Mohonk Consultations Forum to Focus on Family Farms

Mohonk Consultations Forum:  “The Challenges Facing Existing Family Farms”

When: Sunday, April 12th at 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, New York

Consultations invites the public to register for their annual Spring Forum entitled “The Challenges Facing Existing Family Farms” on Sunday, April 12th at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. The forum, presented in collaboration with the Rondout Valley Growers Association and with support from the Brook Farm Project, will focus on regional collaborations as they relate to agriculture in the Hudson Valley.

A panel of experts from area farms and non-profit organizations working in sustainable agriculture will be followed by roundtable discussions in the group setting. What are the challenges currently facing farms? What are the opportunities for education? Research? New farm technologies? These questions and more will be addressed by panelists and participants.

Jean-Paul Courtens, the Hudson Valley Farm Hub’s Associate Director for Farmer Training, will be featured on the panel along with Elizabeth Higgins from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Sara Grady of Glynwood, and a varied group of farmers including Pete Taliaferro, Charles Hurd, Anna Elbon, and Charles Noble. The event is scheduled to take place from 3pm to 6pm. For registration information visit the Mohonk Consultations website.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training in the Hudson Valley

Through a grant from Local Economies Project, Cornell Cooperative Extension is now offering training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) at locations across the Hudson Valley. The next two-day training workshop will take place in Millbrook at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County on March 9th and 10th, 2015.

With new and complex regulations governing farm products, understanding food safety requirements is more critical than ever for today’s farmers, especially for those who want to reach larger commercial markets.

This year, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training will available, and affordable, to a greater number of Hudson Valley farmers through workshops administered by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and its Hudson Valley Wholesale Producer Readiness Program. This grant-funded program is sponsored by LEP with support from CCE – Orange County, Cornell National GAPs program, the Produce Safety Alliance, Cornell University, and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The goal of the project is to provide one-on-one assistance with pre-audit trouble shooting, offer guidance to farmers in getting products wholesale ready, and increase the number of GAPs trainings in the Hudson Valley.

The program’s inaugural workshop was held in December, 2014 in Middletown, New York with participants representing fruit and vegetable farms ranging in size from under two acres to over two hundred acres. Additional workshops for winter and spring are being scheduled now. If you are interested in attending a workshop in an area near you, contact Erik Schellenberg, GAPs Coordinator, CCE-Orange County: [email protected].

Haga clic aquí for information on the Dutchess County workshop, or to register contact Nancy Halas at (845) 677-8223.