About Program

The dairy and field crops sector brings significant economic activity to the region ($411 M in milk income alone). Dollars produced from agriculture have one of the largest multiplier effects. Farms make a significant contribution to the local tax base and have been found in several cost of service studies to demand less in services than they pay in taxes compared to residences (1). Farms maintain open space which provides the community with beautiful landscapes and recreational land.
(1) Cost of Community Services Studies
American Farmland Trust; Northampton, MA: American Farmland Trust; FIC Fact Sheet and Technical Memo; page(s) 6; 2010; National; Fact Sheets and Technical Memos Cost of Community Services Studies.
- Enhance the profitability of farmers to maintain a strong regional dairy industry,
- Create greater awareness of trends and options to help producers achieve family and business goals,
- Maintain environmentally responsible agricultural practices, and
- Encourage a better understanding of agriculture by the general community.
This program is supported by Cornell University and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Broome, Chemung, Cortland, Onondaga, Tioga & Tompkins Counties
The South Central New York Dairy and Field Crops is supported, in part, by
six
county Cornell Cooperative Extensions including:
Broome, Chemung, Cortland,
Onondaga, Tioga and Tompkins Counties.
To visit one of these Cornell Cooperative Extension's web sites,
simply click on a county within the map.

Upcoming Events
Farm Business Education in April 2021; Online Farm Financial Management Tuesdays
April 13, 2021
April 20, 2021
April 27, 2021
Short, farm financial education programs online this spring!
Join us online on April 13, 20 & 27, 2021 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.
Topics include: Assessing Farm Capital Investment Decisions, Farm Business Transfer Planning, Insurance and Liability Protection
Raising Pigs: From Piglet to Pork Chop
April 21, 2021
Springtime is a common time of year when North Country farmers begin raising piglets. This introductory online class, through Zoom, will go over the basics in raising pigs from start to finish, including best management practices, hog care and marketing of pigs.
Dairy & Field Crop Digest Advertising
March 25, 2021
December 31, 2021
Announcements
From Our Team to Yours: COVID-19 Resources for Dairy Farmers
Regional Team Operations During COVID-19
Click here for an operations update.Dairy Acceleration Program Funds Available
- 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
HEMP GROWER'S EXCHANGE BOARD
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!
Follow us on Facebook
The team updates our facebook page frequently - follow us to be updated on our events, see some fun videos and get local area updates!facebook.com/SCNYDairyandFieldCropsTeam
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship
ProDairy Forage Management
Are you prepared to change your routine this spring?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.
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.For more information and the NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program Application click here