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Upcoming Events
Cancelled: Succession Planning for Farm Businesses - Workshop Series
February 27 - March 27, 2019
10:00am - 2:30pm
Dryden, NY
Members of different generations working in the same farm business are encouraged to attend this interactive workshop series to learn about skills, tools and tactics needed for success in a multi-generational business.Workshop Information
Session 1 - Business Across Generations
Wednesday, February 27
Session 2 - Family Business Communication
Wednesday, March 13
Session 3 - Developing the Transfer Plan
Wednesday, March 27
Registration fee is $60 per person, which includes all three sessions, materials and lunch.
Crop Protection
March 20, 2019
Registration 9:30am Meeting 10:00am-3:00pm
Horseheads, NY
Current and Interesting Crop Protection Topics.
DEC and CCA Credits in Application.
See Flyer for Details.
Dairy Managers Discussion Group: Session III
March 21, 2019
Noon lunch, followed by discussion 1-3 pm
Cortland, NY
Dairy Beef: All Questions Answered, Dr. Mike Baker - Cornell University; Calf Math, Megan Bradley - Genex
RSVP to Shannon Myers: srm242@cornell.edu, (607) 391-2662
Questions to Betsy Hicks: bjh246@cornell.edu (607) 391-2673
Announcements
WEBINAR: CROP INSURANCE FOR CORN AND SOYBEANS
Focus on Risk for Dairy Farmers:Now available to watch online replay:
Webinar Presentation from Cornell University Crop Insurance and Risk Management and Education Program and Pro Dairy
https://youtu.be/oIfVcI5vDfw
New York's Dairy Farmers deal with risks all the time. Risks such as weather, labor, environmental, etc. Most farmers would agree that their largest risk is milk price. This has certainly been the case for the past four years. The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) has developed tools to help dairy farmers deal with milk price risks with varying success such as the Milk Income Loss Contract program (MILC), Dairy Margin Protection Plan (DMPP), and the improved DMPP of this year. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) has also had tools to help dairy farmers not as popular since there needs to be communication between a crop insurance agent and the farm and there is usually a higher cost associated with these policies but the protection is also higher.
Originally recorded on Thursday January 24th, this webinar features dairy farmer Ron Robbins of North Harbor Dairy in Sackets Harbor NY. And Ed Gallagher, President of DFA Risk Management.
Ron has used many tools to manage milk price risks on his dairy over the years including those from FSA and RMA and also buying contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. During the webinar he will relay some of these experiences and which tools he uses now for his farm's milk protection.
Ed Gallagher will review RMA's new "Dairy Revenue Protection" policy. This is a new policy developed with the help of the American Farm Bureau. It is closer to the crop insurances offered for field crops and has helped that industry manage risks for a number of years.
New Paraquat Certified Applicator Training Available
Paraquat Certified Applicator Training to Prevent Poisonings Now Available | US EPA
www.epa.gov
CCE Hemp Exchange Board Information
Dear Hemp Growers & Processors,The need to exchange information on buying and selling plant products is evident. Please see the link to the survey below if you are an interested buyer or seller.
https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e35Eb3pNfpWkqhv
Complete the survey and submit. We will then download all of the entries weekly and put them in a spreadsheet on line.
That can be found here: http://cceorangecounty.org/ag-environment
There are nicer, fancier blog-type boards and we hope to move to that model in the coming weeks but this will satisfy the current need and does not require you to create an account. It is mostly for buying and selling plant matter but you'll see that it could be used for equipment or other hemp-specific supplies.
We will update the list weekly with new postings.
*The NY Hemp Exchange Board is posted for your information and research purposes. Cornell Cooperative Extension does not endorse or recommend any product, service, individual, business or other entity. All "Hemp Exchanges" are posted at the discretion of CCE. "Hemp Exchanges" requests may be denied or removed at any time for any reason
Dairy Acceleration Program Funds Available
Funds available for the
- organization of financial records/benchmarking up to $1,000
- continued business planning (for farms awarded in a previous year) up to $2,500
- business planning up to $5,000
2018 Drug Residue Prevention Manual
For more than 30 years, the U.S. dairy industry has focused educational efforts on the judicious use of antibiotics through the annual publication of a Best Practices Manual. The 2018 edition of the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management? Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual is the primary educational tool for dairy farm managers throughout the country on the judicious and responsible use of antibiotics, including avoidance of drug residues in milk and meat.The manual is a quick resource to review those antibiotics approved for dairy animals and can also be used as an educational tool and resource for farm managers as they develop on-farm best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues. Visit the Manual and Form Library to download copies of this important tool!
