Agritourism is the idea of offering activities on your farm to draw people directly to it. This has been a growing venture for many farms who are looking to diversify their business. By coming up with activities or offerings on the farm for direct sale to the consumer, you are giving them a reason to build a relationship with you, make direct farm purchases (cutting out the middle men) and possibly offering something new that drives income. Agritourism activities can be anything from products offered year round, activities offered seasonally or even one day events!
Equuleus Acres, a small horse farm in Canastota, has jumped on the agri-tourism bandwagon. This Saturday and Sunday will be their Second Annual Farm Fun Days where they have pony rides, vendors, bounce houses, and more! They are in their second year of ownership on the farm after purchasing it in September 2014. The farm is run by husband and wife team, Tyler and Jenn, as well as the four kids. Both Tyler and Jenn work full time off of the farm, but spend their spare time caring for the animals and cleaning up the farm that was not in use for years before they purchased it.
Diversifying your business income can be very important for some businesses. By diversifying into something like agritourism, you rely less on the ups and downs of the cyclical markets and can have another source of income, even if it is small, to help through the low seasons. For more information about Equuleus Acres Farm Fun Days, visit their facebook page www.facebook.com/perfectponiesllc
Beer & Burger Night
Saturday, September 17th
Madison County Hop Fest
September 16th, 17th, 18th
All are invited to attend the 27th Annual Madison County Hop Fest hosted by the Madison County Historical Society. This year the Hop Fest, held September 16th-18th, will offer a wide variety of activities including guest speakers, food and beer pairing, craft beer samples, and a Brewery Hop Tour plus much, much more. For a full list of activities and to purchase tickets visit www.madisoncountyhopfest.org.
Cultivated Mushrooms
Thursday, September 29th
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County are partnering to offer an Introduction to Cultivated Mushrooms Workshop on Thursday evening, September 29th, 2016 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The workshop will be held at the Cazenovia Public Library located at 100 Albany St, Cazenovia, NY.
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Agroforestry Specialist Steve Gabriel for an evening presentation on successful cultivation of shiitake, oyster, lions mane, and stropharia mushrooms for home or small-farm scale production. Learn the proper tree species and techniques for cultivation, along with the basic economics and mattering of gourmet specialty mushrooms. Students will get to inoculate their own log to take home!
Pressure Canning Vegetables:
Learn to safely can beans, carrots and other low-acid foods with a pressure canner. All materials and ingredients provided. In CCE Kitchen $20 per person. Register and pay by Friday, Sept 16
Tuesday, September 20: 1-4 PM OR 6-9 PM
Pressure Canning Meats:
Learn to safely can chicken, beef or venison in a pressure canner. All materials and ingredients will be provided. In CCE Kitchen. $25 per person. Register and pay by Friday, October 21
Tuesday, October 25: 6-9 PM
The Aspiring Farmers Academy will serve as an introduction to farming for those considering beginning an agricultural enterprise of their own. Join us for this weekend workshop as we navigate through the first steps and decisions necessary to get your dream farm off the ground. This academy is designed specifically for those who are interested or have just recently started a farm enterprise, but are looking for more information on the tools and guidance available. We will discuss the steps necessary for having a strong basis for your business, including the direction in which you wish to go and the playbook to get you there.
Join us on Friday, October 7th and Saturday October 8th at the Madison County CCE Office. Cornell Cooperative Extension educators will cover topics important to the future of your business, including business planning, marketing, financial planning and the local resources available to you. More information and online registration is available at http://madisoncountycce.org/events/2016/10/07/aspiring-farmer-academy
Equine Workshops
Wednesday, October 12th & 26th
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County is pleased to announce registration is now open to equine owners for two upcoming workshops. These educational workshops, held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm on October 12th and October 26th, will each discuss a unique facet of equine ownership. Equine owners and those that work with or around horses will benefit from attending these hands-on workshops that will expose participants to best practices in the industry. Workshops are not discipline specific and will be beneficial to all equine owners.
On October 12th Barbara Lindberg, Program Director and Associate Professor of Equine Business Management at Cazenovia College, will discuss at home care including when to call the veterinarian and what you can do before/ instead of needing a veterinarian to make a visit. We will also cover tips on how to be proactive when it comes to your horse’s health. . The Equine Hoof Health and Care workshop on October 26th will be led by Doug Corey, Certified Farrier, as he discusses a variety of topics including chips and thrown shoes, abscesses and bruises...caring for them 101.
Visit the events page of our website at www.madisoncountycce.org for more information and to register.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment benefits.
