| | | | Hello, It's gearing up to be a busy year in agriculture! My goal is to pull together resources, events, and partnerships from across the region to better serve women landowners and farmers. in this bi-monthly newsletter, you will find announcements about upcoming events, newsworthy notes, and invitations to build your network. If you have an event or announcement you'd like me to include, please pass it along to me and I will be happy to share it in the next newsletter. Our team at American Farmland Trust is building out our website to be a hub of information and calendar of events. Please stay tuned for an invitation to join us at our first Learning Circle of the year, slated for April 18th near Syracuse. We will be joined by Claudia Kenny of the New York State Agricultural Mediation Program and Jerry Cosgrove from AFT, covering lease negotiation skills through the lens of conflict resolution. We aim to host many other hands-on Learning Circles and farm tours throughout the summer and fall, please see below for our session topics and tentative dates. I hope this year to bring you more hands-on opportunities to get involved with this wonderful community of women in agriculture in New York. Take good care, Stephanie Castle | | | |  | | | Women of the Woods FLX Network -From our Friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension- WOW! Take a look at what we’re starting – a Women of the Woods (also known as “WOW”) network in the Finger Lakes region of New York. If you’re a woman - all women, including trans and nonconforming are welcome - who want to grow as a lover and steward of the forest or the owner of a woodlot with little or a lot of woods management experience, we want to connect with you. First, complete our online survey (https://forms.gle/ywfvMbHQ1Scqhb1Q7) to share your input on forming a new Women of the Woods group in our region. CCE be scheduling the first network gathering in March, so please stay tuned! And so, we are embarking on a new endeavor to form a WOW group in the Finger Lakes (FLX) region of New York. In fact, the idea of engaging women of the woods is sweeping the nation and many similar networks are popping up like ephemerals in spring! Some are called Women Owning Woodlands, some Women of the Woods, but they all have a similar intention - to support and empower women to steward their woods with confidence and create an inclusive space for those interested in forests and related topics. This includes workshops, network gatherings, workdays and more. Check out the national Women Owning Woodlands network at www.womenowningwoodlands.net to learn more. As we build the WOW FLX program, we seek input from other women of the woods to help guide our direction forward. What, why, when and how might you be interested in getting involved? If you have any interest – even the slightest inkling | | | | | | | | | |  | Livingston County Women in Ag Event March 7th Livingston County FSA, in collaboration with Farm Net and Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes are hosting a Women in Ag Day Event on March 7, 2023. This day will be full of networking opportunities and conversations pertaining to the role women in agriculture. FREE EVENT. To register, click the link below or email Michele McIlroy, County Executive Director, at michele.mcilroy@usda.gov Registration Link and Details  | | |  | Biochar Research to Meet Climate Challenges Read more about a new biochar white paper released by Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, National Center for Agriculture Technology, and AFT. This white paper summarizes how sustainably produced and applied biochar will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change and build healthy, high functioning soils. It also outlines research needs and gaps to scale up implementation and establish a pyrolysis biochar bioenergy industry. | | | | | |  | New Funding Adds Women-Owned Farms to AFT's Demonstration Farm Network AFT was honored to receive funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to add five women-led farms to our Genesee River Demonstration Farm Network. These five farms will host Learning Circles over the next two years, giving women in our network the chance to learn directly from successful farmers. We will be showcasing regenerative agricultural practices on these five farms and publishing impact reports to provide background and context to how these women became successful. The project kicks off this spring, so please stay tuned for invitations to Learning Circles and events at our new Demonstration Farms throughout the Lake Ontario watershed. To spearhead this important conservation work, we’re hiring a New York Agricultural Stewardship Associate. This is a full time, fully remote position with preference given to applicants who live in western or central New York. Are you passionate about regenerative agriculture and supporting equity in our food system? Apply here! We will accept applications until February 24, 2023. | | | | | | | | | |  | AFT is Hiring a Program Coordinator! AFT New York is hiring a Regional Program Coordinator to support communications and outreach and organize events for our Farm to Institution (FINYS) and Farmland for a New Generation (FNG) programs. This is a full time, fully remote position that fulfills operations and administration capacities in support of these programs. FNG-NY helps farmers seeking land and landowners wanting to keep their land in farming, and supports a network of partner organizations that provide training and on-the-ground support for farmers and landowners in regions across New York. FINYS is a collaborative initiative to expand the volume of food grown on local farms that is served in institutions across New York. For a full job description and application, please see the Careers page on our website. | | |  | Virtual Day of Action for NY Grown Food for NY Kids Take action to advocate for expanding the statewide farm to school program! This program helps get more local farm products into K-12 schools around the state. All you have to do is enter your information and a letter of support will automatically be sent to your representatives. Please click here to lend your voice to state leaders to better support local agriculture in our schools. | | | | | | FSA Fridays in February Webinar Series Announced Contact: Lynnette Wright
315-477-6309
Lynnette.wright@usda.gov SYRACUSE, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2021 – A series of free webinars will be presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New York State. FSA Fridays in February will cover a variety of programs and services FSA offers agricultural producers in New York. Topics include an overview of available programs and loans, conservation buffers, crop risk management programs, and loan programs. The hour-long webinars will be held every Friday in February at noon. The webinars are free however pre-registration is required to get a link to each webinar. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fsa-fridays-tickets-135329545313 or by emailing lynnette.wright@usda.gov. Summary of each FSA Friday in February: Friday, February 5 at 12:00 p.m.: Welcome to FSA – an introduction to FSA loans, programs, and services, as well as how to start working with FSA. Friday, February 12 at 12:00 p.m.: Conservation Reserve Program Buffers – a presentation on the environmental and economic benefits of installing buffers along waterways. Friday, February 19 at 12:00 p.m.: Risk Management Programs – learn about federal crop insurance and FSA’s Noninsured Crop Assistance Disaster Program for row crops, forages, fruits, and vegetables. Friday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m.: FSA Farm Loans – an overview of the funding opportunities available from FSA, including Farm Loan Programs, Farm Storage Facility Loans, and Marketing Assistance Loans. FSA provides programs and loans to help farmers provide food, fuel, and fiber to millions of people worldwide. The New York FSA staff work hard every day to ensure that New York farmers have the information they need to participate in federally funded agricultural programs. FSA-administered programs benefit all Americans by providing stability for our agricultural producers, thus helping ensure a safe, abundant, and affordable supply of food and fiber. If you need an accommodation to participate in one of these webinars, please contact Lynnette Wright at (315) 477-6309, or by e-mail at lynnette.wright@usda.gov, at least one day prior to the event. You may also contact Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. | | | | | | See You There! We are working on our schedule of Learning Circle events for the year and will post a full schedule with locations and dates on our website by the end of this month. Our tentative schedule is below, please reach out if you have questions or suggestions! April 18, 2023: Lease Negotiation Skills Workshop & Learning Circle, Location TBD near Syracuse June: Native Plant Identification and Invasive Species Workshop in the Genesee River Valley July: Biological Farming Methods & Composting Learning Circle at Zeliff Farms in Middleport September: Mentorship & Resources for Beginning Farmers at Wild Hill Farm in Bloomfield October: Chainsaw and Tractor Safety Course for Women with Ontario SWCD at Firecreek Farms in Livonia November: Wetland & Stream Restoration Showcase at Boston Valley Farms in Hamburg  Photo by Rebecca Drobis | | | | | | Contact AFT American Farmland Trust
info@farmland.org | | | | No Farms No Food® is a trademark of American Farmland Trust | | | | | | | | | | | |
