Press Releases
“For the Farmers Formal” Charity Fundraiser Being Held to Raise Money and Awareness on behalf of Farmers in NYS
August 16, 2023
The first “For the Farmers Formal” charity fundraiser will be held on September 22nd, at 7pm at the historic North Riding LLC barn in Cleveland, NY. The event will bring together supporters from across New York State to ensure the health and prosperity of farming today, and for future generations. All proceeds from the event will be donated to NY FarmNet and the NY Agricultural Land Trust.
NY FarmNet Welcomes Becky Wiseman, Michael Robertson, and Adam Howell to Staff Team
June 22, 2023
NY FarmNet added three new full-time staff members to its administrative team in June. The new team members will allow NY FarmNet to continue delivering critical support to agricultural producers across New York State.
May is Mental Health Month
NY FarmNet Offers Trainings to Support Mental Health Awareness + Literacy
Recognizing that May is Mental Health Month, and as part of the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network funding, NY FarmNet is offering two groups of farmers and agricultural business professionals or those who provide direct service to farmers and farm employees. NY FarmNet believes in building a common language around mental health and suicide prevention, and these trainings support that work in building literacy. Building mental health and wellness literacy helps remove barriers like stigma, embarrassment, and shame.
NY FarmNet Seeking Applicants for Executive Director Position
The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business invites applicants for a full-time, fixed term (with possibility of renewal) Extension Associate/Sr. Extension Associate position in our Applied Economics and Policy area, intended for placement in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, with an intended start date of July 1, 2022. The position will be based in Ithaca, NY. This is a hybrid position – some work can be completed remotely and a presence on campus is required.
Responsibilities of the position include serving as the Executive Director (ED) of NY FarmNet. This individual will be responsible for the coordination, leadership, management, and communication of the program. The ideal candidate will possess a Master’s degree or equivalent with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
For more information and to apply, please go to https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/21224 For full consideration please ensure that your application is complete by April 18, 2022.
NY FarmNet Stress and Mental Health Survey to Inform Programming
March 8, 2022
If you work with farmers or are an agribusiness employee or owner, NY FarmNet is seeking feedback from you. The brief (less than 5 minutes) survey linked below asks how often you discuss difficult topics with your farmer clients, how well you recognize the signs of stress, and how NY FarmNet can best support your organization. This information will help NY FarmNet tailor programming and trainings to specific community needs as they vary throughout the state. Please complete the survey by visiting https://www.nyfarmnet.org/usdafrsanny and clicking the green “Survey” button.
NY FarmNet + NYS Agricultural Mediation Receive $500,000 Grant from USDA-NIFA to Address Farmer Behavioral Health in New York State
February 17, 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced that an investment of nearly $25 million for 50 grants supporting Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) State Department of Agriculture (SDA) projects. NY FarmNet and New York State Agricultural Mediation Program (NYSAMP) received $500,000 to support this work in the Empire State. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is supporting both organizations with this project.
“NIFA’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network connects farmers, ranchers, and others in agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance programs,” said NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille. “Creating and expanding a network to assist farmers and ranchers in times of stress can increase behavioral health awareness, literacy, and positive outcomes for agricultural producers, workers and their families.”
NY FarmNet Welcomes Matt Wells
January 7, 2022
NY FarmNet, a program of Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is proud to welcome Matt Wells to their team as a part time financial consultant. Matt also serves as the vice president of operations and food safety for New York Apple Sales and Yes! Apples. From 2015 to 2017 he led the Lake Ontario Fruit Team at Cornell Cooperative Extension in western New York. Matt brings a wealth of experience to the farm clients he is now available to serve, free of charge, as a NY FarmNet consultant. NY FarmNet financial consultants assist clients with business and succession planning, financial analysis, record keeping, loan applications, life after farming, and connecting to additional resources.
New Video Featuring North & South Fork Farmers Highlights
Professional Consulting Services Available Free of Charge
September 28, 2021
NY FarmNet, a program of Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is proud to serve Long Island farmers with personalized, confidential, and free consulting services. Family consultant Becky Wiseman partners with financial consultants Greg Mruk and Michael Robertson to provide coaching and guidance to the Long Island agricultural community. A new video, filmed by Black Mountain Visuals, features Long Island farmers and the progress they have made with the support of NY FarmNet. The video highlights how farms have benefited from both the financial and family/personal coaching, a unique and holistic approach that has provided transformational assistance to keep Long Island farms and farmers healthy and moving forward.
