies they need.

Regarding the recently published “waters of the U.S.” rule, NASDA will continue to impress the role of states in regulating non-navigable waters.

Food production and the supply chain
NASDA is committed to ensuring long-term stability and resilience in our nation’s food supply chain through supporting projects to increase U.S. meat processing, food and nutrition security and reducing food waste.

Food Safety
NASDA will continue to advocate for funding state Food Safety Modernization Act programs because state departments of agriculture are the front line of protection for consumers when it comes to food safety. State agencies, including state departments of agriculture, play a vital role in implementing and enforcing our nation’s food safety and inspection laws.
 
Animal Health
NASDA is committed to working with intergovernmental agencies and industry stakeholders to foster a collaborative approach to animal health initiatives, especially in protecting U.S. livestock from foreign and emerging animal diseases.

International trade
To increase export opportunities for U.S. food, agriculture and forestry producers NASDA is asking Congress and the Biden Administration to leverage existing trading relationships, secure new trade agreements, fully fund trade promotion programs and engage with global trade institutions. NASDA continues to advocate for the promotion of science-and-evidence based trade standards globally.

Workforce development
NASDA is committed to working with the federal government, private industry and academia to identify and address agricultural workforce challenges.

Read more about each of the 2023 policy priories and all NASDA’s policy work at NASDA.org/policy. 

Farmers: Your Input Is Needed for this USDA Farm Production and Conservation Survey

Help the USDA better serve farmers, ranchers, and forest managers by completing this important survey by March 31, 2023. The survey is anonymous, takes about 10 minutes to complete, and can be found here.

As a farmer, rancher or forest manager, your on-the-ground contribution to American agriculture is vitally important. Your efforts are key to the Nation’s production of food, fuel and fiber, and your feedback is essential in helping the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) improve government programs and services to support you.

USDA has released a nationwide survey asking for feedback from all farmers, ranchers, and forest managers. USDA would like to hear from existing customers, and they hope to also reach a new audience of prospective customers, specifically those that don’t know about USDA, have yet to work with USDA, and those who were unable to participate in the past.

USDA works hand in hand with farmers, ranchers, forest managers, and agricultural partners to help mitigate the risks of farming through crop insurance, conservation programs, farm safety net programs, lending, and disaster programs. From helping farmers recover after natural disasters and market fluctuations, to providing financial and technical assistance to improve operations through voluntary conservation, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA), work together to protect and enhance the natural resources vital to our Nation.

Feedback Benefits. USDA works to improve services, making government agricultural programs more accessible, equitable and easier to use. Survey feedback will assist these agencies, specifically the FSA, NRCS and RMA, in learning about ways to enhance support and improve programs and services, increase access and advance equity for new and existing customers. One of the ways the USDA works to engage landowners to improve services is by regularly asking for their valuable input. They take that feedback and work directly with agencies to streamline processes, programs, paperwork and much more, making it easier for customers to access programs and services.

Your input will help shape FSA, NRCS and RMA policies and programs going forward. The more participation, the better data USDA will have to inform future agency and program decisions to benefit the nations producers and landowners.

3 New Funding Opportunities for Farms and Farmers’ Markets

Read on for how you can apply for new funding opportunities through the USDA.

$700,000 Available to Support New York’s Farmers’ Markets

New York has more than 400 farmers’ markets, 250 farm stands, and 10 mobile markets. New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball has announced that $700,000 in funding available to New York’s markets through the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program.

Grant funding will help farmers strengthen their markets and make local food more accessible to consumers by establishing online sales, improving infrastructure, and enhancing marketing and promotion efforts. Funding for the program was included in this year’s enacted budget and is a part of Governor Hochul’s State of the State commitment to New York’s agricultural industry and increasing the resiliency of the state’s food supply chain following COVID-19.

Money is available for projects that help markets build out infrastructure, including booths and signage, and electronic infrastructure like internet platform development for online sales capabilities. Projects can also include marketing and promotion initiatives for markets across the state, expanding their reach to even more consumers.

Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, local municipalities, business improvement districts, local chambers of commerce, and public benefit corporations that currently operate one or more farmers’ markets in New York State.

For more information on the program and how to apply, visit here. The deadline for proposals is 4:00 p.m. on December 14, 2022. Applications for funding must conform to the format provided in the Grants Gateway

$26 Million New York Food for New York Families Program

The US Department of Ag and Markets is now accepting applications for its nearly $26 million New York Food for New York Families program. The program, which is funded through the USDA, will provide a boost to New York farmers, increase communities’ access to local foods, and further enhance the resiliency of New York’s food system. 

The main goals of the program are to establish and broaden partnerships between New York farmers/producers, the food distribution community and local food networks to ensure distribution of fresh nutritious foods in rural, remote, and/or underserved areas; improve food access for underserved communities by considering regional challenges; and support local and traditionally disadvantaged farmers/producers by expanding and creating marketing and economic opportunities. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, agricultural cooperatives, tribal organizations, public educational institutions and local or municipal governments.

Applications are due January 18, 2023. Additional information is available here.

Natural Disaster Emergency Loans

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or the refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional:

• Ulster (primary county eligible)

• Columbia

• Delaware

• Dutchess

• Greene

• Orange

• Sullivan

The application deadline is June 12, 2023. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local  USDA Service Center.

