From Tree to Market: Nut Processing, Aggregation & Cooperatives (Facility Tour at the Nut Hub)

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 1-3PM

Location: Nut Hub Processing Facility, 839 NY-13, Cortland, NY 13045

Interested in growing nuts as a farm enterprise or learning how local growers can work together to bring their harvests to market? Join us for an educational visit to the Nut Hub processing facility in Cortland, where we’ll explore the role of cooperatives, aggregation, and shared processing infrastructure in developing viable markets for locally grown nuts. Topics will include nut processing, aggregation, cooperatives and collaboration, market development, and farm diversification.

Toast for the Vote: Voter Celebration at the Learning Farm

Date: Wednesday November 4, 2026, 7:30-9pm

Location: The Learning Farm, 272 Enfield Falls Rd, Ithaca, NY

Enjoy a glass of champagne and pizza party if you show your "I Voted" sticker at the farm. Early voters (thank you!) can come too, just bring your sticker.

Tree Learning & Distribution Day (aka FREE TREES!)

Date: Sunday November 1, 12:30-3:30pm

Location: Viva Acres, 5176 Co Rd 1, Trumansburg, NY

Facilitators: Sean Dembrosky of Edible Acres and Steve Gabriel of Mycena Agroforestry

For farmers and land stewards of community based projects! Join us in just a few weeks for an afternoon devoted to tree planting. Learn best practices for planting and take home FREE trees, shrubs, and cuttings!

Hands-On Forest Farming: Planting & Managing American Ginseng

Date: Friday October 30, 3-5pm

Location: The Learning Farm, 272 Enfield Falls Rd, Ithaca, NY

Interested in growing American ginseng and exploring the possibilities of forest farming? Join us for a hands-on workshop at The Learning Farm to learn the fundamentals of planting and managing American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in a woodland environment. No previous experience with ginseng cultivation is necessary.

One Dish, One Spoon: Workshop with the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 1 to 3 pm

Location: The Learning Farm - 272 Enfield Falls Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Facilitator: Stephen Henhawk, co-founder, The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project

Stephen Henhawk will share "One Dish, One Spoon" —an agreement centered on shared resources, mutual respect, and ecological stewardship of land, animals, and plants. Discover how the arrival of newcomers and the expansion of the fur trade shifted perspectives on nature, example hunting. See how these Hodinohsó:nih concepts of responsibility and community care can be applied today.

Land Sharing in Action: a Workshop with the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 1 to 3 pm

Location: The Learning Farm - 272 Enfield Falls Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Facilitator: Stephen Henhawk, co-founder, The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project

This workshop will introduce people to some specific models of land sharing locally, with an emphasis on why as well as how this is valuable. Examples include the sharing of garden plots and wild harvest sites as well as an effort at creating a formal cultural easement. Come learn with us about beautiful ways to build the trusting relationships that can expand land access and land justice in our region!

Strong Roots, New Growth / Emerging Markets - Tree Crops Farm Walk: Chestnuts & Hazelnuts 

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Location: Hemlock Grove Farm, West Danby, NY

Organized by: Khuba International and Viva Acres

In collaboration with: Hemlock Grove Farm and CCE-Tompkins Agroforestry Program

Cost: Free

Workshop Purpose

Join us for a farm walk at Hemlock Grove Farm exploring the management of chestnuts and hazelnuts, and other perennial crops within a mature organic farming system.

Part of the Strong Roots, New Growth / Emerging Markets Workshop Series, this field-based workshop will introduce participants to perennial crop production as an opportunity to diversify farms, develop new markets, and build agricultural systems that support long-term soil health and ecological resilience.

Participants will walk through established plantings at different stages of maturity and learn directly from farmer Brian Caldwell, who brings more than 40 years of experience in organic farming. At Hemlock Grove Farm, Brian maintains perennial vegetative cover throughout his orchards of apples, chestnuts, and hazelnuts. This approach protects and improves soil health while supporting a productive and diversified perennial farming system.

The farm walk will provide an opportunity to see these practices in the field and discuss both the practical realities and opportunities involved in establishing and managing perennial crops.

Learning Topics

Participants will explore:

• Establishment and management of chestnuts and hazelnuts

• Soil health within perennial farming systems

• Maintaining perennial vegetative cover and managing the orchard understory

• Managing mature plantings and observing crops at different stages of production

• Diversifying farm production through multiple perennial crops

• Market opportunities and the economic potential of tree and perennial crops

• Lessons learned from more than four decades of organic farm management

Audience

This workshop is open to beginning and established farmers, orchardists, agroforestry practitioners, landowners, gardeners, and community members interested in perennial agriculture, agroforestry, organic farming, and emerging agricultural markets.

