open farm dayOpen Farm Day is an annual Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Madison County event that invites the public to tour Madison County farms.  The event serves as an educational, marketing, and promotional opportunity for our farms, which last year drew approximately 5,000 visitors to Madison County.  Open Farm Day is an inclusive event, any kind of farm operation in Madison County is welcome to participate.  This year Open Farm Day will take place on July 30th and we hope you will consider participating. Click here for Open Farm Day Policies and here for the OpenFarm Day Farm Registration Form

If you have any questions or concerns regarding participation requirements or Open Farm Day policies, please do not hesitate to contact Jenn Farwell, Agriculture Economic Development Resource Educator, at CCE Madison’s office. Registrations are due April 4th, no late registrations will be accepted.

Women of Agriculture Discussion Group

Join us for our monthly Women of Agriculture Discussion Group meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at 6 p.m. Mark from The Peacemaker Program, Inc., in Utica to lead us in the Ninety Seconds Solutions training. This training takes the advanced conflict resolution skills used by professional mediators and boils them down into a form that anyone can use.

While mediation is a powerful technique, sometimes people need to solve problems quickly and still produce a positive outcome. Whether using these skills professionally (in customer service or management) or personally (with friends, spouses or kids), you will learn to solve problems with lasting solutions in less than two minutes. RSVP to Katherine at kmb279@cornell.edu or call 315-684-3001 ext. 100.

Hands-on Training for Sheep & Goat Producers

Open to all sheep and goat producers in Central New York. Please join us Saturday, March 23, for a full day training to be held at the Morrisville State College Livestock Facility. We will be discussing a wide variety of topics including animal handling and facilities; pasture management including grazing planning and fencing; and animal care topics including vaccinations, hoof health, and record keeping. More details and full agenda to come.

Farmer’s Market Kick-Off Planning Meeting

Friday, March 11, at 6 p.m., at the Smithfield Community Center, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro, the Smithfield Community Association is having a kick-off planning meeting for the Peterboro Farmers’ Market.
All farmers and community members interested in finding out more about this new market and having input in planning it are invited to attend. The market will be a seasonal open-air market featuring Madison County farmers and artisans. We welcome your input, suggestions and participation to make this new market a success. For those unable to attend, surveys can be completed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2BTJQC5

Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District Tree & Shrub Sale

With Punxsutawney Phil failing to see his shadow and the temperatures feeling spring-like, Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District is already planning for spring by accepting orders for its annual 2016 tree and shrub seedling sale. This year’s sale features a variety of trees and shrubs to fit all kinds of landscaping needs. Many of the species are ideal for erosion control and many are attractive uses for wildlife food and cover, windscreens, shade, and privacy.

Anyone interested in ordering can visit www.madcoswcd.com for an order form or call (315) 824-9849 ext.5. Prepaid orders are due by March 31, and the plants will be available for pickup April 14 at the district’s pole barn at the USDA Service Center in Hamilton.

Winter Shop Meeting

Wednesday, March 23, from noon to 2 p.m. at Humphrey’s Farm on Tibbits Road, New Hartford. Discussion topics will include navigating through turbulent milk and feed prices. Shop Meetings are free to attend and are open to all dairy or field crop producers with a desire to learn from fellow producers.

Registration is not required, but a phone call to say you’re coming helps us to plan for lunch.

PRO-DAIRY Thursday dairy webinars

PRO-DAIRY in partnership with DairyBusiness East has launched a weekly webinar series each Thursday from 1 to 2 pm EST starting March 3rd. Registration is not required. Click on the Dairy Webinars section on PRO-DAIRY’s website to join. A weekly schedule is also available online.

Each webinar is also now approved for one continuing education unit (CEU) from the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).

By martha

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