| Hello Friend, With autumn in full swing, my backyard has transformed into a beautiful sea of golden and brown hues. Nearly bare, our maples have strewn their leaves across the ground, while the perennials in the garden have all gone to seed. Our first hard frost of the season arrived last week, so I'll be savoring the last of our summer harvests in meals to come. We're excited to share several updates and opportunities with you in this month's newsletter. We're also looking back on our fall Learning Circles, which brought together so many of you—thank you for making them a success. Additionally, American Farmland Trust recently celebrated an opening reception of the "Our Farms, Our Future" photo exhibit, spotlighting farmland transition and women in agriculture. There are currently several funding opportunities for farmers that are accepting applications over the winter months that support farmer-led research, innovation, or projects that increase farm sustainability and viability. I'm here to offer support and a listening ear as you develop your ideas or work through a proposal. Please don't hesitate to reach out. Looking ahead, as winter settles in, our team will be planning for our programming next year. We’d love to hear from you about topics you’d like to explore, don't hesitate to share your suggestions. Thank you for being part of our community—wishing you all a restful and inspiring season! Warmly,
Caitlin Tucker
Agricultural Stewardship Associate
American Farmland Trust |
| | Thank you for joining us! Our Women for the Land team has enjoyed spending time with you at our events this fall. Here are a few highlights, in case you weren't able to join us. Stay tuned for our 2025 event schedule! |
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| September 11 | Cultivating Resilience at Wild Hill Farm We enjoyed a splendid fall evening at Wild Hill Farm in Bloomfield listening to a panel of three women farmers—Erin Bullock (Wild Hill Farm), Amanda Grisa (Schenk Farmstead), and Kyli Stevens (Fire Creek Farms)—who are cultivating resilience in their lives amidst challenges, such as land access, childcare, and work-life balance. Following our discussion, Erin led us on a tour of her farm, an organic vegetable operation that provides food for 350 families. October 9 | Family Farm Transition Planning at Tiashoke Farm & Store As part of the "Our Farms, Our Future" exhibit, we hosted a Learning Circle focused on the tricky dynamics of inter-family farm transfers. We heard from Olivia Fuller, a next-gen farmer taking over her father's operation, and Jessica Ziehm, who married into a family farm. Both are taking their operations in exciting new directions. October 18 | Conservation Planning 101 at Millbrook Dairy Our first Learning Circle in the Finger Lakes was hosted by the incredible Millbrook Dairy. Danielle Singer from Tioga Soil & Water walked us through the conservation planning process and provided resources for technical & financial assistance. Callan Space, a sixth generation farmer, led us on a tour of their operation. |
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| | | |  | Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program Proposals due Nov. 12! Northeast SARE offers grants to farmers to explore new concepts in sustainable agriculture conducted through experiments, surveys, prototypes, on-farm demonstrations or other research and education techniques.
The Farmer Grant program is open to all commercial farm business owners and farm employees in the Northeast region. This grant program accepts all types and scales of farms (large or small scale, organic or conventional, urban or rural, full- or part-time, etc.) To be eligible, you must meet the U.S. Census of Agriculture definition of a farm: “Any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.” Northeast SARE encourages projects submitted from or in collaboration with women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Additionally, we encourage projects submitted from or in collaboration with Minority Serving Institutions (including 1890s and other historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and tribal colleges and universities) and other organizations in the Northeast that work with historically underserved communities. Awards typically range from $5,000 to $30,000, depending upon a project’s complexity and duration. Projects that are more complex include multi-farm collaboration, intensive education for other farmers and/or service providers, and/or replicated research over multiple years or locations. Simpler, straightforward proposals with modest budgets are equally encouraged. To learn more about this grant opportunity, visit the link below! |
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 | NYS Fashion Innovation Center Pilot Grant Program The Fashion Innovation Center (FIC) is excited to announce a new grant opportunity aimed at supporting startups, small businesses, farmers, researchers, and individuals working on the development of textile fiber-related products and technologies. The application period is now open for innovative projects that advance the Center’s goals. Each applicant can request up to $10,000 in funding. This opportunity is part of a bi-annual grant program running for the next five years. The FIC plans to make grant awards that stimulate innovation in four areas: ● Agricultural production and processing ● New Materials and Manufacturing ● Manufacturing and Textile Technology Innovation, Improvement and Expansion ● Fashion Use of Sustainable Materials In addition to funding, grant awardees will also become part of a cohort that will receive mentoring from experts in their industries, and have access to equipment, facilities, and other resources to advance their projects. The FIC encourages grant applications from start-ups, small businesses, farmers, university-based researchers, sole proprietors, and individuals. The FIC welcomes participation by military veterans, women minorities, and socially or economically disadvantaged entities. Collaborative applications are allowed, but the maximum award is $10,000. The deadline to apply is now extended to Friday, November 15. Proposal submission instructions and other award information are provided in the downloadable Request for Proposals pdf document. For questions, please contact ficgrants@rpi.edu. To learn more about this grant opportunity, visit the link below! |
