News

Drs. Shannan Sweet and David Wolfe conducted a New York State Drought Survey in 2016 in order to determine the impacts of the drought on farmers in New York. The survey aimed to elucidate impacts by commodity and also based on whether farmers irrigated or not. Read about this survey, the results, and the recommendations based on this research in the third edition of the Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions (CICSS) Research and Policy Brief Series, entitled “Anatomy of a Rare Drought: Insights from New York Farmers” on the CICSS Publications page. Permalink

The Cornell Climate Smart Farming (CSF) Program was featured in the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture’s (GACSA) February Newsletter HERE. CICSS Director, and spearheader of the Cornell CSF Program, Allison Chatrchyan, is very involved with GACSA, participating in their annual meetings each year, and developing case studies of climate smart agriculture from the Northeast to contribute to their worldwide assessments. Permalink

With transitions in government leadership in the new presidential administration, websites such as Climate Central are working to get perspectives on how this will impact agencies such as the USDA and work they are doing in the climate change and agricultural sphere. Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions Directors Mike Hoffmann and Allison Chatrchyan were recently interviewed by Climate Central, and their perspectives on the direction of these organizations can be found in the following article. Permalink

As part of the Cornell Small Farms Program, Beginning Farmers Project, the CSF Program (within the Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions) will be offering a course entitled BF 107: “Climate Smart Farming, Being Prepared can Keep You in Business” from Jan 17th to Feb 21st in 2017. The course will equip farmers with the knowledge to understand their risk to climate change and extreme weather, empowering them to implement measures that not only respond to climate change, but also maintain their bottom line by promoting sustainability, preparedness, and best management practices. Register HERE! For more information on the Beginning Farmers Project and online courses, Read more »

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an integral part of the Climate Smart Farming (CSF) mission, and the CSF Program collaborates with the New York State IPM Center and Northeast IPM Center. The Northeast IPM Center recently hosted its second annual IPM Online Conference, which featured IPM updates in rapid-style 5-minute presentations in which the speakers discussed one or two highlights from their projects. The purpose of the conference was to learn about IPM-related research, education, and extension currently taking place in and around the Northeast. Presentations from the conference can be seen at the Northeast IPM Center’s website, and on their playlist Read more »

On August 15th, the entire CSF team traveled to Albany, NY for the one-day NYS IPM Climate and Weather Conference. CICSS Executive Director, Mike Hoffmann, presented on the links between climate change and our food system, and CICSS Director, Allison Chatrchyan presented on the unique Climate Smart Farming Program Decision Tools. Other organizations presenting included: the USDA NE Climate Hub, Northeast IPM Center, Cooperative Extension, the NYS Dept of Health, NYS Mesonet, and the Network for Environment and Weather Applications. Permalink

Each year, the Cornell Climate Smart Farming (CSF) Team participates in the annual Empire Farm Days in Seneca Falls, NY. This year’s event was from August 9th to the 11th, and was attended by farmers, extension professionals, and gardeners from New York State and beyond. The CSF Team displayed its new CSF Decision Tools on an interactive, touch-screen computer. Farmers were able to enter their farm’s location and see outputs on tools such as the GDD Calculator, Irrigation/Water Deficit Calculator, and Frost/Freeze Risk Tool, which can help them make informed, climate-smart decisions. Permalink

Please join us for the opening reception of this exhibit on Thursday, May 5,  from 4:00 – 5:30 PM on the Second floor of Mann Library on Cornell’s campus.  In attendance will be: Dale Stein (Stein Farms), Paul King (Six Mile Creek Vineyards), Glenn Evans (Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station) and Allison Chatrchyan of the Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture (CICCA).  This is a multimedia exhibit, with both photos and video footage from our new Cornell climate smart farming program: climatesmartfarming.org The CSF program works with Cornell researchers, extension specialists, and New York State farmers to co-develop tools that increase Read more »

On Monday, April 11th, the Cornell University Climate Change Seminar will enter into a series of weekly talks that are particularly related to the connection between climate change and agriculture. These agriculture-related talks include: April 11th: Christine Goodale discusses “Climate Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems” April 18th: David Wolfe speaks about “Climate Change and the Future of Food” May 2nd: Linda Mearns takes “A look at the Evolution of Determining the Impacts of Climate Change through the IPCC” The Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture (CICCA) and the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) created this seminar series, which Read more »

The Climate Smart Farming (CSF) team will be presenting at PASA’s (Pennsylvania Action for Sustainable Agriculture) 25th Annual Farming for the Future Conference at the end of this week. The 2016 conference runs from February 3rd to 6th and will be held at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College, PA. This is the largest sustainable agriculture conference in the East, and convenes over 2,000 farmers, processors, consumers, students, environmentalists, and business and community leaders every year. The theme of “Farming in a Changing Climate” this year reflects the ever-increasing impact of climate change on agricultural systems, and the Read more »

The Climate Smart Farming Program will be at two large agricultural events in January 2016: the 2016 Empire State Producers Expo and the 2016 NOFA-NY Winter Conference. The 2016 Empire State Producers Expo runs January 19-21 at the Oncenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY.  It combines the major fruit, flower, vegetable, and direct marketing associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for the fruit and vegetable growers of this state, as well as the surrounding states and Eastern Canada. The CSF Program is organizing a session on Thursday, January 21st, on “Climate Smart Farming: New Practices and Read more »

Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming Program was well represented at the 184th Annual NYS Ag Society Forum, held in Syracuse/Liverpool, NY on January 7, 2016. The NYS Agricultural Society’s Annual Forum is the largest statewide agricultural meeting bringing together all sectors of the food system to explore topics critical to the future of New York Agriculture. This year’s program theme was focused on “Climate Smart Farming: Changes & Opportunities.” On January 6th, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Reception and Panel focused on the work that Cornell is doing to “Help Farmers Respond to Climate Change.” Speakers included: Allison Chatrchyan, Director of the Institute for Read more »