New York Farm Viability Institute Website Press Releases 

PRESS RELEASE: May 15, 2006

Contact: William Schwerd or Jennifer Conte, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, 518-885-8995; R. David Smith, New York Farm Viability Institute, Inc., 315-453-3823

NYFVI Awards $80,000 for Saratoga County CCE Equine Project

Syracuse, NY -- Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Saratoga County has received an $80,000 grant from the New York Farm Viability Institute, Inc. (NYFVI) for a CCE Equine project. The project, a collaborative effort with the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and Saratoga County Farm Bureau, will increase the profitability and number of horse-related businesses in Saratoga County. This pilot project has the potential of evolving into a statewide or national resource for the horse industry.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County Executive Director William Schwerd says six other counties are already interested in the CCE Equine project that will provide business planning and analysis to support and grow the horse-related industry in Saratoga County. County representatives estimate the value of the industry’s impact at more than $317 million.

Schwerd says, “This is an unprecedented opportunity for Saratoga County horse businesses and owners alike. Local equine businesses are excited about the growth CCE Equine will foster. This grant is allowing us to identify exactly what equine operations both large and small need to thrive in Saratoga County and beyond. We see Saratoga County as one of the hubs of the New York State horse industry.”

“The horse industry in Saratoga County and the greater region have seen tremendous growth over the years. With the New York Farm Viability Institute grant funding, we will be able to address needs specific to the industry and assist farm owners with business planning and analysis,” says Paula Schafer of the Agricultural Economic Development Program for Washington and Saratoga Counties. Schafer helped design the CCE Equine proposal for the NYFVI funding request.

CCE Saratoga has hired Jennifer Conte, who has worked in the horse industry and holds a degree in equine business management from Johnson & Wales University. She has begun working with equine business operators to identify their needs. A resource educator will be hired to help farm owners develop business plans with the expertise of Cornell University’s NY FarmNet program.

Conte says the project goals are to help existing farms implement business plans that will bring at least a five percent increase in profitability. Less established and new operations will be planning for at least a ten percent increase on the positive side of the ledgers, Conte says.

Anne McMahon of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, LLC, a family-owned horse breeding and training business in Saratoga for more than 35 years, says CCE Equine will help new investors in the equine industry.

“This is a much-needed program since knowledge of horses, their health issues, and facilities is quite specific to the horse industry. Individuals who seek help will find it, thereby keeping their equine-related agricultural endeavors profitable,” McMahon said. “This program will help to draw horse people and will maintain confidence that there are professionals here to support the myriad needs of the horse industry.”

McMahon says the project will also help preserve farmland and support the region’s agricultural and tourism economies.

“The equine business is flourishing in Saratoga County, bringing with it more and more horses and equine-related people and services,” McMahon says. “This growth preserves hundreds of acres in agriculture, pasture and hay and feed production. Equine agribusiness is an attraction for the entire community, enriching the area with valuable green space, recreation, and jobs. Tourism is increased because of the majesty, nostalgia, and history that go along with the beauty of the equine athlete.”

A CCE Equine website - www.cceequine.com  - is in development as a gathering site and clearinghouse for information on the regional horse industry.

“The new website will provide increased visibility for our business to potential consumers,” say Chris and Bill Neilson of Neilson’s Windy Acres, a horse boarding facility in Stillwater. The Neilson family has been farming in Saratoga County since the 1700s.

“Right now there is no way for new people to learn where the horse facilities are except by word of mouth and advertising in the local paper. There is a real need to connect people with information,” Chris Neilson says. “Cornell Cooperative Extension is a great resource for education and this New York Farm Viability Institute funding allows them to increase the effectiveness of their program.”

The CCE Equine project is the first horse industry proposal submitted to and funded by NYFVI. NYFVI board member Steve Griffen of Saratoga Sod Farm says, “The Institute strives to address the challenges to all sectors of the agricultural industry. The CCE Equine project is a great example of people coming together to design a comprehensive plan for addressing the needs of an industry.”

The NYFVI is a farmer-led, farmer-driven, independent not-for-profit corporation that funds research, extension and innovative technologies for New York agricultural and horticultural industries. The Institute’s goal is to fund projects that directly benefit the agricultural and horticultural industries at the producer enterprise level, across farms of all sizes and all commodity areas.

Farmers are the driving force behind the Institute. The seven-member NYFVI Board is made up completely of agricultural producers. Producers statewide serve on NYFVI barrier identification panels to address the barriers to and the opportunities for successful agricultural and horticultural enterprises in New York. The 2006 New York State budget includes $5 million for the Institute.

NYFVI projects involve farms that demonstrate the diversity of size, geographic location and commodities of New York agriculture. The thirty three projects most recently funded by the New York Farm Viability Institute include projects on value-added maple,; dairy manure management; accelerated sod production; improved apple storage; high tunnel production of vegetables, flowers, and small fruit; business planning; and the marketing of horticultural products.

To learn more about CCE Equine, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, 518-885-8995.

A complete list of NYFVI-funded projects and the next requests for proposals for NYFVI applied research, extension innovation and agriculture innovation grants are online at www.nyfarmviability.org. Grant workshops will be held in June. Researchers and educators at academic institutions, extension staff and others involved in agricultural research and development, technology adoption and business assistance in the agricultural sector may apply. For more information, contact the New York Farm Viability Institute at 315-453-3823 or write 159 Dwight Park Circle, Suite 104, Syracuse, NY 13209. # # #