FarmNet's USDA grant will help growers with business plans

Cornell's New York FarmNet has received a $214,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a business-plan workbook for the state's apple growers and to provide technical assistance in the business planning process.

The award is part of a federal $3.1 million grant provided to the state to develop and promote specialty crops, such as fruit and vegetables. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets distributed the money on Feb. 11.

Cathleen M. Sheils, director of FarmNet, says the workbook will address apple industry trends, decision-making techniques, and conducting financial and marketing analysis. FarmNet will recruit, train and support the work of additional counselors, who will respond to the business needs of individual fruit growers.

The apple industry in the United States has dramatically changed over several years and growers are being forced to make major decisions about the future of their business. "Weather-related crop losses, global competition, varying labor supplies are all difficult issues in a financial, logistical and emotional sense," said Nathan L. Rudgers, the state commissioner of Agriculture and Markets. "We are fortunate in New York state to have an organization, such as New York FarmNet, to help our growers make the right decisions for their families and businesses."

New York's apple industry ranks second nationally, with a crop worth $112 million in 2001. The state has more than 650 apple growers in three primary apple-producing regions: along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, in the Hudson River Valley and in the upper Champlain River Valley.

FarmNet is a free and confidential consulting service based in Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It provides farm families with a network of contacts and support services to help them develop skills for dealing with business challenges and transitions.

In 2000, FarmNet responded to 2,035 calls from the farm community and provided 501 on-farm consultations to farm businesses. By helping farmers evaluate their situation, identify strengths and weaknesses, analyze options and assist in the implementation of changes, FarmNet helped 85 percent of the farmers who worked with the service make substantive changes in improving their business management practices.