| Hello Friend, Planting season is upon us! These late spring days are filled with the promise of sunshine and mile-long to-do lists. I was thinking the other day about how so many of us are drawn to this beautiful life of farming because we aren't afraid of hard work. It takes time and effort to care for our animals and our land. But how many of us farm as a hobby or "on the side" while maintaining off-farm jobs, raising children, or caring for elders? Women shoulder so many responsibilities with almost impossible demands on our time. These are the days when there simply aren't enough hours to get everything done. We rise early and go to bed late, but still, there is more work to do. My friends, farming is not a part-time job. The stress of this lifestyle is real and sometimes overwhelming, especially during the busy growing season. May happens to be Mental Health Awareness Month, and I'm here to tell you that there is help if you're feeling stressed, stuck, anxious, down, or facing something you don't know how to handle. In New York, we even have resources specifically for farmers, some of which are shared here. We must take the time to care for ourselves so that we can take care of our families, our animals, and our land. This month's newsletter features a highlight of Lori Shipman, a FarmNet consultant in western New York who provides free and confidential assistance to our community. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with her work and the mental health resources provided below, you never know when they might come in handy. The busy season at hand is reflected in the wealth of opportunities and events we are sharing in this newsletter. I hope to see many of you at an upcoming Women for the Land Learning Circle or partner event soon! Warmly, Stephanie Castle NY Women for the Land Program Manager
American Farmland Trust |
| | Farm Stress & Mental Health Resources In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we have compiled several national and New York state resources available to our agricultural community:
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| FarmNet Provides Free, Confidential Assistance Interview with Lori Shipman, FarmNet Consultant in WNY Website: NyFarmNet.org Instagram: nyfarmnet Facebook: NY FarmNet |
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| How does your organization support the agricultural community? NY FarmNet offers consultation services to farmers and farms in New York state, large and small, including dairy, crops, livestock, maple, fruit, vegetable, apiary, nursery, and more. We work as a consultant team to help address the issues facing agricultural producers, whether financial and/or personal/family. We also serve agribusiness professionals (nutritionists, veterinarians, custom operators, etc.) who work directly with farmers through family and personal consulting. We have been providing mental health awareness programs around the state, such as Mental Health First Aid, Safe Talk, and “On the Farm” or “Muckville” film screenings. What is your connection to the land? My connection to the land is from my growing up on a multi-generational farm in Kansas. Summers were spent in the irrigated fields pulling ditches, digging out rows, and priming siphon tubes. We were a hard-red winter wheat, corn, soybean, and milo cropping and a cow/calf operation. Now I am a 1/3 owner with my two brothers of the farmland and Dibble Farm LLC that conducts the operations of the farm. I find solace in walking the pastures around my childhood home. I know we were fortunate to make it out of the 1980s farm crisis as we watched many families lose farms due to financial hardship. I’ve always wanted to keep a link to agriculture in memory, honor, and awe of those who work hard to make the land productive. What brought you to your current role? I worked at Oklahoma State University for the Intensive Financial Management and Planning Support (IFMAPS) prior to moving to New York State. I was introduced to the NY FarmNet staff when my OSU supervisor, Dr. Doye, spoke to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm Management group. I was hired as a NY FarmNet Financial Consultant in 2005. Initially, I was tasked with educational programs such as Managing for Success, Health Insurance for Farmers, and Quicken for Farm Financial Records. Over the years, I have consulted with farms to do business planning, succession planning, and farm exiting. What do you love most about your job? I enjoy the flexibility of my work with NY FarmNet. We have a great group of consultants across the state with a vast amount of knowledge and interests to rely on for advice. We are offered educational opportunities on a consistent basis. Most of all, I love seeing the rural areas around the state and meeting the hard-working people that feed us and care for the land. How do you like to spend your time outside of work? In my spare time I like to hike around the Finger Lakes and explore National Parks. I enjoy “playing in the dirt” taking care of my summer vegetable garden. |
