Updates to the PPP Loan Program make forgivable loans available to small farms with little or no hired labor expense – act fast to meet the March 31, 2021 application deadline. Read more about these updates here.
If your farm business did not apply for an earlier round of the Paycheck Protection Program, you may wish to reconsider. The COVID stimulus package that Congress approved in December 2020 included changes to PPP eligibility for farm businesses. The new eligibility rules took effect in January 2021, and the current PPP application deadline is March 31, 2021.
The Small Business Administration administers the PPP program in partnership with local lenders. Some lending institutions may have earlier application deadlines, so contact your lender as soon as possible if you would like to apply.
Digital Agri-Marketing 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays April 12 and 26 and May 10
$10 per session or $25 for all 3; Register here.
Marketing has transitioned from traditional methods to incorporating integrated online platforms. This course will focus on learning how to utilize technology and content creation to optimize a farms marketing presence.
Join us for three sessions for an in depth look at the following topics:
- Week 1: April 12 – Basics of Facebook, QR Codes, Basic Website Platforms (WIX, WEEBLY, etc.), Google AdWords and Use of Instagram – Myron Thurston, Ag Economic and Marketing Specialist CCE Madison
- Week 2: April 26 – E-Commerce (Meat Suite, Barn to Door, Shopify), Website payments (stripe, PP, Venmo) FB Marketplace – Laura Biasillo, Agricultural Economic Development Specialist, CCE Broome and Alicia Luhrssen-Zombeck, New Ventures, Fresh Markets & Community Coordinator, CCE Oneida
- Week 3: May 10 – Content Creation, Importance of good photos, videos, FB Lives, Graphic design, hashtags, incorporating virtual tours – Melissa Jo Hill, Writer/New Media Specialist, Cornell University/CALS/CCE
Someone at the farm tested positive for COVID-19 – Now What?
By Joan Sinclair Petzen and Libby Eiholzer
In this article, you will find resources to help you sort out your responsibilities as an employer and know what steps to take should someone associated with your business test positive. Click here to read the article.
Get “Into the Weeds” with a new podcast!
From NYSIPM’s Integrated Weed Management Specialist Bryan Brown, Ph.D. Read more about it on the NYSIPM blog, and find the podcast here.
It’s frost seeding season
While not always as reliable as drilling, frost seeding can be a relatively quick and easy way to incorporate legumes or grasses into existing hayfields, pastures or food plots. Legumes are better suited to this strategy, but don’t count grasses out completely – they may just take a bit longer to establish, depending on the species. The best time for frost seeding is now through early April.
Here are a few articles discussing options, as well as pros and cons:
Frost Seeding: Simple, But Not Foolproof
Frost Seeding: Low-tech Wonder or Wishful Thinking
And here’s an article discussing Why Frost Seedings Fail.
Risk management webinar videos available
Click each title to watch the video on that subject.
Dayton Maxwell: Credit as a Risk Management Tool
Elizabeth Higgins: Cash Flow Management and the Annual Operating Cycle
Dairy forward grant opportunity video available
Cornell Cooperative Extension and American Farmland Trust invited dairy producers across the state to join a free webinar focused on the Dairy Forward grant program. This program aims to help dairy farm families in New York access information and professional services to plan for farm transitions in the face of tremendous challenges such as a weak dairy economy, disruptions from severe weather, and an aging farmer population. The webinar recording and supporting resources are available here.
Beef Cattle Production 101 slides available
The slides for Ashley’s Beef Cattle Production 101 workshop are now available. Click here to see them.
Grass-finished beef need high-energy forages
By Kim Cassida
Grass-fed beef is a growing niche market that provides opportunity for marketing cattle with enhanced value. In the Upper Midwest, selling grass-finished beef in local markets can also take advantage of the growing popularity of local foods; however, there is more to producing high-quality grass-fed beef than simply keeping cattle on pasture without grain. Successfully finishing beef on forage requires a radical shift to the way many beef producers think about forage quality. Say goodbye to the idea of “beef-cow quality” forages and hello to “dairy quality.” Read more here.
Could Early Weaning Increase Your Profits?
By Dean Kreager
Over the last couple of years, making hay in a timely manner has been nearly impossible. There just were not three- or four-day windows of dry weather without water standing in the fields. The result was a lot of poor-quality hay, producing cows with poor body condition scores (BCS) coming out of the winter. Read more of this article here.
Dialing Into Your Best Dairy
Episodes in this series discuss management practices and tips to reach your herd’s full genetic potential. Over eight episodes, PRO-DAIRY and CCE Dairy Specialists discuss life stages of the dairy cow, including raising calves through the milk phase and weaning; managing weaned heifers up to freshening; making decisions about which replacements to keep, including inventory, disease prevention and culling decisions; feeding and nutrition management during lactation; facilities, time management and ventilation considerations throughout lactation and management factors around reproduction, gestation and the dry period.
Troubleshooting Herd Health Issues on Your Dairy
This podcast series focuses on troubleshooting herd health issues on dairy farms. Episodes will discuss specific areas to look at when experiencing issues in different life stages of the dairy cow. Episodes focus on preweaned calves, transition through weaning, heifer phase, calving pen issues, metabolic disorders of the transition cow, specific fresh cow issues, lactating cow issues from mastitis, issues with reproduction, production, feeding behavior and facilities, hoof health and lameness, and problems during the dry period. Connect to these podcasts here.