Specialists

Seasoned professionals working to help you achieve your personal and business goals. 


Janice Degni

Janice Degni

Team Leader, Field Crop Specialist

Areas of Interest: Integrated Crop Management, Forage Quality and Environmental Management

view details about Janice
Betsy Hicks

Betsy Hicks

Area Dairy Specialist

Areas of Interest: Nutrition, Milk Quality, Cow Comfort

view details about Betsy
Donette Griffith

Donette Griffith

Administrative Assistant

view details about Donette

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Dairy

Dairy

Livestock

Livestock

Grazing

Grazing

Forages

Forages

Grains

Grains

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Upcoming Events

A New Year Goal: Cultivate Success with Better Bookkeeping - A 6-week Virtual Series

January 16, 2025
January 30, 2025
February 13, 2025
February 27, 2025
March 13, 2025
March 27, 2025

New to farm bookkeeping or experienced and looking to find more efficient or effective methods? Looking to learn and compare, firsthand, various means and services? 

Then, this program is for you! 

Join us for a six-session virtual series designed to boost your knowledge 
about what bookkeeping services are available to help you excel in farm recordkeeping. 

Agri-Economic Development Summit

March 18, 2025 : Growing Our Future in Cortland County
Cortland, NY, NY

4 Workshops:  (select 1 morning and afternoon session)
•Workshop 1 - Stress, Success & Succession
•Workshop 2 - Marketing your Ag Business
•Workshop 3 - Insurance for You and Your Business
• Workshop 4 - Business Development Resources

PRESENTED BY:  THE CORTLAND COUNTY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (BDC)
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION,
CORTLAND COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT,
USDA/RURAL DEVELOPMENT/NRCS/FSA, and CORTLAND COUNTY FARM BUREAU

Program Sponsors: Tompkins County Trust, Farm Credit East & Cortland County BDC

Colostrum and Calf Technologies

March 19, 2025
Ithaca, NY

Join us for a lunch meeting with Penn State University's renowned calf specialist, Dr. Melissa Cantor.  Dr. Cantor will show us new research into extended colostrum feeding both as a preventative therapy and an intervention strategy for sick calves.  She will also delve into new uses of calf-hood technologies such as activity monitors, auto-feeders and the role that AI can play. 

Announcements

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

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


Farm Participants Needed for Bale Grazing Grant!

Information on the Project:  
  • Approximately 10 acres total needed to bale graze two different bale densities
  • "Core" farms will graze two winters, "Demo" farms will graze one winter.
  • Payments for both "Core" farms and "Demo" farms
  • Baseline soil sampling by bale grazing team
  • Forage measurements in early season by bale grazing team
  • Late season clipping if residual not trampled down by farm
Interested farms can enroll for this winter or next.

Looking for 2-3 dairy farms to enroll! If interested, please reach out to Betsy Hicks, 607.391.2673 or bjh246@cornell.edu 


Cornell Cow Convos - New Podcast

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

Housed on Soundcloud Channel is CCE Dairy Educators


Topics:
  • Preventative healthcare for cows
  • The trend of beef on dairy
  • What to look forward to in the new year for dairy
  • Socially grouping or pair-housing calves



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.

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


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