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| |  | American Farmland Trust (AFT), in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other conservation agencies, is working to increase farmer adoption of soil health and conservation practices across New York state, focusing on the Great Lakes, Hudson Valley, and Chesapeake Bay Watersheds. Experienced agricultural service professionals are available to provide FREE one-on-one technical assistance to producers on practices that maximize agricultural viability, improve water quality, sustain soil and plant health, increase wildlife habitat, and enhance other natural resources. Contact our Agricultural Stewardship Team for support with: |
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| - Soil health and fertility recommendations
- Nutrient management
- Cover crop guidance
- Crop rotation planning
- Conservation planning
- Water resource management
- Navigating state and federal financial assistance programs
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Caitlin Tucker Agricultural Stewardship Associate, Western NY Certified Crop Advisor - Northeast Region Phone: 315-679-4772 Email: ctucker@farmland.org Ben Roosa Agricultural Stewardship Associate, Central NY Phone: 315-326-1687 Email: broosa@farmand.org |
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| |  | USDA Releases 2022 Census of Agriculture Data Data gathered from the USDA Census of Agriculture helps to identify changes, trends, and challenges across U.S. agriculture and plays a vital role in informing farm policy at local, regional, and federal levels. Conducted every five years, the 2022 Census of Agriculture contains more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level. Here are some key insights: - There were 1.9 million farms and ranches (down 7% from 2017), with an average size of 463 acres (up 5%) on 880 million acres of farmland (down 2%). That is 39% of all U.S. land.
- Family-owned and operated farms accounted for 95% of all U.S. farms and operated 84% of land in farms.
- The average age of all producers was 58.1, up 0.6 years from 2017.
- There were just over 1 million farmers with 10 or fewer years of experience, an increase in the number of beginning farmers from 2017 of 11%. Beginning farmers are younger than all farmers, with an average age of 47.1.
- In 2022, 1.2 million female producers accounted for 36% of all producers. Fifty-eight percent of all farms had at least one female decision-maker.
Browse, national, state, and county level data by visiting the 2022 Census Full Report or a view highlights from New York here. |
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 | 2024 emPower Grants for Black Farmers and Food Actors The 2024 emPower Grants are a redistributive fund that exists to strengthen the activities and projects of New York’s emergent Black-led farms, food businesses and food sovereignty efforts. This opportunity is a collaborative effort between the Black Farmer Ecosystem and Professor Myles Lennon, the Dean's Assistant Professor of Environment and Society and Anthropology at Brown University’s Department of Anthropology and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. Black farmers and food actors are encouraged to apply. Funding decisions are made based on project merits, and priority will be given to emergent Black farmers. To contact the Black Farmer Ecosystem with questions and comments, please email grants@BlackFarmerEcosystem.org. |
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Advanced Soil Health Training American Farmland Trust is excited to launch our 2024/2025 Advanced Soil Health Training (ASHT), a program funded by the USDA through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. In partnership with Truterra/Land-O' Lakes, AFT will sponsor and train soil health advisors who will share their expertise with their communities. This program is designed to deepen the soil health knowledge of experienced farmers and farm advisors and give them the tools to bring this knowledge to a wider audience! Curriculum Outline 1) The Science of Soil Health 2) Soil health practices in the field 3) How to troubleshoot and adapt management to a variety of conditions 4) How to effectively communicate about practice adoption and grow a supportive and engaged network Eligibility Commodities: Wheat, Corn, Cotton, Soy, dairy Regions: Midwest, Southeast, New England, New York, Mid-Atlantic Cost: FREE if selected as a participant. AFT will provide travel stipends for participating in the full course. Dates: Summer 2024 - Summer 2025/2026. View more information by visiting the link below. |
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 | Join our Women for the Land Mighty Networks Community! Our Women for the Land - New York team invites you to join our Mighty Networks Community. Mighty Networks is a free online community platform that allows us to deepen our connections with each other. As a member of this community, you can expect: -
Universal access to Learning Circle resources. Learning Circles are informal, peer-to-peer networking events facilitated by highly skilled discussion leaders and technical service providers focusing on a topic of interest to women in agriculture in New York. -