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| |  | 2024 Cornell Sheep & Goat Symposium Nov. 1 -3 The 2024 Cornell Sheep and Goat Symposium will be held on Friday, November 1 through Sunday, November 3. The event will focus on nutrition and its impact on overall small ruminant health and productivity. The symposium is sponsored by the Cornell Small Ruminant Program, Cashmere Goat Association, NYS Dairy Goat Breeders Association, and the Empire Sheep Producers Association. Friday afternoon will feature optional workshops on topics such as field necropsy, hands-on skills for new goat and sheep raisers, and secure sheep and wool supply biosecurity, followed by a workshop on balancing rations using computer software. The main symposium will take place on Saturday, with presentations from state and Cornell veterinarians on critical health issues like, poisonous plants, small ruminant skin and fiber diseases, biosecurity preparedness, and more. Other workshop offerings include, updates from NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, soap-making, navigating the fiber supply chain, role of forage quality on fiber and milk quality, and more! Additionally, a farmer panel will provide insights and answer questions. On Sunday, the American Dairy Goat Association Pre-Judges Training Conference will convene as well as a FAMACHA Certification workshop. To learn more about this educational opportunity, visit the link below! |
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 | NYS Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program - Accepting Proposals! New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) is pleased to announce the Beginnning Farmer Competitive Grant Program (BFCGP) to help beginning farmers build financially sustainable, independent, commercial agricultural businesses. The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be open from October 25, 2024 through January 24 2025. Grants may be awarded for purposes including, but not limited to: - the start-up, improvement, or expansion of a farm operation
- worker or apprenticeship training
- marketing activities
- the purchase of agricultural land and physical structures thereon
- the purchase of machinery, equipment, or livestock
- the construction or improvement of physical structures, including semi-permanent structures
Farmers who have not operated a farm for more than 10 years and who will materially and substantially participate in operating the farm within the State are eligible to submit proposals. This grant is a reimbursement-based award. A 5% match is required for all projects. Informational Webinars will be held on the following dates: - 4:00 p.m. Monday, November 4, 2024
- 9:00 a.m. Thursday, November 14, 2024.
To register for information webinars or to learn more about this grant opportunity, visit the link below! |
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| Agriculture Energy Assistance Programs Available from NYSERDA Financial support and technical assistance are available to help farms take stock of their energy use, implement energy-saving upgrades, and install clean energy technologies through NYSERDA programs. - Agriculture Energy Audit Program (AEAP): This program offers NY state farmers no-cost energy audits to help identify energy efficiency opportunities on their farm.
- REAP Technical Assistance Program (RTAP): This program has been designed to assist farmers at no-cost to make applications to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). If awarded, farmers can receive up to 50% of the total project cost.
- Energy Best Practices for Agriculture: The best practices have been developed to help educate producers with energy-efficient technologies, how they function, the average cost, and the average payback in years.
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| |  | Our Farms, Our Future: Uplifting the Next Generation of New York Farmers and Women in Agriculture Many thanks to everyone that joined American Farmland Trust at the Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga Springs on October 3 for the opening reception of "Our Farms, Our Future: Uplifting the Next Generation of New York Farmers and Women in Agriculture." This photo exhibit tells the story of New York’s farms in transition and features the portraits and stories of 11 farms across the state who are working to keep land in farming by passing it on to a new generation, both within and outside of the traditional family farm. “Our Farms, Our Future” highlights how different tools, such as conservation easements, can support farm transition and make land more accessible for the next generation. Ten out of 11 farms featured in the exhibit are permanently protected through the state’s farmland protection program, demonstrating the important opportunity for conservation to help facilitate farm transition. Three of the farms featured in the show participated in Farmland for a New Generation New York, which is a statewide program coordinated by American Farmland Trust, in partnership with the State of New York, agricultural organizations, land trusts, and others, that helps farmers seeking land and landowners who want to keep their land in farming. Learn more about this photo exhibit and the stories of these farms by visiting the link below. |
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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. As we finalize our schedule this year, we will update the event listings here and on our website and send announcements to register when we open registration for each event. 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! |
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| | | | No Farms No Food® is a trademark of American Farmland Trust |
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