Sweet potato “slips” are stem cuttings (similar to transplants) that are used to grow a sweet potato plant. The vast majority of sweet potatoes produced in the northeast are grown from slips produced in North Carolina. In 2021 we began hosting this research trial led by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program. The trial asks the following questions: What effect do locally produced slips have on yield? Is it economically viable to produce slips in the Hudson Valley region, given the cooler weather (compared with North Carolina)?

This research trial is a collaboration with researchers from Cornell Cooperative Extension. It tracks the amount of greenhouse gases released from a field of winter squash over the course of a season in both tilled and un-tilled ground and using several different fertility teatments. The goal is to collect data that will help growers find ways to promote carbon sequestration without unintentionally increasing the release of more potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

We grow a diversified mix of vegetables that includes over 200 varieties of everything from leafy greens to root vegetables. The majority of our produce is donated to food pantries and community meal programs in the Hudson Valley region.

We use the term “permanent cover” to refer to flood prone parts of the farm that have been planted with a perennial crop such as a flowering meadow mix or a hay mix. In extremely flood-prone areas on the farm it is important to limit tillage as much as possible, so these areas are either never tilled or only tilled every few years. Permanent cover can help prevent runoff, increase soil infiltration, and help hold the soil in place to prevent erosion.

We are growing no-till beans as part of a Cornell University research trial that examines the growing strategies for organic dry bean production in the Northeast and Upper Middlewestern U.S. Key objectives of the trial are to identify varieties best suited for organic production in the region and to experiment with tillage reduction strategies that can improve soil health.

We grow about 100 acres of grain corn, some of which is used in organic livestock feed. We also grow several varieties that are used to make cornmeal, tortillas, and tortilla chips.

This year’s seed garden includes a variety of activity and initiatives. Beans, popcorn, and squash are being grown for seed with the Mohawk community in Akwesasne, and beans and tobacco are being grown for seed with the Lenape Center. Finally a new seed space, known as the Seed Teaching Garden, will focus on research and education focused on regional seed saving and community seed literacy and seed saving skills.

Clover as a cover crop is used to add nitrogen to the soil.

Launched in 2020 in collaboration with researchers from Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture, this research trial tests the efficacy of Brassica bio-fungicides (low-risk pesticides that contain naturally occurring beneficial microorganisms) on broccoli. The goal is to help growers make decisions for managing certain brassica family diseases.