Through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will cover up to 75% of organic certification costs at a maximum of $750 per certification category. The application and instructions can be found at the program’s website.
Category: Business
Resources for the business side of managing a fruit and vegetable farm in Eastern NY. Topics include labor, marketing, farm business management, regulations, funding sources and risk management.
The Bottom Line No. 5
In this issue: Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant now open for applications. USDOL is focusing on heat-related hazards this season. Agritourism Survey. The US House and Senate have released versions of the Farm Bill. COVID-19 changes to tasting rooms can have lasting benefits on the bottom line. Crop Insurance premium estimator. Organic Certification Grant and Apple Marketing Order grant to increase sales and utilization of NYS apples. Upcoming programs.
Farm Provided Housing Guide
If you offer housing for your workers Cornell Ag Workforce Development has developed a guide to farm provided employee housing that can help you ensure that your housing is compliant with regulations. It also makes suggestions for effectively managing your employee housing.
Using Point of Sale Data from Markets to Improve Returns
Are you using point of sale (POS) technology, like Square, in your market? With some forethought you can set up your system to not only take credit card sales and track your revenues, but also to collect data that you can use to improve your returns. Grocery stores, with the adoption of barcode scanners, use Read More…
The Bottom Line No. 4
In this issue: DOL minimum salary increase for ‘exempt’ positions effective July 1! New federal Final Rule for H2A labor protections take effect on June 27. Point of Sale data can help you improve your returns at markets. Cornell Ag Workforce Farm-Provided Housing guide is available. USDA-FSA farm storage loans and upcoming programs
The Power of WHY
Explaining ‘WHY’ is one of the easiest ways to enhance productivity, increase trust, foster self-confidence, and improve your relationship with your employees.
The Bottom Line No. 3
In this issue: US House Ag Labor Working Group releases H2A policy recommendations. How produce farms in New York are adapting to increased labor costs. Sources for ag data from USDA Economic Research Service you can use for your next grant or business plan. USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is accepting applications as well as USDA FSA farm labor housing loans and updates to other grant programs. Upcoming business programs.
The Bottom Line No. 2
Bottom Line No. 2, April 10, 2024. In this issue: Cash rent and custom labor survey and farm employee benchmark survey. Updated information about the resilient food infrastructure program grant is available. NY FarmNet publication to help guide retirement planning for farmers. Upcoming business programs.
The Bottom Line No. 1
No. 1, March 27, 2028: FSA disaster loans are available in Clinton and Essex counties, research-based tips for getting more $$$ from U-Pick customers, a new NYS DOL portal to identify and hire asylum seekers and an upcoming webinar with details about hiring asylum seekers on your farm April 5th. Also in this issue, there are many open grant opportunities for farms open this spring and a list of upcoming farm business webinars.
Calculating Break-Even Price or Sales Volume, or how will I know when the price is too low?
Every farmer has faced a scenario where they wonder if it’s worth planting or harvesting a crop. Knowing the price you need to receive or the volume you need to sell at a given price (or some combination of the two) can be helpful in determining whether or not an enterprise is likely to be profitable. A cost/volume/price analysis is the method that you can use to do this calculation.
Farm Employers Can Now Hire Asylum Seekers for Work
In the fall of 2023, the U.S. government granted Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan migrants. As a result, many of this group now are authorized to work in the U.S. with a document called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). New York state has established a website where employers can register their interest in finding and hiring asylum seekers.
Real Property Tax Exemptions for Farm Employee Housing
New York State real property tax code allows several exemptions for farm buildings. This provision also exempts new and reconstructed farm employee housing.