Northern New York – The June 12-15 Northern New York Beef Week includes farm visits by Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist Dr. Michael J. Baker and 7pm evening videolinks with West Virginia University (WVU) Extension Livestock Specialist Dr. Phillip I. Osborne. The evening program fee is $5.

Osborne helped develop and coordinates the West Virginia Beef Quality Assurance Feeder Cattle Marketing Program. He is also an associate professor with the WVU Division of Animal and Nutritional Services. Osborne will speak about the value of pooling cattle for marketing.

The animals sold through West Virginia’s Quality Assurance (QA) Sales are noted for strong genetics and having been raised with industry-accepted, proven health practices.

“Our QA calves have proven to be a valuable risk management investment for both producers and buyers,” says Osborne.

“These workshops are a great opportunity for New York beef producers to learn how to apply West Virginia’s success with pooling calves and cattle to meet larger buyers’ interest in consistent quality and sufficient supply,” says Baker.

NNY producers can call ahead to schedule a farm visit with Baker to receive a fresh evaluation of their handling facilities, and the opportunity to ask questions of the Cornell beef specialist.

The Northern New York Beef Week farm visits and evening program schedule is as follows:

• June 12 – Clinton and Essex County farm visits and 7pm program at CCE Clinton County office, Plattsburgh, register with Peter Hagar at CCE Clinton County, 518-561-7450, phh7@cornell.edu, or Anita Deming at CCE Essex County, 518-962-4810, ald6@cornell.edu

• June 13 – Franklin County farm visits and 7 pm program at 911 Emergency Building, Malone, register with Diane Dumont, CCE Franklin County, 518-483-7403

• June 14 – St. Lawrence County farm visits and 7 pm program at the Extension Learning Farm Classroom, Canton, register with Betsy Hodge, 315-379-9192, bmf9@cornell.edu

• June 15 – Jefferson County farm visits and 7pm program at CCE Jefferson County, Watertown, register with Ron Kuck, 315-788-8450, rak76@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

The New York Farm Viability Institute is accepting proposals for grant funding for projects that assist New York farmers in improving profitability.

The New York Farm Viability Institute is announcing its 2012 competitive grants program, with funding awarded to projects that help farmers improve profitability, offer models for other farms to follow, and meet farmer-prioritized needs and opportunities within New York State.

The Institute awards grant funds to projects that reflect the diversity of New York agriculture, including the various production sectors, farm sizes, production practices, geographic location, and more.

Farmer groups, researchers, educators, nonprofit groups and privately-owned businesses may apply for funds.

“We are seeking proposals for projects that offer practical solutions for working farms in New York State.  We promote innovation by investing in research and outreach efforts that lead to a strong, viable agriculture sector in the state,” said Jim Bittner, chair of the NY Farm Viability board of directors, and operator of Singer Farms in Niagara County, NY.

The New York Farm Viability Institute is a farmer-led nonprofit organization that works with farmers throughout the state to identify and prioritize immediate opportunities and needs, then implement research and outreach projects to meet those needs.
The requests for proposals for all three NYFVI grant programs are online at www.nyfvi.org.  The Institute will offer grants in the following categories: Agriculture Innovation Center, which includes business planning, marketing and value-added product development; Energy Management & Bioenergy, including on-farm energy conservation and bioenergy systems, and Outreach & Applied Research, including on-farm research trials and outreach education.

The Institute is also announcing a series of grant writing workshops.  The workshops are designed to describe the funding opportunities and application requirements, and help project leaders develop successful applications.

• June 5, 10 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Farm Credit East Office, 4363 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY.
• June 12, 10 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County, Cortland County Office Building, 60 Central Ave., Cortland, NY.
• June 13, 10 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of St Lawrence County, Extension Learning Farm, 2043 State Highway 68, Canton, NY.
• June 14, 10 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Kingston Plaza, 232 Plaza Rd, Kingston, NY.

Participants must register by June 1 for the workshops at http://db.nyfvi.org/ or by calling the NYFVI office.

Application budget requests may not exceed $150,000.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. August 12, 2012, and contingent upon receiving a state contract for funding, the NYFVI Board plans to make funding decisions in December.

Applications must be submitted online.  Funded projects must complete quarterly progress reporting, requests for expense reimbursements and final reporting, using an online system maintained by the NY Farm Viability Institute.

The New York Farm Viability Institute receives funding from legislative appropriations through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.