Dairy Forward Grant Informational Webinar planned for February 24th

Cornell Cooperative Extension and American Farmland Trust would like to invite dairy producers across the state to join a free webinar focused on the Dairy Forward grant program. This program aims to help dairy farm families in New York access information and professional services to plan for farm transitions in the face of tremendous challenges such as a weak dairy economy, disruptions from severe weather, and an aging farmer population. This virtual learning opportunity will be offered on Wednesday, February 24^th and will be held from 12noon – 12:30pm. Registration is required by visiting tinyurl.com/dairy21.

Join Molly Johnston-Heck, Regional Farmland for a New Generation Manager with American Farmland Trust, and Farm Business Management Specialists from Cornell Cooperative Extension for an interactive program overview and Q&A session that will explore this grant opportunity. This free program will be offered via Zoom and will include a call-in option. If you are interested in receiving program information, but are unable to attend “live”, please register at the above link. A recording of the webinar and application materials will be sent to all those registered following the webinar on February 24^th. .

American Farmland Trust is joining Chobani to support dairy farmers in planning for the future. The Dairy Forward program offers grants of $500 to $5,000 that can be used to help NY dairy farm families plan for farm transfer and generational succession, general farm business planning, permanently protect their land, and adopt regenerative farming practices. These funds are available on a first come, first serve basis. Eligible farms must be located in New York state and be a dairy operation, have sold more than $1,000 in agricultural products in 2020, and have a service provider identified for their proposed project.

Attending this webinar is not a requirement to apply for Dairy Forward funds. For more information and a copy of the application, visit farmland.org/dairy-forward or contact Molly Joshnston-Heck with American Farmland Trust by emailing dairy@farmland.org or calling 315-565-1538. Your local Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm Business Management Specialist is also available for guidance.

SWNYDLFC is a partnership between Cornell University and the CCE Associations of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Steuben counties. Their team includes Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management (716-640-0522); Joshua Putman, Field Crops (716-490-5572); Alycia Drwencke, Dairy Management (517-416-0386) and Amy Barkley, Livestock Management (716-640-0844). CCE is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. For more information, visit www.swnydlfc.cce.cornell.edu.

For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension, contact your county’s Association Executive Director. Allegany County – Laura Hunsberger, lkh47@cornell.edu or 585-268-7644. Cattaraugus County – Dick Rivers, rer263@cornell.edu or 716-699-2377. Chautauqua County – Emily Reynolds, eck47@cornell.edu or 716-664-9502. Erie County – Diane Held, dbh24@cornell.edu or 716-652-5400. Steuben County – Tess McKinley, tsm223@cornell.edu, or 607-664-2301.