Online Quality Assurance Trainings for Beef, Sheep, and Pork Are Available!
Amy Barkley, Team Leader & Livestock Specialist
Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program

Online Quality Assurance Trainings for Beef, Sheep, and Pork Are Available!
While in-person certification classes may be postponed for the time being, opportunities to take online certification trainings in sheep, beef, and pork quality assurance are available! The trainings can be accessed by the links, below:
Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance: https://sheepusa.org/researcheducation-onlineeducation-ssqa
Beef Quality Assurance: https://www.bqa.org/bqa-certification/online-bqa-certification
Pork Quality Assurance: Please contact Ashley McFarland (am2876@cornell.edu) directly so that she can set up an online certification for you or your farm.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our livestock specialist, Amy Barkley at amb544@cornell.edu or at (716) 640-0844).
Upcoming Events
Open Forum to Discuss Newly Approved DOL Trade, "Butcher"
October 2, 2025 : Open Forum to Discuss Newly Approved DOL Trade, "Butcher"
Partners from New York State Dept. of Labor, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Southern Tier West, and Workforce Development will be in the space to provide an overview of the new program, discuss the roles of hosts and apprentices, review the benefits of hosting an apprentice, and setting the vision for building a corps of highly skilled, modern trained Butchers and validating this career as a skilled trade with respectful earning potential.
Silvopasture on a Shoestring
October 7, 2025
Franklinville, NY
Join Joshua Greene, Director of Education at Trees For Graziers, Jonathan Bates, Statewide Agroforestry Educator, and Lynn Bliven, owner of Wild Geese Farm for a full day training event that will include classroom and hands-on sessions. The focus will be on DIY silvopasture projects on small grazing farms. We will address the practical considerations of tree establishment, protection, and maintenance while learning how silvopasture can help address your farm's resource concerns and enhance livestock grazing.
Optimizing the Economic Return of Pasture-Raised Slow-Growth and Conventional Broilers - Webinar
October 15, 2025 : Optimizing the Economic Return of Pasture-Raised Slow-Growth and Conventional Broilers - Webinar
Over the past three years, Cornell Cooperative Extension has worked with nearly 40 small farmers across NYS to gather information on the true costs of raising broilers (meat chickens) on pasture. This presentation is a summary of the findings of this research project.
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