Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate Program now accepting applications

Press release from Groundswell:

Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate Program now accepting applications
New Farmers: Apply online for the 100-hour, April-November program
Ithaca, NY – This spring, the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will again offer its full-season training program for aspiring and beginning farmers and market gardeners. Running April 18 to November 14, the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program provides 124 hours of classroom training, hands-on workshops, farm visits, and supervised work experience on sustainable farms.
Trainees can choose to concentrate their studies on the management of vegetables and fruits, livestock and poultry, or pursue a diversified curriculum. Each trainee will have an individualized Learning Contract, and will be evaluated on the basis of that contract before being awarded Groundswell's Sustainable Farming Certificate. Instruction will be provided by experienced farmer mentors, as well as subject matter experts from our partner institutions such as Cornell University, USDA, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Trainees who complete 100 hours of training or more are eligible to receive Groundswell's Sustainable Farming Certificate.
Groundswell is committed to the vision of a regionally self-reliant food system that provides good food and economic opportunities for everyone. The Sustainable Farming Certificate Program, like each of Groundswell's New Farmer Training Programs, seeks to engage trainees from diverse cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds to participate in a supportive, trainee-driven learning environment. People of color, new immigrant and limited resource trainees are especially encouraged to apply. Tuition for the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program is on a sliding scale and ranges from $125 to $800, with substantial support offered to people of color, new immigrant and limited-resource trainees.
Applications for the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program are now online. Visit www.groundswellcenter.org to learn more and apply today.
The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming is an initiative of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education/Center for Transformative Action.  Support for Groundswell comes from individuals and businesses who believe in the importance of strong local food systems, and from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture-USDA, Grant #2010-49400-21799. For more information, visit www.groundswellcenter.org.

Food and Farming Events at the Ovid Library

Announcement:

Upcoming Food and Farming Events from the Ovid Library, 7169 North Main Street Ovid, NY (some events at different locations):

Apple Tree Pruning - Saturday, March 14th 10:00am-1:00pm.  Meet at Daring Drake Farm 3046 County Road 138, Ovid and learn how to start and train new trees and how to rejuvenate older apple trees.  Registration required.

Tree Grafting - Saturday, March 2th 10:00am-noon.  Learn the history, lore, and mechanics of tree grafting with John Reynolds of Daring Drake Farm.  Students will have hands on practice with grafting and leave class with two fruit trees to plant.  $3/person class fee.  Held at the Ovid Library. Registration required.

Shiitake Mushroom Workshop - Saturday, April 28th 10:00am-1:00pm - Join Steve Sierigk for this hands-on workshop that will cover the basics of growing Shiitake mushrooms on hardwood log.  Participants will drill and fill provided logs with Shiitake mycelium and each participant will take

home a log to grow.  $15/person class fee.  Held at the Ovid Library. Registration required.

3rd Annual Plant Sale at the Ovid Library on Saturday, May 12th beginning at 9am.  Along with the usual annuals, perennials, herbs, hanging baskets and vegetables, we also offer fruit plants and trees and unusual herbs. All plants are grown by local farms, many organic, and all proceeds go directly to the library.

To register for library programs, contact The Edith B. Ford Memorial Library, Ovid:  607.869.3031 or ovidlib@rochester.rr.com

News from Tree Gate Farm

Sharon from Tree Gate Farm sent me this update last week and announced the launch of her farm blog, with recent posts on farming in winter and chicken news.

From Tree Gate Farm:
"After another week of unseasonably mild temperatures that lured us outdoors to finish the many chores outstanding from the end of the 2011 growing season, it's been a delight to see big, fat, white flakes falling from the sky and turn our attention inward. Like the broody hens on their nest, we farmers have hunkered down to hatch a few new ventures. In late December, we ordered seven varieties of spuds in anticipation of another Technicolor harvest and in early January, placed the first of four seed orders, including a few quirky new root veggies and surprising shades of familiar fruits. Earlier this week, the farmer up the road who supplies our piglets confirmed that the sows have been bred and the farmer fabricating our hoophouse frame in Penn Yan scheduled a delivery date. Spring may be months away, but it's hard to tamp down a growing excitement about all that the 2012 season has in store!"

Town of Ithaca releases Ag & Farmland Protection Plan

From TC Local, a group of area citizens committed to researching various aspects of energy descent in Tompkins County and writing up a preliminary plan for each aspect based on purely local challenges and resources:


"There was some good news on the local food security front this fall. One recent critical success was the election of antifracking candidates in several Tompkins County towns, which for the moment at least has challenged the claimed right of area landowners to extract short-term profits at the expense of the long-term health and agricultural productivity of local farmland. The other development was the November 2011 approval of the Town of Ithaca Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan (AFPP) by the Ithaca Town Board and the preparation of similar plans for the Towns of Lansing and Ulysses."

Read the whole article, including the AFPP, here.

Master Composter Training

Announcement:

Become a MASTER COMPOSTER! Ten in-depth classes paired with hands-on internship hours train Master Composters, an enthusiastic and fun group of community volunteers committed to promoting responsible composting.
 
Classes are Wednesday evenings from February 22nd – May 2nd. Application deadline is Wednesday, February 1st. For more information or to request an application, call the Rotline (272-2292), contact Mila Fournier atymf5@cornell.edu or stop by the Cooperative Extension at 615 Willow Avenue in Ithaca. More info and applications also available online: http://ccetompkins.org/garden/composting/become-master-composter

Announcement: 2012 Summer Fruit CSA

Announcement:

Daring Drake Farm is offering shares in their 2012 Fruit CSA.  Receive a diverse array of Daring Drake organic fruit for 20 weeks beginning mid-late June for $280.  Weekly pick-ups Friday in Ovid as well as Tuesday at DeWitt Park and Saturday at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market.  This is a fruit CSA for the adventurous culinary types!  Visit our website for more information on our CSA and farm: http://daringdrake.com/csa/

Plus:

In the 2012 season look for the Daring Drake Farm Stand on County Road 138 in Ovid.  Enjoy the best organic fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers seven days a week in Southern Seneca County from Daring Drake and Three Stone Farm.  Look for us to open May with fruit trees and bushes and some unique annuals.

Farm Sanctuary Celebrates 25 years (Ithaca Times)

From the Ithaca Times:

Farm Sanctuary celebrates 25 years of helping animals

"There's a 175-acre farm set amidst the rolling green hills between Seneca and Keuka Lakes where animals come to live, rather than die. Farm Sanctuary, the safe haven for farmed animals that has been heaven to thousands provides rehabilitative care and lifelong shelter for rescued farm animals in Watkins Glen celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year, and at a time where its influence is more important than ever."
Read the rest at the Ithaca Times.