No previous experience with tree crops or agroforestry is required.

Land Stewardship Workshop: Rooted in Gayogo̲hó:nǫˀ Lands

Date: June 13th, 2026, 1:30-3:30pm
Location: The Learning Farm, 272 Enfield Falls Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850
Cost: FREE!

This workshop invites participants to move beyond land acknowledgments and engage with the living oral history, culture, and ecology of the land we gather on. Join Stephen Henhawk as he traces the narrative of this landscape from its Hodinöhsö:ni roots to its current environmental and social realities. Together, we will examine modern environmental challenges through a Hodinöhsö:ni lens and explore contemporary Gayogo̲hó:nǫˀ conservation practices.

American Ginseng Cultivation Workshop Series by Khuba International’s Strong Roots, New Growth and the Cornell Small Farms Program

Session 1: Online Workshop
Agroforestry: An Introduction to American Ginseng Cultivation

Date: June 16, 2026, 6:00–7:30 PM
Facilitator: Tracey Erin Testo
Location: Online

Join us for an introductory online workshop covering the fundamentals of American ginseng production and forest farming systems. Participants will gain an overview of the biology, ecology, and growing requirements of this unique forest crop while learning about potential markets and regulatory considerations.

Topics include:

• Introduction to American ginseng biology and botany

• Understanding forest farming and agroforestry systems

• Ginseng ecology and growing conditions

• Market opportunities and emerging enterprises

• Regulations and legal considerations

• Questions and discussion

About the Presenter:
Tracey Testo-Smith serves on the Agriculture and Natural Resource Team at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties’ Agroforestry Resource Center and the Siuslaw Model Forest as an Agroforestry and Natural Resource Educator. She graduated from SUNY Cobleskill's Plant Science and Horticulture program and has worked on many farms, including the world’s largest wild-simulated ginseng farm, while also managing her own forest farm. Her work includes coordinating the NYC Watershed Trained Logger Certification Program, serving as co-chair of the New York State Agroforestry Program Work Team, and teaching on topics including ginseng production, mushroom cultivation, deer browse management, plant identification, foraging, and forest stewardship.

Basic Plumbing Workshop: Faucets

When: June 13, 3:30-5:30pm
Where: The Learning Farm, 272 Enfield Falls Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850
Cost: FREE!
A beginner‑friendly, hands‑on workshop designed to teach participants the essential skills needed to understand, repair, maintain and replace household faucets. You will learn about the most common faucet types, how they work, and the typical issues that cause leaks, drips, and reduced water flow. Using demonstrations and practice, attendees will learn how to safely disassemble a faucet, identify the problem and repair or replace everything with confidence. By the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with practical troubleshooting skills, a clear understanding of faucet mechanics, and be able to tackle basic repairs at home. No prior plumbing experience is required.

Land Steward's Building & Construction Lunch & Learn Series is part of Our Quarter Acre for the People Program.

We all need to know how to do stuff. More and more often, our communities need skills training on some stuff we are doing on our land. Gain basic building skills with Derrick Moore (Mo):

• small structure construction

• measurement

• sawing

• milling

• car mechanics

• mobile biochar kiln building

• plumbing, electrical, and more.

These FREE workshops occur once a month on Saturday afternoons. Mark your calendar with the dates on the flyer!

Africanness, Blackness, and Belonging

Date: January 26, 2026
Location: Library of Africa and the African Diaspora - Adenta, Ghana

Africa. Jamaica. America. Brazil. Cuba. England. Germany. France. As Black people born in Africa and in Diaspora, we have a shared ancestry and also different experiences of Africanness, Blackness, and belonging that we don’t get many chances to talk to each other about. This first event in our Pan-African Community Conversations series invites Indigenous Africans and Africa’s descendants to forget the Detty December hype and get real about living with each other in Ghana. It’s time for us to learn from each other about our different historical relationships to colonization, enslavement, separation from family and land, and our stories of resilience, love, and joy. Khuba International, the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora, and the Black Womanhood (Re-)Affirmation Project have planned an evening of dinner and story circles that will allow us to share our stories and really listen to one another. Bring an open heart and join us!

Black Locust Management and Market

This workshop was part of our Strong Roots, New Growth program.
Date: December 13, 2025
Location: Hawk Meadow Farm
Facilitator: Steve Sierigk, Farmer and Forest Land Manager

Black locust trees offer a wide range of benefits and opportunities, making them an excellent choice for active management rather than a "plant and forget" option. Their high-density wood is one of the most rot-resistant materials available in the Northeast, making it ideal for applications such as fence posts, trellises, and other weather-exposed projects. Untreated locust wood is also highly valued in regenerative agriculture and serves as exceptional firewood. Participants in this workshop will learn about managing locust stands within a forest ecosystem and explore potential market opportunities. The format is a peer-to-peer learning experience where a host farmer shares their insights and experiences as a land steward. Attendees will benefit from a farm and forest tour as well as indoor discussions on locust management, non-timber forest products, and forest restoration efforts.

