Hilltop Community Farm Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County

Candor, NY, Tioga County

Other Tenure Agreement
Updated Jun 6, 2023

Acres Available

107

Open Tillable Acres

60

Wooded (or other) Acres

47

Infrastructure

  • black outline barn icon Barns - Equipment Storage
  • black outline barn with silo icon Barns - Livestock
  • black outline electrical icon Electrical access
  • black outline tractor icon Equipment
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Crops Permitted

  • black outline of a carrot Vegetables
  • black outline apple icon Fruits
  • black outline of a flower Flowers or Ornamentals
  • black outline of a wheat germ Grains
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Livestock Permitted

  • black outline cow icon Cattle - Beef
  • Black outline of a sheep Goats/Sheep
  • Black outline of a chicken Poultry
  • Black outline of a bee Bees
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Condition & Current Use

Hilltop Community Farm is owned and operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County.  We are seeking beginning farmers to join us at our farm incubator for a term of three years.  We offer growers a half acre field of Mardin soils that is protected by an 8' deer fence and has irrigation. The farm has a cooler and a wash station as well.  We offer livestock farmers 10 acres of pasture surrounded by a hot wire fence as well as some space in the livestock barn.  At full capacity, we will have 8-9 farmers at Hilltop Community Farm.  We support our farmers by giving them access to online courses through Cornell Small Farms and direct support and mentoring from our staff and other CCE experts and mentor farmers.  If you are interested in becoming a farmer at Hilltop Community Farm, please reach out to us and we will gladly give you a tour of our farm.

Soil Types

Mardin

Farm History & Past Use

Farm was a dairy farm, and then became an equine facility prior to becoming an incubator farm.

Tenure Options

Tenure Options

Other Tenure Agreement

The incubator farmers have up to three years tenure at Hilltop Community Farm.  We will help you in your journey to find land to own or lease after your tenure is complete.

Are you willing to mentor a new or beginning farmer?

Yes

Do you require a farmer who qualifies for agricultural assessment?

No

Production Preferences

Livestock / Crops Description

Our incubator farm is best suited to livestock farmers who wish to raise small ruminants in a rotational grazing pasture.  If you wish to raise a species other than sheep or goats, that may be acceptable depending on how you plan to raise the animals.

Our crop growers are free to grow whatever crop they wish (sorry, no high THC cannabis) on their field.  There may be a great opportunity for folks who wish to grow nursery stock as well.

Crops Permitted

  • black outline of a carrot Vegetables
  • black outline apple icon Fruits
  • black outline of a flower Flowers or Ornamentals
  • black outline of a wheat germ Grains
  • black outline other crops icon Other Crops

Livestock Permitted

  • black outline cow icon Cattle - Beef
  • Black outline of a sheep Goats/Sheep
  • Black outline of a chicken Poultry
  • Black outline of a bee Bees
  • black outline llama icon Other Livestock

Preferred Farming Method

Regenerative/Sustainable

Farm Infrastructure

  • black outline barn icon Barns - Equipment Storage
  • black outline barn with silo icon Barns - Livestock
  • black outline electrical icon Electrical access
  • black outline tractor icon Equipment
  • Black outline of a fence Fencing
  • Black outline of a water drop Water access

Equipment

We have a 40 hp tractor and several implements:  flail mower, power harrow, disk, plow, brush hog, etc.  We have a 24' by 90' greenhouse and will build a high tunnel of the same size in the later part of 2023.

We plan to build a walk in cooler and wash station in the summer of 2023.

Fencing

Crop field:  8' field fence to keep out deer

Livestock fields:  5 strand hot wire Timeless fence   Two 10 acre pastures are currently fenced with 5 strand electric fence.  You would provide portable electric fencing and an energizer. 

Water Access

Crop fields has a hydrant access for farmers to hook up their drip tape to.  Water access in the livestock barn.

Barns for Livestock

10 stall barn with livestock handling system and small group stalls with pasture access

Barns for Equipment/Storage

Large Quonset hut for equipment storage

Additional Property Information

Hilltop Community Farm is a community resource, so the public is invited onto the farm for various activities.  You should be fine with tours and visits--we will have a strong biosecurity protocol for the livestock areas.  The farm's vision is to showcase regenerative agricultural techniques, so your production methods should reflect this vision.

Is the Property Conserved

No

Is the property located in a NY Agricultural District?

Yes

Can the public be on the property as a part of the farm business?

Yes

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