By Lauren Chambliss

 

Phil Griffiths

Snap bean seedlings to be used in study on cucumber mosaic virus in a Cornell greenhouse.

Illustrating its innovative approach to funding the state's agricultural future, the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) awarded a record $3.7 million in new grants to CALS faculty and Cornell Cooperative Extension experts for 27 projects across the state.

The projects, ranging from farm productivity and marketing enhancements to the environment and communications, are designed to produce measurable results at the farm level and create a vibrant and viable agricultural industry statewide.

Since its inception in 2003, the NYFVI has been creating buzz from Albany to Washington because of its creative and impact-oriented approach to funding projects that make vital knowledge, expertise, and resources available to agricultural and horticultural producers of all sizes.

The latest grant round was awarded at the end of 2007 for single and multi-year projects. The grants range from small-$6,000 to test whether harvesting hay at a particular time of day affects milk quality in dairy herds-to large-$325,000 for a multi-disciplinary approach to combating a new threat to New York agriculture, the cucumber mosaic virus in snap bean.

“Since 2001 cucumber mosaic virus has caused devastating yield losses in snap bean production areas throughout New York, estimated at $10 million in the processing industry alone,” says Phil Griffiths, that project's principal investigator and an associate professor of horticultural science. “This research will involve multidisciplinary approaches to genetic resistance, focusing on the development and evaluation of alternative varieties with host plant resistance. The importance of this research is invaluable in helping to ensure a viable snap bean industry in New York state.

” All the projects bring cutting-edge research and technology to New York agriculture, whether it is addressing traditional issues, such as increasing productivity on dairy farms, or using 21st century Internet strategies to link small and medium-sized producers to buyers, thereby creating new markets.

One unique project funded in Ontario County trains farmers how to interact with media on farm-related stories to improve neighbor relations, while another provides New York Farm Net with $216,208 to assist a minimum of 75 farms statewide in developing business plans for viability in new ventures.

A healthy environment is also high on NYFVI's agenda. Lois Levitan, program leader of Cornell University's Environmental Risk Analysis Program in the Department of Communication, received $226,890 to address a pressing need for farmers to have reasonable disposal options for agricultural plastics, such as silo bags and greenhouse pots. Each year, about 2.5 million pounds of plastic film are discarded by New York's dairy farms alone. Much of the project's focus is on creating recycling programs and cultivating markets for the recycled plastics.

 

Lois Levitan

Ag plastics are baled in preparation for recycling.

Developing and implementing integrated pest management practices is another way to minimize risks to the environment. Daniel Peck, a soil ecologist and entomologist in Geneva, received nearly $200,000 to develop best management practices for control of the invasive crane fly, a major new threat to turfgrass. Improved detection and monitoring techniques, selection and timing of control products, and cultural control tactics will be investigated and promoted.

Creating new markets for small and medium-sized upstate growers is another focus. The Organic Dairy Initiative of the Cornell Small Farms Program was awarded $150,000 to increase availability of organic grain for dairy farms and increase opportunities for grain growers.

“We are exceptionally pleased with our partnership with the NYFVI,” says Michael Hoffmann, director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station and CALS advisor to the NYFVI board of directors. “The Institute has engaged the agricultural community across the state and is responding to identified needs by supporting highly relevant research and outreach activities. It is a new funding model that other states and land-grant universities need to consider seriously.”

The NYFVI is a nonprofit corporation established in late 2003 with initial funding from the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service and continuing support from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and in-kind support from CALS. NYFVI provide funding for research, extension, and technical assistance to strengthen New York's agricultural and horticultural industries by helping producers overcome barriers and capitalize on new opportunities.