Rice Growing Workshop Series (online)
Event Details
Date
January 24, 2025
February 7, 2025
March 7, 2025
Time
2:30pm-4:30pm
Location
Virtual Webinar (Zoom)
Host
Cornell CALS
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Shari Romar
email Shari Romar

Learn about rice farming opportunities for New York and the northeastern U.S. Join us for a 3-session online workshop series (via Zoom):
- 1/24/2025 - A Feathered Fortress: The Duck-Rice Aigamo System for Flood-Resilient Agriculture
The Aigamo system, an ancient Japanese farming practice, offers a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to rice cultivation. By integrating ducks into the rice paddies, farmers can significantly reduce their reliance on pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Erik Andrus (Rice Farmer at Boundbrook Farm in Vermont) and Oscar Leiber (Cornell Cooperative Extension Summer Intern that researched Aigamo systems in Japan) will share their experiences on how the Aigamo system could provide a compelling model for sustainable agriculture, demonstrating the power of nature-based solutions that can be integrated into flood-resilient agriculture in the northeastern U.S.
- 2/7/2025 - Sourcing Rice Farming Equipment for American Small Farms
Rice production for small farms can be scalable and profitable with the right equipment. Erik Andrus (Rice Farmer at Boundbrook Farm in Vermont) will provide an overview of rice nursery, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and grain processing equipment that is optimal for rice production from a scale of 1 to 20 tons of harvestable rice grain. The webinar will include ways to source affordable equipment at the beginner to more advanced levels of rice farming.
- 3/7/2025 - Growing Rice as a Vegetable: Drip-Irrigation Methods versus Flooded Fields
Rice is a flood-tolerant crop that can be grown in upland, dry soils. Learn how Nazirahk Amen (Rice Farmer at Purple Mountain Organics in Maryland) diversified his organic vegetable, fruit, and grain
farm to include upland, drip irrigation rice production. This method involves cultivating rice plants under biodegradable mulch which provides effective weed control and healthy root growth, while
conserving water through precision irrigation with drip tape. Jared Gulliford (Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County Agricultural Extension Educator) will share his experience in adopting the "rice
as a vegetable" farming method at a hilltop farm in New York.
All presentations will be recorded and available to attendees for future reference.
Fee: $75 for all three sessions
REGISTER
For more information contact Shari Romar at sr369@cornell.edu.
Upcoming Events
Avian Disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - the latest updates and what it means for poultry health
March 18, 2025
In light of the state of HPAI across the country and in NYS, the Poultry Subgroup of the Livestock PWT has developed two webinars to assist small farms and backyard laying flock owners to make informed decisions around getting laying hens and managing disease, while keeping abreast of the current status of HPAI and how they can keep it out of their flocks.
Join Dr. Jarra Jagne of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Chad Wall of NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for an evening of learning about avian disease, including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). We'll cover:
- Updates on the HPAI outbreak
- Symptoms of HPAI
- Common small flock diseases
- HPAI disease look-alikes
- Keeping your birds safe
Shop Talk: Integrated Weed Management

March 19, 2025
Andover, NY
Mike Hunter, Field Crop IPM Coordinator, will share his knowledge on managing weeds. The discussion will cover various management practices in both conventional and organic settings, including herbicide-resistant weeds.
NY Beef Producers Association (NYBPA) Region 2 Meeting
March 21, 2025
Lakewood, NY
Join is for a roundtable discussion with Jeff Hostetter of Select Sires, Phil Trowbridge of Trowbridge Farms, Dr. Shannon Carpenter DVM NYSCHAP Coordinator for NYSAGM, division of Animal Industry, Dr. Katie Card-Allen, DVM Regional Field Veterinarian on Best Practices for Cow-Calf producers. A proactive approach to animal health for mama and baby.
All are welcome. Membership in these beef producer groups is not required.
Following the buffet dinner, a short business meeting will kick off the evening. We will then move to the roundtable discussion.
Announcements
Transition Heifer Calf Program
Join us for this hand-on program and demos! We will be offering this program in English and in Spanish.Calf and heifer managers, dairy herdspersons, farm owners, and heifer raisers interested in learning more about how to better house and manage animals as they transition from the calf phase to the weaned heifer phase.
Topics covered:
Nutrition
Health
Housing Management
Inventory Management
Biosecurity: All attendees must wear clean clothes and boots. You will be required to scrub and disinfect footwear upon arrival to the program and before leaving.
Registration: $25 per person (includes lunch)