Networking with fellow women farmers and landowners across New York! This platform is a place for you to ask questions, share stories, and grow relationships. -
Opportunities to inform future Women for the Land programming. As we expand our programming across New York through Learning Circles, farm tours, policy work, and other events, you can expect opportunities to share feedback, topics of interest, priorities, and more. -
Access to the WFL National Network and Special Interest Communities to view announcements, updates, and activities happening across other regions. |
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| |  | Monthly Agritourism Workshops Are you thinking of starting an agritourism business, or are you currently operating one? Join a FREE monthly lunch-hour, workshop virtual series and learn how to grow your agritourism business! Each session will focus on a specific topic to help aspiring agritourism entrepreneurs grow their knowledge and profit through this exciting on-farm business. Pre-registration is required. See the registration link below. This series is sponsored by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Agritourism Program Work Team. All workshops will be recorded and links shared. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please contact Lindsey Pashow at lep67@cornell.edu or 518-569-3073 with any questions. |
| May 14: Overview of Business Plan in AgPlan June 11: How To: Livestock Operations July 9: Urban Agritourism August 13: TBA September 10: Handling Difficult Customers October 8: Creating Value-Added Experiences November 12: Implementing Outdoor Recreation |
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Community Gardens Soil Testing Program New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in partnership with the Cornell Soil Health Lab, established a new Community Gardens Soil Testing Program to make soil testing more accessible to those operating community garden spaces. A total of $40,000 in funding is available to support up to 800 soil tests for eligible community gardens across the state to be processed free of charge. Eligible applicants include organizations managing food producing community gardens in New York State, including individual community growers. Technical support and education for participating growers will be provided by garden specialists from Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York to help gardeners interpret the results and provide recommendations to amend and support their soils for the best food production outcomes. Applications will be accepted from March 13, 2024, until funding is exhausted. All interested applicants must email the PDF application and proof of eligibility documents to urbanagriculture@agriculture.ny.gov with the subject: “2024 Community Gardens Soil Test Application.” More information about the application is available here. Questions regarding this program should be submitted to Kendall Hough at NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, 55 Hanson Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 or by email at urbanagriculture@agriculture.ny.gov. |
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| | New York Women for the Land Learning Circles |
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|  | We connect with our community through New York Women for the Land Learning Circles, which are informal, peer-to-peer networking events facilitated by highly skilled discussion leaders and technical service providers focusing on a topic of interest to women in agriculture in New York. These Circles take place at our women-led Demonstration Farms throughout the year, giving participants the opportunity to connect with successful women farmers and landowners like themselves. We provide learning materials, an online library, and service provider contact information at each event. These are free and open to everyone to attend. As we finalize our schedule for next year, we will update the event listings here and on our website and will send announcements to register when we open registration for each event. Please note these are estimated dates, topics, and locations that will be confirmed in early 2024. We also have a brand new way to stay connected through the Mighty Networks online learning and community platform, where we will host forums and provide universal access to Learning Circle resources. Join here! 2024 Learning Circles Week of June 17th 2024 (Date TBD): Herd Health + Holistic Small Ruminant Management, Meadow Run Goat Dairy, Lawtons, NY Week of June 24th 2024 (Date TBD): Rotational Grazing + Pasture Walk, Zeliff Farms, Middleport, NY July 12th, 2024: Sustainable Poultry Production + Processing Demo, Boston Valley Farms, Boston, NY Summer 2024: Agri-voltaics Information Session, Central NY September 2024: Beginner Farmer Resources + Mentorship, Wild Hill Farm, Bloomfield, NY October 2024: Farm Safety and Small Engine Repair for Women, Millbrook Farms, Groton, NY |
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| | | | No Farms No Food® is a trademark of American Farmland Trust |
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