ITHACA, N.Y. — The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming, an Ithaca–based nonprofit initiative, has been awarded a three-year grant of more than $700,000 to support training and business-incubation programs for beginning farmers in Central New York. The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be used to further expand the […]
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming, an Ithaca–based nonprofit initiative, has been awarded a three-year grant of more than $700,000 to support training and business-incubation programs for beginning farmers in Central New York.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be used to further expand the Groundswell Center’s technical and business-training offerings, according to a news release, and to secure a second, larger plot of land.
“This is great news for beginning farmers and for our regional economy,” Joanna Green, director of the Groundswell Center, said in the release. “Growing new farmers is essential to growing our world-class regional cuisine, and expanding agriculinary tourism. Agriculture is the perfect clean and green economic engine for our region.”
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an agency of the USDA, awarded the grant as part of a larger effort to provide financial assistance to new farmers and ranchers across the country through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
In all, more than $18 million in grant money was awarded nationally through the BFRDP, according to a separate news release from the USDA.
The Groundswell Center is a project financed under the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an Ithaca nonprofit that says it provides fiscal sponsorship to social programs and entrepreneurs in the state. The CTA offices are located on the campus of Cornell University, with which the nonprofit is affiliated.
Groundswell’s educational programs are provided at several area farms, or “mentor farms,” such as Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon, and Main Street Farms, LLC, in Homer, to name a few.
The 10-acre plot of land at West Haven Farm, in the town of Ithaca, currently used by the Groundswell Center for its Farm Business Incubator Program — which provides affordable land and other resources — is only suitable for “very small” start-up farmers, Green says in an interview. With the grant money, the nonprofit will begin looking for a second plot of land that is 100 acres or larger, which would be for farmers who are more advanced and in need of more growing space, she says.
The new plot of land would be attained either through a partnership with another group, or with a lease, says Green. The nonprofit would not purchase land outright. She says it has yet to begin the search process formally.
Farming business course
According to its website, the Groundswell Center’s educational offerings include a 10-session farm-business planning course. It started Jan. 15 and meets every Thursday evening, from 6-9 p.m., through March 19.
The center offers the course in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s Business CENTS Program.
The “intensive” course is for the “serious beginning farmer” who needs a plan, the site says. Established farmers who want to improve their business planning and management skills can also participate. The 10 weekly sessions cover legal and regulatory issues; production planning; marketing; financial feasibility, budgets and record keeping; and other topics.
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ITHACA, N.Y. — The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming, an Ithaca–based nonprofit initiative, has been awarded a three-year grant of more than $700,000 to support training and business-incubation programs for beginning farmers in Central New York.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be used to further expand the Groundswell Center’s technical and business-training offerings, according to a news release, and to secure a second, larger plot of land.
“This is great news for beginning farmers and for our regional economy,” Joanna Green, director of the Groundswell Center, said in the release. “Growing new farmers is essential to growing our world-class regional cuisine, and expanding agriculinary tourism. Agriculture is the perfect clean and green economic engine for our region.”
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an agency of the USDA, awarded the grant as part of a larger effort to provide financial assistance to new farmers and ranchers across the country through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
In all, more than $18 million in grant money was awarded nationally through the BFRDP, according to a separate news release from the USDA.
The Groundswell Center is a project financed under the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an Ithaca nonprofit that says it provides fiscal sponsorship to social programs and entrepreneurs in the state. The CTA offices are located on the campus of Cornell University, with which the nonprofit is affiliated.
Groundswell’s educational programs are provided at several area farms, or “mentor farms,” such as Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon, and Main Street Farms, LLC, in Homer, to name a few.
The 10-acre plot of land at West Haven Farm, in the town of Ithaca, currently used by the Groundswell Center for its Farm Business Incubator Program — which provides affordable land and other resources — is only suitable for “very small” start-up farmers, Green says in an interview. With the grant money, the nonprofit will begin looking for a second plot of land that is 100 acres or larger, which would be for farmers who are more advanced and in need of more growing space, she says.
The new plot of land would be attained either through a partnership with another group, or with a lease, says Green. The nonprofit would not purchase land outright. She says it has yet to begin the search process formally.
Farming business course
According to its website, the Groundswell Center’s educational offerings include a 10-session farm-business planning course. It started Jan. 15 and meets every Thursday evening, from 6-9 p.m., through March 19.
The center offers the course in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s Business CENTS Program.
The “intensive” course is for the “serious beginning farmer” who needs a plan, the site says. Established farmers who want to improve their business planning and management skills can also participate. The 10 weekly sessions cover legal and regulatory issues; production planning; marketing; financial feasibility, budgets and record keeping; and other topics.
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ITHACA, N.Y. — The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming, an Ithaca–based nonprofit initiative, has been awarded a three-year grant of more than $700,000 to support training and business-incubation programs for beginning farmers in Central New York. The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be used to further expand the […]
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming, an Ithaca–based nonprofit initiative, has been awarded a three-year grant of more than $700,000 to support training and business-incubation programs for beginning farmers in Central New York.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be used to further expand the Groundswell Center’s technical and business-training offerings, according to a news release, and to secure a second, larger plot of land.
“This is great news for beginning farmers and for our regional economy,” Joanna Green, director of the Groundswell Center, said in the release. “Growing new farmers is essential to growing our world-class regional cuisine, and expanding agriculinary tourism. Agriculture is the perfect clean and green economic engine for our region.”
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an agency of the USDA, awarded the grant as part of a larger effort to provide financial assistance to new farmers and ranchers across the country through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
In all, more than $18 million in grant money was awarded nationally through the BFRDP, according to a separate news release from the USDA.
The Groundswell Center is a project financed under the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an Ithaca nonprofit that says it provides fiscal sponsorship to social programs and entrepreneurs in the state. The CTA offices are located on the campus of Cornell University, with which the nonprofit is affiliated.
Groundswell’s educational programs are provided at several area farms, or “mentor farms,” such as Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon, and Main Street Farms, LLC, in Homer, to name a few.
The 10-acre plot of land at West Haven Farm, in the town of Ithaca, currently used by the Groundswell Center for its Farm Business Incubator Program — which provides affordable land and other resources — is only suitable for “very small” start-up farmers, Green says in an interview. With the grant money, the nonprofit will begin looking for a second plot of land that is 100 acres or larger, which would be for farmers who are more advanced and in need of more growing space, she says.
The new plot of land would be attained either through a partnership with another group, or with a lease, says Green. The nonprofit would not purchase land outright. She says it has yet to begin the search process formally.
Farming business course
According to its website, the Groundswell Center’s educational offerings include a 10-session farm-business planning course. It started Jan. 15 and meets every Thursday evening, from 6-9 p.m., through March 19.
The center offers the course in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s Business CENTS Program.
The “intensive” course is for the “serious beginning farmer” who needs a plan, the site says. Established farmers who want to improve their business planning and management skills can also participate. The 10 weekly sessions cover legal and regulatory issues; production planning; marketing; financial feasibility, budgets and record keeping; and other topics.
