About
The Northeast Beginning Farmer Project is led by a team of educators who care deeply about supporting the success of new farmers. It is housed at the Cornell Small Farms Program and is funded by the USDA’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program, project #2009-49400-05878 and a grant from the NYFVI.
This website is one of our projects. We also offer online courses taught by experienced Extension educators and using content from this website, and we develop new informational resources for new farmers (like the Guide to Farming in NY and our new series of farming videos). When we initiated this beginning farmer work in 2006, we focused exclusively in NY, but now we are building connections among the many excellent organizations serving beginning farmers across the Northeast region, many of whom you’ll find in our map.
With our USDA and NYFVI funding, the Team is:
- Developing new online courses and how-to videos for new farmers on production-oriented topics.
- Working with middle and high schools to develop classroom and on-farm learning opportunities to recruit young people into farming as a career.
- Analyzing the hurdles that challenge new farmers when trying to grow their operations
- Making training opportunities more visible to all new farmers in the Northeast
- Assisting organizations serving beginning farmers with publicity, evaluation, training and information to enhance the success of the new farmers they serve.
If you want to stay informed about our activities, choose your favorite social media method and follow us: subscribe to our blog, become a fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Northeast Beginning Farmer Project Team:
- Anu Rangarajan – Cornell Small Farms Program
- Erica Frenay – Cornell Small Farms Program
- Michelle Podolec – Cornell Small Farms Program
- Steve Hadcock – Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Columbia County
- Dan Welch - CCE Cayuga County
- Laura Biasillo – CCE Broome County
- Monika Roth – CCE Tompkins County
- Severine Von Tscharner Fleming – the Greenhorns
- Hannah Bernhardt – the Greenhorns
- Chris Kennedy – the Greenhorns
- Kate Mendenhall – Northeast Organic Farming Association – NY
- Matt Robinson – Northeast Organic Farming Association – NY
- Rachel Schell-Lambert – Northeast Organic Farming Association -NY
- Peter Carroll – Peter Carroll Productions (videography)
- Travis Park – Cornell Univ. Education, NY Association of Ag Educators
- Jeff Perry – Cornell Univ. Education
If you have comments or questions, please contact by email or at 607-255-9911.
New Farmer Hub
Essential Resources for Your Farm
Need Small Farms Info?
Visit our sister 
site, the Cornell Small Farms Program