Sen. Gillibrand touts funds for climate-smart farming

ITHACA, N.Y. — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited Cornell Aug. 29 to champion agricultural conservation and climate-smart farming provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and highlight related research and extension efforts in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The act’s nearly $360 billion investment in energy and climate spending is projected to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030.

“We are putting farmers and rural communities at the forefront of climate solutions by investing in climate smart agriculture, land conservation and forest restoration,” Gillibrand said. “This legislation recognizes the critical role that farmers play in our fight against climate change.”

Gillibrand was introduced by Joel M. Malina, vice president for university relations, who thanked the senator for her support of agricultural research, extension and education programs at Cornell, New York state’s land-grant university.

“Senator Gillibrand understands the importance of research to solve our most pressing problems like climate change, of extension to translate the science developed here into solutions that are adopted on farms and in communities across the state, and of education to ensure that the next generation is ready to lead,” Malina said.

Before the press conference, held at the Guterman Greenhouses, Gillibrand was given a brief tour that showcased Cornell research on water and energy-efficient indoor agriculture, as well as cover-cropping systems that inform climate-smart farming practices.

“Here at our college, we are grateful for [Sen. Gillibrand’s] work to increase funding for research and development programs,” said Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Cornell CALS and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and of global development. “These programs are vital to ensure that we have science-based strategies to support our farmers as they access new funding through the Inflation Reduction Act,” he said.

To that end, Neil Mattson, professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture Section, and colleagues are developing energy efficient greenhouse lighting control strategies that predict how much sunlight is available and control LED light output to precisely deliver the total amount of light required by the crop. Adoption of such technology could help growers qualify for the Inflation Reduction Act-funded Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which incentivizes energy efficient technologies through direct grants to farmers.

Matt Ryan, associate professor in the Soil and Crop Sciences Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science (CALS), discussed how his work on cover crops helps address challenges of higher input costs, new pests, herbicide-resistant weeds and extreme weather that New York farmers face.

“One of the best solutions that we have for extreme weather are cover crops, which are plants that are not harvested but instead are seeded and grown to provide benefits,” Ryan said. “They are a green tool because they can help farmers increase production, but they also provide environmental benefits.”

Cover crops protect and put carbon in the soil, enhance resilience to extreme weather, decrease runoff and reduce water pollution, suppress weeds and support pollinators and natural enemies to pests, among other benefits. Through the New York Soil Health Initiative, Ryan and others have documented the soil health benefits of cover crops and are sharing this information with farmers.

Virginia Moore, assistant professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, a cover crop breeder, develops new varieties for farmers that better fit into their crop rotations, improve soil nitrogen and are adapted to local environments and seasons.

“We test cover crop varieties at over 15 locations across the U.S. and identify the most consistent and stable varieties so that we can make better recommendations to farmers,” Moore said.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes funds through the U.S.D.A.’s Conservation Reserve Program that will pay farmers $25 per acre annually when they plant cover crops.

The act provides more than $18 billion in increased funding for the U.S.D.A.’s voluntary land conservation programs that offer farmers, landowners and ranchers access to financial support, technical assistance and voluntary easement opportunities, Gillibrand said.

Another $1.3 billion is dedicated to helping farmers interested in implementing more climate smart methods, as well as for studying how carbon and greenhouse gases are introduced and retained in our environment, she said.

A key provision in the act, which originated from Gillibrand’s 2021 Relief for America’s Small Farmers Act, provides $5.3 billion in direct debt relief and assistance for farmers who are struggling or at risk of losing their farms, she said.

“The investments that Senator Gillibrand has spoken about today are impactful to Tompkins County, Cornell University and all of our small farmers,” said Shawna Black, chair of the Tompkins County Legislature.

–Krishna Ramanujan
Cornell Chronicle

Free Mental Health First Aid Trainings for Ag Communities of New York State

Did you know that farmers are more likely than the general population to die by suicide?

NY FarmNet is collaborating with county Cornell Cooperative Extension offices this fall to offer free, full day, in person Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses. Farmers, agribusiness workers, and anyone who interacts with the agricultural community in New York is encouraged to attend. Trainings run from 8am to 5pm, and lunch will be provided from a local eatery with a one hour break.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You’ll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support.

After the course, you will be able to:

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

• Understand how to interact with a person in crisis and connect them with help.

• Use self-care tools and techniques.

The instructors for these courses are part of a recently trained cohort that work within the NY agricultural community. They include representatives from NY FarmNet, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, Young Farmers Coalition, NY Center for Ag Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), and Black Farmers United NYS. 

Scheduled full day MHFA trainings for this fall include:

Tuesday, October 18 in Hudson/Columbia County

Wednesday, October 19 in Cortland/Cortland County

Friday, October 21 in Ithaca/Cornell University/Tompkins County

Tuesday, October 25 in Middletown/Orange County

Wednesday, November 2 in Binghamton/Broome County

Monday, November 7 in Lockport/Niagara County

Tuesday, November 8 in Fonda/Montgomery County

To register, go to www.nyfarmnet.org/trainings. If we don’t yet have a training scheduled in your area, check back soon, or contact NY FarmNet at 1-800-547-3276 or nyfarmnet@cornell.edu.

These free trainings are made possible by funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture. They have invested nearly $25 million in addressing farmer behavioral health on a state by state basis as part of the Farm and Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) through state Departments of Agriculture.

This work is supported by 7 U.S.C. 5936, Section 7522 of FCEA of 2008, Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), Grant No. 2021-70035-35550, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.