Turning Your Farming Dreams Into Realty!
Beginner Farming
Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County (CCE) has received funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to establish a Beginner Farmer Program. The Beginner Farmer Program assists beginner farmers in the Catskills-Hudson Valley Region through group training, one-on-one conversations, farm visits, farmer to farmer mentoring, farmer networks, and an intensive learning cohort.
The program focuses on supporting beginner farmers in operation for less than 10 years.
Technical assistance and workshops will be offered in direct marketing, wholesale marketing, business planning, farm financial management, farmland access, agricultural production, food safety, urban farming, compliance with laws and regulations, soil health, composting, rotational grazing, agritourism, high tunnel seasonal extension, farm food safety plans, and much more!
CCE staff will work with a Program Advisory Committee consisting of farmers and farm business owners in Sullivan County. The committee will help develop the Beginner Farmer Program, provide guidance for program implementation, and most importantly provide a farmer perspective rooted in their agricultural and business experience.
Our team members are also available to meet one-on-one with prospective farmers, reviewing business plans, “vetting” ideas for soundness, and directing you to more in-depth resources as needed. We live and work in New York, so we have practical experience and advice to offer for both production and for marketing plans.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County is hosting seasonal educational workshops at local farms. Visit our events listing for more information.
This program is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture award #2022-06508, through the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program.
Contact
Haley Collins
Ag Program Coordinator
hc2246@cornell.edu
845-292-6180 ext. 131
Last updated May 8, 2025
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Cornell Small Farms Program works collaboratively with a network of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty and staff, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators, and other small farm advocates throughout New York. They help farmers get expert assistance to facilitate all phases of small farm business development, from initial growth to optimization to maturity. They offer in-person trainings, workshops, project focused programs, and online courses to support farmers.
Futuro en Ag está comprometido con el éxito de los agriculturoes y con la viabilidad de sus negocios agrícolas a largo plazo. Sus recursos y materiales educativos están diseñados en collaboración con los agricutuores y empresarios agrícolas de habla hispana y bilingües. Al ampliar el acceso a la educación a través de formas dinámicas de enseñabza y conectar a las comunidades a oportunidades de formación colaborative, su objectivo es aumentar el éxito de los agricultores Latinos y Latinas en el estado de Nueva York y más allás. ¡Explore sus recursos y clases en líea aquí!