The Essex Farm Institute (EFI) is a program of the Adirondack Council.
About
The farms and farmers of the Adirondacks help protect open space, provide healthy food, attract young families to the region, and add to the rural economy.
The Essex Farm Institute (EFI) aims to advocate for, support, and promote resilient, diversified farms that strengthen the health of natural and human communities in the Adirondacks.
The EFI is a voice and a resource for farms in the Adirondacks of New York State. We act as an advocate, representing the policy interests of local farmers and educating our policymakers about the realities of farming in the Adirondacks. The EFI is also a convener, bringing together diverse partners and their knowledge to encourage actions that improve farms’ ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change, create links between local food and local population health, and strengthen the economic viability of regional farms for many years to come.
Helpful Resources
Micro-Grants for Adirondack Farms
About Agriculture in the Adirondacks
Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act - Resources for Farmers
Considerations for Solar Siting on Working Lands
Adirondack Harvest: Farming in the Park
Adirondack Food System Network
Soil Health and Humanity: A Conversation with Nawi Flores
USDA Support of Conservation on Working Lands
History
The Essex Farm Institute began as a formalization of the success of Essex Farm in training new farmers. In 10 years of operating the farm, Mark and Kristin Kimball trained and mentored over 50 beginning farmers who started more than 10 new farms to date. In 2012, the Essex Farm Institute was created, and a board of advisors was formed. It was a non-profit corporation that was fiscally sponsored by the Open Space Institute’s Citizen Action Program.
During its first three years, it raised over $200,000 for farmer training programs that were primarily based on Essex Farm in Essex, NY. In 2016, EFI had over 250 people attend its workshops, field events and farm walks across the Adirondacks.
In 2018, the EFI became a program of the Adirondack Council to strengthen the capacity of the Institute and to help meet the Council’s strategic objectives related to open space protection, working farms and forests, and vibrant communities in the Adirondacks.
The Council continues to support diversified farms in the Adirondacks through engagement with farmers, conservation efforts, technical providers, and educational organizations to elevate the market and practices behind sustainable agriculture. Every year, the Council directly funds and advises dozens of innovative projects to address climate change, soil health and economic viability among farms and value-added businesses inside the Blue Line.
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