Green Guru Network

We are lucky to live in an area rich with wonderful farm projects year round.  This time of year, local farms are revving up their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs.  Signing up for a CSA means you get to pick up regular allotments of assorted seasonal produce - sure to be extremely fresh and packaged in ample amounts.

Winter Sun Farms, in New Paltz, has a great CSA program with a variety of pick-up spots scattered up and down the Hudson Valley and into New York City.  They are taking sign-ups now!  Click "pick-up spots" above, or the "Become a Member" tab on their homepage to join.  Think you might not be able to finish all the produce without help?  Consider splitting the cost and the produce with a friend or neighbor.  Check out Chronogram's comprehensive list of Hudson Valley CSAs and Hilltop Hanover Farm's CSA offering.

Despite the cold weather, Hudson Valley farmers are still growing and harvesting.  If a CSA membership isn't for you, check out your nearest winter market location, support our local agriculture, and enjoy the freshest produce possible throughout the winter.

Here are three fantastic web resources for those who have started a small farm, those who dream of starting a small farm or for folks who would love to experience what it’s like to work on a small farm.

The Northeast Beginning Farmers Project is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grant. This web resource has been created to assist those who are interested in starting a small farm business. On this site, watch video and, “Listen to a diversity of farmers share their experiences in starting a farm business, getting grants, choosing enterprises, marketing, becoming profitable, and more. Our featured farmers discuss mistakes made and lessons learned from the hard experience of starting a small farm from scratch.”

These interviews were drawn from a video series called, “From the Voices of Experience” which was put together for the NY Beginning Farmer Project at the Cornell Small Farms Program.  The Cornell Small Farms Program is also a great resource, and lists educational events held all over NYS, and webinars. An example:

June 12, 2011. Producing Quality Food and a Green Community Through Urban Farming. 4pm - 8:30pm. Brooklyn Grange, 37-18 Northern Blvd, Long Island City, New York 11101. Looking for insight on starting or improving your urban farm?  Join us on June 12th in Queens, NY to delve into the challenging yet rewarding business of rooftop farming & production for urban markets.  The Brooklyn Grange is a working farm on a rooftop in Long Island City, Queens, New York.  Ben Flanner is the founding farmer and CEO of the 1-acre farm, which uses 750 cubic yards of soil to produce vegetables for farmers’ markets, restaurants and a 25-member CSA.  The farm is actively expanding to incorporate educational efforts, in the form of their City Growers program.  To register for this event, visit the NOFA-NY Shopping page https://www.nofany.org  or call Rachel at (585) 271-1979 ext. 511.  Space is limited to 30 attendees, so pre-register by June 6th to guarantee your spot!

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY (NOFA-NY) ,which was mentioned above, has a page dedicated to helping small organic farmers acquire funding  and a“Beginning Farmer, Apprentice and Mentorship Programs” page with marvelously detailed and thorough resources.

Doesn’t it get you wanting to dig in the dirt?