ProDairy Forage Management
Are you prepared to change your routine this spring?By: Joe Lawrence, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and Ron Kuck, Cornell Cooperative Extension North Country Regional Ag Team
While spring tasks vary by farm, there are many "rites of spring," and they are often completed in a fairly rigid sequence. Depending on the farm, these often include fixing fence, spreading manure, planting new seedings, planting corn and harvesting first cutting, and are often performed in this order.
We are optimistic that the upcoming turn in weather will allow these task to be accomplished in a timely manner, but at this point it is time to ask yourself: Are you willing to change your spring routine?
In addition to adverse weather it is no secret that everyone is facing extremely tight economic times, and dealing with forage inventories of poor digestibility forages from 2017. This combination of factors makes it more critical than ever to be ready to tackle the task that will have the most impact on your business at the proper time.
Recent reference articles on dealing with tough times:
• Key Opportunities to Optimize 2018 Crop Production Efficiency
• Resources for Dealing with Spring Weather Delays
First Cutting
The number one focus should be on timely harvest of first cutting.
• Park the corn planter when a field of first cutting is ready for harvest.
o Monitoring 1st cut harvest timing
• Approach harvest by the acre, not by the field. Be ready to skip over a field that has passed its optimum harvest stage.
o Dynamic Harvest Schedules
• Strategically plan feed storage to best utilize forage inventories for the right group of animals.
o Strategic Forage Storage Planning
o When More is Better
Corn Planting
The window for planting for silage is generally wider than for grain, which is why first cutting can and should take priority over corn planting. However, in the event of extreme delays in planting corn, performance will diminish with late plantings. If corn planting progresses into late May or early June, begin to consider alternative options for those acres. Previous research from Cornell and Penn State suggest a 0.5 to 1 ton/acre per week decline in silage yield for planting after mid to late May.
Multi-Tasking
First and foremost during a time of year that can be very busy and stressful, taking every precaution to keep your team safe is critical.
The idea of fitting all of this work into a condensed time period, and still getting key tasks completed before critical deadlines can seem impossible, but year after year many find unique ways to get it all done. Consider working with neighbors, custom operators or renting equipment to accomplish these key tasks on time.
If you currently utilize custom operators, now is a good time to set up a time to meet with them and make sure you are on the same page to get tasks accomplished in the time-frame needed. Make sure that your expectations and goals are clearly defined. They will also be under stress to fit their work into a condensed period and meet their customers' expectations, so defining expectations and pre-planning how to most efficiently get the work accomplished when the custom operator arrives can go a long way to increase the chances for success.
While spring tasks vary by farm, there are many "rites of spring," and they are often completed in a fairly rigid sequence. Depending on the farm, these often include fixing fence, spreading manure, planting new seedings, planting corn and harvesting first cutting, and are often performed in this order.
We are optimistic that the upcoming turn in weather will allow these task to be accomplished in a timely manner, but at this point it is time to ask yourself: Are you willing to change your spring routine?
In addition to adverse weather it is no secret that everyone is facing extremely tight economic times, and dealing with forage inventories of poor digestibility forages from 2017. This combination of factors makes it more critical than ever to be ready to tackle the task that will have the most impact on your business at the proper time.
Recent reference articles on dealing with tough times:
• Key Opportunities to Optimize 2018 Crop Production Efficiency
• Resources for Dealing with Spring Weather Delays
First Cutting
The number one focus should be on timely harvest of first cutting.
• Park the corn planter when a field of first cutting is ready for harvest.
o Monitoring 1st cut harvest timing
• Approach harvest by the acre, not by the field. Be ready to skip over a field that has passed its optimum harvest stage.
o Dynamic Harvest Schedules
• Strategically plan feed storage to best utilize forage inventories for the right group of animals.
o Strategic Forage Storage Planning
o When More is Better
Corn Planting
The window for planting for silage is generally wider than for grain, which is why first cutting can and should take priority over corn planting. However, in the event of extreme delays in planting corn, performance will diminish with late plantings. If corn planting progresses into late May or early June, begin to consider alternative options for those acres. Previous research from Cornell and Penn State suggest a 0.5 to 1 ton/acre per week decline in silage yield for planting after mid to late May.