Farming for Freedom Trail Freedom Weekend

Date: October 4-5, 2025
Location: Farming for Freedom Trail sites

This weekend is an amazing opportunity to connect with local farmers and both learn about their land-nourishing practice as well as sample delicious foods prepared from their harvest. Last year we sold out early, so stay tuned for an announcement to register in advance.

The Farming for Freedom Trail is a farm trail that links farmers of color to each other in an agritourism web. Many people want to learn more about the real stories of freedom-fighting farmers, as well as support farms at the fringes of sustainable agriculture whose efforts are sustained through a strong commitment to the land despite historic disenfranchisement and oppression.

Forest Stewardship & Emerging Markets: Small Fruit, Black Locust, and Silviculture

This workshop was part of our Strong Roots, New Growth program.
Date: September 24, 2025
Location: Wolf Tree Farm

Join us to learn about small fruit farming within a larger perennial agriculture and forest system. The workshop is a peer-to-peer learning experience where the host farmer shares their experience as a land steward and guides attendees through various aspects of small fruit farming. This will include a farm tour and a discussion of small fruits management, along with black locust stands (current and future), silvopasture, and forest restoration efforts.

Presenter & Host Farm: Jeromy Biazzo of Wolftree Farm is a biologist, master forest owner, and member of the New York Forest Owner Association. He and his wife Margaret Meixner manage their farm situated in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region on the slope between Seneca Lake and the Finger Lakes National Forest. The 92 acres include fields, forests, and streams. They operate a diverse farm including pick-your-own blueberries, elderberries, and honey from their apiary, as well as silviculture such as black locust stands. Their farming practices are based on organic principles.

Odehadó:ni: (Forest) Teachings: A Forest Ecology Walk and Learn with the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project

Date: September 14, 2025
Location: Ithaca, NY

Join Khuba International and the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project for an evening Walk and Learn event in Ithaca on Thursday, July 10th. Michelle Seneca, ganyáhdę (Turtle clan), and Stephen Henhawk, otahyǫ́:ni: (Wolf clan), will lead a walk through a beautifully diverse mixed hardwood forest and share Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ perspectives on what we are seeing as well as the indigenous names and stories for the plant species throughout the walk. We will also be joined by the landowner and her private forester to understand the management goals driving them as they restore the ecology of the forest for future generations.

Sustainable Land Stewardship and Economic Opportunity for Landowners: Hiring Private Foresters to Navigate Emerging Forestry Markets

This workshop was part of our Strong Roots, New Growth program.
Date: July 30, 2025
Location: Online

We are thrilled to invite you to the next workshop in our Strong Roots, New Growth series! Next Wednesday July 30th, join us online from 6-7:30pm to learn the importance of sustainable forest management and how to bring on professional foresters as essential partners to:

Maximize land value through responsible timber harvesting and land use planning.
Enhance biodiversity and ecosystem health on private lands.
Navigate regulations and certifications (e.g., FSC, PEFC) for sustainable forestry.
Develop long-term forest management plans tailored to the landowner’s goals.
Mitigate risks such as wildfire, pests, and invasive species.

This topic blends local ecological land management with global economic potential, emphasizing how professional foresters can help landowners:

Tap into emerging markets for carbon credits, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), and eco-tourism.
Align with international sustainability standards to attract global investors and partners.
Leverage forest assets for participation in green finance and ESG-aligned investment portfolios.
Adapt to climate-smart forestry practices that are increasingly demanded in global supply chains.
Access new revenue streams through biodiversity offsets, reforestation programs, and regenerative land use.

Tree ID and Reading the Forested Landscape

This workshop was part of our Strong Roots, New Growth program.
Date: May 15, 2025
Location: Cornell Botanic Gardens

Strong Roots, New Growth 2025 Symposium: Rooted in Resilience

This symposium was part of our Strong Roots, New Growth program.

Date: May 15-16, 2025
Location: Cornell Botanic Gardens

The Strong Roots, New Growth Working Group is inviting you to this gathering of land stewards and service providers to learn from each other’s human and nature-centered agroforestry practices, access resources, and grow networks of support. Landowners face compounding challenges in achieving success in retaining and managing their forestland. All of us have knowledge to share. This symposium is a way for those of us who are committed to good practices on land to come together to share for the good of the community and the land.