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Old-fashioned outreach is how Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension
Director Shawn Bossard describes the approach that is sharing agricultural
environmental management (AEM) information with Amish and Mennonite farmers in
New York’s Finger Lakes region. A project, funded by the New York Farm
Viability Institute, Inc., is the first to address AEM with the Amish and
Mennonite farmers. Bossard says this project may also be the first in the
state to help small farm operators develop AEM plans.
“The tried and true method of one-on-one contact has been well-received by the
farmers. Once our certified AEM planner Jim Capron initiated casual
conversations with the individual farmers, the program gained momentum. One
farmer would suggest that Jim go and talk with his brother or his neighbor,”
Bossard says.
“The New York Farm Viability Institute funding is helping us help farmers
assess how to reduce environmental risks and exposure by land, animals and
families. Without the use of computers and modern methods of communication
finding the answers to different problems can be difficult. This project
brings help right to the farm,” Bossard says.
Most of the farms Capron visits are less than 60 acres in size. He believes
there are more than 100 Amish and Mennonite-owned farms in the region. Capron
stops at a farm when he sees someone out and casually observes areas where the
farmer might need help. The topics covered have included water quality, manure
management, calibrating horse-drawn spraying equipment, and improving corn
planters.
“We may start by talking about the weather and then I ask if they have noticed
a problem with their crops or well. In return, they begin to ask me
questions,” he says, “and we work together to develop solutions.”
Capron is working with one farmer on better methods for composting manure into
fertilizer and has suggested safety features for a handmade windmill.
“We believe this is the start of a trend toward environmentally sound thinking
and planning by small farm operators that will have a long-term positive
impact on not only environmental quality but on economic efficiency,” Bossard
says. “This project can serve as a model for working with small farm operators
in all communities.”
For More Info:
Shawn Bossard
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Seneca County
315-539-9251