Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming Program helps local farmers create sustainable, efficient farms
CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. (WENY) — Growing crops is becoming increasingly difficult for some farmers across the Twin Tiers, but climate scientists are developing a solution.
“We have our planting calendar that we go by year after year, and we have rotations within our fields, so we know where crops are going to go,” said Muddy Fingers Farm Owner Matthew Glen. “We’ve been doing this a long time, so we kind of know what we’re going to do, but we’ll make little tweaks here and there.”
Glen said the farm has had a good growing season in 2026, but they have noticed pests more frequently.
“It seems like over the last few years we’ve had more insect pests move in. I assume that has to do with the changing climate; maybe it’s changing the range where they live,” said Glen. “Having to deal with those — especially without chemicals — is challenging.”
As the Northeast is subjected to severe weather patterns and rising temperatures, which the Northeast Regional Climate Center attributes to climate change, some farmers are having to rethink how they manage their farm.
“The Cornell Climate Smart Farming Program (CSF) was established more than a decade ago,” said CSF Environmental Social Scientist Dr. Allison Chatrchyan. “It was set up, I think, as a forerunner before other programs because our researchers at Cornell were understanding that the climate has already changed, the climate will continue to change, and farmers need to start to make decisions to both adapt and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”
The CSF was established in 2015 to help farmers in the Northeast increase agricultural productivity and build resilience to extreme weather and climate change. The online program offers location-specific tools and resources for farmers.
“It’s very particular to that location, to the weather and the weather forecast there,” said Dr. Chatrchyan. “A farmer can enter their data, like when they planted the exact date, and it will start to track the accumulation of heat in the crop. It can give the farmer an estimate very accurately: when is the best time to harvest this crop.”
Not only does the program allow farmers to adapt to a changing climate, but it also provides them with access to trained agricultural advisors who can help them develop sustainability plans.
“Farmers have to get ready. They have to, rather than being hit by a drought or a flood year after year, it would be in their best interest to plan as much as they can and increase resiliency so they can develop the plan using this guide.”
Dr. Chatrchyan said the CSF is used by hundreds of farmers across the region every week. She also said agricultural researchers and climate scientists work to get new information on the website daily.
“We have hundreds of consultants and [agricultural] advisors and farmers using the tools every week. The tools are free to use, which is different from other companies that might create a decision tool, but you have to pay for it. These tools really are super helpful because they’re updated on a daily basis.”