SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) Board of Directors announced 15 projects selected for funding in its competitive Farm Viability grant program. The projects reflect a diverse mix of strategic approaches for improving the economic viability of New York farmers.
One project will be supporting the State’s growing hemp industry, building foundational knowledge on different growing practices to produce a quality crop suited for CBD. An economic analysis of various growing systems will also be included.
Two projects will explore the use of biological controls to fight insects. Four others will develop or evaluate new technologies including a device for use in commercial bee hives to zap deadly Varroa mites; hand held near infrared (NIR) readers that may help farmers more precisely manage the nutritional value of feed rations; UV light to fight downy mildew in cucumbers and ECa maps to predict soil cation exchange capacity.
Additional projects will help farmers more precisely use chemical sprays to counter pathogen and weed resistance; improve the productivity of garlic seed, and red clover crops, and better understand the factors that impact the quality and quantity of colostrum in dairy cows.
Other important work includes two human resource management programs for dairy farms. One project will focus on developing new approaches to developing safety practices and the other will help farm managers onboard their new employees.
“The range of strategies being explored by researchers and educators in New York is truly impressive. I believe the Farm Viability board, guided by the input from the farmer review panels, did an excellent job in identifying the ideas that hold the most promise for New York’s farmers.” said Mike Jordan, NYFVI Chair and owner Olde Chautauqua Farm.
“New York farmers are fortunate that its state government invests in agricultural research and education. On behalf of the Farm Viability Institute, I would like to thank Governor Cuomo along with Senator Jen Metzger and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and their respective Agriculture Committees for their support of our mission in the NYS budget.” said Dave Grusenmeyer, NYFVI Executive Director.
110 farmers across New York State participated in the proposal evaluation process to ensure the projects selected for funding address on-the-ground priorities. The volunteer board, comprised of ten farmers from across the state, made the final funding decisions.
It was an extremely competitive year, with 46 proposals requesting nearly $5 million submitted. Grant applications were evaluated in six areas: Producer Involvement, Relevance to NY Agriculture, Farm-Level Impact, Outreach, Evaluation and Budget. The work selected represents a cross-section of NY agriculture, with research and education efforts that will benefit farms of all sizes and production practices. Project work is beginning immediately.
—New York Farm Viability Institute
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