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Extending the Growing Season in Northern NY

Spring is here which means local greenhouses and high tunnels are filling quickly. Some businesses focus on growing transplants of flowers, vegetables, and herbs for sale to the public and others plant into the ground for a bountiful harvest later in the season. 

Last month, 19 farmers and gardeners participated in the final 2023 Ag and Food Producer Academy course organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Planning and Maintaining a High Tunnel or Greenhouse. The group was eager to learn how to incorporate protected structures on their own property, to extend the growing season and grow crops that otherwise might be challenging in northern New York. 

A wealth of experience was shared throughout the three online sessions and field trip day to local greenhouse businesses and high tunnels. Here are a few tidbits we gleaned from our course instructors and field trip hosts. 

  1. Determining Your Structure Size and Soil Management Plan

Judson Reid, Course Instructor and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Vegetable Specialist emphasized proper structure size and soil management tools. Jud explained that it’s sometimes easier to start with a larger high tunnel or greenhouse so you can grow into it, rather than trying to scale up from a smaller one as your operation evolves. He walked course participants through considerations to determine the correct structure size for their business. Jud also strongly recommended having a soil management plan.

A man stands in a high tunnel between plants, speaking to a group.
Jud discussed air circulation in high tunnels and greenhouses during the field trip.

Soil tests are crucial to manage soil health and he suggests including a fertilizer injector into your system as a cost effective and efficient way to make adjustments to grow robust plants.

2. Finding Funding

Lindsey Pashow, Guest Instructor and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Agriculture and Business Development and Marketing Specialist, discussed searching and applying for grant funding based on your farm and high tunnel or greenhouse needs. She suggested making a list of your needs and starting with internet searches, finding the past timings and deadlines of grants, and looking at past projects to see if your project is similar and a good fit. 

Read more Extending the Growing Season in Northern NY

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First Ever Ag and Food Producers Academy: Complete!

 

On March 12th at the Learning Farm, we wrapped up the first ever Ag & Food Producers Academy. Over the course of 8 weeks Academy participants had the opportunity to attend a variety of business and marketing classes tailored to small scale food and farm businesses. Four courses were held online during weeknights for 3-4 weeks. Topics led by specialists and educators included, Social Media Management, Business and Financing, E-Commerce For Producers and Food Businesses and Making Food Products in New York State. As a fairly new Educator here at CCE, who works with food producers and farmers looking to boost their marketing, I found myself teaching and leading the social media course. It was a great opportunity to blend the online social media marketing world with the realities of running your own food and farm business. You can read more about the specific topics and instructors HERE. While the majority of the learning took place online, the closing event allowed us to meet each other in-person and share conversations over some delicious food. 

Participants talking over some freshly brewed tea

We had a wide range of guest presenters and speakers such as Lissa Goldstien of Wild Work Farm talking about her ECommerce platform and Chrissy Claudio of Simply C Farm explaining how she organizes her finances. Participants were also able to watch an interview with Food And Ferment co-owner Carly Dougherty explaining how they’ve scale their value added food business and hear from Dillion Kleepetar of Farmstead catering talking about how to best approach a social media strategy, just to name a few. It was a pleasure to hear all of their insights and stories and allowed for some great questions and conversations, and proved to be some participants favorite part of the classes. One participant shared,  “The guest speakers were very inspiring, and hearing how they incorporated different e-commerce platforms into their businesses was very informative.” 

Read more First Ever Ag and Food Producers Academy: Complete!

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Hoof & Horn in Downtown Potsdam

In December, the Local Foods team visited the newest food business in downtown Potsdam, the Hoof & Horn Butcher and Eatery. The LaClair family, with roots in Hermon and Saranac Lake, returned to northern New York eager to contribute to the local food scene. With experience as a chef and culinary instructor, Jonathan LaClair has the passion and skills to open up a farm-to-table whole animal butchery and eatery.   Jon shares, “The big thing with us is that we are trying to utilize every part of an animal that we can.”

Charcuterie boards are available to order for any event. All of the cheeses and cured meats are sourced from New York State.

What will you find at Hoof and Horn?  “We have our display case with all our raw cuts in it. We try to have some staples like New York strips and ribeyes when possible. But you will find some different cuts like the picanhas, sirloin steaks. We do a lot of beef tips and several different kinds of house-made sausages.” Think sausage flavors like maple brown sugar and chimichurri lamb.

Come take a seat and stay for lunch.

In addition, they offer eat-in or to-go lunches, such as warming ramen bowls and delicious lamb shoulder tacos. You can find other menu items like house-made chorizo sausage dressed with kimchi and garlic soy aioli. 

Jon cooks up some of his homegrown purple potatoes.

LaClair, doesn’t stop there. It seems the longer Hoof & Horn is open, the more options become available to diners. With an indulgent brunch menu on Sundays featuring a variety of benedicts (crab, veggie and beef tenderloin).  He says for brunch menus they are “trying to stay as hyper-local as we can and really celebrate the farms of the area.” Read more Hoof & Horn in Downtown Potsdam