Connections - Find out who to contact to answer your questions
For more info, please also see our list of New Farmer FAQ's. To go immediately to a list of state and federal agencies, Cornell Programs, and other organizations serving farmers in NY, select one of the groups below.
Cornell Programs | Regional Organizations | Statewide Producer-Run Groups
NYS Agencies | Federal Agencies
Who do I talk to about...
...information on applying for a loan?
...information about pesticide permits, use of natural waterways for irrigation, wildlife control?
...classes on managing a farm business?
...hands-on training in a particular type of farming operation?
...one-on-one assistance with a business plan?
...help designing a grazing plan and selecting appropriate fencing, water, and shelter?
...land to lease (or buy) for farming OR someone to farm my land?
...answers to questions I have about regulations related to marketing my product?
...someone to answer specific questions I have about starting a farm?
...general farm production information, stories of successful small farmers, events of interest?
...information on grants/cost-sharing programs for installing fencing, watershed protection, barn restoration, etc?
As a first stop, check out Grant Opportunities for Farmers, Fact Sheet #31 in the Guide to Farming in NY. Contact information for specific programs is listed there. Your local Soil and Water Conservation District office should be able to help you determine if you qualify for any of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost-share programs.
...information on applying for a loan?
First, read Financing a Farm Operation, Fact Sheet #4 in the Guide to Farming in NY. This will give you some idea about what goes into applying for a loan, and who the lenders are. Then contact the bank most local to you, and your local Farm Service Agency office too.
...information about pesticide permits, use of natural waterways for irrigation, wildlife control?
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation can answer your questions about these issues. There is also an Environmental Regulations fact sheet (#10) in the Guide to Farming in NY that may answer some of your questions.
...classes on managing a farm business?
Please contact your county's Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) office. Many of them offer periodic workshops on various elements of farm business management, from beginner to advanced level. There are also now several online courses offered through CCE. It's a good idea to get on your local CCE mailing list, and also to sign up to receive the Cornell Small Farms Program monthly electronic Update to stay current on a list of available trainings and other information of interest to small farmers.
...hands-on training in a particular type of farming operation?
Unfortunately, hands-on training is still difficult to find. If you are able to spend a whole season on a farm as an intern or apprentice, there are many options available (see below). But if you are limited by family or work commitments, your options are more limited. Some Cornell Cooperative Extension offices run short courses in a specific production area, like Dairy. Many of the Regional Organizations listed here currently offer hands-on programs, or will in the near future. Some colleges and universities offer limited hands-on opportunities for students, including the student-run Dilmun Hill Farm and MacDaniel's Nut Grove at Cornell University. Sign up to receive the Cornell Small Farms Program monthly electronic Update to stay current on a list of available trainings and other information of interest to small farmers.
If you have the ability to spend a season or a year working on a farm, you can get a solid feel for day-to-day farm life. Some resources where you can find these opportunities:
- Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-NY) - listing of internship opportunities
- Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) - listing of internship opportunities in PA and nearby states
- Contact your county's Cornell Cooperative Extension office about local farm mentorship opportunities
- If you are interested in grass-based livestock production, consider the Grass-fed Interns Program in Schoharie County, NY (near Cobleskill)
- Visit your local farmers’ market to connect with farmers who may be willing to serve as mentors to you
- Contact local chapter of state producers association for your enterprise (goats, poultry, etc) - try an internet search for "NY ___ Producers Association" (with your crop or animal filled into the blank)
- Attend conferences - these are typically in the winter season and are excellent ways to meet farmers and learn innovative and profitable techniques: Northeast Organic Farming (NOFA) Conference (every January) and Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conference (early Feb.)
...one-on-one assistance with a business plan?
If your county Cornell Cooperative Exension (CCE) office doesn't have a staff person able to help with this, NY FarmNet offers free business plan assistance via a network of consultants across the state.
...help designing a grazing plan and selecting appropriate fencing, water, and shelter?
It depends which county you're in, but most areas of the state offer customized assistance with this through the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). Other grass-based livestock farmers in your area should be able to tell you which agency in your area is the correct contact. Or you can just check with your local Soil and Water Conservation District, or your Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) organization. In the North Country, this assistance is also provided through Adirondack North Country Association (listed here under Regional Organizations).
...land to lease (or buy) for farming OR someone to farm my land?
This is an area of explosive growth and interest, and many groups around the state are working on addressing it at the local/regional level. NY FarmLink offers a statewide farm matching service and is a good first place to stop. If you haven't found what you need there, try contacting your county's Cornell Cooperative Extension office, or one of the Regional Organizations listed in your area.
...answers to questions I have about regulations related to marketing my product?
Check out Unit 7: Regulations, Taxes and Legal Issues on this website, which draws its content from the Guide to Farming in NY. If your question is not answered there, try contacting your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or the appropriate department at NYS Dept. of Ag & Markets.
...someone to answer specific questions I have about starting a farm?
It depends on the nature of your question. The most common questions asked by new farmers are answered on this website in the New Farmer FAQ's. If that doesn't help, try the New Farmers Forum on this website and your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office. If you still have not found the help you need from these resources, look to see if one of the Regional Organization contacts we've listed is in your part of the state and try contacting them.
Seeking out connections with other farmers in your area is probably the most valuable thing you can do to learn about farming. You will find these farmers at farmers markets (obviously) and often at workshops offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension. As long as you are respectful of their time and growing practices, most farmers are happy to answer a few questions.
...general farm production information, stories of successful small farmers, events of interest?
The Cornell Small Farms Program publishes the Small Farm Quarterly, a magazine that comes nestled inside the Country Folks newspaper four times a year. All the archives are online and searchable. They range from profiles of innovative farms to instructional pieces on production or marketing and everything in between.
The Small Farms Program website also contains several events calendars, an enormous compilation of production, business management, and marketing information, as well as descriptions of all our projects. The NY Beginning Farmer Project is a project of the Cornell Small Farms Program.
