Hilltop Community Farm

Hilltop Community Farm is the new home of CCE Tioga.  Our vision is to become a center of agriculture and exploration of the natural world for Tioga County.  We have a farm incubator program, where beginning farmers can build their farm business using our farmland and infrastructure and equipment.  We also teach youth and adults all manner of agriculture topics such as tractor maintenance and safety, horticulture, animal care and more.

What to know about the Hilltop Community Farm:

• We are located on Cass Hill Road in Candor
• The farm is 107 acres of mostly fields and some woods
• There is a large, almost new, indoor riding arena with rubber footing and a pine-paneled warming room
• A Quonset hut holds lots of farm machinery
• There is a workshop that we plan to have engine repair classes
• The view from the top of the farm is amazing

What is new at the farm?  We have been busy all year doing upgrades to the farm!

• Our new greenhouse is huge and amazing!  It is 24' wide and 90' long and ready for the 2024 growing season's seed starting.
• Our 25Kw solar array is in and creating power for the farm.  It will also serve as a demonstration site for agrivoltaics--grazing sheep in solar field arrays.
• We will soon have an EV charger where you can charge your electric vehicles for no fee--and the power will be generated by our solar array.
• We have a new parking lot!   Now we can accommodate about 40 cars or several horse trailers next to our beautiful riding arena.  The driveway was donated and built by Paul Barber of State Line Auto, a CCE Tioga board member.  Thank you so much, Paul, to you and your crew.
• We have a new classroom!  Students from Owego Free Academy spent the month of July 2022 learning building trades by building out our classroom above the garage. 
• We will again be hosts to an agriculture class from Candor High School!  Students from Candor High School will be use Hilltop Community Farm as their learning laboratory as they learn about agriculture.  
• The vegetable fields have been prepared for the incubator farmers!  Four acres of our best land has been plowed, disked and cover cropped.  There is an 8' tall deer fence this fall to protect the farmers' crops in the spring and summer of next year, and irrigation lines run to the plots.
• Sheep!  We have two 10-acre pastures enclosed with a 5 strand electric fence and two incubator farmers currently rotating their flocks using portable electric fencing.
• Cornell University is conducting dry land rice trials at our farm this year--stay tuned for updates on this innovative project.

What else are we planning?

• A major grant project is planned for 2024 to create retention ponds that will help minimize flood risk  in the Pipe Creek watershed.  Over 2000 native trees will be planted and we plan to have educational nature trails through the area. 
• A play area made with all natural materials will be installed beginning in the summer of 2023.  Look for climbing logs, swings, play houses and more.
• A high tunnel and hazelnut windbreak located next to our greenhouse.  The high tunnel will be used by the incubator farmers to extend their production season.

Last updated January 16, 2024