The South Central NY Dairy & Field Crops Program provides educational opportunities and technical assistance to help the industry with emerging issues, production bottlenecks, and new technologies. Our primary audiences are dairy and field crop producers as well as agri-service providers with secondary audiences of the media, non-farm residents and consumers. We focus on areas that will help improve farm profitability within the region since farm financial success is a key to maintaining a viable dairy and field crops industry. Our program's education helps our industry respond to both internal and external forces that help it keep pace in a rapidly changing world.

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.

Our Mission:

• 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.

We work to help producers meet their goals and enhance dairy farm profitability to maintain a strong dairy industry in the region.

This program is supported by Cornell University and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Tioga & Tompkins Counties

Tioga County Pasture Walk

July 24, 2025
Owego, NY

Cortland County Pasture Walk

July 28, 2025
Cortland, NY

Tompkins County Pasture Walk

August 14, 2025
Ithaca, NY

USDA Contract Freezes and Terminations: Legal Action Steps for Farmers

For Farmers with Signed EQIP and CSP Contracts

This resource is written for farmers and ranchers nationwide who have a signed contract with USDA NRCS under the EQIP or CSP program for environmental improvements but have concerns that their contract is frozen, under review, or terminated, and who are uncertain of their rights to receive reimbursement as well as their ongoing obligations under the signed contract.

Version: 1.0
Issue date: Feb 28, 2025

A downloadable factsheet is available at our BUSINESS tab on the top of our webpage.

Additional Information: www.farmcommons.org

USDA Contract Freezes: Filing an NAD Appeal or Demand Letter

This resource is written for farmers and ranchers nationwide who have a signed contract with USDA NRCS under the EQIP or CSP program for environmental improvements and want more information on the mechanics of filing a National Appeals Division (NAD) appeal. This resource includes sample letters.

USDA NAD Appeal https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-hearings-and-appeals/national-appeals-division/nad-appeals

Farm Participants Needed for Bale Grazing Grant!

Information on the Project:  

Cornell Cow Convos - New Podcast

On-going podcast, New episodes released on the last Thursday of the month.
Guest speakers, CCE Dairy Specialists.

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

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.