Multi-Tasking
First and foremost during a time of year that can be very busy and stressful, taking every precaution to keep your team safe is critical.
The idea of fitting all of this work into a condensed time period, and still getting key tasks completed before critical deadlines can seem impossible, but year after year many find unique ways to get it all done. Consider working with neighbors, custom operators or renting equipment to accomplish these key tasks on time.
If you currently utilize custom operators, now is a good time to set up a time to meet with them and make sure you are on the same page to get tasks accomplished in the time-frame needed. Make sure that your expectations and goals are clearly defined. They will also be under stress to fit their work into a condensed period and meet their customers' expectations, so defining expectations and pre-planning how to most efficiently get the work accomplished when the custom operator arrives can go a long way to increase the chances for success.
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship
Western New York Dairy Farmers Kim Shaklee and Janice Brown make the news with their successful Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship match. Kim and Janice are Master Graizers, and they are working hard with their Apprentice, Travis Belmore and preparing Lauren La Mar for an official Apprenticeship.
Grazing Heifers - An Opportunity for Large Dairy Farms
Grazing Heifers - An Opportunity for Large Dairy Farms
CONTENTS: An Overview of economics and 10 Fact Sheets covering the resources required to operate a
farm owned heifer grazing system or contracting with a Custom Grazer.
1. Grazing Management
2. Nutrition
3. Animal Control and Movement
4. Infrastructure: Fencing
5. Infrastructure: Water
6. Immunity and Vaccination
7. Fly Control
8. Avoiding Pasture Pitfalls
9. Grazing Checklist
10. Custom Grazing Contract
WRITTEN BY: FAY BENSON, GRAZING EDUCATOR, SCNY DAIRY TEAM
Additional Authors:
Dr. Sam Leadley-Attica Vet Clinic
John Conway-Cornell Pro Dairy
Kara Dunn-Freelance Writing,Mannsville, NY
Through the combined use of Management Intensive Grazing and winter confinement, Dairy Farmers can raise heifers that fit their operations through:
CONTENTS: An Overview of economics and 10 Fact Sheets covering the resources required to operate a
farm owned heifer grazing system or contracting with a Custom Grazer.
1. Grazing Management
2. Nutrition
3. Animal Control and Movement
4. Infrastructure: Fencing
5. Infrastructure: Water
6. Immunity and Vaccination
7. Fly Control
8. Avoiding Pasture Pitfalls
9. Grazing Checklist
10. Custom Grazing Contract
WRITTEN BY: FAY BENSON, GRAZING EDUCATOR, SCNY DAIRY TEAM
Additional Authors:
Dr. Sam Leadley-Attica Vet Clinic
John Conway-Cornell Pro Dairy
Kara Dunn-Freelance Writing,Mannsville, NY
Through the combined use of Management Intensive Grazing and winter confinement, Dairy Farmers can raise heifers that fit their operations through:
- Reduced Cost of Feed and Labor
- Targeted Growth Goals
- Increased Fitness due to Exercise
- Decreased Post Calving Metabolic Problems
Full PDF Version: https://nydairyadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_439.pdf
NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program
NYSERDA offers energy audits to help eligible farms and on-farm producers identify ways to save energy and money on utility bills. Reports include recommendations for energy efficiency measures.Eligibility
Eligible farms include but are not limited to dairies, orchards, greenhouses, vegetables, vineyards, grain dryers, and poultry/egg. The farms must also be customers of New York State investor-owned utilities and contribute to the System Benefits Charge (SBC). Please check your farm’s current utility bills to see if your farm pays the SBC.
Energy Audit Options
You can request the level of energy audit that best fits your farm’s needs. NYSERDA will assign a Flexible Technical Assistance Program Consultant to visit your farm and perform an energy audit at no cost to you.
For more information and the NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program Application click here
For more information and the NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program Application click here
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