Agricultural Lenders Support NY FarmNet Consultant Continuing Education
Four banks midway through five year pledge to support customized consultant training sessions
August 20, 2021
Agricultural lenders Community Bank, Farm Credit East, NBT Bank, and Tompkins Trust/Bank of Castile have each given $5,000 this year to support training for NY FarmNet consultants. These multi-day training conferences provide the 40+ consultants with continuing education three times each year (during normal times). The last training scheduled for late March 2020 was cancelled due to COVID. On August 18th and 19th, for the first time since October of 2019, the group was able to meet in person and receive training in financial and human risk, enhancing leadership and supervision, exploring life after farming, gun safety, and farm trusts.
NY FarmNet, Hudson Valley Farmlink Network Collaborate to Support Hudson Valley Farmers
February 22, 2021
Free, confidential, and impartial services available to New York farmers include:
Assisting current farmland owners in developing accurate farm profiles on the Farmland for a New Generation website, administered by American Farmland Trust.
Succession planning guidance for existing farmers looking to retire or transition.
Business planning assistance for beginning farmers to evaluate the feasibility of starting a farm enterprise, and assistance in assessing available properties.
Facilitating meetings between farmland owners and beginning farmers when mutual interest in collaboration or sale/lease is identified.
Family and personal consulting services, provided confidentially by a qualified social worker, to address issues such as communication, life after farming, accessing community resources, and facilitating family/business meetings.
Consultations with NY FarmNet consultants take place over the phone, through video conference, or in person. All types of farmers in New York State are eligible. If you are interested in learning more or requesting any of these free, confidential, and impartial services, please contact NY FarmNet by calling 1-800-547-3276 or filling out a contact form at www.help.nyfarmnet.org/contacts/new Read more…
NY FarmNet 2019 Program Evaluation Shows Success, Room for Growth
October 26 , 2020
NY FarmNet, a program of Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has published a comprehensive program evaluation focused on need within the agricultural community. Data was collected in two surveys - the first was a follow up survey sent to each farmer who had a case with FarmNet consultants that was deemed complete during 2019. Read more….
NY FarmNet Receives Farm Credit East Ag Enhancement Grant
August 28, 2020
NY FarmNet, a program of Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is the recipient of a $10,000 Farm Credit East AgEnhancement Grant. This award will be used to support a new project: The Human Side of Farming. The Human Side of Farming will incorporate pieces of business planning and the human capital – the unique person and farmer, an aspect that is often overlooked in traditional business planning. Read more …
NY FarmNet Offers Stress Management & Transition Planning Webinars
June 29, 2020
In an effort to continuously support New York’s agricultural community – including farmers, families, and agribusiness employees – NY FarmNet can host virtual trainings and webinars focused on farm stress management, mental health literacy, and farm transition planning. Read more …
NY FarmNet Expands Services to Work with Agribusiness Professionals
May 26, 2020
In response to the ever-changing times and demands for assistance, NY FarmNet has expanded its services to work individually with agricultural business professionals who work directly with farmers in New York State. NY FarmNet will offer small and medium sized agribusiness employees and owners free, confidential consulting from family consultants to address any personal well-being and behavioral health challenges they may be experiencing, as well as building resiliency. Call 1-800-547-3276 or visit www.nyfarmnet.org any time of day to request assistance. Read more …
Managing Financial Stress on the Farm in Uncertain Times
March 30, 2020
By Ed Staehr, Executive Director
Current economic uncertainty related to COVID-19 is resulting in stress for many farmers. Normal consumer patterns of expenditures on food away from home have been altered, as restaurants are limiting service to take out and consumers are staying home. Read more …
Managing Stress in Unprecedented Times
March 25, 2020
By Jan Kirshenbaum, MSW, Family Consultant + Kate Downes, Outreach Director
First, a brief quiz, True or False:
1) Anxiety is a good feeling.
2) Feeling I have no control is fun.
If you answered “false” to both of those statements, you are in the company of most of the world. This is a time with no precedent, no reference points, no ability to remind ourselves “Well, the last time this happened, I _____________.” There is no previous time with the novel coronavirus. Read more …