L.E.A.F. Workshops to Cover Starting A Farm and The New York State Sheep & Goat Health Assurance Program

CCE-Chautauqua Announces Upcoming L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshops

-by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (October 12, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program will offer 2 workshops next week as part of their 2016-2017 L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshop Series. On Tuesday, October 18th from 6pm to 8pm at the Frank Bratt Agricultural Center there will be a workshop entitled “So, You Want to Start a Farm?” Then, On Saturday, October 22nd, there will be a workshop on the “New York State Sheep and Goat Health Assurance Program” from 10am – 12pm at the Ag Center.

The “So, You Want To Start A Farm?” workshop to be held on Tuesday, October 18th from 6pm to 8pm will be led by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Animal Science and Ag Business Management, and owns and operates a diversified livestock farm. This workshop is for participants who have ever dreamed of having their own farming operation! Topics covered will be broad and include enterprise selection, insurance, marketing, and resources for future exploration of owning your own farm business. There will be an encore presentation of this workshop to be held Saturday, February 4th from 10am to 12pm.

The second workshop of the series will cover the “New York State Sheep/Goat Health Assurance Program” on Saturday, October 22nd from 10am – 12pm. If you are a sheep or goat owner, you won’t want to miss this workshop! Learn about biosecurity for your herd/flock; important diseases; parasite management and herd planning. An overview of NYSSGHAP will be presented (a voluntary disease management program offered by NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets). The goal of this program is to increase herd/flock health, production and profitability. The presenters will be New York State Veterinarians, Dr. Shannon Carpenter and Dr. Melanie Hemenway, who have experience with this program and have previously worked with sheep and goat operations as private veterinarians.

The L.E.A.F. Workshop Series is open to the general public, including homesteaders, beginning farmers, established farmers looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and everyone in between! The 2016-2017 Workshop Series will feature 23 workshops to be held in October and November of 2016 and February of 2017. This season’s L.E.A.F. Program is made possible through the generous support of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

Each workshop will be 2 hours long and led by an experienced instructor. The cost to attend is only $5/family/workshop and light refreshments will be offered. The L.E.A.F. workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment! All of the workshops will be held at the Frank W. Bratt Agricultural Center located at 3542 Turner Road in Jamestown, NY.

Pre-registration is required at least 3 days prior to the workshop to allow for adequate time to prepare printed resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf1617, by emailing kaw249@cornell.edu, or by calling 716-664-9502.

The L.E.A.F. Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated October 12, 2016